To go bag sewing

Forgot to change the date again. Well here is some more of the progress that I made yesterday while sitting for 4 hours. 

It is starting to look  more like something. I need to find some yellow/gold combos. I have some cheddar now and will work it in when I make a larger star piece. 

You can see all the basting threads which I leave in to control the fraying on the back as you handle it. I need now to start pulling out the hexie papers. 

I did some sewing on this, but the Nurse that was there for my Mother was an old neighbor and we got to talking about things happening where I use to live. It passed the time for the both of us. 

My Mom didn't handle the chemo treatment well and doubt she will go through anymore. She was promised by the Doctor that it wouldn't be bad and it was. In event this happened we will be more than likely be calling Hospice and letting things happen as they will. Hard to face, but suffering is not easy either. 

As she said the cure, which really isn't a cure, is worse than the disease. It will be hard no matter which we do and I hate to see her go through this, but it is out of my hands and powers to be have the upper hand. As I said before it is each day as it comes. 

On a better note my son and oldest Granddaughter are coming for awhile today. She has something she needs Grandpa's help on. All the kids love their Grandpa. He is a good Grandpa and loves all the kids. Have a Good Day. Chris

Found Camera

Yes the date is wrong, but at this point I was glad to find the camera. When I take the card out of my camera it deletes the saved date. Maybe it is a sign it is wearing out. 

This is my to go bag for today. I need something to do besides sitting there and having my hands idol. I have my mini hexie things in this bag.I have a couple flowers to sew on and enough fabric to make two more from scratch. If I run out then so be it. 

I did get the dishwasher going and realized I need to take a shower so I put the shower on hold for a few minutes until the dishwasher is in the drying cycle. Out smarted myself again. Coffee is made for my husband when he decides to get up and I need to get something out of the freezer for supper. 

The lists get longer when you are gone so much from home. I am not gone for more than an hour here and there, but I was yesterday and will be today. 

My 16 year old Granddaughter met me at her Great Grandmother's house and she cleaned the house for her. She did and excellent job and I think she enjoyed doing someone else's  house for a change. Moved furniture out and dusted everything. Steam mopped the floors and did dishes. Maybe I should hire her? LOL Chris

Can't find my camera

The other day the grandkids were here and Autumn got my camera. I took it away from her and set it up so she couldn't reach it and now I can't find it. Fooled myself.

I have to get together a to-go bag today. I think it will be my mini hexies. Mom has a procedure today and it will take about 3 hours.

We have fog this morning. I went to be really early last night just because I needed to. My sinuses were acting up and I needed to be prone. I feel better this morning, but it was really to early to be up. Can't win for loosing.

Well on a mission to find the camera now. Chris


UPDATE: It was right in front of my face. It is found.

Phew what a relief

Yes a relief. Today will be a lot better for me. Last night I found out the wedding sewing has become less. She found a dress she liked and it will need a little alteration, but I don't have to make that dress. I don't know what I will do with 7 yards of Peach skin fabric though. I still have to make the little girls dresses, but that will be fun.

With all that is going on it really is a relief. Now I can concentrate on the things I don't get sone with everything that is going on.

My neighbor brought me to lap quilted she bought Minkie  and fleece to be made. I got one done yesterday and maybe I can get the other one done sometime today.

I am meeting my granddaughter at my Mom's and we are going to clean. Mom doesn't get her house dirty it is just dust. I cleaned bathrooms the other day and now we need to run the vac and dust furniture and scrub kitchen floor.

My husband took the screens ruined in the storm and re-screened them and got them put back in place. The hail ripped the screens in the storm the other day.

Well need to get a couple things done here before I go and clean. Chris

One Bobbin's worth of thread

Last night I posted a blog post about sewing and 6 hours of quilting. I don't have that kind of time. So last night I sewed for an hour. I got up and sewed for about 90 minutes this morning. It was one bobbin's worth of thread. 

