remembering Dad...

here's my Dad at Cape Canaveral on a trip with the Civil Air Patrol, 1960s i guess...no doubt he had a terrific time--in his heart he was always a pilot...I wish i had understood him better when he was alive. Gone now 21 years...does it even seem possible?  so many changes in our family...still loved and missed.  he may be gone but left us such pearls of wisdom like "it isn't the car, it's the nut behind the wheel"....and lots more like that.   😄 ***

and this is finally done....re-stitched the offending parts EXCEPT the pesky dogwood but it's our secret, ok?

and a surprise arrived friday....a housewarming gift from a fellow quilter AKA fabric-holic!  the very best kind of gift for sure...certainly warmed MY heart!

right away--like a true addict--had to fondle and sort.  this isn't all...there was a large baggie of small scraps that immediately got sorted into strips and squares with some being used into a current project.  some vintage prints and lots of reproductions...and then a couple of works that got started but never finished by anonymous quilter...now to find space on the shelf for the goodies!

temps and humidity ramping up so there'll be more hovering near the A/C from now on. makes pesky medical appointments even worse...three of them last week, two this and one already scheduled for the week after that.  the leg is finally showing big improvement--numbness and swelling significantly reduced.  the end in sight?  just maybe....now to shut windows and turn on the cooooool! 

tuesday talk

monday somehow got away from me so first weekly post today!  wound care nurse has me elevating leg 4x per day for one hour, which seems a time eater but trusting good for leg.  have to say it feels less swollen and more flex, so she could be right...lol!  big reveal at thursday follow up.  *** so how have I been keeping occupied?  trying to finish this....

in fact, did get it finished when spied a counting error...numbers you know!!!  snipped out the offending area, except for that dogwood blossom....i hate doing those--it is one stitch too high but it stays.  not much re-stitching to do, tho.  

also working on that 'spectrum' pattern UFO.  with pieced blocks done, working on alternate squares and getting rows together....a bit time consuming to pull fabrics, cut squares and re-shelve but no rush to finish.  miss sunny is purring along after a serious oiling...

then pulled fabrics for penn dutch applique wall quilt....

so thankful to have a healthy stash....keeps me out of stores and off line where temptation is always too much to resist.  gives me hope that i just might actually use it all up before my sewing days end...

yearly apartment inspection was done, so the space is spic'n'span, which should do for the summer.  i never want anyone to say i was an excellent housekeeper, hoping to spend my earth days here on in doing things i enjoy and not in mundane tasks.  temps are ramping up, so indoor fun plans in full swing....have a blessed day!

midweek notes

nice weather here before the hots arrive, probably later this month.  inching closer to july, maryland's historical hottest month.  puttering and fine tuning the new space, still some things need to go up--living room curtains, wall quilts.  slowly learning my way around and feeling settled, means a return to fitness and needlework pursuits.  more progress on this block project with all pieced blocks just about done...

i've a patchwork assembly line going on here with good result....

as you can see, the muslin strips and squares previously cut have whittled down but many left, so while i sew, thinking about what to do with them.  strips ideal for log cabin and squares for foursies--shoeboxes contain precuts ready for action.  and what's this?  another find during the move?  indeed it is...

early in my quilt life, i swooned over applique....didn't do much as the skill just wasn't there, but didn't prevent me from taking endless snaps at shows and buying patterns....this is one.  it was immediate swoon, very traditional and figured do-able with only four blocks--apparently not!  i have decided now is the time.  skills have improved and it still speaks to me.  this will be one of the few new starts for me this year...and speaking of year....

if you can't see it, it's 1981.....yes 42 years ago....so it's time has definitely arrived.  fabrics will be pulled this week.  and last, with hot weather on the horizon, it's always a good time for this...

processing scraps before they rival the matterhorn....

all this is keeping my mind off the continuing leg saga...a wound clinic appointment is set.  it definitely does NOT like the stationary bike but after the pain subsides, it seems to improve a bit.  other hematomas are yet to dissolve, safe to say i won't ever be taking coumadin again.  *** thankful my challenges are only annoying, keeping in mind and prayers those who suffer much worse.  as always, a day filled with blessings and the continuing care of my loving God. 

friday sewing

after getting one complete row and several blocks finished, i totally recall why i hung onto this pattern and the scads of units prepped for 'someday'.  with plenty of repro fabrics on hand, this will be a top to hopefully sell and will help to bust the stash, win/win.  have 2 other scrappy tops in the works getting assembled from precuts shoeboxes.  a basting day is also on the schedule at some point. 

note to self:  lengthen the design wall before proceeding much further on this!  i have the other half of the king size flannel sheet that usually doubles as a picnic tablecloth, but it'll undergo a slight reduction!  in addition to machine fun, i've also been quilting 'midnight' with the center medallion nearly done.  

