NO SEWING BUT A GOOD EXCUSE

Well its winter time here now....we have had 2 measurable snows those happened in October which is kind of rare....and it has gotten more cold than it should for the first part of November....

I started stocking my cabinet with groceries in early fall so I would be ready for winter this year.....we had a weird summer so I expected winter to be unusual also....I can get my meat delivered too...until recently I was getting produce from the local farm and they delivered too...was really great for my back...but now I have to go get my produce and carry....I do not want to have to get out in the snow and ice I am so afraid of falling and breaking something or worse...my legs aren't that great for stability...

My grandson was here last Sat. and I fixed him a steak supper...he helped me with things I could not do....after he left I wasn't feeling good...that stayed with me for about 4 days...stomach and lower trac wasn't just right....must have been bug....one of the local teachers said there was a bug going through the school so I must have picked it up too...

So as you probably guessed by now no sewing this week...I haven't felt much like doing anything....today though I had to go to the next town to pick up med...I got some lunch while there....it was a cold afternoon but at least the sun was out....cant seem to get warm since I got home....boy do I hate to see winter come in.....take care everyone...more later...….

ALMOST FINISHED QUILT TOP

 

This has been a sewing week and I have something to show for it....I have had these blocks forever it seems and now it

will become a quilt for some child....I have been making quilt tops or quilts for Quilts Beyond Borders when I can....All that is left to do on this top is make an outside border...I think a 2 inch one will be in order as to keep the measurement where they would like it to be.....

When I get this one done I am going to have to take everything off my counter put in a box so I can turn my mat around to the back....I have the green wore off and I think that is what is dulling my cutter so quick....I think I can avoid that spot by turning....I like having the grid showing when I cut and my mat doesn't have it on the other side...so I don't want to turn it over to use....I will replace it then use the old one for sporatic cutting when I use the dining table....then it will be fun sorting the mess out of the box and replacing the fq in stacks at the back of the counter...several projects that have been started are there also...

Getting back to the quilt top....I need to find backing to send with the top and there is another top finished also..not sure I showed that one it also need a back....I do have a set of binding ready to send and would like to make another for this top....

This morning I am up early as I have a doc appointment...the last one of this year...I finally got them all to make it so I don't have to go into the city till spring so I hope this one will do the same....so much better as we get a lot of bad weather that I will not drive in anymore....so now I gotta end and get ready to go.....more later....

DID MORE SEWING MOVING ALONG

I did more string sewing today and this evening got 16 small blocks made making 4 big blocks....28 more small blocks to go and then I can put the border on...for those that might be curious the size of the paper foundation is 4 1/2 inches...I chose that size because I have a 4 1/2 inch ruler and its just handy for straightening up the block after ward.....works out great...

I cant sit very long at the sewing machine anymore so I guess I have to be satisfied with 2 hr. intervals of sewing now....I worked this afternoon and again this evening for a bit...I got more done than I thought I would....

Ok going tolook around the net and see if I can find another easy pattern for another child quilt....at my age now I don't want too complicated things to deal with anymore....I don't concentrate good enough anymore.....more next time......

STRINGS AND MEETING ON LINE FRIENDS

I picked up sewing again today...its sporatic with me now as it bothers my back so but I wanted to work on this quilt...I have 1 row done and 3 more to go....I send tops to an organization called 'Quilts Beyond Borders'...they take quilts finished, tops and finish them and distribute to kids world wide....all my string quilts so far have gone to them....and my basket of strings is pretty full at the moment....

Last week I had the opportunity to meet with 2 ladies that I have been on line friends with for 16 years in a quilt group...one ws from Alaska and the other was from Michigan....we met at nice restaurant about half way from where they were visiting....it was so nice to finally meet them and we all agreed to try to do this again....

I have had 2 irons quit working on me this week....I have one standby left and I hope it doesn't go bad before I get another.....I think the ones that have auto shut off go bad  quicker that the others...the best iron I have had is a cheapie  and it has out lasted these....

