my may quilt

first up....thanks to sue who commented on the last post and claimed the farmer's wife blocks...off to the PO today to send them along....organization is ongoing with daily decrease in floor piles as things find a home.  few more things got put up on the walls too.  

long ago had a book called "a month of sundays" featuring small quilts for every month....this was the may entry....

may baskets filled with that gorgeous tulip fabric.  at the time i bought it, hadn't a clue how to use it but just right for this.   

also got these sewn and ready to stuff...

after stuffed and sewn they'll go here....

this cute duck holder thingie made by daughter in high school shop....have downloaded a number of freebie patterns to stitch up and they will make festive holiday displays.....there is the spider web small quilt under my needle in progress, so another finish fairly soon.  

and the leg you ask?  well, numbness abating at the pace of a very drugged snail....the foot is mostly back to normal but from ankle up about 12 inches pretty numb....a real nuisance.  still using the cane but back to gym this week after hopefully getting sutures removed, which might help with the numbness...i'm told it's the last thing to resolve...

so welcome may hoping it IS a very merry month indeed...for all of us!

up for adoption

 

found in a box.....all the farmer's wife blocks....all 120 or so of them....i made them, put them together in a top and it was less than inspiring....so deconstructed and find now that i have lost enthusiasm for this project.  if you want them, i'll send along for postage only....i think about $8.  i can take paypal if you choose....or carefully concealed cash if you prefer.  email me and i'll provide my address.  

rainy, dreary day, just right for organizing drawers and such.  i'll get back to my task...

a finish start

finally got down to sew in the new space....boxes gone, some semblance of order, few good nights' sleep and beyond hospital aura....found the binding fabric for the kaffe lozenges or shuttles as some call them....fired Miss Sunny up and got 'er done!

tried a few different colors for the binding but the pink just made it wow!  and here's Miss Sunny's new home too...

the living room is a bit smaller so her corner is as well....but it's workable and all the needed doodads aren't far away.  under the table are shoeboxes of precuts and UFOs in containers.  there's more to do of course....hang things, put away quilts, organize cupboards but the long, hot summer is ahead and only 110 days to my maine vacation...that'll be ten times better for the wait!

nearly there..

after some of the most horrific 6 weeks i've had in a long time....let's see...2 hospitalizations, surgery, move, family member illness, cardiac issues, new environment, medication adjustments....how many stress points is that?  if not 300 then darn close i think!  but seeing light so improving.  first up....take note of this....the very LAST box to be emptied!

yeah it's fabric...spent the last 2 days unpacking the stash and fingers crossed it will all fit on the shelves....here it is this morning....the top shelf is going to save me i do believe!

the bottom shelf is taken up with finished wall quilts...well, most of them.  there is another small pile of things to be hung on the walls and another pile of things to give away/sell.  gonna be a tight squeeze.  makes me itching to get sewing to acquire some breathing room here.  

here is the pile of quilts for the closet shelf (left) and the wall quilts to go (right)....

overwhelmed yet?  i am!  inbetween unpacking found a few moments to get my cherry tomato seeds planted...

they are looking good and hoping for a good yield...the variety is 'sweet 100' and i've had them before....very prolific.  we have planter boxes here.  farmer's market gets $5-6 per half pint of these, beyond my budget, so even a few pints with minimal startup cost would be good.  

as mentioned, had another brief hospital visit...cardiac issues this time....all new docs and new-to-me facility.  God sent many angels in my path, starting with paramedic who recommended hospital.  appointments on board for the month.  in addition to fluid and caffeine restrictions, a heart rate stabilizer so feeling a lot like flat stanley as he slinks down the stairs.  yesterday was able to drive for the first time since mid-march.  grocery store, drug store and bank with library, gym and senior center lined up for later in the week.  still lots to make it home...another month should do it.  studio area nearly ready to use...another UFO in the hoop as well....it's been a long hiatus!

settling in

it's been another busy and somewhat harrowing week post move and surgery...leg swelling almost gone, two more weeks of home RN, more boxes gone and more things found!  i think i had a total of 62 boxes in all...down to 8-9...most containing sewing stuff and fabric.  the down time gave me a chance to decide where things go and how to maximize storage and ease of use.  

fortunately my apartment next to trash room so just sneak next door to shed these as they get emptied.  and what did get accomplished?

books and CDs got their new home...easy to access and neatly stacked.  the tall shelves they were on has been repurposed to kitchen for pans and small appliances....no more diving into lower cabinets trying to find things.  bedroom will be sewing annex with these, treadle and fabric stash.  

my slow motion status partly due to slashing my caffeine intake....cardioman said to cut in half, which i've done, but not without annoying loss of energy.  worth it to keep off blood thinner.  

lastly, in the 'never rain but pours' department, my dear sis has been hospitalized with a serious event...she is our family's youngest and has had many trials--like me--so if you are a praying person, please remember her today. 

as promised....

