Boos and Bats – Chopin – A Passionate Quilter From Texas

Good morning! Great weather here in South Texas, nice and cool in the mid-40’s and 60 and 70’s during the day. Even though it will warm up a little this next week, next Friday our next cold front will arrive! We just might have a nice winter! Walking is going well, and I am increasing my steps each day. Life is without drama and I am at peace. We are both looking forward to our get away this month! AND best of all, we get rid of Daylight Savings Time! I will be able to walk in the daylight early in the morning and not in the dark. Just think – we all have an extra hour to sew today! YEA!

I have FINALLY started working on Minnie Mouse Cross Stitch project which is my first cross stitch project. Kathy helped me where I was having issues, such as going from one row to another. I had worked quite a few stitches but it had some problems, so Jack the Ripper came to visit. I started over with Minnie and glad I did because she is beginning to look so much better.

Since part of subject of this post was Making the Pumpkins, I first refer you back to my last post where I discussed Boo’s and Bat’s. I had finished the Bat blocks and started on the Pumpkin block. Right off the ‘bat’ I had problems with the fabric I had purchased for the pumpkins. There is nothing wrong with the fabric, it is the geometric designs that Mr Meniere’s does not like. Once I started sewing the block together, I discovered that I did not like the pattern at all! Once I realized that I had a fabric design problem and then a pattern issue, I stepped back from the project for a few days and to figure out my next step in making the quilt. I loved making the Bat blocks – so much fun but not the pumpkin block. I moved forward with another pumpkin block patten from Autumn Jubilee 2020.

I am not sure what the final quilt will look like when I am finished as it is a work in progress, and I am flying by the seat of my pants! I will be working on the Center Star today. I would like to make a larger center Star and may end up adding more pumpkin and bat blocks to accommodate that change. I want to make the quilt larger so I am considering different borders too. I liked what Laura did with her version. We shall see what I end up with.

Have a great week-end, enjoy what you are doing, and if not, change what you are doing. It makes life so much better when we eliminate the negatives.

Hugs, Nanette

Linking To: My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away; Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts; Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Slow Sunday Stitching Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers; Peacock Party; Design Wall Monday, Scrap Happy Days, Quilting Patch Linky Party To-Do-Tuesdays;PHD in 2021;

I love the week-ends! They are so peaceful and quiet here on our 5 acres! We are so blessed to live in the country rather than the City. I am beginning to get back in shape in my walking and this morning I am not dragging after walking. It has taken a month to recoup from thinking I was getting exercise on that indoor bike, but that is OK. My stress level is really going down and I am grateful for that!

The last 2 weeks were not the most pleasant and were rather difficult and then very I was busy rewriting our Wills and I pray to God that this is the last time we have to do this. For us we no longer have any living children as they are all in Heaven with God. So it is just Clay and I. We are so blessed to have been together 25 years and that we are still here working on 26. The last 7 years have been so difficult and hard to experience, but I truly believe that now life will begin to provide us laughter and peace each day.

The week of the 27th of September was difficult with the Memorial Service for Melissa and this week was just a lot of work with the Wills. We signed up for monthly donations to the Jones Academy a Choctaw boarding school for underprivileged children. They provide support from K through 12th grade for all Native American underprivileged children.

They have 4 wonderful programs to donate to and we picked the Choctaw Pony Project. This project has 8 horses that are direct descendants from the horses that traveled on the Trail of Tears in 1830. The other one is the Evening Enrichment Programing where they use the donations to take the kids to movies, County Fairs, and support their FHA projects. All in all they provide a loving environment, opportunities to learn social skills, and receive their education. The hold the future for all Native Americans, which Clay and I call ”the forgotten ones”.

Additionally, the Choctaw Nation matches all donations which is wonderful. We did 3 memorials for our children who have passed, to the Scholarship Fund. Jones will be the benefactor from our Estate when we pass.

Yesterday seemed to be a day of laughter and fun – even while working on the 2nd review and corrections of the Wills. Things just fell into place for us and that in itself has not happened in a VERY long time. I finished the Will work, we are set up for Fort Sam Cemetary to be our final resting place, and Clay will be receiving some benefits from the Choctaw Tribe that we were unaware of. All in all, by 6:30PM I was finished forever with my work.

Today is a day to just enjoy breathing! I will be working on the borders for A Bountiful Life – Yes I know, I have been saying that for months, but it will happen today. After I get the top and bottom borders on I will begin to cut out the leaves and flowers for applique. There has not bee a lot of button sewing for the Dresden quilt but I am seeing some starting tonight!

During the last couple of weeks I have been looking at Boos and Bats quilt pattern with The Fat Quarter Shop. I have to blame Laura for getting this one going (hopefully next week). I fell in love with it and the fabrics that they used. They used Sleepy Hollow by Andover and Holiday Collections – Halloween and I was the weak one on this and purchased a lot of each piece. I was surprised that Amazon carried the fabrics along with FQS. Here is a sample of the fabrics and they are so lucious. (I could not get the photo below to reduce – sorry)

Next I purchased some great embroider fabric from WebFabrics. It is a Michael Miller Cotton Coutour fabric.

Next temptation was an email from Quiltmania showcasing Dawn Heese. Around 2014, Jaydee sent me a picture of a quilt that she had made and I fell in love with it, but never got around to it. So when I saw the picture of the quilt with Dawn and the fact that she was had the pattern in her new book, I purchased it from Quiltmania. I absolutely love those bunnies!!!! The pattern is called In the Garden!!!

Here is a picture of Jaydee’s quilt before she had sewn it together. I need to get her to send me a picture of the finished quilt. She is quite the appliquer!

So as you can see, life begins anew today and I am want to get back on the Quilt Train and away from negative thoughts even though the world around us is falling apart, we are not going to participate.

One of the things I did when all the work was finished was to call and make reservations for the Choctaw Casino for next month. There are so many places to visit in the area so this trip will be a much needed getaway! We are ready to see new places and visit old places. ME – I am ready to turn off the world with Casino noise! Since I am limited to eggs and potatoes maybe I will lose a few pounds!

Have a blessed weekend and happy quilting!

Hugs, Nanette