2016

Happy New Year! Now, let's get going on those UFOs. I have a Hidden Wells to finish binding.

.

Whoa!

I see it is nearing Chrismas. I barely have any decorations up - no outdoor lights and an indoor tree with ONLY lights. The boys claim they will remedy that tomorrow. We will see!

I have gotten some sewing done. I have four lap quilts ranging from 38 x 42 all the way up to a 61" square ready for the long arm quilter. Ok - full disclosure - I need to get the batting cut for the 61" square and need to iron the seam I created in sewing the backing - but the others are ready. Did I tell you how generous one company was to our guild? They donated enough money so that we could purchase a full bolt of batting. The only stipulation is that it is only available for quilts we are giving to Hospice. There are a couple long-arm quilters in our guild who stitch the quilts for Hospice at no charge - which is generous of their time and skill. Of my 4, three will go there: two are serendipity quilts and one is a minions simple panel. The fourth is my donation to the guild, so I need to pay for that quilting myself. That quilt was a round robin. It is very pretty with its bird fabric and appliqué, but it is not my style. With those off the UFO list, I can move on! (To other UFOs. 😊)

Warning:

Ok, now for the self pity moment. My in–laws just returned from two weeks in Europe seeing the Christmas markets. They are going to Antartica next year and Scandanavia in 2017! Ugh! I don't care really about the former, but Norway, etc? I'd love to see the fjords and Hans Anderson's Little Mermaid statue. Even if I could physically make it - we have paid out so much for my medical - we couldn't go. This is not what I expected in retirement.

Rant over.

Tomorrow, we are going to try to see Star Wars. I am pretty excited! I have been able to avoid spoilers so far. If anyone has seen it, just tell me if you liked it!

November 2015

Hoping I'd fallen off the face of the earth? Sorry, no, just not in a routine of blogging. (Obviously.)

I hope to return to blogging regularly, so we will see. I am finishing my second year as my guild secretary - I am so done. I have done little regular quilting; I have become a serial starter. Our incoming President has plans for a UFO challenge. I think it will be good motivation. I have enough projects to consider. The only recent thing I have done is finish three lap quilts for Hospice. I have three more to finish and donate. I think finishing as secretary will allow me to enjoy quilting again. I can concentrate on my goals more.

Speaking of which, another goal is to be less self-absorbed and more grateful. I have been very down the past couple days: My in-laws are off tomorrow for two weeks in Europe and I cannot go. Parkinsons has forced me to give up my dreams of traveling in retirement. My disability forced me out of work earlier than planned, left me trying to walk, talk, and live more normally than I can, and screws up a lot of plans. I should be grateful for a wonderful husband and two fantastic sons. They never get upset with my help requests and always care for me. I know I am fortunate - but I am still angry.

By quilting, I can give to others. It takes the focus off me.  Maybe I will appreciate what I have. I know that I will lose this ability, too, so I need to control it as long as possible. Off to bed now. My sewing will beckon tomorrow.

Merry Christmas,

Goodness! 2014 is almost over! So many quilt plans ... So few completed! I haven't done much lately except some hand work. I started on a new medication and had some side effects. Just headaches and nausea; that isn't so bad if they go away after an adjustment period, but horrible when they stick around consistently. Worth a shot but it's back to the old medicine for me. Maybe it could be better, but maybe there's something else to try!

Not doing much tonight. Matt will be coming for supper and then we are going to watch "White Christmas." Silly family tradition, but it's ours! Since I can't decorate the tree, the boys did it the other day. They enjoyed a little silliness, too. Matt is on the left, Dan is on the right. It wil be a quiet Christmas but we are thankful for Matt's new position at the Post Office and Dan's continued steps toward a healthy, independent life! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ch-ch-ch-changes (my apologies to David Bowie)

So, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving was my last day of teaching school. It seemed so odd. I didn't like telling my students goodbye. But at same time, I didn't like lying to them. I had only been telling them the partial truth. Oh, they've known about the Parkinson's since day 1. I just didn't want them to worry about me, so I acted as if everything was fine. I told them I was having medication changes and that I'd be taking a medical leave. I didn't tell them until the last day that it was permanent.

Having Parkinson's Disease has complicated my life in ways that I couldn't have imagined when I was first diagnosed. This disease has progressed faster than I would've believed. Everyone's different, so it's hard for me to compare my experiences with anyone else. I really thought that I would be teaching longer than this. There are no guarantees. I am disappointed that my life is no longer following MY plan.

