Out for Retreat...

Well if you read Libby's blog, you know that in just less than one day we will be meeting up in Missouri for the Primitives of the Midwest!! A great weekend of classes. I can hardly wait. No pictures I guess. I could show you a fabulous picture of my neato bags but they would pale next to Libby's theme appropriate stuff so you see why I need the extra help that these classes will give me! I haven't been into the "primitive" style as long as she has been, but I am itching to catch up. I think I have all the airline regulations down and I've packed correctly. I have everything for 5 fun filled days of sewing and friendship and what I don't have I am sure to find for sale at all the fabulous shops!

Okay, I lied. I took a quick pic of the suitcase and bags set up on the bed. I think I am finally ready. My generic black suitcase, my tote and my cute purse.

Best part is that I get to meet and room with my good friend Libby, and I get to spend one day with Quiltgranny Sharon and her friend Carolyn shopping all the best haunts in the area! I plan to have the suitcase packed with goodies when I get back! I left shopping room thanks to a helpful hinter who shall remain nameless.

See ya'll back here on Sunday afternoon with loads of tales and pictures to show!

New Quilt and fabrics...

YES...I am aware that I have many...read MANY, quilts in various stages to completion and I have more work to get done that any one could have to do. But when your mother asks for a quilt you go and get the fabric and start thinking. So I ordered fabric. Had to. She wants yellow and greens. I didn't have anything like that in the stash...not in the quantities needed. I have greens....I love muted greens and off colored greens and I love dark brooding golds, but those aren't the colors she really wants. I know where the quilt is going and she wants happy yellows and greens. So off to the online stores and shopping I went.My order from Thousands of Bolts. Disregard the white sticky's, I like to keep them on so I remember the yardage. I settled for olive greens which she loves (her fridge is olive green ladies). I just couldn't do all grass greens. I have a few that might get tossed in here and there, but for the most part these are the colors of choice.

Now onto the pattern. I saw a snippet of one of Libby's quilts hanging behind some other things in one of her pictures and went hunting for a pattern. No luck. She graciously helped with the block name. It's similar to the Bento Box square. After looking around with still no luck, I got off my lazy rump and drew up the block in EQ. Alternating rings of color and then you slice the block into 4 sections and put it back together with opposite parts so it makes alternating colors. Let's see if I can't get a copy of the block from EQ for the blog... easier than I thought. This is how the block looks when sewn back together. I have the most fun adding all those fabrics into the EQ blocks, don't you?

Once I got enough patterns I laid out the quilt and it should look something like this? What do you all think? Easy but pretty huh? I could have done a 2 color quilt, but I got the fabrics before I picked the pattern so this works.
But wait...I also saw Kathie's Crossed Canoe's (scroll down) and thought this pattern would work famously too. So who knows. I'll see what the fabric requirements for each pattern are a decide from there. I have the pattern for the Crossed Canoes in one of my scrap books so it will be just as easy. I'll let you know what I decide to do. I have the whole weekend!! *s*

New sampler projects..

I have actually done some sewing. I got tons of stuff prepped for the Christmas Sampler quilt, but only a few things finished. These three star blocks and the heart are just waiting for bigger pieces to be completed to assemble them all together. This is a departure for me since you know I love traditional needle-turn applique and I decided to do these with a very small 1/8 inch fusing and then buttonhole stitched. It's a more primitive piece so I think this will look better. I looked through Cheri's book that I recently got and I noticed that in almost all of her pieces she makes the "faced" applique with two layers of fabric sewn together, then turned inside out to the right side and stitched with black thread in a very large over cast stitch on the edge. I like the look, but not the idea of using two layers of fabric in every piece of applique. By the way if you like primitive and like Cheri's designs...that book is a must have! Thanks Vera for turning me on to it!
When I was at Mom's today she showed me the size of my hydrangea bushes that I planted years ago. It makes me yearn for the yard again. I had to go out and cut some blossoms to bring home. I filled 2 vases and Mom did too. I put them on the kitchen table to show how pretty they look. I'd never in real life leave them there as the racing action often ends up hitting table top at top speeds and the flowers would likely go flying in that case. The color is a bit light so I used the flash to get the real color of the blooms...

Look what I uncovered...

