Jax Quilt Show and stuff

So, Diane and I went Saturday to the Jacksonville quilt show and we had a wonderful time. A couple of weeks ago I finished this quilt:

The baby, my wonderful nearly 2 year old granddaughter, Natalya, is still sick and still needs prayer -- she'll eventually require a kidney transplant, and other very major surgeries, but they are holding off as long as they can for her to get as big and as old as possible. She is on the transplant list, and I do worry about her, and about my daughter with all the financial and physical stress of the situation, a lot. On the other hand, my grandson, Ricky, is 10 today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICKY!! Ten years old. OMG. Where has the time gone?

So I went to the doctor today. I have great news -- all my blood work is wonderful and for 58 that's a great thing. I saw the dermatologist yesterday and I'm going to be getting my skin under control. One issue -- I am FAT -- yes, I said it, FAT. On the chart for height/weight, I am just a couple of pounds from obese. Yeah, I said that word -- it's killing me, but I said it. And so, the eating plan and exercise program I keep talking about being on (but I'm not really) has to be for real. Despite great cholesterol numbers and stuff, being fat is not good! So, exercise right now -- it's raining out so a walk in the park is out, but I can dance -- and that's what I'm going to do -- before I go finish the cool tote that I bought in Jacksonville. Just need to do the handles and put it all together -- I'm going to try to do better on my blog and I'll post a photo.

If you follow my blog (and why would you?), do me a favor and kick me about my exercise/eating. I'm going to need lots of reminders! I do wish I had an exercise buddy -- that would help. But no excuses -- I quit smoking, I can do this!

Love to all,

Billye

It's Wednesday

and I just finished the quilt top that is a gift for my friend. She picked out the fabrics (with some helpful advice from me). I think it will be gorgeous once the borders are on. The photo doesn't really do the colors or the fabrics justice, but I think it shows off the pattern pretty well!

Ok, here's some photos

I know, I know, it's about time! And the sad thing is, I can't find photos of all I've done since I last posted photos. Sometimes I forget to take them.

Here's a photo of my Professional Tote. The fabric came from one of the vendors at our Guild's show and I fell in love with it -- I use it every day (even though it clashes with most everything I wear!). I also made one in all black for my sister for her birthday, but apparently I didn't take a photo . . . at least I can't find one! This tote has tons of pockets, including one on the opposite side that can hold a file folder or magazine. The front side has a zipper pocket and a pocket behind it. There's a pouch on either side for an umbrella or water (or in my case, Diet Coke). Inside is a center zippered pocket that goes all the way across, pockets on the interior outside (one with a flap), and large deep storage on either size of the center zipper pouch. There's yet another zipper to close the whole thing up!

Here's a photo of the machine applique that Diane taught me on Sunday (thanks Diane!!). I'm raring to go to start some more . . . . but I'm requiring myself to finish some UFOs first! Of which I have, uh, several.

This is a photo of the batik quilt that still needs borders etc. I think I like it!

Last, but certainly not least, here's a photo of a few of the Bento Box blocks for my sister's California Queen size quilt. I've got the sashing on one side of each block, and as I said yesterday, I was amazed at how much it took. I made a ton more sashing last night, and once I get them all squared up, will be adding. We may need yet more!

Now it's been FOREVER since I posted!

I know I'm terrible at keeping up with my blog -- just terrible. So let's see what's been happening.

I'm working on several quilts -- a Bento Box for my sister in California King size -- yeah, its huge. All 36 blocks (15" each) are made and the sashing (with scrolled variegated thread down the middle of it) has been added to one side of all 36. I thought I'd made enough sashing for the whole quilt. HA! Not even close. Barely had enough to do the one side. So I began making more last night --if that's not enough, I'll have to buy more fabric. The plan tonight is to sit behind the machine and let it do the scroll work -- it takes forever, and is pretty boring, but its a good time to do a book on tape.

Diane came over on Sunday and taught me how to do fusible applique in a way I really understand. And yeah, there's a photo and guess where it is? At home -- and not available for me to post. But now my mind is envisioning all the quilts I've been wanting to do -- houses and butterflies and landscapes and and and and and . ... . lots of other things in the works first. I think I'll quilt that one (it's a sunflower) and hang it in my bathroom with the sunflower my art teacher painted and gave to me. A rose I painted is in there as well . . . .as my sister said, it'll be a flower garden!

