I love to share my Quilting projects with other Quilters. My goal is to share my progress on projects that I am working on. I would love for you to follow along with me during my endeavors. I hope you enjoy watching me tackle new techniques and projects. Hopefully you can learn from my "hiccups" and mistakes and make your journey easier.
Greetings – to see what I have been doing (???) (Really?). Click here, and here! It has been a very slow slow month for me! Maybe June will be more productive!
Hey – I figured out how to highlight the links to my favorite blue! I switched them to “Blocks” instead of the Classic! Yea for me – brain is working today – And on a Monday at that!
I guess everyone will absolutely faint on this post! I finally quilted Autumn Jubilee! YES! Even with the crummy month I had, I succeeded in getting this puppy quilted yesterday and very pleased with the outcome inspire of me.
I have not quilted a lot of quilts in the last year or so and it shows! I am not one to load a practice quilt – no patience for that and boy have I paid for that laziness on this quilt! I should remember that when I am not feeling well, or if it has been awhile since the last quilt, the last thing to do is to prepare and load a quilt on the long arm without a practice piece!
Additionally, I always load my quilts with the top of the quilt pinned first – well this time I screwed up the cutting of the back fabric by cutting it 71 inches long instead of 80 inches. After realizing my lovely error, I decided to load the quilt lengthwise, and will never do that one again as you can see that the left corner is not right, but thankfully it is a utility quilt so it won’t matter. I am just happy that it is finished!
Autumn JubileeBack for Autumn JubileeCloser look at my quilting
I will now work on the binding and a label and it will become a nice warm blanket for this Fall!
I want to thank all the Veterans (including Clay) for their service to this country. It must be a very difficult to be an active duty military at this time in our country, so my hat is off to them for serving a Nation that has some serious issues facing us for the next 3 1/2 years. Thank you many times over!
Now to HQAL. Well, I do not have much to show this time. I did work on a few leaves for A Bountiful Life, but not enough to show much progress. I tried Minnie Mouse (Cross Stitch) and have decided she will go away! I was working on the “white” thread, but the holes were so small and background white, I lost the thread count and could not see what I was doing. Time for another pattern and maybe different cloth!
I worked on another grid panel for Dresden Heaven and finished 5 of the 9. Slow going here.
The month flew by and very little quilting. This is mostly due to the fact that I had changed the diet (when will I ever learn?) and that impacted me a lot. Especially when I walk. I am a heavy sweater and I lost Potassium again. This time I avoided a ride in the meat wagon, but have now switched to the indoor exercise bike and eat my potatoes! It will have to do until we get to Fall. I never realized the things that low Potassium can do to a person. I was aware that if it falls below 2.2 that is meat wagon time and if it gets above 5.8 it is meat wagon time but when it falls below 3.6 you will become very tired and that is what happened to me! So I opted to be a good 76 year old idiot and stay out of the heat!
Here’s hoping that all are having a wonderful holiday weekend with your families and MASKs OFF! Enjoy!
Hugs, Nanette
This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piercers to share and motivate one another. Â We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. Â If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below. Â
Here are all 3 blocks together on the Design Board – waiting for Block 4!
I finished straightening up one of my fabric stash shelves! Yea for me!
Fabrics!
Next – I have Autumn Jubilee loaded and ready to quilt!
AND I just could not go on without showing you a picture of Jaydee’s Civil War Bride quilt that is already in the frame and she has started the process! She is so excited about quilting it. She does such beautiful work. She started with the bunny rabbit in the border – love that bunny!
Well, not sure what I will be doing this next week as there are a few things going on now. But I will get Autumn Jubilee quilted and maybe a few other things!
Another week has gone by and the rain is still happening. We are really being blessed. But alas, it will come to an end this week and watch out for the 100’s with high humidity for the summer months. It would be great if we have rain breaks throughout the summer because by August it will be a scorcher and dry!