Griping aside: being a Parkie has dictated certain activity changes. I can no longer walk distances. Even with my cane and Brent's hand to hold onto, I can only go so far. Cooking and baking wear me out! I made dinner last night, (beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, and peas). After dinner, I wanted to make Rice Krispy Treats and Scotcheroos. It was a good thing that both the boys were over - they followed the instructions well! I just supervised! Housework is almost impossible. Brent does most everything when I cannot.

So what can I do? I can still scrapbook. In fact, I just have to put a few things together and my Christmas cards will be done. I can still quilt! I am so much slower at sewing and cutting that I currently have 15 projects to complete. Most of the projects I began at quilt guild monthly workshops. I work too slow to get it done that same day. Now that I am no longer working, I should get more done. ☺️ I can still read. I haven't read much lately and I used to be a voracious reader. My not reading so much irritates Brent. What he needs to understand is that I realize my various crafting activities are winding down. I will have plenty of time to read when my fingers no longer work well. I can still enjoy the sunrise. It is cold here, but sunny and clear. Beautiful.

Enough rambling already! This was not meant to sound depressing! Next time, I will try to catch everyone up on the boys. Right now, I need to finish Christmas cards and work on my Hunter's Star piecing! Take care!

September...

Ahhh, September! The daily weather is battling it out for supremacy this month. The hot days are putting up a good fight but we know the cold ones will soon win until spring.   --  And that will be my only attempt at poetic writing! LOL!

I am off work today as I had to go for some testing this morning. My appointment was at 8:00 AM. I was there at 7:45, they took  me in at 7:50, and I was done at 8:15! I feel like I should have cancelled my sub and gone to school but having the day off is much better.

Our next quilt workshop for the Club is a "5 yard quilt." I am not entirely sure of the block design but we need a focus fabric plus 2 light and 2 dark complimentary fabrics. I know whom I want to make this quilt for and what basic color scheme but no idea on the fabrics themselves. I guess that means another grueling trip to the fabric store!!! BAWAHAHAHA!

In November, I am going on my first quilting retreat! I am really excited to go to Berne, Indiana, and sew alongside other like-minded folks while not feeling guilty doing nothing but sewing!

Everyone have a good weekend. I better make that trip to the store!
     

1 year? Really??

I cannot believe it has been almost a year since I last posted. I feel incredibly rude for ignoring the blog. To be honest, I didn't do much quilting over the past school year - I was placed in a different grade (8th to 5th) and I feel like all I did was concentrate on getting through a different curriculum. This summer, I was able to work on my quilting more and it has been a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I am under two weeks away from the start of the school year and I'm starting to feel an anxiety that only other teachers seem to feel. It is all the typical thoughts: Am I ready? Is my room ready? What do I want to accomplish the first day? first week? and so on...I need to remember to quilt at least three-four times a week, in the evening, once school starts. It is a relaxing activity where I can focus on one thing instead of 20-25 students at a time!     Okay, so here are a few pictures of what I have done:

The first quilt is a Serendipity quilt. I know it looks wild, but it is using a line of fabric called Poppy Modern. I received the fabric free, which is the best time to experiment! The next block is called Blazing Star. It is a 24" block and was Towne Squares Quilt Club's latest member workshop.  I really like it! Lastly is a blender quilt - these are some of the blocks I made, but I have many more to make! Thanks for stopping by!

  

My world in pictures

Sorry that I have been out of touch for a while...vacation, getting my classroom ready, sewing - time got away from me. So here is the photo version of my sewing life lately:

My Hidden Wells quilt, piecing through completed top:

Love these squares!

 This pieced top seemed incomplete.

So I added more blocks.. And borders! Done!

New project: a friend and I both collect batiks. We decided to make scrappy, companion quilts by sharing our batik stashes and neutral fabrics. I've made 5 of these star blocks so far. I should have a queen size quilt eventually!

Hope you are all well!

Hidden Wells beginning

I have had the material and instructions for a while, (no surprise there!), but am finally working on my Hidden Wells quilt. I played with the arrangement of the strips...

First,

 and then,

 before deciding on

.

So far, I have all but one strip set sewn and have begun cutting the blocks and diagonals.

The starching process has already seemed helpful so I hope not to have much trouble when sewing the bias edges. (I know - wishful thinking!) More updates soon!