90 degrees has arrived today but only briefly, a harbinger of the future no doubt.  outside of pesky medical appointments, won't be doing much exploring.  good news tho, boy surgeon has cleared me for regular exercise again--after 10 weeks off it'll take a month or so to regain lost endurance and momentum.  leg regaining shape but further tests ordered to answer a few questions that linger.  

library card getting regular use and mostly i read whodunit type of mysteries, but a recent spooky dream sent me to something lighter for a change.

normally i don't read romance types, but the left-side book blurb calls it funny and a fast read, which it is.  a bit predictable but definitely light fare.  the other book is one of jk rowling's mysteries--1000 pages' worth--that hasn't yet grabbed me but i keep reading hoping it does.  concerns internet gaming inventors, one of whom has been killed, and the game characters and groupies.  i like the detective and his cohorts, and as long as JKR doesn't venture further into her harry potter-type fantasy mode i'll continue, but may abandon at some point.  *** that's all for now....

love from oz!

nothing like a mailbox surprise to perk up your day....this one came with plenty of warm fuzzies all the way from down under!

some of the AUS/NZ gals had their retreat earlier this year....known as the scrub stitchers, they gather each year to sew, laugh and shop!  this year a few of the zoom gals from US, Canada and Europe made the trek....and i got to join in vicariously.  they included me by sending along this--an official scrub stitchers project designed by their pal anni downs and her stitchery/quilting shop "hatched and patched".   the little fridge magnets were made by sylvia, another zoomer.  so happiness is not always a warm puppy....sometimes it's a kindness by friends far away.  

and speaking of zooming....last night was a special anniversary night and was finally free to join in...

different time zones mean many to join in at various times....i can always start in but cave before the session is over.  was very nice to catch up and see what others are doing...always inspires me.  i cut out a stack of the "spectrum" blocks for sewing today.

earlier dear daughter came to visit with her 2-step stepstool and did this for me...

got all the quilts neatly stacked on the closet shelf....no longer piled on floor, making apartment looking bigger all the time...she also took home some wall quilts for her own use and for gifts.  the last of the tomato plants went with her as well.  the only pile left is things that are basted and to be basted.  i'm keeping those in plain sight for motivation...LOL!

memorial day weekend...no big plans at all...huge car repair sucked up all my fun funds, but might get to venture to the shore, one of my definite happy places and always free! 

Midnight!

 

Finally MATO's turn in the hoop.....I've a great wall place for this as soon as it's done....

Ortho visit next week and hoping I'll be cleared to exercise again...

Farmer's markets in full swing so plenty of local veggies now available...makes me happy!

Short post just to show the progress....no plans for holiday but might venture to the shore, always one of my happy places!

block progress

now that things are calming down, have finally been able to grab some sewing time and these got done lickety split!  

had pulled out some 2.5" strips to whip these up...so handy to have those precuts on hand!  today is another sewing day for me.  breathing room from all the chaos and challenges sorely needed.

and i guess it's official now.....this has been hung up in my hallway as you enter the apartment.

new complex kinder and gentler than the last with no offending behaviors.  the other residents are quite friendly but not in your face, and the location is proving to be extremely convenient to many usual places. *** yesterday was initial visit with new PCP, a geriatric specialist, young, vibrant, funny and a native from Massachusetts...just perfect--a true divine find!  so the day is mine and it's a beauty too..75 degrees...with only a nurse visit on tap.  thank you God for this much-needed oasis!

it's moda love!

does not seem possible just about a week since last post.  i've been busy i think....but finally sat down for some sew time.  it's moda love wall quilt!

just sew rows together and it's a flimsy....late to the party as my zoom peeps in the southern hemisphere made theirs a couple of weeks ago at retreat.  oh well, better late than never.  pulled a couple of kaffe prints that caught my eye and here it is.  you know i like color and kaffe prints never, ever disappoint.  

and the peril most quilters face when moving didn't miss me.  way in a deep, dark place was this not-quite UFO....i say not quite since i made only one block for a tryout but i did cut a gazillion pieces for it.  it whispered to me now and then but now frugality demands that i move it to the official UFO pile and at least get it to flimsy stage.

if you zoom in on the date, you'll see 2011...12 years ago, so yes it is time.  

it's scrappy repro of course...so plenty of stash on hand.  blocks finish at 6"....

sweet 100s are just about ready for outdoor planting.  it's been cooler than normal here but i think next week is the change for more warmth, 75-80 every single day.  