May is getting close to a memory in my life. The months are flying by and slowly but surely we are getting our lives back in order and enjoying getting things done! Always feels good to have accomplished something each day!
I am participating in Melva’s Pieces of the Santa Fe Trail SAL . I am up to date with the first three blocks as I finished Block 3 yesterday!
Block 3 of Santa Fe Trail
I am using Eliza’s Indigo fabric line by Betsy Chutchian for this project. (Scroll down to the bottom of the link and you can download a free pattern that was used for this fabric line by Moda).
One of the fat quarters has large flowers and leaves (in fact there are quite a few in three different color ways) and decided to fussy cut the 3 1/2″ squares on the corners and in the 4 patch. Most of the time I have a difficult time in deciding how to use the large florals that come with the fat quarter bundles so I tend to use them by fussy cutting them in quilts. Time will tell if I have chosen the right fabric for this project! I found the free pattern for Eliza’s Indigo 1810-1830 from Moda on the above link and will make good use of the remaining fat quarters and half yards that I have left over.
Blocks 1-3 of Santa Fe Trail
The 12″ blocks are a nice break from the smaller blocks that I usually work with. Thank you Melva for all the hard work you do for us. Check out here post to see the progress of those who are joining in on the Trail to Santa Fe!
Have a great day and continue prayers for Kathy and Chris and all those who are having difficult times in their lives.
What can I say! Time just flies by when we are having fun and getting older! We have now been blessed with almost 10 inches of rain during the last 3 weeks! YIPEE! Green grass again – and we are hoping for more during the summer! I have been busy trying to stay as positive as I can about life in general and we shut the world out as long as we are on our 5 acre patch of land! Speaking of land – Texas is booming from all the people moving into our state From all over to get away from their control freaks. Clay and I are now sitting on a gold mine of sand based on the new tax appraisal we received advising us how much our land is valued at. It is amusing and absolutely ridiculous that sand would be so valuable! LOL.
I have my stupid health issues under control now and feeling much better – if only I did not get sick and tired of chicken, potatoes, eggs, and lightly salted potato chips! My problem is when I have had enough of that diet that I tend to want to eat an entire chocolate cake – which of course I cannot do and end of eating something with gluten in it and we know that is a killer for a Celiac. But all in all, I am 100% better! YEA!
Yesterday Clay and I cleaned out the portion of our 3 car garage that was a mess, and now it really looks so neat and in order and to see things that we did not need GONE. He had a big burn pile going and the company who picks up our garbage really earned their money today. I really enjoyed doing the de-cluttering at this time because it was something different to do because it broke the “Groundhog Day” effect. In fact, I do believe it will now be the catalyst that moves me back to my quilting.
Here were my goals from last week: (Looks like I did nothing, but I did a lot, it just took time)
Continue with preparing A Bountiful Life Blocks (7) √
Work on Stonefields (decision time) – Next time — maybe. ✘
Increase time spent in the evenings on ABL and Dresdens √
Select Fabrics for A Bountiful Life – Increasing hand work time. √
As I worked on preparing the 6 additional blocks for A Bountiful Life, I found 2 of the blocks that I did not like and decided to redraw them. Here is what I came up with.
Original Block
I did not like the birds and butterflies and the fruit looked awful (my opinion). My block is not as busy and I prefer my birds just hanging around! LOL
My Version – A bowl with 2 oranges on the bottom of nice red apples!
This block did nothing for me – I did not like the fruit in their beaks and the topknots and the thing on the upper left that is supposed to be a bird, or the moth!
Original Version
I chose to do the birds a different way and let the leaves be on the tree trunk.
Now I want to share with you a picture of Jaydee’s quilt top. She started this project in or around 2015. I think I started mine around that time or maybe 2016 – who knows. Her quilt is a stunner and I hope that mine will be as striking. She did her quilt in Reproduction fabrics and I am doing mine in darker shades with batiks (which are my favorites).
Hand Appliqued by Jaydee Price ready for Hand quilting!
