good news from PA!

FLASH!  phil did NOT see his shadow meaning an early spring.....woo hoo!  for us here in MD it's coming this weekend....what a great way to start a winter day--the sun is shining bright here and temps are on the rise.   me i am celebrating a finish...the paper doll books are done and will be on their way today..

lots of fussy cutting and sewing but the result is two adorable playthings for special little girls.  but my fingers were itching for some machine fun, so pulled out an easy UFO and got this far on this wall quilt project...

it'll say "home sweet home" when done and incorporates lots of bright colors--batiks and some very nice grunge dots--(thank you janet!) and it'll be for me.  this may not be my forever home but wherever, it is sweet to have a home.  ***  and mr mailman brought some goodies for me yesterday....a beautiful trinket box from dear daughter, 2 hand knit hats from my mum, a jonesboro, maine, history book with scads of photos of, well, scads of ancestors.  then my sister sent this...

when i belonged to the New England Quilt Museum, attended a talk given by Pam Weeks on this very subject and got to see a civil war quilt up close and personal.  I thought about buying the book but it was a want and not a need, so had to pass.  my dear sister got this a while back and i am super thrilled!  PS it's autographed too!   *** and yesterday finally got the border traced onto this UFO...

this is one of the true oldie UFOs that got put aside due to my timidity in tackling this part.  at the senior center was able to spread it out and finally get it marked.  there is one section i tried to do in my small space that is (gulp) upside down, so that'll have to be washed off (washable graphite pencil) and redone.  ***  also prepped final border on the guild's round robin challenge, so that's closing in to get done.   *** and (cringe) some former football jock on TV just said "it TEACHED the kids...."  uh oh....needs some verbal instruction i think! 

seeing red

last year at this time, only 3 months out from my cardiac surgery and struggling with basic daily needs, couldn't get behind this at all....fast forward one year and and things are hugely improved.  can't encourage enough to be a champion for one's health.  THREE, yes THREE primary care doctors fluffed off my shortness of breath due to physical deconditioning and obesity....turns out they were so very wrong.  One specialist even performed surgery with general anesthesia WITHOUT a cardiac clearance...so you can understand my gratitude for life today.  today i'm better, stronger, leaner, improved 1000%....HEALTHIER, tho not without the trauma and struggles of major surgery and recovery.  DON'T ignore annoying, recurring symptoms.  DO advocate on your own behalf.  DO find a physician who will pay attention to issues that trouble you.....it may save your life....

quilting and sewing

though haven't posted much lately, it doesn't mean there isn't plenty of sewing and quilting being done...this is the primary get 'er done project, two fabric paper doll books...

machine and hand sewing are called for putting these together...and they are adorable!  in addition to the "pages" with a variety of dolls appliqued on them, there was yardage of "clothing" requiring a few hours' worth of intricate, fussy cutting.  there are pockets inside the front/back covers where the clothes get stored.  they really are very cute and not as complicated as first thought, just plenty of TV time sewing....and when a change of pace is needed, still quilting on this UFO that is over half finished now.  determined to hack away at the UFO list this year...

this quilting design was chosen as the stencil has been on board for years and hardly used....hindsight being 20/20 as my divorce attorney said, might have selected something different but won't change it now....probably the final recipient won't care at all.   ***  winter is on/off, today being off and tomorrow definitely on so it'll be another full day of sewing fun with the required exercise squeezed in someplace.  so thankful my insurance covers half my YMCA membership, which is just one of many monday gratitudes!