Well! I just love summer. No rain, HOT HOT HOT. It is 2:49 CST and 100 degrees – low humidity – but hotter than heck! Does that tell you something about my frame of mind? I am already for winter and it is just 3 Aug! I do hope it snows in Arizona this winter. I will just go outside and sit in a chair and get freezing cold! This is going to be a brutal summer here in lovely South Texas! I had decided to not walk for a while, but without my daily dose of endorphins, life is just not the same! So on the road again to see if I can meet my 7 day a week walking goal! The miles and steps add up quicker that one would think. But one must endure pain to obtain gain – think the original saying was “no pain – no gain”. Well, I have had enough of all the “GAIN” I ever want – thank you! The word GAIN to me is more related to Clay’s Ham Radio vocabulary! I think they call that “antenna gain”….. ENOUGH. I think I sound like a bad Monday Blogger (LOL).
I have been working on 2 projects now – Brinton Hall and Stonefields – but now my hands and arms have now given out. What in the heck does an old lady with Carpel Tunnel, Dorsal Wrist, Ulner Nerve, and Fibro expect anyway – a body to work like a 30-year-old? Forget that one. I would have the surgery on my hands, but already been there done that one and do not want anymore of the “fixes” that do not work. I just love the braces – so pretty and confining. Should be fun to see if I can work on my EPP projects with these hummers!
So now I will find a piecing project to work on during the day and hand work at night – just as soon as the pain goes away. This morning I went through my patterns (ever want to wonder why we purchase so many) that I will be taking on the winter trek to snowsville (see I can be positive). I hate to open the drawers and see all those lovely patterns and most of them are hand work. I think I need to have a pattern sale someday.
I finally found OMIGOSH! Here, Afternoon Delight Here , and Twirly Balls and Pinwheels Here from Sue Garman. I think that I was on a roll when I ordered all three (3) in March 2014…..so now I am going to review the patterns, see if any of the 3 could absolutely drive me completely crazy and go for it. If not, then the fall back will be a quilt that I have been wanting to make for 4 years – I first saw the quilt in a Tucson Arizona quilt store. The name is Desert Nine-Patch from Timeless Treasures Here. The pattern was free but no longer on their website – let me know if anyone wants a copy – think I downloaded it. It is not a difficult pattern – lots of 9 patches. Hum, wonder if I can find that pattern (thought I had lost OMIGOSH! this morning when I found it in the package with my Blue Snowmen from Curtis Boehringer)…. see too many patterns – so little time! I have a method of making sure that when I purchase fabric for a specific quilt that I keep the pattern with the fabric – the only problem is that sometimes I forget that I do that! Enough of this too!
Back to Brinton Hall. I had started on the “beige” hexagons around the Medallion for Brinton Hall – This is what I started working on last night before the pain set in during the night with the hands. I will have to put this aside for a few days for the hands to settle down. I think that I tense up when I sew them together. (another thing to work on – relax when doing hand work). Does anyone have any tips on how to not tense up doing EPP?
On to Stonefields. I do not know how other quilters are, but sometimes I just need to have 2 or 3 projects going – especially since I am aware of what happens if I work on hand work for 2 weeks straight! I prepared the first 13 blocks and have completed 7 of the 13. The are quick and easy so maybe I will be through with this group by Wednesday or Thursday (dream on teenage queen!).
I had decided to use my Prairie Rose fabric for this quilt (I have enough to start a quilt store) but quickly realized that I will now have to include other fabrics. There are 121 blocks in this quilt so this is going to be a stash buster! (I can see an overload coming for the RV – hope the tires hold up.) It appears that this quilt will be made with a lot of different fabric lines of Reproduction fabrics. This will be a fun quilt to make – not difficult and really challenges one on fabric selection. When I purchased the fabric last year, I also purchased the pattern that was designed for this fabric line so I will make that quilt with the fabric (someday) – see nothing goes to waste with Quilters.
Well, I am sure if you have made it to the end of this Blog that hopefully you have had a chuckle or two from my lovely Monday. I can hardly wait until 4:30 PM – that is when I turn into a recliner person and veg there the rest of the day (after supper of course). Football starts next Sunday and I am happy about that – wonder if the Cowboys will be able to make it to the Super Bowl…..So glad that Brady got caught – hope he stays out the full 6 weeks. (Oops – there might be some Patriot fans out there – sorry) (LOL).
I hope that your Monday went well and that you accomplished at least one goal for the day. Mine was to get out of bed! SUCCESS.
Chopin - A Passionate Quilter From Texas 
Just loved your post and your blocks, return from vacation yesterday now trying to get caught up.
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Thx Rosemary – we always pay for having fun don’t we. Have a great day – enjoyed your post today – especially that fabric…. Need to go to North for the good fabrics.
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I love all those patterns you showed. You can always ship a box of projects to your winter location, that way the RV won’t be overloaded. You don’t want to have a breakdown on the way. Hope your hands/wrists feel better soon.
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You know, I had not thought of that…I wonder if I could rent a quilting room for 4 months somewhere – to put all that fabric. I have so many of Sue’s patterns. It is time for me to get serious and do some of them. Of course most of them are applique patterns.
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Like you I can’t wait for the cooler weather. Summer is nice but the heat and humidity really makes a girl cranky and/or lazy!
As for sewing hexagons I find that if I use a long, thin needle it is much easier on my hands. I’ve used applique needles and they are good but the milliners needles (size 10) are much better for my hands.
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If I thought it was hot yesterday…..I should have just taken a portable shower with me this AM. I am using a size 10 wonder if my 11’s would help. I purchased these needles especially or EPP projects. I had forgotten that I had slipped when getting in the tub the other morning after my great walk and jerked my back, I must have really tensed up and put pressure on my right arm….I should be better in a few days. Thx for the tip will try the Milliner 11’s. Thx for commenting.
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An Australian called Sue Daley has videos on you tube with tips to reduce tension when doing hand work as well as some great patterns and papers
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Sorry for the late reply to your comments. I found Sue Daley on youtube – thank you so much for the tip. She does have great patterns. Just need to find the youtube video on reducing tension when doing hand work.
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Hope your hands are better. I see we have similar taste in quilts. I finished Afternoon Delight in May, but do not have binding on (1it is /2 hand work). Really enjoyed making would love to make again in brights. Just organizing Stonefields to start, but I got it as a BOM from Homestead Hearth (will be much like orig). Thinking about getting Omygosh! pattern. Love Sue’s work.
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I have so many of Sue’s patterns and they are on the list…… that won’t quit! I have been working on becoming better with the smaller blocks and then will tackle the Omygosh! The first quilt I saw of Sue’s was “Mama Said”. A quilter I met while traveling in Oklahoma was making it and I had to have it. I was a beginner then. Sill waiting to work on it. There is an appliquer in the South Texas area who finished the quilt and showed it in the SA show – won Blue and I think Best of Show. Beautiful work! Sue is a sweet person and her work is wonderful.
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