I house sat for Diane for a while a couple of weeks ago and got a lot of piecing done -- including putting my batik kit together. The pattern that came with it was horrible, the batiks are beautiful but there weren't enough of each one to make the pattern that came with the kit -- and all it was was a photo. So one day I just sat and pieced all the HSTs with the white she sent and all the batiks, very carefully sorting the fabrics into piles. But no matter how I turned it, what I did, I hated it. SOOOOO, being me, and being odd and never doing what is expected, I put them in a bag, literally, and mixed them up and then just started sewing them together -- trying, but not really working very hard at it, not to have 2 next to each other. Then I made rows, then I put the rows together. I end up with an on point square of unmatching batiks and an on point square of white. I plan to do the quilting in the white -- although my mind is racing as to what. I have a photo of the flimsy, but guess where that is? Yup, same place.

I have also started and am fairly well along on the quilt for Lynn. She picked out beautiful fabrics (with a lot of help from me -- thank you Lynn for letting me guide you) and the quilt will be, unless I'm sadly mistaken, just gorgeous. I need to take a photo of the blocks I've completed and post it as well.

Sandi is back in town and we spent most of the weekend together. Trixye stayed with her, but Saturday we noticed she was limping. Sunday it wasn't better and by yesterday it was really bad. So we took her to the vet -- she's been chewing on her feet, one in particular, and that one is swollen, red and just ugly. They gave her antibiotics and a steroid injection. They wanted her to wear a collar so as not to chew on it any more -- but little Houdini dog was out of the collar in 2 seconds (or less) 3 different times. So I took it back and paid twice as much for an inflatable collar that gets looped through her regular collar. Well, 5 minutes of that and she'd about hung herself getting the inflatable collar over her head with her regular collar still on -- who knows how? I was in the bathroom! Anyway, the vet's next suggestion was socks, and that so far has worked. Except this morning her OTHER foot was wet where she'd been chewing on it, so now she's got socks on both feet. I'll be taking the inflatable collar back tonight and then I'm off to Target to get baby socks. With painter's tape, the sock (so far) stays on without pulling out her hair when I change it. If she starts chewing on those back feet too, she'll be in 4 socks!

We had a quiet 4th of July -- spent it with Mom and Sandi, playing cards on Mom's porch. I have to laugh -- a thunder storm came up about 6 or so, and we stayed out on the porch playing cards until one particularly horrible thunder clap and lightning flash. I jumped up, said that's it, and ran into the living room. Of course, Mom and Sandi were right behind me, scared too, but it was ME that acted like the biggest chicken. I hate lightning -- particularly when it feels like it's coming in the doorway! Of course, once we got inside, got resituated and finished our card game, there was not one more flash of lightning or clap of thunder. We watched the panoramic view of fireworks from Mom's balcony, which used to be a much better show when she first moved in there 6 or 7 years ago -- the trees have grown up now and so you just see them peeking over the top.

Greg's mom has been very sick and in the hospital for the last many weeks, and isn't expected to recover. I have not heard from him, but they had told him two weeks ago they would be taking her off life support yesterday unless she'd begun to show improvement. When I last spoke with him, she'd not shown any improvement, but I do not know what happened yesterday. My heart goes out to him, that's got to be incredibly tough. I can't even imagine. So, yeah, I've held off on the divorce again -- not that I can afford it anyway. However, the tax situation makes it such that I really do need to go through with it.

Meghan and the kids are doing OK -- Talya seems to be doing well considering that her kidneys don't work right -- she's so cute. We webcammed the other day and she's growing so big! And talking and saying Hi Nana, waving, just being adorable. Meghan claims she asks to call me all the time. I'm not sure she really does, but I certainly enjoy believing that she does! She wants to call me Grandma, which she can do if she wants. . . Ricky is so tall and so good looking -- he's always been a good looking boy, but I keep expecting him to go through a gawky stage -- so far he's still gorgeous. The girls must be crazy about him, but he doesn't mention it any more. He was crazy about girls as a little boy -- he always had a girlfriend. I'd be willing to bet he still does! I miss them terribly and wish I could afford to have them come here or go there, but it's just not in the budget this year.

Ok, so that's my boring life. See why I don't post to this blog? There's not much to post about!

Ok, it's been a while again!

