AWOL

I've been AWOL from posting blogs for a week or so.  My husband was taken to E.R. a week ago this past Monday and admitted to the hospital (not COVID-19) later that day, then on Friday, he was released from the hospital and moved to in-patient rehabilitation nearby.  So, you can understand I'm sure, that my mind has not been on quilting very much.  I couldn't be with him through any of this... we can talk through his window but still have to use the phone so that we can hear each other.  We tried this a couple of times so that he could see our dog, Buddy, too, but it's just been too hot lately for me to be standing outside where there's no shade so I'm calling him early every morning and then again around 7 in the evening.

The morning he went to the hospital, I did send off a couple of quilts.. one to our grandson who lives in Wyoming

and one to the other grandmother of one of our other grandsons who only lives an hour away. 

She was supposed to receive her's two days later, but because of the dams breaking and rivers overflowing in the middle of the state, her area was also affected and UPS couldn't get the pkg to her until yesterday.  With this quilt I did a simple large meander but when I got to the bottom of the quilt, I decided it wasn't enough quilting so I started going in reverse back up to the top of the quilt so that the second row of stitching would make it looks like ribbon curling here and there... and it turned out great! nice and cuddly.

I had the grandson in Wyoming's package sent to the car dealership where he works as a salesman and I was able to track it.  That's how I noticed that it was left on the 'dock' and I was afraid that some one from the parts department would get it and open it without looking at the address label with my grandson's name on it.  I sent him a PM and told him about the pkg being on the dock and he immediately wanted to know how I knew about the dock lol.  Then he went back and retrieved it.
Once he got home that evening he found where he wanted to hang it and sent me a photo :).

I almost forgot that I did finish another quilt five days ago....  it was simply done with I don't know what you call them... I call them ladybug in the attic... similar to continuous curves, I think... in the borders and echoing close to the edges of the birds, the wires and the flowers & leaves.  The background is a newspaper print fabric so I simply did straight lines here and there by tracing the lines of the 'articles'.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

I pieced batting scraps together for another quilt top on Sunday but haven't done another thing quilting wise since.  

I got the news yesterday that they are planning on releasing hubby next Thursday with p.t. and nurse scheduled to come to the house to work with him after that.  So, I'm busy ( slow but busy) walking the dog, trying to get some  house cleaning done, re-arranging doctor appointments for hubby, and taking much needed naps.  Quilting will have to wait until we get him back home and into a routine again. 

And, on that note, I'm off to do 'SOMETHING'... 

take care...

stay safe...

ttyl .......

Oldies continued

 Here's the completed Bora Bora top... just waiting for the 'perfect' backing....

Next up was a quilt that I started for my oldest grandson and his then fiance' ( now, ex wife) about 10 years ago.  The pattern was for a twin size, but I figured it wouldn't be that hard to upsize it to a queen.  This was before I had my 1/4" foot for my DM and before I knew a lot about what I was doing.

I was supposed to make 20 of each block... I managed to make a combined total of 10, but have almost every piece required cut out ( I don't do that any more - I cut as I need).  I have no desire to make a queen size quilt so I think what I'm going to do is make two quilts, each about 60" x 60" with borders.

Last night, I loaded this quilt onto Mo'e with the intention of getting up and getting started first thing this morning.  Well, that didn't happen.  We had a massive thunder storm go through last night and, after my 3 a.m. potty run, I had trouble getting back to sleep.  It was 10:00 when I finally woke up and got up... 1:00 before I could start on the quilting.

I knew I wanted to do something simple so went with large meandering, but found when I got to the bottom of the quilt, it just wasn't 'enough' so I went back and stitched again, making it look more like ribbons.  It's so soft and cuddly... I LOVE IT.

I came within FIVE INCHES of having the binding completed when I ran out of bobbin thread.. and, of course, didn't realize it until I came to the end of the stitching.  Oh well.

Here's my sweet hubby holding up the completed quilt 

and here's the backing.  

Found out today that my daughter down in Tx is requesting some masks for herself and her husband so it looks like I'll be making more tomorrow.  Then maybe I'll get back to working on the current 'oldie'.

take care....

Stay Home Stay Safe

ttyl.....