For 2.5 hours I made 85 4-patches. I think it was productive. Even though I didn't get anything finished it works towards getting  parts of a quilt made. I at least am getting some of this fabric sewn up and put to a use even though it isn't done. 

Today is a day to clean some at my Mother's and then I can come home and get some things done here. Maybe I will get some more sewing done also. 

On these busy I need to get some more planned meals prepared. My husband doesn't like crockpot cooked food. His Father thought crockpots would cause food poisoning so it wasn't used other than for pork and beans. He felt it wasn't hot enough to kill off germs and bacteria.

He thinks everything has the same flavor and he refuses to at it. So I need to get creative and figure out meals that can be assembled easily. If I can cook part of a meal in the slow cooker and then assemble it with other things maybe I can get by with it, Have to try. 

Hope you can plan your day and get things done. Chris 

Does it ever get any better?????

It never gets any better. I read a blog today and was sitting there with my mouth open. This blogger Tim Latimer was talking about his garden and his recent purchase of the neighboring house for his quilting studio. He has been working in the yard and also decorating and setting up his studio. This is what my mouth flew open over. He said he misses his 6 hours a day that he quilts and he needed to get back to doing that. Where do people find 6 hour to quilt? I was on the road at 6:10 am this morning and that wasn't my first time to town today. I can't find 20 minutes some days or I am so tired I can't make myself go sew, but if you had a sewing room that looked like this you would quilt either.  

I have bobbins wound I did 12 of them the other day when I ran out. I did get thread to machine quilt the Wonky Star quilt also and yet I haven't set foot in there. 

This is where I ran out of bobbin thread the othe day and I need to get back in there and make 12 more 4-patch Courthouse Step blocks. Then I will have enough for the queen sized top. 

I don't think there is anything special on TV tonight. I think Netflix and myself will get set up and work on these blocks. 

I guess I am not disciplined enough to get something done. I know I sound like a broken record and I more than likely not disciplined. Have to work on that short coming I have. Maybe tomorrow I will address it. I sound like Scarlet O'Hara dealing with it tomorrow. 

My Mother's Doctor's appointment wasn't good, but we will move forward and get the most out of life while she is here.  I need to go in tomorrow and do some cleaning. Then she spilled something in the oven and

I need to clean it up. I hate cleaning an oven just look at mine and you can tell. Have a good one. Going to see if I can find an extra 6 hours in my day. LOL. Chris

Trying to absorb everything

Yesterday was a pins and needles day for me. Two things were going on and it left me with a strong urge to run away and not face either one.

My Mother had a follow up with the Oncologist and the news wasn't good. So we start a different direction as of Monday. When your own mortality is facing you it is emotional.

My son has been in foreclosure with his house for 9 years. Yes I said 9 years. It finally is coming to a finish. Good news the Mortgage company can't believe he beat them. It was one of the fraudulent mortgages and he has caught these attorney's with all of their screw ups and he was awarded the house in a default on their part.  There is some money that will have to be paid to satisfy the transaction, but it has been stressful and now his house will be his. No moving.

One more good thing happened. My son is a firefighter and a fire service instructor. He passed a very tough test on Firefighter 3 and a Hazmat test so now he is certified to train these courses. This is a big feather in his cap.

Firefighting is like a medical degree you have to have so many training hours a year to keep your status even with a volunteer department.

Today is an early call with a test for my Mother and then we have the rest of the day to do as we please. Monday a to-go bag will be needed. I have a three hour wait during a procedure for my Mother. I think some mini hexies might be the thing to do. Chris

A finish

A new tray was made for the trunk yesterday. It is now a finish. 

 The trunk is lined with cedar like you line a closet with. So it has that good smell and will detract insects.

This is a redone $15 rummage sale item. Take trash and turn it into something special. Can't wait to get it  into place at the end of the Queen bed.Chris

Rough day coming up

Mom has a Doctor's appointment today to get the results of her last test. We are sure of the results, but it is still a blow to here it said out loud. I pray she handles it to the best of her ability.