This is the backing she will be using for her Civil War Bride quilt.
Interesting backing! Blends with the Civil War Era
Last night I was in the mood to do something DIFFERENT!!!! I started working on the little Minnie Mouse Cross Stitch! YEA again for me. I think I understand it much better! Have a spot lite hovering over your head and very strong peep overs to see what in the heck you are doing! LOL ! Here is Minnie Mouse picture!
Minnie Mouse Cross Stitch Pattern
AND here is what I have done so far (her face and lips)(Took awhile to get it right)
Doesn’t look like much, but I know understand how to Cross Stitch!
Today my original plan was to put a new zipper in a pair of pants for my neighbor (good luck on the outcome of that for her), do some grocery shopping at HEB, write this post, make the 3rd block for Melva’s SAL, load Autumn Jubilee, and of course walk my 1.5 miles. Yesterday I did over 11,000 steps! No wonder I was lazy in getting up this morning! I only accomplished the walk, HEB, this post, and had to spend about an hour and a half on getting Clay an appointment with his Cardiologist in July (required me to download some medical reports for the new doctor). So out went the zipper and the block and poor ole’ Autumn Jubilee, BUT alas, it has made it to the long arm, so I am getting there!
Since I am late in my goals, here is where I would love to be by next Tuesday!
Continue working on Cross Stitch, Dresdens, and A Bountiful Life blocks (2)
Decide on a Squirrel project (like I need another quilt to make) Check out the backlog:
If I can finish these goals by Tuesday I will be a happy person! I feel like I am producing nothing while everyone else has completed so much already this year, but life is different for everyone, so sometimes I cannot meet my desired goals with my quilting.
Now it is 4:10 and I have meat to vacuum pack for the freezer. Here are fingers crossed that tomorrow is a quiet day with no other things to do but catch up on my goals.
Have a wonderful week-end. We are going to plan a trip to Rockport Texas for sometime in July so I need to start looking for a place to stay where I can cook and we are not limited to just eating out (where I cannot partake).
Hello all! Now that we are halfway into May I have made very little progress with the UFO bin. In fact I have nothing to show for the last couple of weeks other than I am working (LOL) to get to the point where I can complete selecting the fabric for the remaining 5 blocks (YUP got 1 ONE done as of today). In other words I have NOTHING to show for today, my 502nd post! (should be more, but that is life!)
Now I do have some nice pictures to show you. I have two step-sons from another marriage in the 1980’s. George was 13 and Ricky was 15 when I first met them and Clay and I have remained close to both of my step-sons who are great men, wonderful husbands, and Fathers. (Hum maybe I did something good in life in the ’80’s).
George has a set of Maternal Twins and he sent me their High School graduation invitation for next week with pictures. They are really fine looking young men (I guess they are my step-grandchildren although I am not involved in their lives – it happens with divorces). George has done a fantastic job in raising his children (he has a 23 year old daughter, but I do not have any pictures of her at this time).
I give you Alex and Jacob. Both are about 6’3″ and you can tell they are Texas Country Boys!
Alex and Jacob
Another accomplishment finished (after 12 days with other interruptions). A Security Camera System! Come on down Illegal Aliens and you can be in the movies! This was a time consuming job for Clay to do all the camera mounting and I was the technical computer idiot! Together we have a great system set up along with a few other nice Clay developed systems to protect us.
And now for the sweet part of the last 12 days. Clay and I will both reach a wonderful milestone this year. It was 25 years ago on 3 June 1996 that Clay found me when I was living in Sterling, Virginia about 1850 miles from where we live now! What made him decide to get in touch with me was really something! We believe it was something that his Mother told him in 1993 about a chance encounter she and I had that made him think of me shortly after her passing in March 1996. Clay and I grew up living 2 blocks apart on the same street, delivered by the same Doctor, met at the age of 8 and 9 and attended school from the 3rd grade through High School together, and attended the same Church Bible School together during the summer, but we never dated!