so settled yet?   ha!  still trying to establish daily routine and have it feel normal.  missing my regular gym time big time, still on hold due to leg.  new wrinkle is that swelling receding steadily due to constant draining with extra bandage changes.  it's also more painful as muscles and nerves come back to life.  car on sick list as well, so off to repair next week, an added detour.  and a couple of days just rested with a book to recover and recharge.  it keeps me going but a real vacation is sorely needed, along with some TLC from my family. 

for sale

time to pare down the nearly toppling stack of small quilted pieces...starting off with this.  

this is a hand pieced and hand quilted item.  colors chosen for a challenge on state flag...these colors are from the Louisiana flag.  as a caveat, i do wash my fabrics before using them but would recommend a color catcher for future washings, especially as it's red.  i do not machine dry my pieces, not even bed size quilts.  i am asking $45 which includes shipping.  if you are interested, please email me.  

mother's day eve and i've no plans at all except to chill out.  hoping to sew some and catch up on a few household chores.  it's a rainy day so good mystery on tap as well.  

and in the "my 2 cents" department, I believe Daniel Perry should be absolved of any wrongdoing in the subway man's death.  This was a mentally ill man creating a disturbance and threatening behavior who had to be subdued by 3 people, not just Perry.  I've been on the subway with scary people and it is just that--scary.  A confined space, a loose cannon...anything can happen. 

tuesday finish

 yes indeed...it's the first finish this month....this gets crossed off the UFO list....

it's the plaid spider web wall quilt, 26" square, so not much busted but more fabric used up.  cute huh?  i like it.  thought i might make a larger quilt of this pattern but string piecing gets tedious (for me anyway) and this was enough.  UFO #3 is in the hoop and could be a may finish as well...wow!  just yesterday unpacked a small box of pictures and found 2 wall quilts, one finished and one a flimsy.  i hope that's the end of them!  

and the sewing space is finally ready for use!  it's been a week of finding homes for a myriad of items and hanging things up and some much-needed chilling out time.  tuscan starburst unpacked and remaining 3 blocks cut out...still on the hunt for the elusive background fabric.  here's a look at my happy place....

i knew the design wall was short but didn't know how much to add until it was hung.  another foot should be just enough.  just out of shot in right front of the machine is the elfa drawer stack with all sorts of related stuff.  the books are on a shelf in the bedroom, along with the stash.  i've not had a dedicated sewing room since 1978 but always able to make adequate space to be productive and comfortable.  the big screen TV is to the left, along with the laptop that has a modem connection long enough for zoom gatherings and streaming stuff.  

and up for grabs is today's freebie....this is for postage only, about $8-9 if it strikes your fancy.  it's patriots fabric scraps from sewing a scrub top.  six pieces in all, few larger than FQ but not half yard.  this is a directional print that works only one way but depending on the pattern, can be ignored. 

prefer paypal payment so email me if interested.   no space here for unnecessary stuff!

wacky weather continues....80s yesterday, 60s today.  exploring the area some, but mostly enjoying the breathing space after numerous demands and medical interventions.  the pesky leg is coming along slow, still pretty numb but bandage free very soon i hope!

thursday notes

yesterday was on the hunt for something so had to tackle the chaos of the stash....took me a solid afternoon but now pretty much sorted...at least easier to find fabrics.

herculean task but managed to squeeze it all in and still see it...missing the use of the bottom shelf but can't be helped.  it is a testament to how much fabric i've used since moving to maryland anyway.  not pictured are shoeboxes of scraps, 2 baskets of scraps to be cut up and UFO projects with their respective fabrics.  still healthy but slowly dwindling.  

if you are in need of a tri-recs set, i have two.  be happy to send them along for postage only.  pretty sure bought at joann's with 50% coupon.  determined to fling unnecessary stuff.

won't be long til these little tomato seedlings will be in the ground.  in a few days i'll divide them up into 2 pots to give them more room and should be ready to plant in a couple of weeks...

these are cherry tomato plants, sweet 100 is the variety, hoping for a bumper crop.  already have the tomato plant food on hand to keep them healthy.  

leg stitches out but numbness persists of course....signed up at local gym, had to change franchise as the local anytime fitness does not take any insurances.  got green light to start doing what i can without the leg....not quite ready for action.  coumadin swapped out for a different drug, meaning my dietary choices just increased immensely, so it's cranberry sauce with chicken dinner today after a very long time....and just in time for yummy green grapes too....

now that our weather is improving and things are pretty well settled, anticipate more time at the machine and back into the sewing swing!  thanks be to God for all His blessings!

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!