I'm not good at keeping up on this thing, now am I? So, here are photos of a couple of quilt tops I've finished

This one was a New Years Eve mystery that I did with my friend Diane. I ended up trying some new quilting techniques on it -- this photo (the one I had handy at work) is before it's been assembled, but it shows it basically. It is square, so I've used it on my square coffee table. I made a couple of easy coasters out of the focus fabric to go with it. Diane gave me a book on machine quilting with a walking foot, and I tried some of those ideas on this. I really need to snap a photo of it, because it was quilting at a level I'd never tried. I was pleased with the results and very grateful to Diane for the great book!

This is a photo of a mystery I did that was a test for a designer -- not saying which one! It's still a flimsy.

I am also finishing up Bonnie Hunter's Carolina Christmas (should have the flimsy together tonight and will photo and hopefully post). I made all the blocks, but I decided it was too busy, and too big, and I think I want to try some additional quilting techniques on it (never done a Baptist Fan). So I'm using one set of blocks for what will still be a good sized couch throw, and putting the other blocks in reserve for when I need a quick gift.

Oh, I know, I've not posted about my Singer 201. I've been looking for one for about a year, and finally the Singer store called and told me they had one in. At first I said, no, no, I'm not spending that much money on another machine when I already have 4. Then my friends were saying, hey, you've wanted that forever -- it's not an impulse buy. And I realized I really wanted it, so I called and was able to negotiate the price down. She was built in 1955 in New Jersey, the first 3 of her serial number are AM1. So I named her Ami (pronounced Amy). Here she is!! She runs like a dream, all my feet work on her, and she's got all the gold decals in perfect condition. New cords all around -- just a delight to work on. Cabinet looks like brand new. I don't much care for the foot pedal -- I have to wear shoes to sew, which isn't something I normally do, but hey, I can manage!

So much for using the 2nd bedroom for a sofa sleeper, which I had thought about. . . . I figure I didn't make a decision on what I wanted to do because I was waiting for Ami and didn't even know it!

Have a great day everyone (all 2 of you that read this!).

Billye

Gee, it's only been a couple months!

Since I posted. Let's see. Talya is doing well -- one kidney is up to over 90% functioning and the last test showed the other working in the low teens. They had considered removing that kidney since they didn't believe it was working at all, but with it working some, the plan is a laproscopic surgery to repair it and hope that it, like the other kidney, recovers. She's walking, talking up a storm, and has the bitch attitude of the rest of the women in this family (which is probably what kept her alive during those rough times!), so she's a handful.

My life is pretty dull and boring. I quilt A LOT. I house sat for my friend Diane over the holidays, and she insisted on giving me some gift certificates to some on line fabric stores. I won't need fabric, probably not even backs or anything, for EONS. Which is good, since I've put myself on not only a food diet, but a financial diet, so I need to quit buying fabric. I did fall off the wagon (well before I self imposed it) and bought a batik kit. It's not my fault! I always wanted a batik quilt!

I had to go back to see what I posted last in my quilting, and that was Lynn's quilt. I'm at work, and not sure what I have photos of, but here goes:

This is my first applique -- this is a BOM from Joann's -- it's huge, and would make a humongous quilt -- I have a few more blocks I've purchased -- I doubt this one ever gets past about 5 blocks and a border. . .

So the quilt on the right (at least while I'm creating this post!) is my completed Shakespeare in the Park. My favorite quilt (well Double Delight is close!) and finally one for my bed. This was quilted by my good friend Barb Linares, and as she did on the One Block Wonder and the Double Delight, she did EXQUISITE quilting on the SITP -- which took a quilt I was very proud to have made to a work of art.

Hmmm . . . I don't seem to have photos here at work of several things -- like the placemats I made for Mom, Sandi's crazy quilt pillow, Meghan and Nick's skulls quilt, Ricky and Natalya's Christmas stockings. I KNOW I've been busy -- so where is everything? LOL. I never did take a photo of the applique dog I made at retreat -- and I gave that away for the auction for the Guild. I'm working on a mystery quilt as a tester (OK, so I consider that an honor, even though it's not really!), and Bonnie Hunter's Carolina Christmas (which I am renaming to "Teal Drops"). I've also finished the flimsy of the NYE quilt that Diane and I did together on New Years Day, to which I added 7 more blocks (she added 3 for a baby quilt). That came out to be stunning, so I'll have to add photos of that. I also have my City Scape quilt that is stalled in production, and I never did finish my X-Block, which is very pretty, but I got stuck at borders. So I have PLENTY to keep me busy for the next year!

That's all the news for now -- boring, huh?

Billye