I have a partially done bag sitting on the counter to be finished and I would like to make more of them....maybe for Christmas presents....going to try to do more sewing ….I just cant sit very long at one session and that frustrates me to no end.....we will see how this works out.....more later....

HOW I STARTED TO QUILT

I found this that I wrote a few years back on how I started to quilt....maybe worth reading again


THOUGHTS ON MY QUILTING

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When i was first beginning this adventure of quilting was back in the 60's when i was accumulating lots of fabrics from sewing for my 2 girls....i had a huge box of scrap...my neighbor, an avid sewer encouraged me to make a quilt...so with her guidance i ventured into this world....i bet i picked her brain at least twice a week after that...lol

I learned a lot from her and from what i am told it was bred into me, as my grandmother was next to being a pro at quilting selling her quilts thoughout the county...she passed on when i was 5 so didn't get to know her long....i do have a big box of her quilting things though my aunt and mother passed onto me that i get out and go through now and then...

one of my early thoughts of hand quilting as you had to make sure the design was continueous without breaks all around the quilt...and another thought back then was no line shal cross another....so that played a role in getting me started...i was afraid i would make a mistake and they wouldn't fit right....now i am not afraid to be adventurous...lol...those thoughts came about from the older ladies at the time...when rules were strict and rigid about sewing...boy am i glad that changed lol....it has opened the door for  many new products and ideas for the sewer and quilter....

I will never be an expert quilter but i can do 18 stitches to an inch...now that is counting the top and bottom stitches...i am told that is how you count them...most of the time i average about 15....which i think it still ok...at least they dont look galloping along lol...

i have been teaching myself to machine quilt...not really good at it so i will stick to a lot of hand quilting along with learning new things so i am sure i will be adding little thoughts on hand quilting as i go along.....more later....

 

This has not been a good 2 weeks...I have developed some new pain along with the usual so no sewing, for that matter not much of anything going on here...I feel so frustrated as I have a special project I am wanting to do...more on this later...

SCRAPPY STRINGS TURNED INTO A QUILT

This is a block I worked up a few years ago trying to use strings from all my scrap...I liked it so well that I developed it into a quilt later...

Right now I cant tell you the measurements because it is hanging in the closet ready for borders...but it is really a striking quilt in person the picture doesn't do it justice....

As I remember I don't have a clue what to do with the center of each block....I am not sure I would quilt a flower in there as it could go to male for a gift...

At first I thought of southwest stencils but there isn't too many of them around and I am not sure I am that good of an artist to do any drawing of my own...

Also as I recall it will need a border I think so I was wondering about using the string borders I made also years ago...I think it would really accent it.

But then it might call for a plain ivory outer border...just a lot of decisions to make yet...its always in the back of my head to do it this way...it will all depend on the size of the quilt itself..

There is 2 years of catching up with my quilting and sewing that I haven't blogged I need to get busy lol....more later.....

DO I HAVE A SCRAP PROBLEM?

Yes I have a scrap problem!...when I started all those grandmother flower garden quilts I piled all the small yardages under 3/4  in front of my table for quick cutting and to see what colors are available....and it continued....out of those stacks I have made table runners, mug rugs and other quilts but the pile just doesn't seem to go down....I do try to use out of them first...I have just got to straighten it up again along with the other messes on the 2 tables I use close to the machine...it is out of hand at the present....

Today I was trying to think of things to use  some of the 'scrap'....I make lined pieced bags and have sold some but not everyone likes the $32 price tag....as it gets closer to banning plastic bags for groceries I may make some unlined bags...got some neat fabric that would make up good....more on this later.....

I got to the store again today...finished getting things for my veggie soup I want to make for me and the freezer....ya I know its not soup weather yet but I am hungry for some....thought maybe I would make a little push and lose another 5 lb....I am close to another plateau and the number would look good when I go to the doc next time....more on this later too....