Hexies

I have never been a huge fan of hexies. However, today at our family reunion, a cousin came to me with the beginnings of a Grandma's Flower Garden quilt. It had been her mother-in-law's project and the cousin wasn't sure what to do with it. I agreed to take it and now I'm trying to figure out how best to finish it! You see, the hexagon quilt blocks are not made well. They are wonky and puckered - some are bigger, some are smaller, and the fabrics are different. I think old dishtowels were used and who knows what else - linen, cotton, some woven material that reminds me of feed sacks. Don't get me wrong, some of the fabrics are very pretty and vibrant. Unfortunately, I'm trying to press them and found out even Best Press is causing some discoloration and color bleeding. Perhaps the discoloration will be less noticeable after I wash the quilt. Of course, I'll need to use color catchers in the laundry.

The quilt obviously has sentimental value. Maybe the best thing to try to do is just stitch the rest of the blocks together and then have it quilted. It won't lie flat but it should be better. I'm going to say that the wonkiness adds to the charm of the quilt. If I tried to take it apart and redo it, I would ruin her efforts and hard work. Please don't expect this to be a quick finish, though! :-)

Two quick finishes, plus an almost done...

A while ago, a friend asked me to make her a small purse, (based on a child's purse that I made), to use as a cosmetic bag. You know how these things go, I put it off, then forgot about it. The other day, I realized that I would see her tomorrow night, so I hurried up and made the purse. There are a couple minor flaws but I think it is what she wanted. Then I found out yesterday that another friend has cancer; it was not caught early but she is staying positive and has faith that chemo will help. I wanted her to know that I was thinking of her, so this evening, I made her a fabric basket. It is not much, but maybe it will brighten a moment or two. She can use it to keep little things within easy reach. Lastly, and although it is not quite done, I am on the last side of binding on a wall hanging that I am using as a gift on Saturday. I think I can finish it tonight! Have a safe weekend!

Happy 4th!

Have a safe and happy Independence Day! What is everyone going to do? We will grill out and watch the neighbors set off fireworks, (they already started tonight!) Very pretty. We keep it pretty calm these days. I'll remember to call my mom to let her know that I haven't forgotten the 4th was grandma's birthday. And we'll keep in our hearts and minds all those who serve and have served to keep us safe and free.



This weekend is a family reunion for my MIL's side of the family. We will go and wish all the "originals" were there with us - including my MIL - and enjoy catching up with extended family. Okay, mostly we will really enjoy all the yummy food that is carried in! :-) Enjoy the weekend!

Lazy Sunday

     I admit it, I'm having a "tough" day. It should be a pretty easy, lazy Sunday since it is too rainy outside to work in the yard. I just can't get into doing anything. I tried to square up some HST blocks but even that's beyond me right now. It took me half an hour just to do five. Maybe I'll lay down a while to try to get some more rest! :-)
     I don't have anything really new to share, so I'll share pictures from the BOM's I'm involved in currently. The brightly colored blocks are from the Virtual Quilting Bee. Amy Smart over at Diary of a Quilter is hosting/organizing that one. There is a new block every two weeks. I have managed to keep up with the schedule! We just received instructions for block 9 (of 16) this past Friday. The other blocks with white in the background are from the Sisters 10 Modern BOM. In this one, we make two blocks from the same design each month. There are a total of ten designs so we will have twenty blocks. The resulting quilt is to have a few "blank" spaces in the finished design. AnneMarie of Gen X Quilters is our host. Both groups have Flickr pages - make sure to check them out!

Fussy cut Lemoyne star

I just finished this little quilt top. It was much more involved than I imagined and I get a Southwest feeling from it that was completely unintended. Of course, it doesn't help that I changed a couple blocks along the way! I had planned on giving this to the quilt club to sell at the show this fall, but now I think I want to keep it. I feel linked to the silly thing now that I took so long with it. There are supposed to be four points on the "corners" to square it off, but I like the current shape. What do you think?

Still here

It's been another busy week and a half. I took a class last week and am taking another one this week. As a teacher, (like so many other professions), we have to complete continuing education classes or graduate classes to renew our licenses. After this week, I should be good for my next renewal!

I managed to finish my Round Robin obligation just in time - it is due tomorrow! I had such a difficult time deciding what to do. Due to people dropping out, I actually completed two borders on this block. The center flower basket is the original completed block and the black and green flying geese were the other participant's work. I did the rest; I liked completing the checked border.

