HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 !

Happy New Year!  Here's to a better year than 2012.  Cheers!

We had a quiet uneventful Christmas and New Year, thankfully, and now on to a fresh new start.  I just finished undecorating the house and tree but I have left up a few snowmen that do not look Christmassy.  We bought a new narrower artificial tree and were very pleased with how it looked.  The branches fluffed out very full and I was able to hang all of my many Christmas decorations.  I love all of my ornaments and look forward to visiting them, like old friends, every year.  I still hang all of the antique baubles at the top of the tree and I will carry on that tradition as long as we keep putting up a tree.

I have been having fun with the 'Easy Street' mystery quilt and have pretty much kept up with the steps.  Bonnie Hunter revealed the last two steps, which included the grand finale, over New Years and I just love it.  I most likely will go downstairs and carry on with putting together the blocks this afternoon.  I am still on the second last step, which is putting together the side and corner insets, and then I will carry on with the blocks.  As much as I swore that I would not buy anymore fabric this year, I must find border fabric.  I do not believe I have enough of any colour to use as sashing and border and I think piano keys would be too busy.  I could play around with it to see and use up all of my left overs.  If it looks crappy, I can put it in the backing.

I want to sew together all of the large print black and white fat quarters that I have for a backing for 'Orca Bay' because I think they would show through to the front if I used it for a backing for 'Easy Street'.  So many projects on my wish list this year.  I have been sewing four patches together as leader and enders while I piece 'Easy Street' and that has been a help.  Maybe I will get that put together this year.  I have such plans.  I hope that things go well and I can get some of those projects completed this year.

Well time to get cracking,

Happy stitching.

Haven't posted in awhile so here goes.

I have been in a bit of a funk so I have not felt like posting.  I have been busy.  I have been trying to finish up all of my customer work.  I still have customer quilts to complete, my bad, because I just cannot make myself get down there to work on them.  I have run out of ideas and the will to quilt other peoples work.   Enough of that.

I did quilt a pile of panels for the ABC project and make one rag quilt for them as well.  I delivered 8 quilts in total to the guild meeting.  It felt good to do it and give them away.  I also won a door prize at that meeting which consisted of two Karen Kay Buckley patterns and some civil war fabrics from Grubers in the states.  How lucky am I?   I know have quite a pile of those types of fabrics in my stash that I will have to decide on a quilt for them.  That will be after I finish the mystery quilt and catch up on my other projects.  I should make a sidebar list of my UFO's to keep a tally.  I seem to keep adding more projects instead of completing them. 

I also made a snowman rag quilt and matching pillow to be donated  to the church for their silent auction that was held yesterday.  I saw it all wrapped up with other stuff so that you could not really see it.  Oh well, I hope that whoever won the bid enjoys it.  I hope it was a good bid.  All the other stuff I donated ended up in the silent auction baskets as well.  I am glad that they all have new owners.

I am almost finished quilting Dixie's quilt and then I will have to take a day to bury threads.  Maybe if I motor I can have it to her Wednesday.  I still have a couple of customers that want stuff done so I will call at the end of the week.  I have appointments to take my mother to next week that will cut up my days.

I am finished step one of the Bonnie Hunter mystery.  I was a little worried about my gray when I was cutting the strips because it looked so blue, but once I had them sewn together my worries went away.  It looks good and it goes well with my other colours.  I still need to square them up a bit but I was sore and tired from working in the kitchen at the church yesterday so I just finished piecing and pressing and pretty much called it a night.  I will have to start taking pictures and adding them to my blog posts to illustrate my comments like other bloggers do.

Anyway, I should hop in the shower and start getting ready for church.  It looks cold and miserable out there again today.  A big gust of wind just blew by stirring up a bunch of loose snow.  BRRRRRRRR.

Happy stitching.

RRCB revisted

        When I originally put together my RRCB I made it only large enough for my twin bed.  That was 4 x 5 blocks but now that I have a double bed  I need the quilt to be the same size as the original pattern.  I had it almost quilted but miscalculated the backing fabric so pulled it off the machine and put it aside to finish some customer quilts.  Therefore I have been busy unquilting it enough to add backing and take off one border and one sashing to add on the ten blocks that I originally omitted.  I think I may unquilt the whole thing because the design I used does not show up well and I am not happy with the thread colour either.  I have just finished making another 20 string blocks and have one medallion block to make.  I had made all of the medallions except for one but have all of the pieces ready to go except for the brown and pink hsts required.  If I did not have those blocks done I don't think I would have kept going with this.  My project for the rest of the summer is to unquilt the RRCB and add on the ten extra blocks.  Hopefully I can get the quilt on the machine before the cold weather hits.  I did buy a couple of yards of a pink print to add to the backing and another queen batting when we went to Fargo.  I have enough extra border seminole so that can easily be added on.  I always have to do things the hard way.

        I finished quilting Rita's music themed wallhanging and will bury threads tonight and give it back to her tomorrow.  I also took in two more quilts today from a new customer who has been waiting patiently for me to call her.  One is a bargello and that will be easy.  It is quite large for a bargello but it should work up ok.  The other one is a small wallhanging that she has already finished it like a pillow, with the batting and backing.  The edges are irregular as well.  I have not idea how I am going to pin it on and quilt it.  Yikes.  If it can't be done it can't be done.  A challenge I am not sure I can handle right now.

         I have completed the body of my Orca Bay and have sewn the border pieces together.  I just have to cut the black sashing strips and sew it together.  I may have to add another border to make it fit the bed.  We will see.  That quilt won't be quilted until late fall or winter some time.  No rush.  I may even participate in the next mystery quilt if it takes my fancy but I have enough projects to keep me busy this winter.

