Another package going to N. Carolina

Wish I could jump in the envelope and go with this fabric and pattern to my sisters in North Carolina. She mentioned the other day, that she was piecing the back of a quilt and was a bit short, so she went to local big store that starts with a W and picked up some extra flannel. When she washed it, it clearly was not of the same quality of the rest of the fabric. So being the good sis that I am, convinced her not to use what she had and that I would send some to her.

Of course, when I went to my stash I didn't have anything that would work...so off to one of the 4 quilt shops within a 30 minute drive and found just what she was wanting! I still have not purchased any fabric for myself this year...a new record... I also found this pattern at one of my favorite shops last week and am adding it to the box. It will be perfect for all of our Tokyo purchases from last year. If you can't find the Shoji Screen pattern at a local store the web site is www.dianaandlaura.com

Several times a month, I travel to the Oregon Coast for work. I always make sure to have time at the end of the day for a quick stop at the wonderful shop in Newport. If you are ever traveling in Oregon, be sure to visit the shop in Newport on the Central Oregon Coast. They have a great variety of fabrics, lots of patterns and wonderful friendly staff. They also have great block of the month projects, etc., on their web site: http://www.quilterscove.net/store/index.html


I did manage to stitch down about half of the binding on a quilt Saturday night, as I watched a movie...at least a little progress going on here!

And then there were TWO

And then there were two...quilts that is. Here's my second quilt started about 1979, in a class in California. It was made with cardboard templates! Every week we copied template patterns and instructions for a new block. Several of the blocks were pieced by hand, others on a very old machine! Obviously I was learning about values as some are made out of two dark fabrics. If only I had used a medium or light, they would look better.

Not a lot of quilting going on around here. Hoping to stitch on a binding after dinner tonight. Homework, school and just life in general are keeping me out of the sewing room...maybe tomorrow!

Had a lovely few hours in the front flower garden bed, doing some clean up that was missed last fall. The bulbs are peaking through...just a few inches up. Spring will soon be here & I can't wait!!

I am starting to make plans for a trip to China in May. If anyone knows of quilt related places, great fabric areas, groups, etc., please leave me a message.

Everyone has a first quilt!

As the guys were taking down the Christmas quilts for me they accidentally took down one that I was going to leave up for a while longer. So then I had to figure out what to put back on the wall...it was too early for spring and summer, so I decided to go with this one that had some red in it for Valentines day.

This was my very first quilt, made in the summer of 1977, between my junior and senior year at college. It was made without any templates or instructions. I just cut out squares from scraps of clothes that I had made and put them in to rows. I thought straight rows were boring, so I figured out how to turn the squares on point. I couldn't figure out how to finish the edge, so I appliqued the squares to a long red piece of fabric. It was quilted with a group ladies about five years later, where we would take turns quilting each others tops. Little did I know that I had ventured into something that would last for many years to come. Yes, at one time, I really did make clothes...but not since I made this first quilt!!

Some of the butterflies have made it to the design wall. I'm trying to put together a lap quilt and was trying out a solid fabric from my stash. I think it is a bit bright and distracting...so I need to try something else out for lattices. I'm thinking of trying out black next... I've discovered most of the blocks have some kind of stain or marks. I've washed a few, trying various methods of removing the stains with limited success. At least the colors in the fabrics are not bleeding.

Last week I had a few minutes to stop at one of my favorite shops (which will remain nameless) on the way to the airport. Each month I try to add extra time to my airport schedule to make a stop at one of three shops. I knew this one had moved across the street since my last stop...what I didn't realize was with the new location came a new attitude. This shop always has great displays and wonderful collections of fabric. My wallet was always screaming for mercy as I left in the past, especially on days when the hidden room of Asian fabrics was open. It was the craziest place for fabric...out the back door and up the stairs to Asian Heaven.

I was hoping to find a particular Asian fabric to wrap up a project on my wall or some new batiks. After touring the whole shop, waiting at the counter for more than five minutes, while the four staff members worked on unwrapping new items and ignoring several of us waiting for help, when I asked about Asians, I was informed with quite the attitude, "We don't carry that". You would have thought I asked for a pile of dog poo! Unfortunately, this was the second time I had left empty handed and with a less than positive customer experience. I've decided it will be my last visit, as there are several other options to stop at on my monthly trip to the airport. Next time I'll write about some of my favorite stops...and include their names.

This old quilt...

