Good morning from South Texas! Well, not sure if it is Spring, Fall, or maybe some Winter! I do not expect the weather to settle in until May! The trees are finally budding out here on our hill and I am really loving the green! We keep missing the rain and heading into another dry time. San Antonio and other areas have had rain, but we have been left out! Our turn will be coming though as this happens regularly!
I have been working on what I thought was Block 8 for A Bountiful Life. So when I finished it last night I brought it to the Studio for pressing and setting it aside with the other blocks! Much to my delight, I had just finished Block 9! I had already decided to just make 9 of the 20 blocks (did not like the circus, etc blocks anyway) so I am a very happy happy camper today! This is the last block I completed.
Here are all the blocks – ready to be squared and sewn together. I am not pleased with the picture as the fabric is a little more brownish. If I used the other one, the colors do not stand out!
I will now begin work (April) on the border. I am going to use the border pattern from A Civil War Bride. It will go better with my blocks! In the beginning (about 2016) I was going to make all 20 blocks. Life got in the way and I began to become bored with the project. Last year I prepped 4 blocks which would have made 10 completed. I am thinking the last block will make a nice wall hanging as a gift!
As you all know, I was advised on 3 October 2018 I was a diabetic (without medication). I immediately went on a diet of lower carbs (no more than 40 a day) and have lost 23 pounds – 7 more to go! How about a before and after pictures! Here is a picture of me in Tombstone Arizona at the age of 69 – November 2013.
In 2014 the beginning of 4 highly stressed years came to us and this is what comfort food will do to a person under stress! I have never been this heavy in all my life! I kept telling myself I was not overweight! Well, I was! I had gained 35 pounds since 1996 – 20 pounds of that from 2014 to 2018! I weighed in at 200 pounds! I have never been that heavy!
As of this morning, this is me! I now am now 74 years old and down to 177 and my goal is 170. A good weight for me is 165, but I may be dreaming on getting back to that weight. I am blessed that I am 5’8″ and have a very strong will! Do I miss all those pizza’s, cobblers, and chocolate Kisses – you bet – but I can find comfort in walking everyday, spending time with Clay, and sewing! I am so blessed (even if I sometimes forget that fact)!
Have a blessed week-end! I am praying that I can stay on my journey to more weight loss feeling even better. In addition, Clay has kept his weight down to 180 also. Between us we have lost 50 pounds!
Nanette
Linking To: My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Sew Can She; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away; Fiber Tuesday; Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHOW; Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts; Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Show and Tell Monday with Bambi; Slow Stitching Sunday Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers
Chopin - A Passionate Quilter From Texas 
I love your Bountiful Life blocks. They are really beautiful.. Congrats on your getting healthy. Nice weight loss. You have inspired me. I started walking more and eating better. I started in January and have lost 10 pounds and my sugar levels have gone from 280 to 149. I still have a way to go but it’s working. Hugs
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Cudo’s to you Cathy! It is not fun, but the results and benefits are great!!! Hugs back
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Your blocks are beautiful, Nanette! I love your choice of fabric for the pears!
You are looking great! Congrats on sticking to your goals…I know how hard that is!
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Thx Laura, it feels so good to get the backlog of projects done to a certain stage. I am HOPING to have the blocks finished for feathered star by Tuesday – (ha ha). We are going to take a week and go to the Casino…. We have not been anywhere since December – staying away from the flu bug – I have Southwest Cabin Fever!
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Enjoy your time away! Bountiful looks great, looking forward to seeing a finished flimsy. Happy Stitching!
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I am really getting excited now. Thank you now to do the border – more applique but it will be done! I am going to hand quilt this puppy! Along with the other 4 – someday!
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You look fantastic. Kathleen Mary
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Thank you Kathleen, I never thought I would lose the extra – just needed to have someone tell me ‘it is the carbs’……Duh! Have a great day and thanks for commenting.
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Lots of GREEN scraps in your lovely applique blocks, Nanette! Best of luck on your weight loss journey. Self-control is HARD!!! Chocolate is delicious, but so is meeting your goal. :o))
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Well, I probably would have done the fabric selection different if I had only been doing the 9, but it is what it is and at least it is almost done – just needs an applique border now.
Did you know that one can have withdrawals from chocolate! YUP – and it is no fun! If I cheat it is only 1 or 2 Kisses a week. Thx for commenting and have a great day!
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Seeing all these blocks together, they make such a nice group, the quilt will be beautiful, Nanette. You are looking great, well done sticking to the diet, and improving your health and ENERGY. You have accomplished so much already this year. I finally got Max all the way to the park yesterday, so we managed to walk 1.2 miles. That used to be our minimum, but he is getting old, so I will have to devise a different way to get my exercise in now that the weather is finally turning!
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Oh thank you Kathy. I wish I had not lost interest in A Bountiful Life, but I did, and now to do the border- it won’t be as busy as the one you are working on! I would finish the FS this month, but that week away will be so nice! Poor Max, I know how he feels! There are mornings I just do not want to do that walk, but it makes me feel so good (afterwards of course) Walking is really the best! Releases those Endorphines!