        That is it for now,  Happy stitching.

Have to get back to it.

My DH and I went to Fargo for a few days shopping and re-charging.  He really needed to get away from his phone and laptop.  We stopped in Mayville on the way and I found some ground snow fabric for my Winter's Song quilt.  We found most of the bargains at Walmart of all places.  Target, Kohl's and Gordman's were a disappointment this time around.  I did find some fabric at the Hobby Lobby that was not too bad and I went to a quilt shop in Grand Forks on the way home.  I found some more fabrics for my Blue Ridge Beauty that I intend to start as a leader/ender this winter.  My DH was the most successful in finding clothes on sale.  I just came home with t-shirts.  We spent enough and the car was full but it seems like there is nothing to show for it.  We did buy a small cheap microwave for our DS. 

I was happy to get home and see my dog and play with my fabric.  I washed all of it and ironed it and it is ready to be put away.  I did not wash the 1 1/2 inch strips that I bought in a bag for $6.00.  There was around two yards of fabric in that bag.  Good deal, nice neutrals for a yet unknown project down the road. 

I am so looking forward to retiring.  I just have a few quilts left to do for customers and then I am free, so I better get at it.  First I have to measure the floor downstairs because puzzlemats are on sale at Walmart.  We had to throw the old ones out because of the water backup.

Happy Quilting.

Another Hot Summer Day

Just taking a break from quilting a customer quilt.  I love the two quilts she has done from a book called Stratavarious quilts.  I am going to order the book and make a smaller version of my favourite.  It has a strippy back ground and then huge appliques and thread work to enhance the piecing.  Love it.

My DH is on his way home from a work thing in Vancouver so the dog and I will pick him up at the airport just after 6:00 p.m.  I have had a busy couple of days organizing and doing laundry while I had the house to myself.  The dog broke a dew claw so we have been careful not to over do it until it heals.  It has been way to hot to walk and I am too lazy to walk at 6:00 a.m.  The dog is still in bed at that time anyway.  He gives me a 'hey do not disturb' grunt when I get up at that time and he is still in bed. 

I have finally finished piecing the body of my Orca Bay quilt.  I have to decide on the inner sashing fabric and then I will piece and attach the border blocks.  I need to measure it on the new bed before I decide if I am finished or it needs another border.  It looks great, very striking.  I looked at completed ones on the website and was drawn to ones with coloured sashing and not just a white strip. 

We are going to Fargo in a couple of weeks so I am going to hit the quilt shops hard.  I need fabrics to finish up a couple of UFOs so I will be armed with samples and yardages.  We are looking forward to the trip as we have not got away together for several years.  We have a dog sitter so we are happy.  I had to get a rush passport renewal since mine expired in March.  Crap.

I am so happy that I have decided to retire from customer quilting.  I still have a few customers that want things done before I am finished and I keep saying yes to more.  Will I ever learn to say no.  I am going to take my time because I hate deadlines and pressure.

Our son moved to his own place a couple of weeks ago and is slowly settling in.  It was good for him, he has calmed his heavy drinking down as well as it was taking a toll on him and I am glad he made the decision on his own.  We have been very worried about him.  He took his separation badly even though he was glad of it in a way.  There are always unexpected changes around the corner.

I had really good news from both the Gyn and Family Drs.  I do not have any cancer cells, but a kidney stone and a couple of gallbladder stones.  The kidney cyst will be monitered every six months to see if it goes away on its own or grows, but it is really nothing to worry about.

I better get back to work.

Happy stitching.

How life changes in a matter of hours

My husband answered his phone and the next thing I know he says our DIL is coming over with her parents and she is pregnant and she is leaving our son with us and having an abortion.  She had him come to our house on the pretext of having supper here and blindsided him with all of this.  My husband took him back to the hospital in case of a relapse and he stayed for a few days to get himself together.  He is with us for now but wants his space and is looking for an apartment.  She wants to keep the house and I am sure that she and her family will screw our son over royally.  My heart is breaking over this but what can one do.  I think my son is happy it is over.  She was too demanding and controlling and he could not take it and drank to blot things out.  I hope it works out all right for him and he does not go into an alcoholic tailspin.  I can only pray we can all heal from this.

On the quilty side, I am almost finished the never ending quilting on the holly hock quilt and have done a little bit of stitching pieces for my Orca Bay.  I have been to tired and sad to work for any length of time.  I cannot give anything right now to anything.

I pray we heal and soon.

Haven't posted for awhile

I haven't posted for awhile because there has been so much going on and I have not accomplished any quilting.  A customer quilt is taking forever because I am so up in the air about things right now and can't keep it together for more than a few minutes.

DS was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in April because he had a major breakdown.  I have been on pins and needles about him ever since.  He is on medication now and he seems to be coping but it is rough on his marriage and that is troubling us as well.  I hope he can manage to straighten things out and work things out with his wife.  They have been together for 14 years so it will not be easy.  Thank goodness they don't have children yet.

My health has been not the greatest.  I had an ultra sound April 25th and they found a large mass in my uterus.  I then had a D&C on May 16th and have not stopped spotting since.  I even had a three day period, two days after.  My own doctor's office then called to tell me that during that same ultra sound they found a cyst on one of my kidneys so I am waiting for a CT scan appointment to look into that.  I am more than worried.  I have wasted most of the week worrying about crap, having a major headache and taking my mother to the eye specialist so I am backed up again.  I wasted today as well working on my own stuff and not getting very far with that.  

I am anxious to getting back to just quilty things as well as trying to get some gardening done.  The weather has been crappy these last couple of weeks so that has been on hold.

Off to walk the dog.

Happy stitiching.