This is a quilt I brought home for safe keeping, while my family member is away from her home. At some point, I hope to do some research on this quilt, as it appears to be quite old. The tan fabrics appear to be faded out. Overall it is in fairly good shape with just a few stains and crease marks. There are twelve blocks with the same design and a border on all four sides. Unfortunately, I have never seen this quilt before, so I don't know any of the history of it. Is this what will happen to your quilts some day??


Not a stitch of quilting happening around here...too much going on with caring for my dad, as the pins in hip are moving and he is in quite a bit of pain. At this point, we have a full time care giver in the house so I can go to work each day. The best part of all is that they keeping asking for housework to do and they have dinner ready each evening when I come home...I could get really use to this!!!

UFO's...will this happen to yours?

Have you ever wondered what will happen to your quilts and UFO's? This set of blocks are from Mother in-law's home...which unfortunately she will never finish. There are approximately 60 blocks, with about 25 layered and quilted on individual pieces of muslin. My challenge will be how to finish those...do I try some method of joining the quilted blocks or do I take them apart and set them in a traditional manner. I'm leaning towards taking them apart, as the batting is very thick poly batting and the blocks are a variety of sizes. These blocks along with three other quilts came home with me for safe keeping. The others will appear in a future posting. Since I would like to finish at least a lap quilt out of these blocks for her quickly, they are moving to the top of my project list.


Once again, a wild few weeks in my life... The Saturday before Christmas, my mother in law went into the critical care unit of the hospital, 1,000 miles from my home. My son and I are her only relatives, so soon I took off to drive south, as the airports were closed in the Northwest due to the snow and ice. Due to the bleed on her brain, they discovered a mass on her brain, along with the one on her lung which was discovered this summer. So we now have entered a time of palliative care heading towards hospice, along with the loss of independence and no longer living in her own home. After finding a new foster type care home for her, moving her furniture in, securing her home and lots of other tasks, I am finally back home

So, as I close this short post, as I am on a 15 minute break from homework...I leave you with a few questions:

1) What will happen to your UFO's and quilts?

2) Have you completed your Advance directive or Power of attorney for health care...if not, now is the time to do it so your wishes are clear to everyone.

3) Do you have a financial power of attorney, will or trust in place? Thankfully, my mother-in-law did this several years ago, which has made this transition so much easier.

4) If you were suddenly unable to take care of things at home, would someone know where to find your records, checks, valuables, secret hiding places, etc? I've spent days going through every closet and drawer and know that I am still missing items...oh my the story I could tell...

5) Have you hugged your love ones and told them how much you love them today?

Wishing you all a wonderful new year full of lots of quilt projects!!

Wild and Crazy times at our house!

Wow, what a wild and crazy week it has been. First, we are thrilled to have Michael (far left) here for a few weeks, home from Iraq! What a great blessing for all the guys to hang out, play X-box and eat all the food in the house! My son (middle) has been blessed to have this group of guys as friends since we moved here his senior year in high school. Now that they are in college and the Army, it is always a special time when we can gather together for a steak dinner, even if it was a bar-b-que in the snow!
On Sunday morning we woke up to big fluffy flakes of snow. We only see a little snow every three to four years, but so far this one is much more than normal. After the snow we have had ice, with freezing rain and lots more snow predicted for tomorrow. My 12 minute drive home from work took over an hour this evening as the roads have melted and frozen into sheets of ice.
I made a quick stop at the grocery for more food...feeding five guys for days requires more milk and food than you can imagine! With the threat of being stuck at home into the middle of next week, it was time to stock up!
Jessie is the latest addition to our crazy life, joining us this evening. She is the wonderful dog of a good friend, whose husband was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery. Since the hospital is 45 minutes away, she will be staying there overnight and needed someone to take care of the dog. Of course, five guys would love a dog! But what she doesn't realize is that I'm afraid they may never return the dog!

All Hail Cesear King of the house

Last weekend, I couldn't figure out what the lump was inside my shoe...after shaking out my shoe, I realized it was a little present from Cesear the king of cats of North Carolina! All Hail King Cesear, King of cats...or at least that is what he would like you to believe!!


It has been a few more crazy weeks with too much homework, family crisis and of course work, ... there haven't been any positive or quilting topics to post. Who wants to hear about kidney stones, trips to the ER and visits to the doctor, etc., so I haven't posted. I had hoped to spend even half a day over the long Thanksgiving weekend in my sewing room, but it just didn't happen. Perhaps over Christmas or New Years. I do have some Christmas quilt photos to share next time!