February Calendar Block

Thank you so much bloggers for your prayers and support after my last post.  The better I feel physically the better I'm feeling overall.  I knew that some fabric therapy would really help too. 

 I love all things Valentines, so I really wanted to make the February calendar block from
Count On It.  It was fun to go through the stash and choose the colors for this project.  You know how I love to touch and feel my fabric.   I like how it turned out and I learned from my January block to make better color choices so my letters showed up better.   I got out my red and white table runner to complete my February decor.

Jen and Ryan drove to South Dakota from Florida to spend a few days with us and attend the memorial service for Kay.  It was nice to have them here-even tho it feels like just a blur in time.  We had snow while they were here and DH put our Mississippi SIL to work clearing snow with the tractor and the dozer.  I think that was probably the highlight of his trip.  We also treated them to some below zero temperatures.  

I plan to get Gypsy Girl out today.  I had to roll her up to make room for the overnight guests.  I need to choose thread and decide on a quilting design.  Goal:  Finish this month!

After the week-end blizzard and sub-zero temps we are enjoying some more temperate weather.  DH looked out on the deck and commented, " the cats think they are in Hawaii today".  lol  I wish I could make friends with this pretty blue-eyed beauty.  He is just so timid.   I'm linking up with Sarah for Feline Friday.

Have a good week-end!  I hope to have a quilting week-end here.  :)

Blogging and Sharing

I started blogging because I wanted to join the fun in the quilting community.  Quilt alongs and give aways were the attraction.  I've gotten to know so many nice people.  Bloggers have become my friends.   Initially I thought I would only share my quilting, recipes and farm life, but real life sometimes doesn't leave a lot of time for just those activities.

I started January out thinking I was going to get so organized and get so much done.  I wanted to spend less time on the internet, eat healthier and sew, sew, sew.  SO where have I been for the last month--almost a month without a blog post.  I've been living life and not really very pleasantly.  Because you are my friends, I'll share with you:

On January 17th my older sister called to let me know that she hadn't been feeling well the last couple weeks and had been to the clinic.  They were treating her for a bladder infection, but after a couple days she was feeling worse.  The blood panel they did showed alarming things going on in her blood.  On Friday a friend took her to Omaha NE and on Saturday morning they did a bone marrow test. My healthy, vibrant 68 year old sister, Kay was diagnosed with Acute myeloid leukemia AML.   She passed away the following Wednesday night, January 23rd. 

I'm so thankful that we had two weddings, a birthday celebration picnic and a sister trip last year.  Kay came for both weddings and the picnic.  Since our parents are no longer living, we siblings don't get together very often.  My older brother died four years ago and we've been reluctant to take a picture of just the four of us.  It just didn't feel right.

Last year we took pictures.  I'm so glad we did, even if little brother had to be persuaded to take the time at his son's wedding.

It's always comforting to have old pictures to look at too.

 

The three girls on "old" Pepper. 

 

 

Easter in my grandparents back yard.

 

 

This is Kay with her three sons - the loves of her life.  She married a dairy farmer and worked very, very hard and never had much luxury in her life.   Her marriage ended in divorce and it took years of pain, patience and strength to build a life for herself and relationships with her boys.  The last few years she had made a move.   She loved her job at an assisted living facility,  her cute little house and her church family.  She liked to garden, can and bake.  She never visited her boys without bringing homemade jelly and baked goods.  She sewed many of her own clothes in her early life, including her wedding dress.  The boys' shirts in this picture were made by her.  She had just started quilting in recent years.  She liked to travel.   She had taken a trip to Branson, MO, a river boat trip and a Fall colors bus trip.  We had such a fun sister trip to Arkansas to see my aunt.  We were planning another girl trip this year to the beach in Florida.  

 

She was the healthiest and happiest I've know her to be the last few years.   She was probably the most health conscious of all of us.  She exercised and watched what she ate.  "I have to take good care of myself, because I have no one to take care of me." she would often say.   She had come to a time in her life where she didn't have to work so hard and could take time to do some fun things.   It's been a shock to lose her so quickly.  I went to Omaha on Sunday and spent her last days and nights on this earth with her.  I still can't believe my beautiful and loving sister is gone.   I'm thankful that she didn't suffer.  It was a special time and I'm thankful that I could be there with her.   I so admire her faith and strength.    We will all miss her.

 

Of course, I came home and immediately came down with the "crud".  I was unable to attend the memorial service in Nebraska, but did go to the one in our home town.  The combination of exhaustion, "crud" and grief have kept me in a very dark place the last couple weeks.  I'm feeling better physically now and I know that the mental will improve with time.   It always amazes me and sometimes makes me angry how life just seems to go on.   I'm working my way through the black hole and the gray time and I know the sun will shine again in my life.  I selfishly want my sister and she has gone on ahead to be with my parents and two of my brothers.  We will all be together again some day. 

 

My desk top computer died this last week.  It's going no where, but the dump probably.  It has my email account on it, addresses and tons and tons of quilting ideas and patterns.  (yes, I do have backup)  I need to decide if I'm going to replace it.  I haven't heard anything good about Windows 8.   I miss not having the printer available, but I could probably install that on my lap top.   Decisions, decisions--not very important problems at least. 

 

I hope to get back to my 2013 goals.  I've done well with less time on the internet.  I can't believe February is half over!!  Happy Valentine's Day by the way.  I made DH chocolate chip cookies yesterday.  See I am feeling better.  Thank you dear friends for reading this long post and sharing my ramblings.  I've missed you and will be back.  Hugs...................

Feline Friday

The batting has been found!  I decided not to piece the backing, because I don't really have enough left overs.  I used all of the layer cake and only had border yardage.  I should have enough left to use for binding.  I went through some backing choices.