Bringing Out the Oldies

This past Friday, I decided it was time to get down to business and make a quilt top using a printed panel that I had purchased probably over three years ago.  A month or so ago, I came across some fabric that I thought would be great for sashing, but there was only two yards and I wasn't sure it would be enough ( I wasn't using a pattern - was just winging it) and went online looking for it.  I lucked out and found a supplier who had nine yds left, so I ordered two more.

I just realized that I had posted some of this story the other day.  

Once I finished the solid fabric borders around each print block, it was on to the sashing....and having second thoughts about using this fabric for it... not too crazy about it at this point....

Went on and added outer borders yesterday morning... and I'm back to liking it again. 

 

BONUS (maybe)... I only cut from the original 2 yds for the sashing and borders and still have about a third of a yard left - not counting the strips that I either cut too many of or were the wrong width - I never had to use the 2 yds that I ordered online.  I'm thinking that I might use it on the backing if I can find something else to use with it.  Oh, and it came out exactly 60" x 60" - PERFECT!

Yesterday afternoon, I pulled out this kit that I purchased in Nov. of 2014!!  I know the date because I kept it in the cardboard envelope that it was shipped in.

I had made a correction in the pattern concerning the size to make cuts, but wasn't sure why I did it, so I had to take time out to watch the youtube video where Eleanor Burns is making the quilt top.  It was a typo that she corrected on the video, so I knew I was good to go.

Just look at these beautiful colors!

By the time I stopped to make a late dinner ( leftovers), this is what I had done... had a couple of miss-cuts which I had to fix, but I got this part done.

I don't think my legs will let me work on it today... I did too much climbing up and down on that ladder to get the pieces down and then back up yesterday.  I'll see what I can do later today, but it will probably be tomorrow before I can get back to it.  I can use the time to decide what to do next :)

Until then, I have to make a run over to Walmart to pick up prescriptions and razor blades for hubby and pee pads for the cats and a cafe curtain rod for grandson's quilted wallhanging birthday gift that I need to get in the mail this week.

take care...
Stay safe...
ttyl.......

Finally Finished

 I've been taking some medication that makes me nauseous and very lethargic so I  haven't done much of anything except take naps for the past 10 or so days.  The nausea seems to be passing and so yesterday, I  decided that I  wanted to get this half quilted quilt done.
I finished the quilting and trimming last night and then pinned the label on...the binding went on this morning and my dear hubby held it up so I could take a pic this afternoon.

Its far from perfect but, it is what it is, and next time I try doing a Baptist Fan pattern, I'll try it with circle rulers...( this time I  used a Baptist Fan acrylic 'ruler' and it wasn't as easy as she made it look in the youtube video).

I've been wanting to get started on this next quilt for at least a couple of weeks, but besides not feeling like doing much of anything, I  said I  wouldn't start it until I finished the Baptist Fan quilting

Here's what I  have so far...the pic is a little blurry so what you can't see clearly are the cartoonish women in all sorts of activities.   

I broke open a still sealed stack of fat quarters that craftsy.com must have had on sale... I'm getting almost perfect matches to the thin borders around each block.  When I say it was from craftsy.com, some of you will be able to guess just how long I've had that seal stack since they changed their name at least two or three years ago.

This is another...and better.... photo of the blocks.  The circle print is what I'm going to use for sashing and borders...the solid fabric around each block should quiet it down a little bit.  I picked the circle fabric because the panel that the blocks were cut from had similar circles in the background.  The quilt is for the other grandmother of one of my grandsons... she's a nurse who likes to go on adventures and I think this will be perfect for her.

There are only 15 blocks so to set it with four across and four down, I'll have to make another block using another one of the solid fat quarters from the bundle/stack.  I MIGHT just use it for the label ( on the front instead of the back).   I'm trying to get it at least 50" x 50" ( she's only about 5' tall so doesn't need it any bigger).  Not sure yet what I'm going to use for the backing fabric.

Speaking of fabric, I have to tell you a 'funny'... I was talking to hubby about my not feeling well and that he should have known that I really must be feeling bad (tired) if I'm not sewing.  He said, and I quote, "I thought you ran out of fabric".  The silly man... he should know that IF that were ever to happen, I'd just go out and buy more ( or order it online).

Ok, well I think I have you all caught up on what (little) I've been doing.  Hopefully, it won't take me so long to post again.  

take care...

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there

ttyl...

Stay Safe......