Last night I had to take an allergy pill in the middle of the night, nose wouldn't stop running....soo that meant I would be extra sleepy when I should get up and true to form I overslept so I don't know if sleep will ignore me tonight or not...i'll find out soon.....more later.....

MORE STRING SEWING TONIGHT

 

I did more string sewing tonight late....those on the left are the ones I did tonight and on the right you can barely see is the stack that is accumulating on going...in my bucket of scraps I am finding some strings that are way too small to use....
Wish I knew someone that needed a dog bed my waste basket has a lot of scrap that would be good stuffing....not going to save it as I already have scrap batting that I am making nice pillow forms with....and I am running out of room with them...

Its been kind of slow going getting into the sewing room ….too many other things getting in the way lately.....my daughter is moving to the south and I have been upset about it...she is the one I have relied on some and she was the closest to me in miles so its a big blow....

I have been busy trying to readjust some things that I relied on her for, making other arrangements on days when I am not able to get out for groceries for instance...more on this later...…

The weather got hot again so maybe after I get more groceries tomorrow I can get in there and sew.....I also need to really try to straighten up the room some...at the present time I have 3 quilt tops going and it gets confusing with what size blocks go where....I get myself in such  trouble this way.....nothing new!.....more later....

A LITTLE SEWING

I made more strings tonight but wasn't too interested in what I was doing...I managed to get 5 more blocks done before I gave up....I took the paper off the back of a few before I left the sewing room....I think that might be a good project to do while watching tv some evening....

I hurried around this afternoon and got some groceries...too many for me to carry so my son will be here in the morning so I left them for him to carry in for me....I just cant do much without my back hurting....

I was disappointed in myself that I didn't make it to the sewing room over the weekend was too busy with house things and cooking....then was too tired....

Lately I have been running old papers out of the files through the shredder to go to recycle...doesn't take much to fill the bucket either lol.....so many little things to do anymore especially when I am trying to downsize here and there.....sure glad I am not doing this all at once or it would be over whelming...

Med time again and maybe some sleep for me....more later....

EYES CLOSING, HEAD BOBBING

Eyes closing, head bobbing, waking up! yup this is what I am doing at the present....I had a dr. appt very early this morning so it meant I had to be on the road before 8 am with very little sleep....I go to my daughters and she drives in the city....

I don't drive in the city anymore since my heart attacks started...makes me too nervous and too many changes to city streets....

I had a decent report from the kidney doc which made me happy and he extended the next visit to next spring...yay...then we were off to the hospital for yet more blood work....'he who giveth, taketh away' lol...this time we got the blood work done with the right info....

After that we went to lunch...I was put out with myself as my appetite is still not good so I ended up bringing home most of my meal for later....been nibbling on it but not really wanting to eat anything....

We went to Joann Fabrics later I needed both quilting needles and sewing machine ones...so I hope I got enough to last the winter.....I also got a poly batt for the collection I have lol....

Now I am sooooo tired but will have to wait not to go to bed too early or I will wake up later and be awake the rest of the night....I was going to the store later today when I got home but I was just too tired to carry groceries i'll try for tomorrow maybe I will know what I want to cook and whether or not I am going to want to eat.....guess I will make sure I get some soup that might be all I want for a couple nights...ok going to look around the net and then take med and head to bed.....more later....

I NEEDED A BOOST TONIGHT

I was feeling a little blah tonight so I went looking through my files just to pass the time....I ran across the file that has some of the dolls in it that I dressed for the Salvation Army back starting in '96 to give to kids at holiday time ....I participated in that for 10 years dressing over 200 dolls in that time...they ran a contest with different categories to make it more interesting...they also gave each sewer a basic pattern for a doll dress...if you wanted more you designed it yourself...which I did with almost all the dolls I did.

This is what I entered in the 'Other Lands' category....she did place first place but I have to laugh now...I must have been crazy...I cut apart silk flowers in tiny pieces and resewed them in a tiny flower rope to use where ever you see flowers on the doll....couldn't find anything for grass skirt so I used the little cheap spools of different colored ribbons for the skirt...she has a cloth body so you had to cover that with a blousey top...she is one of my favorite ones....seeing her is just the boost I needed tonight...

