Back Home and Hoping to get Caught Up

When we move to Medford-I am not going to join anything or volunteer for anything for 6 months.  I have not been this overwhelmed since I was working. Too many projects, too many deadlines, too much to do. I worked this last weekend getting caught up on the Aiming for Accuracy Quilt Along. This project will be done in the next 4 weeks as all the large blocks have been done as of today.

Bella helping with placement

This next week I will finish the top and the back of Home Sweet Home so that I can take it to quilt on the longarm in the next couple of weeks. It will feel good to have that done.  I also need to spend a day sending out contracts to the quilters who are going to speak to our guild 2014/15.  When those are all in I am done with that job as we need to find someone who will take over for me in May.

When I sew the blocks together for the opportunity quilt I can hand that off as well.  Then there are the 2 projects that I took on for a fee that are weighing heavily on me.  I have decided to email the lady and offer to give her back her items if she needs them done before December.  If she still wants me to do them I will have a breathing space.  So, now that I have written the plan, I feel a lot better! Whoever is reading this little blog-have a blessed and refreshed week.

PS.  The visit with my son, DIL, and two granddaughters, was wonderful.  My oldest is out of those terrible twos and into the adorable threes. My youngest is 24 pounds at 7 mos old and I am going to start doing arm strengthening exercises to be ready for the 2 weeks in October.

Leaving for Seattle

My amazing DIL bought me a ticket to come visit for a week.  Since my last post, I have been working day and night almost to make a prayer quilt for Tom who is my DIL's brother diagnosed with throat cancer a week  and a half ago.  I cut it out a week ago today and just finished the binding 30 min. ago-everything else has been pushed aside-but it is done and I really like it. Tom is Norwegian hence the blue and white and I liked the yellow with them.

This is the first quilt I have made without a border and I like it.  I had put together the middle row with 3 of the blocks turned 90 degrees and didn't notice it until I sewed the whole top together so had about 3 hours of rippin and fixin but I got it back together.   The pattern actually looked little like this quilt-it was square, had borders and the colors were not a strong contrast and were placed more randomly so the strong geometric design was lost.

I quilted 1/4 inch to the right on most seams

A quick label made out of  2 leftover triangles-blue 1/2 squares bought at a garage sale, white and blue backing bought at M&L in Huntington Beach, yellow bought from Quilt in a Day and blue and white print from The Crazy 9 Patch in Ramona.

I did a couple of shortcuts because I was in a hurry and Tom isn't a quilter, so he won't notice. I glued down the binding after sewing it to the front and ironed it in place.  I always hand stitch my bindings but I needed it done so I could pack it-so I put invisible thread in bobbin and on top and sewed the whole binging on by machine.  I didn't miter the corners-just turned the top and bottom borders in 1/4 inch on the ends and zigzagged the ends with the invisible thread.  I also sewed the label on by machine which I would never do.  All that said-it looks nice and I know he will like it.  Sometimes it is better to get it in the hands of the recipient in a timely manner than sweat the small stuff-at least that is my thought for today! Won't be posting for another week while I am in Seattle with the grands.

Old Geezer Game Night

Unfortunately I have no pictures but the memories of our new tradition "Old Geezer Game Night" will remain a lifetime.  We have a small home ,so, entertaining more than 4 people at a time in our living room is difficult.  We had an idea for New Year's Eve to set up card tables in the kitchen, dining room and living room-so everyone would have a place to sit for the potluck dinner then we would play Skipbo for 3 rounds, moving to different tables for each round (like Bunco).  Last night at the end we had 3 winners and 1 loser/winner so 4 people took a few dollars home (we only put 1.00 a piece into the pot).  We had 14 people last night and did a lot of laughing. We are going to repeat "Game Night" every 6 weeks until we move. Because we are "geezers" we end at 9pm.

One of our couples almost didn't come last night because the husband is feeling the effects of his chemo treatments. I had called about 4pm to encourage them to at least come for dinner-then, if he still didn't feel good, he could go home but at least he could get prayed for and have a little fellowship.  They came-and stayed and John was laughing a lot so I am so glad they decided to come.  He said they were not going to until I called-glad I listened to the urging on my heart.  I am going to so miss our friends when we move-we have a garden full of the most wonderful people in our lives-we are so amazingly blessed!

Greg's cousins are coming today so Pat can look through my scrapbooking stuff to see what she wants before I put it all for sale.  The finished scrapbooks are really pretty but they take a lot of room.  Think I am going to do digital versions instead.  Then I won't have to keep all the stash to create them (currently takes up 1/2 of a small closet)-and basically I just don't have the time!

Busy Week

Most weeks seem to be pretty busy-but I am not sure where this one went! I am having some trouble with my machine that hasn't been identified yet.  It just stops-then starts either immediately or within a few seconds-most of the time.  The other day it stopped and I couldn't get it started.  I loaded it into the car and took it to the dealer. It started right up.  Brought it home and it returned to its old tricks.  The last 4 hours of sewing I have done without the foot pedal and I haven't had a problem, so, if that continues, I'll get a new pedal.  Wonder if they tested it with or without the pedal 2 weeks ago when I took it in for the same issue.

Finished Sloan's blanket:

Tried some free motion quilting in the squares- I washed it so it isn't as flat as it was but looks good in person and is nice and soft with the yellow minky

Then I needed to finish my block for the week in the Aiming for Accuracy Quilt Along:

The top right junction needed to be redone 2x

This is how they will lay in the quilt

Our family has had some sad news this week, my DIL's brother, Tom, was diagnosed with throat cancer. He had a biopsy done today and will see the doctor next Tuesday for the results. He just lost his dad last month and his mom last year.  It has been a hard year for the 4 kids. So, I am making a prayer quilt for Tom and need to get it done pronto!  Thankfully I had all of this in my stash:

The bottom blue will be the solid 1/2 sq. triangles and the yellow, white and blue pattern will be the strip pieces for the other 1/2-the blue on top will be the back-Tom likes blue and he is of Norwegian ancestry so the colors and the pin wheels seem to work-we'll see-don't have time to test it-need it done in 2 weeks

The pattern-hope it is accurate-had it in my binder and have never used it so again-we'll see.

I am always amazed at God's goodness and grace.  I see good things coming out of this painful situation already.  Just wish i was there to give them a hug.