One Creative Family

Have you ever loved a pattern for a quilt only to be bored while working it?  That is what I found yesterday.  I am working on a Split Rail Fence pattern.  cut 2400 pieces of 3.5×1.25 of fabric.  Sewing 480 blocks of 5 colors.  Was able to catch up on some shows I haven’t been able to watch and clean out some recorded movies.  Not such a bad day.  I am still excited about the finished look and hopefully tomorrow I will be able to finish all these little squares.  Pressing them will take a while, so I will be keeping that finished project in mind.

Spring has sprung in Independence, MO.  Yard is a beautiful thick and green and trees are starting to bud out.  I need to get out in my front wild flower garden and get the weeds out while they are still a few there.  I will be trying Hollyhocks again. I haven’t been able to get them to grow so I am hoping this year I can.  That will be today and maybe tomorrow we can get to the nursery to get some Columbine and herbs.  Such a beautiful day.

I am also working on making a one of a kind Quilt of Valor for my nephew.  He is the most amazing young man.

I hope everyone is enjoying their day.

As the big “C” word, Cancer has worked its way into our live has put a whole new view in me. We as a group of people get so focused in our lives and worry and pray for friends and others who are fighting the cancer in their lives. When it hits home with you it changes us in many ways. I admire all the people out there and close to me who are fighting the fight of their lives. They are fighting with strength only God can give them, Dignity, and such wonderful spirit. It isn’t only cancer, it is any disease that try as hard as it can to take this dignity from them that refuse to let the disease win are my inspiration and have my full admiration.

I write this because for so long One Creative Family has family members with Lukemia, Testicular cancer, Lung cancer, and ALS.  I can only guess how many other people are struggling with most diseases that are hard.  Today I just wanted to say I admire the strength and power these people show and feel for the pain, sickness, and desire of giving up, but not.

You are Heroes.

Times like the last few weeks have make me take stock of what is happening in my little world.  It makes me think the Good Lord gives us a kick in the pants when we get too comfortable and complacent with our lives.  Now that that the last month and 1/2 are over I feel so blessed with life.  Hubby had a cough and that led to tests and that a spot on the lung and that led to the top left lung being removed and was cancer.  I say was because caught early enough it was able to be removed and he is on the mend.  This makes us more appreciative of everyone in our lives so much more.  Even though I have had hit and miss days of posting you all have kept me sane and grounded to where I was able to have the emotional strength to help our kids and Hubby thru this.  I have read your posts daily and while I didn’t respond they were so appreciated.  For this reason this is a “Mushy” post and want to say THANK YOU for your posts.  I counted on them.

Jackie

I am so glad to be back in the sewing room for more than the obvious reason.  Hubby had surgery to remove a cancer from his lung and is now home recovering.  After several days in the hospital I am so glad he is home and now to start getting live back to some sort of routine.

Yesterday I was able to finish my calendar holder.  The center of the star has clear vinyl so you can put your favorite photo there.  I have started writing up directions for this.  Once it is finished I will post it.

I will be making about 10 more of these for our craft fairs and probably about 10-15 more bed pillows.So with this I better get busy.

Live each day as it is the last.

 

I have been spending quite a bit of time at the hospital with hubby. As we have spent many hours in waiting rooms and now hospital rooms it has given me time to appreciate the beautiful artwork surrounding me. This starts the minute you walk into the hospital. This beautiful glass artwork hangs from the ceiling of the 3rd floor and is observerd from the 3rd floor and the 1st floor looking up. So beautiful. This includes the staircase.

This last one is in the waiting room

Titled “No Broken Hearts”

Last night our quilt guild  guest speaker was Ronnie Elmore,  who specializes in Log Cabin and Courthouse Step Quilts.

Here is a little of his show.

Something he said was the Log Cabin pattern has been traced back to the Egyptian’s. The ancient Egyptians were buried with their pets and some of these pet mummies were wrapped in log cabin pattern. Never knew.

The first 4 quilts are antique quilt and the first one is dated to early 1800’s. These are all made with the Log Cabin or Courthouse Step patterns. Even the patterns that are round. I do think I need to rethink the Log Cabin.