We celebrate the 3rd of June, the day he found me, the 2nd of August (married here at home), and 1 September 1996 when we were married in the Church. In mid September I made the move back to Texas and finished the last 2 1/2 years of my career before retiring from Kelly AFB. I retired from the Federal Government and he is retired from the San Antonio Fire Department. We both worked 38 years. I retired in March and he retired in April 1999! As you can see we have been spending all our time together for 22 1/2 years! We were really blessed by a miracle to have such a great marriage. (OK sometimes the French Scorpio (me) and the Irish Choctaw (him) do have ‘discussions’ but we never stay mad and neither has ever left the other!)
Clay had his wedding resized after the accident and while we were at the Jewelry Store we purchased each other a diamond band for our 25th Wedding Anniversay! We have both ‘earned’ them – don’t you think?
I wish everyone could be as blessed as we are – even during the hardest times we have been through, we both know that our being together is the most important thing.
Have a wonderful week, and MAYBE by Tuesday I will have something to post regarding an unfinished UFO.
Good morning!!! We are enjoying being home and Clay has been working on installing the outside Cameras. It is neat to have them and of course he is doing a wonderful job in mounting them. No electrical cords visible – he is just so talented when it comes to electronics, electrical things, and building. This home is over secured, but if any illegals tempt to come onto our property or break in our home…..they will have issues.
Here was my CRAZY list from last week: (What was I thinking?)
Maintain a Positive Attitude and get the quilting mojo back! Done
Prepare 6 blocks for applique for A Bountiful Life Done!
Work on Dresden Plates Done!
Applique Block 10 for A Bountiful Life Started
Work on Stonefields No Progress
Start Sewialites – Goal would be 2 blocks. No Progress – may be shifted to June
Straighten fabric stash – No Progress
Work with Clay and clean out the garage! Will start when the Security System is done.
Help with the new Security System. Yes
A Bountiful Life progress:
Four Completed -Ready for Fabric Selection Cutting this one out this morning!I am changing this block to be a bowl full of 2 oranges and applesThis block has been sitting around awhile just ‘waiting’
Dresden Plates:
Just need circles and 9 will be complete (out of 105)
Goals for 10 through 17 May:
Select Fabrics for A Bountiful Life
Straighten up Fabric
Load Autumn Jubilee on the Long Arm
Work on Stonefields (decision time)
Increase time spent in the evenings on ABL and Dresdens.
I had a few bad days this week – due to diet and finding out that Senokot changed their formula and now has Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) in the inactive ingredients – no wonder I got sick. They need to take that poison off the market! Today I am getting back to normal, but my Tinnitus is off the charts and I do not know why. But I am 90% better than yesterday so that is a great improvement and I am happy. I missed 2 days of my walking, but back on the road this morning. Felt great! I have reduced my goals – maybe I will be able to achieve them all or excel and finish more! LOL
Hopefully, the next 7 days will be much better. I keep saying that each Tuesday, but somehow either I mess it up or interruptions get me. Anyway, still staying positive and enjoying living.
Well, This post is my THIS IS MY 500TH POST (not the previous one)! A lot has happened since I started my Blog in 2014 some good, some bad, but mostly Happiness and numerous Blessings!
Have a wonderful Mother’s Day and great stitching week!
Hugs, Nanette
This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piercers to share and motivate one another. Â We pot every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. Â If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below. Â
Mother’s Day already in 2021! I am hoping that all have the opportunity (freedom) to visit your Mother, Grandmother, God Mother, or just a woman who you have adopted as a 2nd Mother. I had a 2nd Mother that when I met her in 2000 she was the spitting image of my Mother but a total opposite personality and I loved her and still miss her. Her name was Mary Etta Peters from Caddo Oklahoma and a 4th cousin to Clay through his Choctaw linage. She and I bonded immediately. I made a lot of quilts and wall hangings for her and she was so appreciative and she truly loved me. We had her in our lives for 6 years or so before she passed. My parents were in their mid and late 30’s when I was born and they passed away in 1996 and 1997. It is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since my Mother passed. We were not close, but she was my Mother and I loved her. I was blessed to have found Mary Etta after Clay and I retired and started looking for his relatives. She loved me for me!! Just as Clay loves me for me! That type of love is so very hard to find and if you have some one who loves you for you – then you are Blessed! We lost Mary Etta close to 2008. Still miss her so much. Can you see the resemblance between them?