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I think your plan for Bountiful Life is wonderful, sew on! That border looks pretty busy to me! I have decided to drag Max for a bit when he tries to turn around. I did that yesterday, and then he was all happy and excited. Maybe he just needs to get over the hump! 😆
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He probably had Cabin Fever like me now. But we sat outside when we had our afternoon snack and enjoyed the pleasant air and a little sun! Mostly cloudy though! Glad you have Max to walk with. I listen to Rush or Bill while walking!
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A Bountiful Life is absolutely fabulous! Beautiful workmanship. I have fallen into that same stress eating cycle. You are inspiring me to find my healthier better self. You look wonderful …
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Thank you Sharon! My Mother always said, “Eat to Live, NOT Live to Eat” I guess that stuck with me all of my life. Think I forgot it when the times got bad! I never realized what severe stress did to the body! It really can screw us up! I can tell you I do not get out of breath, do not get as tired, think better, etc! BUT give me wheat, dairy, and or corn and I am done for a week! I guess it is the way they process foods and I know all those preservatives are killing people! Thank you for the sweet comments and have a great day!
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Your Bountiful Life blocks are gorgeous! I look forward to seeing them set together and the border applied. Congrats on your healthy changes!
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Thank you Angie! It will be next month – probably – I want to finish my Star of Chamblie first.
Thank you on the health changes – It is really paying off in energy and feeling so much better without all those symptoms that I did not understand! Learning all the time!
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Your blocks are beautiful and so are you! Great job focusing on getting healthy and fit. Thanks for linking up with Oh Scrap!
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Your Bountiful blocks are simply amazing to me. Nine will be a perfect set of squares and you can not stress over pushing on past your interest point. I congratulate you on your weight loss as well as sticking to your program. I’ve lived through all that myself. At this point I have finally returned after about 50 years to the weight I was at 27. Your after picture looks stunning. Keep up the good work. God bless you!
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Thank you Paula. I love hand applique! It is amazing when we turn to food to ‘comfort ourselves and emotions’ how much we can gain and not really think we have! LOL
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Your applique blocks are so lovely! Congratulations on the weight loss. When I retired I packed on a dozen pounds that have settled in too well.
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I love needle turn applique. I have one more that requires some hand work, then I am going to find a new applique project to do in the evening. One that I will start and not have to stop in the middle of it! This is when we tend to lose interest. I feel 100% better with the weight loss. For a time it was like – ‘well OK, who cares’? This is a bad mind set to get into – miss all those different foods but I am 100% better now! I just gave up carbs!
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You truly is a passionate Quilter!
These blocks and patterns are fabulous 🙂
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Thank you so very much! I am enjoying making all the quilts that I had to have to put on hold! Some are very challenging! LOL Have a great day!
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Your blocks are beautiful and you look great! Keep up the good work.
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Thank you Deb! I am enjoying making more complex quilts and quilts I have not been able to make. Really enjoying 2019!
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Awesome blocks and congratulations on slimming down that is fantastic!
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Thank you Tierney! Would love to eat all the good foods, but I feel so much better! I am enjoying working on more complex projects.
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Good for you, Nanette! Weight loss is so hard and sometimes our bodies are actively fighting against us, slowing down metabolism in case our diet might be a famine or something… I have found some success in giving up all unhealthy foods except those that I really, really love — so no potato chips, popcorn, no fast food or soft drinks or fried foods because I never really loved those foods anyway. My weaknesses lie in the land of chocolate and ice cream, though. So when I get a craving for those wicked confections, I’ll splurge on a small quantity of the really good stuff (smallest box of 4 Godiva truffles or one of those single serving Ben and Jerry’s ice creams). That way the urge is satisfied with limited dietary damage, there’s no leftovers to tempt me with second helpings, and it’s too pricey to turn into a regular habit! :-). Congratulations on finishing your appliqué blocks! I look forward to seeing your border progression!
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Thank you for commenting. I have never been a sweet eater until the stress hit so bad for so many years! I just did not use my self control. I have always watched the sodium and sugars, but never counted carbs! When I started paying attention the weight fell off! I can now have my potato and chips, but in total control on the amount! The only sugar is from canned pears! I do not eat a lot of calories, but then never been a big eater! Just ate all the comfort food whenever I wanted and will not go back to that!
Thx on commenting on my applique! It will be in April when I start on the border! Time for fun now!
Take care! Enjoy the ice cream – I had to give that up in 2000 – just too much sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup which is a killer !
Hugs
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That applique is gorgeous. I am very inspired!
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Thank you so much. Hand applique is relaxing.
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Your appliqué is amazing!
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Thank you Michelle!
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congrats on your weight loss! maybe you will no longer be diabetic soon – I have heard that with weight loss and diet changes that it can disappear!
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Great work on your quilt and on your weight loss! You look wonderful!
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