I had one of those worthless feelings I get now and then when my health kind of overtakes my body....it makes me feel like I am not me anymore...I know that may not make sense to a lot of people but I am sure it does to those with illness....

I know its not quilting but I promise I will get back in there next week if not sooner...I have to be in and out of the house for errands a lot during the week so will see how I feel....I would like to get in there over the weekend.....more later...

DISGUSTED WITH DR. LAST WEEK

I was so disgusted last Friday.....I was to get blood work done again so my son left work to take me into the hospital to get it done....the doctor didn't have all the info needed to get it so receptionist called the office and the gal there said there was no blood scheduled.....

I had iron infusions all the month of June and was instructed to get blood work done AFTER 1 MONTH which was now....so we made the trip for nothing because of an unorganized doctors  office....and when I have my appointment he is going to ask why I didn't get the blood work done.....I think I will give him an ear full lol....

On a good note I got to have an early supper with my son at one of the families favorite restaurants....he is so hard to nail down to have a moments time with him....so the day wasn't a total loss....

I haven't been sewing....my arthritis flare is still lingering but today I am going make an effort to do things.....I really didn't want to get up this morning ….I did have a decent nights sleep but just lazy I guess ...the day is half over though that is the bad thing I don't get much done in a day....I would like to go back in and sew strings being I have my box of scrap out and all over...seems useless to put it away then get it back out a couple days later....so we will see how it goes.....more later....

QUILT TO FINISH, FEELING BETTER

I was rummaging through my google album and found the pic of the baby quilt I want to finish....the back will be a light aqua and it compliments it just right....maybe I can get at it this next week.....

I am feeling better today..last night I took my wicked pain pill and Tylenol before bed and that seemed to help....I hope this flare will be history now....
Got up late today but no sleep will after 4 am...now the day is almost done and I have nothing to show for it....I hate this....wish I could get my sleeping habit straightened out....

I'm outta here for now...got some laundry to do and a bunch of other things that need done too so I need to get with it....more later...

NO SEWING, ARTHRITIS GOT IN THE WAY!

I am kind of bummed out tonight...got my meds renewed and i found 1 of them doubled in price....i think its terrible that the little guy has to pay such a price for meds when the insurance co. and the maker is making such a profit....when i go back to the dr. i am going to see if there is a cheaper one we can use....it really bugs me that it is now $100 for 1 months supply....

I have been feeling terrible the last couple days so i have been in an owey mood...got an arthritis flare at the present...i keep trying to do things but the pain gets to me and i have to quit...tomorrow i have to go to the store again so i hope the pain lets up ...i do have a strong pain pill i can take but its addictive so i dont use very often as it wipes me out till it wears me out...i rely on tylenol as much as possible....

well just took my meds and no sewing today but i hope to get in there tomorrow some and work....i also have a baby quilt that i am going to machine quilt that is all ready to go except i need to repress some and pin it....for now though its off to bed to see if i can sleep....more later...

IT WAS STRING DAY IN THE SEWING ROOM

This what I did today instead of working in the house....I wanted mindless sewing because I am having some kind of health flare....its started last night and now its still here today...I thought for sure it would be raining, its that kind of flare when the weather changes....but so far it hasn't ….its been cloudy all day though....

Back to the strings....my string box is overflowing and they do go fast and I figured I needed 112- 4 1/2 inch square string blocks to make a 8 inch big block to make a childs quilt....then add a border to it. Today I made 13 in no time so it wont take long to make them a few at a time....the part I hate is taking the paper off the back side...lol

Just about time for supper but that will be easy...port steak, mac salad, and buttered beets....most of it has to be warmed and the steak cooked so I wont be spending a lot of time in the kitchen....

I think I will be going to bed to watch tv tonight so maybe my aches and pain will settle down again....its always something as an obstacle in my way lol....more later....