My Mother who was the most accomplish Pianist EVER! A brilliant woman ahead of her time. My 2nd Choctaw Mother Whom I loved so much!
On the health side of life…..I am having issues with controlling my diabetes. I had the brainy idea to quit potatoes in early February because I thought they was attributing to the 6 pounds I had gained (although I had been eating them for years and even lost the original 26 pounds doing that and lowering my A1C). That along with stop eating my eggs (4 each morning) has really hurt me because it is through those 2 foods which provide me with the vitamins I need. I was really struggling to do my 20 minute mile and the total of 1.5 miles in 30 minutes.
About 3 weeks ago I re-introduced eggs and added 2 small tortillas with my eggs for my carbs! This was the worst thing I could have done CORN! My Glucose readings were really getting higher and when I decided to add 1/2 cup of orange juice each day it just about killed me! My energy level has gone down since stopping potatoes and I could not figure why. Then when I added the corn and juice that got me with my IBS. Now that I have just done my research on IBS and Corn I will never eat corn tortillas again! Because I am Celiac (nothing with flour) or for that matter no fiber and especially no fruit juices or fruit or vegetables! (I have 3 different diets to follow and the only things that I can eat are potatoes, eggs, chicken, and Lay’s Lightly Salted potato chips).
The good news is that the RF treatment worked like a charm, and the new mattress topper we purchased has eased the Fibro trigger points, and now that I have figured out the corn issue and today started eating potatoes and my eggs for breakfast again, I believe will begin to feel 100% better. Control of “stupid” health issues means more happiness!
BABY ALERT! You may remember in February I made a quilt for Julie (worked at HEB Curbside) whose baby was due in April. Friday I received pictures of Scarlett Avery Henson! She was born on 1 April! What a precious baby! Welcome Scarlett!
Now on to Quilting UFOs! I have completed 8 of the 105 Dresden Plates. OH BOY – only 97 more to go. Then I will have to do 105 very small circles – Whoopie! I was using YLI silk thread to sew them onto the background which is 100 wt – I hate that thread! I thought I did not have any of the Tire Number 401 White 50wt Silk Thread – well I will have an abundance of white 50 wt because I ordered 6 and found 5 more! Guess I need to have a sale!
Next, I am working on preparing the 6 blocks for A Bountiful Life! Even using 8 1/2″ x 11″ cut freezer paper sheets it still takes time to prepare the blocks and that is without selecting the fabrics. I have completed 4 blocks so far.
I have 1 more block to prepare for fabric selection.
This block is one that I am totally changing. The block is supposed to represent Oranges, Lemons, and apples. I did not like the birds so I changed them and not using the “feet” that the pattern has. The apples are fine, but the others look like circles and do not do the block justice. I am going to make it a bowl with 2 oranges and full of apples with the birds and the butterflies. I will be adding stems to the apples and not the leaves. When these blocks are ready for fabric selection I will have 6 more blocks to applique. Last night I started on a block that had been sitting around for a couple of years. (Number 7 to have a total of 16 blocks when finished)
ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE BLOCK – Terrible Feet for BirdsMy Version of the BlockBlock 1 of 7 Remaining Blocks for A Bountiful Life
I have finished all of the hand work for Sweet Stitches and it is now hanging in the “long arm” rack! Just waiting, waiting, waiting. The list to quilt is quietly growing!!!!
