Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Yes, I am still alive!

 January and February were rough months with health and other issues. All is well now and I'm quilting with enthusiasm. I just finished another scrappy blue for charity but my hubby liked it so much that he claimed it. It is a lap-size about 48 x 60". I used a panto called Atlanta and just the fabrics in my scrap bins. Some 'blocks' were made from very small pieces.

I'm nearly finished a landscape (photo later) and started another scrappy, this time a medallion with a large collection of charm squares given to me. This is my element, so much fun. So far... I started with an orphan block that somehow got missed for the above blue scrappy. Then I added strips to make it the size that would be okay with 5" squares around it. The next round is charm squares. My plan is to make some HST or QST or something that will make a different size so all the seams do not line up like they do on these two rounds. So much fun...


Thursday, February 1, 2024

Not much happening

 After having the Nativity Quilt in my window for all of January, I made one more suitable for January. Our supreme cold snap is over, snow is melting, but this one was quick and easy.

Otherwise, little progress on the landscape quilt. On January 16 my blood oxygen dropped to below 88 and hubby called an ambulance. I spent a few days in hospital diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia and on oxygen until that number went up and stayed there. Since then, recovery is slow. The heavy duty meds first by IV and then by pill might have been one of those "cure worse than the illness" as they messed with my digestive system. I lost six lbs, which is fine, but still feel like a truck hit me and aware that full recovery can take weeks. 

In the meantime, hubby got viral bronchitis, so both of us are moving slow, trying not to feel sorry for ourselves, and taking turns with cooking, chores, etc. depending who feels most like it. This is NOT FUN but one goal for 2024 was to simplify my life. Off to a good start!

 

Friday, January 12, 2024

Progress Report

 The days fly by and yet a few things get done or at least there is progress. Here is the landscape started this week. I just love it when the fabric creates a design before any applique or thread play or quilting. This background mountain looks like a distant mountain. Thankful!

Also happy to have a warm home. It is -40 or so with a windchill closer to -50. This is Celsius, but when the numbers are that low, it is about the same as Fahrenheit. COLD! Hubby went out this morning to indoor golf. Lots of cancellations. He usually stays out for lunch, but not this time. He said the streets are icy and brutal.

Time to make supper but nice to be warm and glad I'm not needing to go anywhere...😰 Stay warm -- wrapped up in a quilt!

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

A New Challenge

This is a sketch from a photo that will become a landscape lap quilt... when I get my act together. The fabrics are merely a value exercise... the sky is okay, the large background mountain needs to be a tad darker, the next two ranges should be bluer, but I'm happy with the green hills, water, and foreground fabric -- which almost disappears at the bottom right. Of course this is simple and will be more 'realistic' which is what the customer wants. A double-click might show it better.

Progress reports as I go, now that I've figured out that a photo on my new I-Pad automatically shows up on my new MacBook Pro. The learning curve for that change is far from over though!



Wednesday, December 27, 2023

This year...

Several quilt blogs that I follow do a summary for the year. I don't have my photos in a collage so will just copy them in without comment beginning with this small window hanging. They are in no particular order. The first 24 are a mix of small quilts to hang in the window, table toppers, up to queen-size bed quilts. Eleven of them were for refugees who became fast friends. The last four are tops only, given to a charity group to sandwich and quilt. I know, I cannot believe I did all this. It has been a hectic year besides.
























Monday, December 18, 2023

Nearly ready to quilt it...

With full days and many interruptions, time to quilt is often way to short. However, I'm whacking away at blue scraps (again) and it appears this one will soon be ready to put on the longarm. The photo happened then I put another bit on the right side and have three more seams and maybe a border. It is about 56" square, but a border would be a good addition to make it a better lap size.

I love doing these. No plan at all, just make blocks with what is in the scrap bin, adding from stash if necessary, tossing in a few coordinating bits and pieces. It is total fun for me. No name for this one yet. I've another that is ready to quilt also, and also mostly blue scraps. Where they all came from is a bit of a mystery to me -- like who keeps sneaking into my sewing room and putting blue scraps in that bin? or what?

Merry Christmas to all -- in case I don't get back here for a few days.


Friday, December 8, 2023

Slower but Steadier

It seems to take me a long time to get a finish. Procrastination. Lazy. Too much else on my plate. Whatever the excuse, I finished three since the last post. 

These two are for refugees, the same family as three recently posted. They are a mom/dad and their adult children -- two young men and two young women. Beautiful people. They show their quilts off to every visitor! These two are similar. Both guys sent a picture of what they liked, and one of the pictures had a beautiful woman in it. 

That helped me work faster because this guy is a big tease and I could hardly wait to tease him... told him I was sorry that I could give only the quilt to him as I couldn't find that gal anywhere, no matter how hard I looked. He was laughing so hard, and especially because I found out he told another person that the woman in the photo was his girlfriend back where he had been living. He made that up, but I knew because I used it on Google search to see if there was a pattern for it so I could get an idea of how much fabric I'd need. I discovered that photo came off an add for a bedspread! What fun to out-do this guy and his crazy humor! 

 

The third one is a table runner Christmas gift for a DIL so cannot post it in case she peeks. Lots of other things on the go, like two improv quilts using blue scraps. I am still certain that scraps multiply in the dark or at least are related to rabbits.

Also have many other projects in various stages, mostly go-together fabrics in a box, some with a pattern or at least an idea. Having the five done/gifted is helping me get over that procrastination.