I am going to her house more to do things and I want my granddaughter to come over the weekend and do some cleaning. I think it would make Mom feel good that she was there to help her.

We dodged a bullet with the storms. They went South of us. We had some rain, but a small amount compared to what they said we would get. Everyone is sick of rain. We need to dry out. The other thing is the crops in the fields are suffering because they are in the tender stage and hey are getting flattened. If corn gets pushed over with running water or driving rain it doesn't stand back up and won't grow.

This afternoon I have an errand I need to do for m son and it has to be done as soon as he calls me so will be sitting by the phone. Always something needing done for someone.
Take care Chris

Little drama yesterday

Mom had her PET Scan yesterday and I took this along to work on. It was over 2 hours long and I needed to be doing something. I got done about 20 minutes before her test was over with.

Then I got summoned to go into one of the offices. She was sitting there crying and I asked what was wrong. Well she said she was having chest pains. They took her BP and it was normal. The nurse went to go get the Dr. and I told her to take a couple deep breaths and she started to get some relief. 

She was having a panic attack. Dr. didn't think she was in bad shape or he would have called and ambulance. So he said if she gets worse to go to the ER. As we drove home she was much more relaxed and we went home and got her meds and she ate something. She was fine. 

As a kid my Mother would get uptight about things and even noises would set her off. I guess I could tell the symptoms and knew what was going on. 

Last night I went and got her something to eat which was her favorite fast food meal and she ate it all and took her medicine and was fine.  So I don't wish panic attacks on anyone, because they feel real.

Today we have another storm coming and they are predicting another 3 plus inches for our area. I don't know where all the rivers and creeks will put it other than on the fields and flooding everywhere. We are to get winds up to 75 miles per hour. Not a fun day. 

I have to get some errands done today before it starts. So off to get my day going and get home before the worst hits. Chris

Stormy night last night.

This is the back side of the Mall I worked at in the 70's. It use to be a Woolworth Store. Now a sporting goods store. We had straight line winds that collapsed the roof and wall. 

This is only 5 miles from my house. We could hear the wind above the clouds as it was moving over top of us. We had no damage, but then about 17 miles from us a tornado touched down. 

Others in the area said they had tree damage, but the light of day will say more for sure. We had flash flooding here where we live. The water came out of the fields and brought more mud like the other day and driving in rain that was up half way up on the car tires is a scary thing.  

We are safe and all is alright here. Chris

Took pictures of flowers before the storm

We have had storms rolling through so I thought I had better take pictures before the flowers were all beat up with the rain and wind. As it was we got hail.

This is Astilbe. This is the first year it has really looked good. It is a perennial

This is Spider Wart. It is very pretty first thing in the morning. Mine is a variegated light violet color. 

Pink Lilies. We have transplanted them last year so they are not as large as they normally were. 

West of us they reported 2.8 inch hail. I hope the storm slows down before we get it later this afternoon. Chris

Trunk getting done

 Has a few tweaking things that need to be done, but I think it turned out great.

 He lined the interior with Cedar. It will be great to store things in.

As you can see it is in really great shape for the age of it. My husband did a wonderful job on redoing this one. Nothing else will look like it for sure. Chris

Woke up thinking Focus

Last night while watching TV cut some of my 2.5 inch strips to 2.5 inch squares. I need the variety when the stitching mood hits me.

This is more strips that are waiting. I really need to get control of all this stuff. Focusing is something I have an issue with. I have such a fear of leaving all this stuff unsewn. I have visions of all of it going to the landfill as my son so often reminds of what will happen with it. 

Today will be a day of prep time. Need to have handwork to take with me tomorrow. I have 2 hours of sitting in a waiting room. 

I wanted to show you this piece of fabric. It is 6 yards long, but only 36 inches wide. I washed it because it had a storage smell to it. It didn't bleed any. I was worried about that because of the age. It is finely woven and an unusual print and shades of white to gray. Not sure how I will use it, but something that has survived from the 50's I am sure. 