33 Quilts in Total a mixture of long arm, sending out for quilting, and Hand quilting!
I do hope that all of you are enjoying your families and that you received many cards and flowers and other goodies for Mother’s Day! Have a blessed one!
Good morning to all! Welcome to To Do Tuesday where I will ATTEMPT to set a few goals and actually get them done this next week. We are back from a shortened week vacation to Durant Oklahoma and I am glad to be home. Next time it will be a night out in the Best Western in town – less work and cheaper! LOL
Here are my goals before our trip.
My goals for 19-26 April are as listed below. Not a good record of accomplishments!
Well, I did not fair well did I? It is time to get serious again after 2 weeks of no organization of my days!
I have made a decision to add 7 more blocks to my A Bountiful Life and have printed out the blocks on freezer paper for fabric selection and regular paper for tracing the pattern on the backgrounds. The border will be vines with leaves.
Here are my goals for this next week (there will be some interruptions, but hoping not as many as the last 2 weeks.)
Maintain a Positive Attitude and get the quilting mojo back!
Prepare 6 blocks for applique for A Bountiful Life
Work on Dresden Plates
Applique Block 10 for A Bountiful Life
Work on Stonefields
Start Sewialites – Goal would be 2 blocks
Straighten fabric stash – I did a a lot of pulling of fabrics and did not put them back where they belong!
Work with Clay and clean out the garage!
Help with the new Security System
I know that I may not reach all of the goals, but the last two will be accomplished! A visit to San Antonio tomorrow is on the calendar for a doctor appointment for Clay and another errand, so time will be limited! Just need to work faster!
Greetings – from South Texas where we had 6 inches of rain in the last week – YIPEE! Now we can quit worrying about having to cut down a few more trees (hopefully more rain this month!)
I am participating in the Pieces of the Santa Fe Trail SAL with Melva. I have completed the 2 blocks and now on to other things (waiting for the next block).
I have also decided (for certain) to increase the blocks for A Bountiful Life quilt to 16 blocks rather than the 9 blocks I had decided to do previously and then add a border.
A Bountiful Life
I have one of the blocks ready for applique and today I will start preparing the other 6 blocks to complete the quilt. Then there will be a border with vines and leaves – no flowers as I do not want to take away from the blocks. I have all 4 of the different versions of the pattern, including the original one by Patricia Cox entitled Folk Art City for Jean) that were sold for this quilt, but I really liked A Beautiful Life pattern the best.
Next I am contemplating whether to continue on with Stonefields, or just put the blocks I have completed together and go forward. The pattern was the most expensive I have ever purchased ($200.00) and will just hate myself for not making the entire quilt, so I will make that decision after I have the remaining 6 blocks for A Beautiful Life blocks ready for applique! I will change the border like Jaydee did on her Stonefields, as I am not in the mood to do all the hexagon flowers, but everyone knows by now that I tend to change my mind often.
Original Stonefields by Susan Smith
I am working on Dresden Plates and finishing the button hole stitching on Sweet Stitches! Hopefully (HOPEFULLY) I can finish the Sweet Stitches this evening (just a little bit of stitching) and get back to the Dresden Plates and now A Bountiful Life!
Dresden Plates – 105 to do!Sweet Stitches – 6 more pieces to Button Hole Stitch
We are in the process of adding security cameras to our current system and adding a new front fence in the front of our property. We estimated the footage to be about 370 feet! Now we just need someone to take down the existing fence and putting up the new one. I have been enjoying doing whatever comes along each day and not in a big hurry, although I do wish I were 10 years younger – thing I might finish more quilts.
Let me mention the long arm situation. I have to set a date and just get a quilt loaded and do it! Here it is May and I have missed 2 months in PHD2021. This has to stop as it does not take that long to get them quilted! (I do not do custom only free hand since my is not computer driven!)
I do believe if I stayed away from the computer I would have more time! But, alas, sometimes we just have other things to do that take us away from playing!
Chopin - A Passionate Quilter From Texas 