I took my niece-in-law to her first ever shop hop. It was a small one at a central location, but she is now hooked! She especially loved the reproduction Civil War fabric.  She learned how to sew on her Grandmother's treadle machine so she couldn't get her new sewing machine to work properly. (That is, the one her hubby bought her for Christmas!) So, we spent time after the hop going over her machine set-up and use. The instructions were incomplete; no wonder she had trouble! Now, she is zipping along!

I have also been working on a fussy cut Lemoyne star - I'll get pictures up soon. Stay cool this summer! We are starting to warm up.

Shadow quilt finish

I hoped to finish this in May but it was not to be. I have been planning this shadow quilt for a long time. I still need to add some fusible interfacing to strengthen the white fabric. It is a little thinner and more fragile than I had realized. That will be a pain but I think it will be worth it. Now...I need to decide if I want another border or two. I think I do - I wanted this quilt top to be a bit larger. I am thinking of looking for a gray and white fabric; not too bright or busy - I don't want to take away from the shadow blocks. Any thoughts?

Prize package!

Here it is! Three fabrics lines: Annalee, Season's Best - Winter, and Poppy Modern! There are over 150 charm squares and 15 fat quarters. It is such an awesome prize that I cannot decide what all I will make.  I will have to think on it a while! Now, I need to drool over look at the fabric again. Thanks, Andover!

Woohoo!

 I am excited to tell everyone that I won this week's Andover stash contest! Here's the link

http://blog.andoverfabrics.com/

Andover has already shipped the prize package! I will give you all the details after it arrives.

Two more days with students and one workday. Busy week, with lots to do - some fun stuff, too. 

After school on Tuesday, three of us made a batch of soap. On Thursday, four of us are having

dinner at the Melting Pot. Have a great week everyone!

Shadow box quilt happiness

So...here is a look at my shadow/shadow box quilt in progress! It is actually turning out as I imagined and I am really pleased. I have three more rows to go, plus the sashings and border. I am planning a plain white border to match the sashing, but haven't decided on any additional border(s). I'm considering a thin gray strip to mimic the "shadow" on the blocks, but don't have a clue what I would use after that. (The charm material is Kim Schaefer's Tic Tac line for Andover fabrics.) Any suggestions???

Excuse the cat, Zorro, in the background. He is always so helpful! And the pool table was the easiest place to spread out the pieces. Not very elegant but it works!

Good grief!

     I can't believe I haven't written a blog post in so long! I have just been so busy at school, at home, and in general. I have managed to work on some projects -- mostly by neglecting housework. LOL. (Although my husband doesn't think it's funny. ) The school year is almost done so I hope to be back to blogging regularly in the near future.
     So what have I been up to? Well, work and state testing of students' progress, for starters. Plus, there have been meetings after school to help us prepare for the transition to the Common Core standards next year. I am also moving from teaching 7/8th grade math down to 5th grade math. I have to change rooms and move all my personal items, (the custodians will move file cabinets and my desk). I think I am in for a big adjustment! But, at least I have a job. We reorganized at the end of last year and it looks like they are still making adjustments.
     We have also been pushing son #1 to find a regular job.   He starts a new job tonight. He's a bit nervous and that's understandable, but this is a step toward achieving independence as an adult. It is definitely time!
     Son #2 came home from college about two weeks ago. He had a miserable semester and there was some fallout with his grades. These things happen, he just has to get straightened out and try harder next semester.
     As for quilting/sewing, I am still participating in two BOMs. (Okay, so one is a block of every two weeks.) I also managed to make a set of Bargello placemats. They are for my sister-in-law. The placemats are not a perfect Bargello, but I'm glad I tried the process. It doesn't seem nearly as intimidating now if I decide to make a full size quilt. And I learned a lot - next time I will pin even more, use loads more starch, and take more time. I was so excited, I rushed myself! That's never a good thing - my seam ripper became a good friend to me. Let me apologize for the photo: when I took the picture, I didn't realize how well the fabric colors matched my Berber carpet. Also, this was before I quilted them and I am just starting the binding.

     Besides the placemat binding, I am working on a new project. I have a full set of the Tic Tac line (by Kim Schaefer for Andover) in charms. I set them in color rows as best as possible and I am starting a shadow quilt. I'm excited because I love the look so far!

     I'm also excited about two fabric lines, one that I have seen and the other to be released soon. The one that I have seen is Edges by Laura Gunn for Michael Miller. I love all the geometric patterns and colors. The other is an upcoming line by Andover based  on the Downton Abbey series. I have a niece that loves the series. It should be pretty and I am ready to see it now! Anybody waiting for a specific fabric line?