He and his wife are quilters. His wife is a quilt appraiser.

Learning is fun isn’t it?

 

Today I have been getting little hand work projects together to keep nervous hands busy.  Hubby goes in for surgery Wed and stay for about a week.  As I was looking for a specific fabric to cut out I found this old treasure.  I made myself a sewing case for hand work years ago(at least  10 yrs).  So I packed it with 2 new projects and one to finish.  This will take me to day 1 or maybe even day 2. I love the unusual and wacky art work and this is my first try with “messy thread” .  I think this is a BAD impression of Jackson Pollock.  It does measure 14×13 closed.

Inside left side with pockets and pin cushion.  I put thread in one pocket, needles and pins in the pin cushion, scissors in another pocket, my pens and pencils in another (now I can put my phone in the bigger pocket, and a little $$$$$$ for emergencies in the one with the flap.

 On the right 2 large pockets to hold paper, patterns or even a small cutting mat.

My hand projects laid out and ready to go.  Looking at this now, maybe I need to make a new one a little more updated.  I do think that is a must.

Do you have any of your older projects still? I can’t seem to get rid of my first attempts at things.  It is nice to see the “Oh not! not what I wanted, to the “Yes! I nailed it.” Or almost anyway.

Have a wonderful day.

 

Such a wonderful day today is turning out to be.  Quilt I have mixed feelings about is about pieced together.  When finished with that today will find me making  a tote for myself to carry hand sewing around next week. I have cut out pieces for another Dance of Dragonfly Wall hanging, but instead of raw edge it will be needle turned applique.

This is the quilt I will be finished piecing today.

This is the Dance of the Dragonfly wall hanging that is raw edge applique.  I think that I will needle turn will be much nicer.  What do you think?

This afternoon will bring a homemade pineapple upside down cake.  I think I will make it about 5 this evening so it will be nice and warm for dinner.  My 2nd favorite thing to do after sewing is cooking and baking.  This takes a back seat to most things as hubby is diabetic and a picky eater, but I love it when I have a good excuse to get into the kitchen. Tonight being Sunday and the Walking Dead will be on and some of the Granddaughters and our daughter and her boyfriend will be over to watch and we need snacks.

Enjoy your day and embrace every minute of it.

You thought that you were going to see pictures of gardens?  This is the quilt I am currently working on.  I love the pattern and the way it seems to be turning out.  What I am having trouble is the written directions.  My brain doesn’t seem to be making a lot of sense to me.  I have been making by sight.  Look at the diagrams and guessing at how it goes.  I do like it though?  Hopefully the top will be finished by tomorrow.  I like the fabric I am using.

The rest of the weekend I will be needing to get 2 wall hangings and 1 quilt ready for our guild’s quilt show.  I need to put sleeves on them for hanging then make sure all is ready.  My wall hangings have sleeves (and are on the wall), but I don’t like sleeves on quilts so they will be removed after.  How do you get your quilts ready for Quilt Shows?  Do you clean them? Press them?  I am serious about asking as I have only entered 2 quilt shows before.  Normally I am intimidated by the wonderful quilts the people in my guild and other guilds have and fell mine don’t stand up to theirs.  Why now?  I don’t know.  Maybe to just see if I can defeat those monsters of my own making.

Any suggestions on entering quilt shows?  I know I have been hit and miss on blogging, but I am determined to keep going and get more interesting.

Thanks for staying with me on this crazy journey.

 

 

Next week I will be spending time away from my sewing machine, hubby will be in the hospital for about a week and so I am fixing little sewing kits to keep my hands busy.  I am trying to wool applique, and refresh my embroidery.  I have only done wool applique twice and like this.  I do believe I will be doing more of this in my future.

My mind is going crazy thinking of all the things to make…..I am thinking greeting cards would be a good start.  I think I will break these up between applique and embroidery.

Latest tea towel.  Tomb of The Unknown Soldier made by HubbyToy Jail for Granddaughter’s toys, designed by daughter Mary, and made by hubby.

Just little snippets of what is going on around here.  Also Alicia has been making her babydollsHave a wonderful day tomorrow.