I love this pretty purple and pink yardage with butterflies.  I'll never cut it up--it's definitely a backing in my book.

 This is a lovely little light green with pinky purple sprigs.  It could be used for a quilt.  There are almost 7 yards of it.  I finished a bolt somewhere long ago.

I decided on the small print.  Gypsy Girl is so bright and pretty.  I think the small print backing will suit better. There will be plenty left to include in a quilt.   The flowered print is too much of the wrong color to be the backing for this quilt.  Easy decision, yes?  Oh, but I had to think about it and while I was procrastinating  thinking I made the cutest little pin cushion.

I saw Terry's cute hexie pincushion yesterday and it gave me the "itch" to make a little flower pincushion too. I decided to go with a round one.  I wish I had made my circle larger and had more of the turquoise border showing, but it is a lovely hefty pin holder.  It makes me smile.

I didn't put up our big tree this year.  I was in pain and didn't want to dig it out of the closet.  I bought this cute little 3 ft pre-lit tree and decorated it with the smallest ornaments.  Peanut never even noticed it, until it was time to take it down.  I think she was smelling for that lovely pine scent.
You can check out some more cats at Sarah's.

The backing is seamed.  The batting is unwrapped and relaxing.  The top is pressed.  My goal is to have Gypsy Girl sandwiched and quilted by the end of January.  I think that is a very reasonable goal for me.  IF I don't spend too much time "thinking" about how I'm going to quilt it.  lol

Missing In Action

I was missing in action last week..............  We had the stomach flu from Hell last week.  I won't go into details, but it took all week for DH and I to take our turns and get back to normal eating.  Thank goodness for three bathrooms in the house.  Fever, chills and body aches were part of the mix too.  I'm not sure where we picked up the lovely bug, but we stayed home and didn't share with anyone else.  You would have thought I would have lost 10 pounds, but there is something about not eating that seems to make me maintain my weight--go figure.

It's taken me most of the week to catch up and get motivated to start sewing again.  Gypsy Girl is a flimsy. I did decide to use the borders I planned.  I think I'm liking them.  I used a layer cake and the pattern Double Slice Layer Cake  from Missouri Star Quilt Company.  

Now I need to decide about backing.  I can't believe I don't have a batting on hand.  Where did they all go? I certainly haven't used them up.  I probably have them tucked away somewhere.  I did go online yesterday and order some batting from Connecting Threads--30% off right now.  I'll do some more looking today--I know there must be batting some where!!

I watched the on line class Creative Quilt Backs by Elizabeth Hartman on Craftsy yesterday.  I wanted to take time to think about my backing for Gypsy.  I didn't really pickup any new knowledge from the class, but enjoyed it anyway.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm thinking or procrastinating!  Making backing and the sandwich aren't my favorite parts of the quilting process--I might have mentioned that before.  I long for a long arm and quilt frame.  I really don't have the space for one, so I better just get busy and "just do it".

Have you ever been to Dearie Dolls website?  I love the images on there.  I'm thinking there could be some cute embroidery done with some of these designs.  The snowmen and Christmas designs are so dear.

I better go look for batting!  Wish me luck..............

Stitchin and Rippin

I love getting tips from bloggers.  I had to put my Gypsy Girl quilt away before Christmas.  I didn't want to mix up my rows, so I wrote numbers on the butterflies on the end of my pins with a permanent marker.  I stuck one pin in the first block of each row.   I had each row done.  It's time to sew my rows together.

I did some ironing and pinning and then started to sew row 1 and row 2 together.   It seemed to be a "little thick" at first, but I proceeded on.  The Bernie sewed on through.  Oops--sorry little butterfly!

I've been working on "The Gypsy Girl" the last two days.  Yesterday there was some ripping going on.  Today was a better day.  I now have it all sewn together and have the 2 inch border on.   I'm trying to decide if I like what I picked for the outside border and how wide I want to make it.  I need to it "stew" over night. IF I could show you a picture, I might ask your opinion.  lol

Today is Feline Friday. I'm comforted to see Sarah couldn't download her pictures either. (I didn't want to be the only one blogger was mad at.)   I had a picture of Peanut to share.   Peanut has been much happier this week.  The days have been sunny and in the 20's.  She has spent enough time outside to burn off some energy, so she satisfied to curl up inside the rest of the time.

Have a good week-end!



Post 250

 I didn't post much last year, but I've manage to reach the 250 mark today.  I'm proud that I've stuck with it at least.  The main reason I have is YOU!!  I have so enjoyed the friendships I've made and things I have learned from other quilters and bloggers.

I think this year that by having posted my goals and having you there to be accountable to (and celebrate with me) that I will work harder at them.  

I have spent much less time on the internet today.  : )   I did a little organizing in the sewing room.  I decided I wanted to make something small and fun today.  I love Nancy Halverson's books and patterns.  I've had her book Count on It for quite sometime.  I made the January block.  I'm very happy with it other than the letter  "a"  should have been a different color, so it would show up more.  I had fun experimenting with different stitching options and used Steam a Seam 2.  I also just glued the little buttons on for now.

Have you been reading the posts for the Quilting Secrets Blog Hop?  I've really enjoyed the tips that the quilter's have shared.  You might too.
 

Happy New Year!

 

 

How quickly a year goes by!  It's hard to say 2013 and fathom how quickly 13 years have passed by.  I'm looking forward to a new year.  It always feels like a "clean" start.  Time to take stock of what's been going on in my life and what changes I'd like to make.  Change is so hard--I have such good intentions. 

 

 

My goals are simple:  1.  Lose weight by eating healthy.

                                    2. Sew more.

                                     3. Spend less time online.