I did get a piece of white linen almost 7 yards of it and it is 58 inches wide. I think it will be a tablecloth when I get around to making it. I have a tablecloth I got 28 years ago from my MIL for a wedding gift. It has sen a lot of use and needs replacing. 

You just never know what kind of treasures you can find in going to rummage sales. I am sure I will never find things again like I did the other day. 

Suppose to be very hot and humid today. Later today I will take some more pictures of the trunk. He is almost done with it. It is so neat and will come in handy. Take care Chris 

Trying to focus

This is just a portion of the mess. I know I keep saying I am going to clean it up. Well I do and more happens. I have clothes in there to mend a zipper needs replacing and just don't get it all done. 

These are the 4-patch Courthouse step blocks. I need 18 more and I just finished 8 of them. They are pressed now, but need squaring up. I got up out of my chair to look for a certain fabric for one of the logs that was less than an inch to short.  I looked in every tub I had. Well I finally found it and added a piece on to make the log to finish the block, but....... I realized I won't have to cut anymore fabric for awhile. I guess I didn't realize how much I had cut into strips until I needed that piece.

Being prepared is good, but I think it is overwhelming at times. I need to get some sewing done. Yesterday I started to sew and it irritated my husband because the iron was making the TV flicker. I finally gave up and quit. He went out and used his table saw and it made the TV in the house flicker when I was watching something, but I didn't say anything. It is the Dementia working on him. Some days I walk on egg shells and just quit what I am doing. Sad part is he doesn't realize he is doing it until I talk about it later.

This next week is going to be hectic. Lot of appointments. Tomorrow I plan on a to-go bag with hand work to keep me busy because one appointment is almost 2 hours long.

I am not a focused person and I need to be. Hopefully I can find some time to get some of this done to regain my sanity. What little I have left. Chris

Another Day and Father's Day

Today I thought about my Dad. He has been gone almost 39 years. He was a young man when he passed away. Hopefully you were able to be a part of your Father's lives for a long time.

Our parents are a precious thing. Many times we forget they like phone calls or a drop in visit. My Mother likes hand written letters, my Dad liked drop in visits.

Hopefully the men in your life who are Father's have a great day. Chris

First day of Summer today

You will not believe this, but we bought a snowblower yesterday. It is used, but the price was right. We got teased about it a lot. When you can get a buy you jump on it.

The rummage sale we got all of our buys the other day had a neighbor who had a few things setting out and this was one of the items. 

We have had 4 ft. snow drifts in our drive in the last couple years so we thought the price was right and we also can resell it and make a little bit on it. Crazy probably, but prepared we are. Chris

All sorted

This is all sorted from all the bags and a box I got. Some of them are fabrics from the 50's because they are 36 inches wide.  

The white stack is all cotton solids in white and off white. Some are about 4 yard pieces and the rest are 2-3 yard pieces. It will all come in handy. It was a good buy for sure. Chris

Well how are you?

I am not having a good day. Personal thing mainly. I was sewing and needed the iron on and my husband came in and said do you need that on it is cutting out my TV. It was dimming the TV when the heating element was warming up. I lost it.

Over it now, but now I am not in the mood. Awful to have that happen so early in the day it effects the rest of your day.

I have 18 more of the 4-patch Courthouse steps to complete and another top will be done. Since I got all that material I wanted to move forward with this and get it to the stage of pin basting.

Storms are on the way and they say overnight they could become severe. Hopefully they are wrong. The Weathermen aren't always right.

I do have something good to report. We have tomatoes setting on our three tomato plants. I hadn't been out to look at them for quite awhile with all the rain and the running I have been doing. We need to weed, but other wise they are growing.

Maybe I will sew tonight then again maybe not. Chris

Great buys

I hit a rummage sale and did I do good or not. 

This is an old top that this lady made. The fabrics aren't great, but it is old.

This is a table runner size and hand pieced. This is really old fabrics.  

Packaged battings were a $1 a piece. 