I've had these for years but lost them when we moved almost 5 years ago. I thought doing the re-organization would un-earth them, but no luck. I was heart broken thinking they got lost. I knew there was a plastic tub under my bed where I kept my homspuns until I got the new shelves, but I cleaned it out and never went back under the bed. This morning I was moving stuff around and saw another tote and pulled it out to see what the heck was in it. Let me say first that it's never a good thing when you haven't seen a tub in a while and the general rule is "if you never needed any of the stuff in months or years...it's a good bet that it's ready to hit the dumpster".

Anyway. I peeked through all this *crap* as it could only be described to see the plain box and I knew right away what it was!! Look what was inside!!

These are anywhere between 70 or 80 years old, best guess. They are mostly 30's prints and colors and I know that she would have been 21 in 1930. I don't remember my mom ever talking about her quilting, so I think these are probably older than that. I saw her first quilt once that she did at age 12. It was a really fun Sunbonnet Sue. I think she may have done these at about 16 , so they would be a bit older.Such lovely colors! Two different greens.

Her stitches were a bit un-even and I found quite a few that had large tucks in the seams where the seam was too loose and the fold shows where the actual sewing line should be. But it was a complicated block and she did a great job. Better than I could on this pattern!
The large tucks!

Check out the two sections of a different color green! I think the lighter one is more of the 30's green color and the last 2 were a different more modern green. I found several that had color variations in them, which I think just adds to the charm.I have no intention of ever putting these into a quilt. I suppose I could make a nice quarter seam and needle turn them under onto blocks but the fabric is extremely thin and fragile and I think it would do more damage than good. I was thinking that I might pick out three of the best ones that I like and frame them in a really nice frame all in a row or three individual frames and put them in the sewing room for me to enjoy under glass. I'm just glad that I found them tucked away. You never know what's lurking under your bed!!

10 hours!...

From leaving her house to leaving to come home! That's how long it took Tuesday. 11 hours for my door to door round trip. The doctors office had sorely neglected to explain this procedure correctly. Funny us thought maybe 2 hours tops, unless something went wrong. Nope. She breezed out like a champ. She only felt the very first stick and by then they had given her some nice happy juice and she no longer cared what they did. Good stuff! The pathologist was in the room and after one needle full he said he had all he needed to process so they didn't need to stick for anymore. But the waiting is what kills the day. We got there fine, albeit in the wrong door, thanks to the doctors office. She would have gone down for the test about 7:30 or so but the lab took over 2 hours to come and do a clotting test so she went from the top of the list to the bottom and went down at 9:05. That's only the second time I have lost it, just for a second...but she didn't see me. It's not a nice feeling watching them wheel someone away. Both my brothers came early and then left after she went down to go to work. 2 1/2 hours later she came back. The transportation guy said the test took about 35 minutes. By 2 hours I was starting to freak out, but she was fine. Grouchy and fine. She and I were ready to go home. Now we wait. They may call sooner but who knows.

I finally got my quilt done! I finished sewing the binding last night and put it on the coffee table in it's permanent home. Maybe it can cover some of the glass panels that attract dust like magnets!Finally some quilting pictures! I'm sure by now you have all given up on anything is getting sewn around my house. Not true. I got one leg sewn up last night on my khaki pants that are becoming capri pants. I did one leg and was too tired to fuss with the second one. Sounds pitiful, but it was late when I decided to see if I could do the seam correctly and then too late to start on the next one without messing it up because I was tired.

I promise to have something more quilt worthy to show soon. I've got tops to still put together and pieces of applique prepped and ready for stitching, but don't have the energy or the inclination to do any of it. Yesterday I painted my toenails, and washed clothes!

Thanks for hanging it ladies. It will get back to normal around here soon. Cross your fingers. The doctor will call tomorrow with Mom's results and I hope one way or the other they know something.

Lots of everything...

I swear it seems longer and longer between posts and I really am doing some sewing. Honest! Mostly just hand quilting my little piece I made last week. I must be the slowest hand quilter around I think. But I agree with others who have said that it can be very hypnotic and calming. We spent most of the weekend at home piddling. Didn't clean a lick. We cleaned really well last weekend and I decided that the house was still together from then so why bother? Worked for me! Saturday we had to re-stock the freezer with a big run to our Trader Joe's and Sunday we did the rest very early at Walmart. Now the freezer, fridge, and pantry are all stocked and we are good for 2 more weeks! We sat Sunday in front of the DVD player...me stitching and Sweetie using the computer and watching Finding Nemo, Shrek, and The Incredibles. I know they are kids movies but we love them.