CUTTING AND MORE CUTTING

I spent a good part of the day cutting squares from the pieces on my cutting table and a few from the stack of under 1 yard pieces that are at the back of the table....when i got tired of that i made a bunch of different size blocks....it was hard keeping all the different size squares for the right blocks some of them only a 1/4 inch difference....i finally had to quit about 4 pm because of my back....it was time to think about supper anyway...

I was going to find a back for the top i finished but didn't get that far this afternoon....maybe tomorrow i will get to it....gotta get some groceries again...seems like i am always emptying out a bottle of something....i try to keep up with the groceries  so i dont have so many to carry at a time....

Going to try to do a little machine quilting this week....before i quit 2 years ago i had a small quilt ready to quilt so i hope to do that one...it will tell me whether i should try to machine some of the others or do them by hand...

well i am tired tonight so maybe i will sleep....got up earlier today so havent got a lot of sleep in last night....will try to get some pics together tomorrow.....more later....

UFO's NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT!

Yes UFO's not unfinished objects...the tv was on while I was sewing and a UFO program came on, I cant see the tv from my sewing room but every now and then I heard something that they were talking about....of couse my mind wandered while sewing and I wondered what I would do if I looked out the window and a 'thing' looked back at me.....I don't care to find out though but I imagine there would be a mess where I was standing lol....to believe they exist? I don't know if I do or if its a fascination yet to be proved...only time will tell I suppose.....

Sewing is slow today, too many interruptions finally giving up at least for tonight.....arm and shoulder blade is sore I suppose from reaching around to get iron to press seams....maybe I need to change the set up....not many options though....more on this later.....

Short post tonight....going to get more of 'grandmas' fudge, a cold drink and kick off m shoes and relax maybe that will help the mood to sleep....more later....

GETTING REACQUAINTED WITH SEWING ROOM

I have been getting reacquainted with my sewing room again this week....I have such a mess with scraps and fabric everywhere in there along with unfinished quilts that I wonder if I will ever get it organized....

Today I didn't make it in there....it was very late when I got up no sleep till 5 am so I didn't want to get up before 11 am....I wish I knew why my sleeping was so bad...In the afternoon the lady that delivers produce to me stayed and visited and somehow the conversation got on quilted potholders so I gave her a few of mine...she seemed eager to get them being she does a lot of cooking from her produce and sells it...

Tonight I got hungry for something sweet so I made a batch of grandmas fudge...a recipe that is over 100 years old....tonights batch hardly needed beating before it was ready for the place....I think it was because the air was so dry....sure tasted good and satisfied my sweet tooth...

I am finding it hard to get back in the quilting 'groove' like I used to be....I guess age has something to do with it...and I suppose 2 heart attacks took their toll...

Tomorrow I plan on sewing most of the day if my back will let me....most of my supper is already fixed so it wil be easy to finish..yay! well its time for meds and maybe some sleep...more later....

IT'S ME, I'M SORTA BACK!

Yes its a voice from the past lol....i think i am back.....its been a long dry spell as far as posting is concerned and sewing for that matter...

Since i posted last couple years ago i have had 2 heart attacks and numerous other health problems and a humoungous amount of drs visits and blood tests which are still on going....my aches and pains have gotten stronger over the years which hampers me doing a lot of the things i like..

This week i went back to doing some sewing...i put together a quilt top that i already had blocks made up that was laying around in my clothes basket of blocks....i intend to send it off to an organization that finishes quilts and distributes them to kids all over the world....i recently saw where 4 of the last batch i sent them was finished and sent off to their new home....i think that gave me the insentive to sew again....

But i have found that sitting at the sewing machine aggrivates by back and legs so it will be a challenge now...i have so much to catch up on and one of the first things will be to try to organize my sewing room again...

Ok break time is over and i need to think about what's for supper...i hope to go back to the sewing room tonight and do more....lots of little things bogging down my table lol....more later....