 This is one bag of pieces. some are big enough for backs. Some are scraps and some 1-2 yard pieces.

Here is three more bags of the same. This elderly lady quilted and she got ill and passed away. Her daughters were going to sew, but never did. There was a lot of off white and white solid fabrics and tone on tones. Most of these pieces are 3-4 yards. 

The total fabric price I paid was are you ready for this $29 for all of it. The boxes they were in were the size of a big rectangle laundry basket all folded up and neatly stacked. So they were full. For scrap quilting it is all perfect. 

At the same sale they had 10 tables of children's clothing. All for fifty cents a piece. Found another stroller and some sandals for Autumn. I never went to any other sale, but went to this one three times. Jeff went back with me and he is trying to buy a walk behind snow blower. so we are waiting on a call for it. Not needed this time of year, but a good buy when somebody wants to get rid of a big piece out of their garage. So we reaped the Mother load on this sale. 

Going to go sort now and see how far I get with all these treasures. Chris  

Update got the snow blower bought. It gets delivered tomorrow. 

Day one

Today is Day One for this end of life journey. Errands to run and house chores that need doing.

The bank, the pharmacy and also some little house repairs need doing. A faucet needs to be tightened up. A shower faucet handle is sticking. Why it just happens. Garbage pails need returning to the garage by the afternoon.

Maybe we will get a couple dry days. No rain until Sunday. To bad for Father's Day.

Hope to have a least a few minutes in the sewing room, but not counting on it. If possible it will be a welcome chance. Chris

Mind you light wasn't real good

This is the latest redo job that my husband has taken on. We found it at a yard sale for $15 and stripped the inside out because of the smell. We bought cedar wood to redo the inside. 

The paint on the metal is called hammered copper and black. He stained the wood strips and will have a coating of varnish on it to protect it.  

The holes on the side are for straps. They were damaged and missing, but the end caps were there so we got leather belting for the straps and they will go on before the interior is done because of the screws going through the wall of the trunk. they will be covered over by the cedar on the inside. He also wants to make a removable tray for the inside top of it. I imagine it was a turn of the last century trunk, but it still had the metal rollers on the bottom and the metal wasn't rusty. 

Today was a Doctor's appointment again and the news isn't good. Something is going on and it isn't an infection. So we will get a pet scan ordered and go through with it. I am sure I didn't spell that right, but you know what I mean. 

Time is running out and I am spending more time at her house. We will get through it, but it is one day at a time now. Chris 

Pouring rain

We got a pouring rain today. We had 3 inches in 72 hours and today we got 3 inches this afternoon. 1.75 inches in 30 minutes. The ditch soon after this picture was clear up to the side walk.

The road was a river and it was coming out of the fields and all the mud from it is now in the streets. My flower beds were overflowing.

 This is out my front door which is on a patio. It was water running down the street pouring into my drive and down my patio. It was running three inches deep and you can see the ripples as it was really moving.

Katie was standing at the back door watching it rain. 

Autumn had to go and stand to watch for Daddy. She was playing big sister she didn't want Katie to get the lock unlocked. To cute. Chris

Body is here but mind is elsewhere

Today I just feel disjointed. I know stress is getting to me and I need to cope better. I think a nap is in order. I didn't sleep real good last night. We had storms overnight and it kept waking me up.

Tonight is suppose to be the same thing. We got 1.5 inches yesterday and overnight again. That is 3 inches in 72 hours and heavy rain predicted for the overnight hours.

I made a dinner up for my Mom. I made mini meatloaf and got a potato ready to be baked. she will have a hot meal and not have to prepare it. She hates to cook anymore.

My posts will be few and far between at times because I will be doing so many other things in the next few days.

I am going to try and get some more sewing done yet today and see if I can get closer to getting the top finished at least. I really need the escape from my mind and worries. Maybe I could relax a little.

You know life isn't for ever, but it hits you in the face at times and you have to sit up and pay attention. Chris  

Need 18 more

Making good progress. This is laying on a Queen sized bed. I still need 18 more blocks to make this work for the size I need. 