Took Mom for her eye exam this morning and she has cataracts in both eyes. Both need to come out. Really...HUH? Something to add to the lists of things to do...get in line. She told the doc he was behind a few other things and she'd get back to him later after we sort through all this stuff. We have to be at the center at 6Am which I have been gearing up for the last few days. Going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. I got up today at 5:30 so hopefully 4:30 won't be too bad in the morning. I just have to stay awake this afternoon. Thanks to everyone who made comments. They said they would call Friday with the results and I really don't want her finding out all alone that it's cancer, but confidentiality issues makes that tough. I don't want to sit over there all day Friday waiting either. I'll call the office and see if there's any warning they can give me..not the results but maybe call to let me know that the doc will be calling in a few hours and I might need to go over there. We'll see.

I have had the first top done for Linda's group for ages and I knew I needed/wanted to do another one but never got around to it. SO I hauled out my scraps from the BQ quilt I made for myself and my niece and started cutting strips and blocks. I swear this is the easiest quilt to put together. It goes together in lightning speed. If you need a pattern you can always fall back on for ease of use, this is a pattern to buy. I think I made 6 blocks in an hour and sewed tons of strips so all I have to do is assemble the blocks later. Then I'll make backs and Linda...the quilts will finally come to see you!I also have other things to check out quilt wise. I got 2 magazines today one being my AP&Q that I have been waiting for and something else. A new quilt book from Better Homes and Garden to look at and the new book that Vera talked about so much! Some one else is doing these too and I can't think of who right now. WOW! How did I go that long without Cheri's book. I can see so many uses for all those Christmas pieces.

I don't know if I mentioned it here, but I signed up for another 9 month BOM that uses the new pattern from Lori Smith for 16x20 quilts and sends you 5 FQ's each month to do one quilt. I signed up for the pinks and browns but I don't plan to do them all in pink and brown. But FQ's are always good to chuck in the stash so nothing will go to waste. The first one arrived today and it looks really good.You should have seen the tiny 3x5 mailbox we have! 2 magazines, 2 catalogues, 2 priority envelopes and mail! I was about the stick my foot against the box to pry out the mail! That's with the big mailer being brought to my DOOR!! Then UPS came. I had quite a day for presents! Well that does it for me I think. Back to the couch. South Park and finishing the quilt. My take-away bag is all packed for tomorrow with dresden pieces to baste... 3 flowers worth so I won't be bored. I think my brother might show up too for a bit. Some mentioned that it was nice for me and my sister to be able to help Mom. She has loads of help. 6 kids! I have 2 brothers and 3 sisters, plus my sister-in law, and my adult nieces. We have loads of help. She'll be fine. I'm just the easiest to go with her because (1) I must be there for myself and (2) I don't work, and they all do. Plus I have no kids.

Happy sewing!

Just so you know I've been sewing...

I'll put a few things on to prove it. I had been making these with a few other ladies recently and sharing. It works great so we each get a great quilt and lots of different patterns and colors with no duplications. It's really an easy block to make and a lot of fun to find the color combinations for each block. It's called the Paducah 9 Patch in case you didn't know and it's very fun to see all the light X's form when you lay them out on the wall. 44 down...too many to go. What do I need? Maybe 100's of these for a queen size quilt?
Secondly I ripped off the quilt that Libby made a few months back. Let's be honest. I ripped it off. I had tons of scraps and loved the quick nature of doing one of Lori Smith's 16x20 designs so off I went drawing up the pattern and making one for ME!! Sometimes you don't want to finish a quilt...you want something new to make! I also signed up with Homestead Hearth for a 9 month BOM where they send you the FQ's and you make one each month from Lori's new package of 9 little quilts. I chose the Pink/Brown combo coloration but I don't plan to make that many pink and browns....I'll use my FQ's and switch out the color combo's on some of the others. The quilt is on the hoop right now being quilted.
Lastly, I can't express how sweet you all are to keep Mom in your prayers and thoughts. Tomorrow is the lung specialist and that should get the ball rolling with a biopsy and other things. Cross your fingers it's a harmless blob. That would be super.

PS: like the blue? I'm painting the house too and thought a little summer color would be nice around the blog for a while. *G*