this is a quilty post!  it's been just about 3 weeks since discharge and slowly on the mend with my leg.  grossly underestimated recovery and magnitude of surgery itself...home RN and PT on board....might be independent again by May 1st...but i digress....

doesn't everyone move only 3 days after getting out of the hospital?  yep, have traded mid-maryland for eastern closer to my daughter and son-in-law.  not the best time but couldn't be helped.  my angel sister-in-law came for a week to help and ply her nursing skills.  so at present things are in a mostly disorganized state....

space is configured a bit different and living room smaller but it'll work eventually....this is the studio corner....stash is still in the bedroom, most in boxes yet...

was shocked to see how many finished things i had....boxes of them!  this is just one pile of quilts and wall quilts.  bottom shelf of stash also contains finished items...

with one good leg and leg care it'll be a couple of weeks before all the boxes are gone, tolerable by me.  am blessed to have a comfortable and safe place with plenty of natural light, close to all my regular haunts and to airport for trips to maine....which, by the way, got postponed.  

so, boring Easter for me this year...thankfully services are online and get to worship even with a bum leg. that's the important thing anyway....hoping to get sewing machine set up this week.  have a wall quilt ready to bind if peg leg cooperates....

No fun here....

Once again a guest of local -- and excellent -- medical facility due to yet another complication of new status as lifelong cardiac patient.... For those of you oblivious, a hematoma is a blood clot in tissue, not venous system...somehow I've developed several in lots of places, most pesky is my leg.  They do self destruct but very slowly, hence this!!!

A week plus now and things are improving and my exercise has paid off handsomely once again.  That plus expert boy surgeon...had to be under 30....are putting me right as rain...

Apologies if you are grossed out but promise will return to guilty stuff next post....

national quilting day

not too much of that going on here...it's been a confusing sort of week around here and sitting at the machine didn't happen, but some needlework done.

this prayer in cross stitch got started when ?  cannot recall but time to finish.  stitching while TV watching is great for disarming dilemmas and if it gets done, that's a win/win.  two possible places to go when finished, so that's always a motivator.  

another semi-hidden project got unearthed.  in that galaxy far, far away, background pieces were cut for this block....tons of muslin in little baggies just waiting for me....

the reason interest waned is because originally cut ALL the pieces the wrong size, for this 5" block, which was not the original plan.  so they got tucked away but now there is a destination for these blocks so back on the active list.  deadline is summer so plenty of time, and clearing this drawer will make me smile.  

another tuscan starburst was sewn and quilting on kaffe's lozenges was completed, just needs binding so watch for a finish next week some time.

this year for St. Patrick's Day indulged in a smidgen of corned beef, something i've avoided until now, but just a few bites along with the regular veg and some homemade soda bread made for a celebratory treat.  

spring arrives monday but it's been cooler, such that exploding blooms belie the fact.  biting winds hang on to everyone's dismay.  winter came and went with no snow which is just fine with me, but won't be so happy come july and august.  hoping don't have to wear my winter coat to maine in a few weeks!

one photo this week

lots of other diversions this week but did manage to finish all 13 of the star blocks in part 1 of the Quiltmania mystery.  just starting the applique blocks that might be done by weekend's finish....we'll see.

color's not exact but close enough to get the idea.  Part 2 is now out and consists of 3 small birdie blocks and some flower applique blocks....not sure how many....will have to look closer when i get my issue.  

good news in the health dept...won't bore you with details but happy to say improvement continues albeit with some function totally normal and some that simply won't ever be...doesn't disable me exactly but my walking and standing endurance is affected.  i had a wee cry over it but then off to the gym swapping that negative for a positive.  my living situation has contributed, unfortunately, with corporate scum who dropped the ball on their so-called mission statement of "residents first."  oh yeah?  well i've got a bridge for sale too...

it's been a sorta of wintry day here with a few flakes this morning that quickly turned over to rain--damp, gray, chilly and gloomy--but chicken soup on the stove for me and my soul!  good thing it's only 18 days to my maine trip...just hoping no snowstorms while i'm there!

short post

my weekend was busy doing lots of things but not much sewing or fabric-related stuff.  mostly i finished kitting up "alaska" blocks...

doesn't sound or look like much but it was a big, time-consuming task....12 different blocks....each baggie contained pieces for 4 blocks....each block had max 12-14 pieces....you do the math.  all cut by hand with scissors, templates traced on fabric after ironing....yeah a big job.  

in addition, did quite a bit of hand quilting on the lozenge wall quilt--you've seen that.  and more prep on the quiltmania mystery part 1--you've seen those as well.  the remaining 7 star blocks had to be cut and the circles on the 4 applique blocks had to be prepped.  

all the above plus laundry, cooking, exercising and other such boring stuff.  anyway, hoping this week will reap some finishes and moving projects forward.  the weather is dynamite at high 50s.  only a couple appointments this week too.  next weekend is daylight savings....bring it on!