This is a stash buster quilt. Trying to find enough neutrals and light colors as well as color saturated strips. I make two at a time with chain piecing. I need to address some color shortages today. I need some more yellows and golds today. I am short on these colors.

This will be Autumn's big girl bed. She has a platform bed and needs something to cover with a short drop because of drawers under the platform. So here is hoping in the next couple days I can get these all done and pieced into the top. I have backing for it so all I might need is batting. I have pieces and also a full twin size batting and they are all 80/20. I will measure before I open the twin batting. I can run to the store and get a bigger batt.

I normally use Hobbs 80/20 batts and order them from Connecting Thread when they are on sale, but Wal-mart carries Fairfield batt which are good batts also. They just aren't always on sale. So after I get it all sewn together measuring is in order.

Need to make a dinner and take into my Mom today. Thought about a small meatloaf and baked potato. She likes that and she doesn't make it for herself. I can take it in and place it in the oven at her house and she can have a hot meal in about 45 minutes.

Going to get meat out of the freezer while I think about it. Her sister is leaving today and she knows it maybe will be the last time she sees her. Tough reality. Chris

Today is another day

Had to keep my mind busy yesterday. Things are spiraling with my Mother and her illness is getting worse. We went to the Doctor last Wednesday and he looked to me like you know it is getting worse,  but didn't say it to her. Even though you mentally are aware of the outcome it still hits you between the eyes. 

So I had to work on something and didn't have enough thread to machine stitch the pinned quilt top so
I dug out strips and 4-patches and made some more of these Courthouse Step/4-patch blocks. 

I think I still need about 20 more blocks to be the size I want it to be. 

With all the stuff I had cut I only cut two strips for variety. 9 blocks to add to the length of the smaller top that is assembled. It needs to be longer and have a drop off of the top of the bed. Originally it was planned as a couch quilt now will be a queen size.

Today is another day and I have to keep my mind directed towards staying focused. I have to be accountable for myself and family and can't fall apart yet. Not an easy task. I laid awake last night and my mind was on overload. I decide I would live each day as it comes or each hour as we progress through this process. Not the most fun time in my life. Trying to make the most of each day from here on out.

Hope you have a good day. Chris

The pinning is done

These are the two blocks that are in the quilt top I just pinned. A 9-patch and a star 9-patch. Some call it maverick star some call it wonky star. You choose. They alternate between the two as the quilt top is constructed. 

Very scrappy and colorful. It is pinned and I know what I am going to do for borders. I have that covered. 

I am going to machine quilt the center and then add the borders after they are quilted. I quilt to them, but leave about 3-4 inches un-quilted on the center and the borders. Then I stitch the sections on and go back and quilt over the intersection. Less  bulk under the arm of the machine. I have done this method for a long time and it holds quite well and also saves my arms and shoulders. 

Today is suppose to be cloudy. Need to weed the front flower bed, but not real sure if it will get done. Going in to wind bobbins and get ready to stitch in the ditch to stabilize the sandwiched quilt top. TTYL. Chris 

UPDATE: went to wind bobbins and didn't realize I didn't have enough of the color thread I want to use. Normally I order my thread so will go to Joann's and see if I can purchase enough without costing a fortune.

Dug out a backing fabric

Bought this a while back on a 40% off coupon. It is enough for the backing for this quilt or almost enough. I think I am going to do the center in one piece and then do the borders in sections. 

This is a border that was started on the POTC quilt I got out today. Need to do some  more applique on it and get this one done also. I modified the size of the individual patches and made them smaller to make this floral border.

 As you can see they are not quite enough to finish off this larger border. I think some swags of ribbon will have to be added or vine like extras with more flowers on the vines. Work in progress and no plans as to how it will look.

The selvedge off od the backing fabric I tie and roll into a ball. My husband uses them in the yard to tie up plants or tie hoses and wire together to hang them up. It works and why throw it away. Well off topress backing and get this thing pinned. Chris