a good day

I don't have any more quilt pictures to share today. I am making progress on my 1 hr. challenge, but not to the point that a photo would be interesting. The vertigo is still here and making life ....interesting. The doctor is talking about sending me to an e.n.t specialist next week and doesn't want me driving. I'm managing pretty well around the house as long as I remember not to turn to quickly or bend over, but driving might be risky. Today my darlin' daughter-in-law and my grandson came over to take Nana and I shopping. (My mother lives with us, I'm her 'caretaker' as she can't manage completely on her own) So there we were in the grocery store, 4 generations. As is her habit, Nana took off as soon as she got through the door. She likes to get everything done and bagged before I can see what she has and lecture her on her poor diet. She likes to live on mostly cookies, candy, ice cream, puddings and the like. Show her a vegetable and she goes into a catatonic state! My dil followed me around for a while, figuring that I might need to be picked up off the floor, or need help getting things off of a lower shelf. My 3 year old grandson divided his time between mommy and me, helping each of us fill our baskets. He enjoys helping, actually, he enjoys grabbing and tossing, so I had to slow him down a bit. I showed him how to look at each apple and make sure it wasn't bruised before putting it in the cart. Left on his own, I would have had a good head start on applesauce before we left the store! LOL Anyway, I enjoyed it very much-and how often can you say that about grocery shopping?! Then, when I got home, there was a lovely vase of flowers waiting for me, sent to me by my favorite Marine. My youngest son is a Marine, and he is currently deployed overseas. He was involved with evacuating the Americans out of Lebanon last month. Don't know where they will send him next. He sent me flowers as a thank you for all -you-do-for-me- while-I'm-gone. Yep, gotta say that I am smiling broadly today. My oldest picked a great wife and my youngest remembers his Momma when he has lots of other stuff to worry about. Middle son should be checking in soon. Yep, today I'm very aware of my blessings.

She's baaaaaack......

In spite of Google's best efforts (or worst, depending how you look at it) JudyL is back blogging, but at a new site, as the old one appears to be fried. Find her at http://judylaquidara.blogspot.com/index.html and she will soon resume the 1 hour quilt project.

Good news, bad news....

The good news is that the MRI came back normal. The bad news is the vertigo came back - again. I was making such good progress on the 1 hr a day quilt, now nothing while they try a new combination of meds to control the dizziness. Bah humbug on this! The bad news is I emailed JudyL on Sunday to see if she was still having problems posting (she was/is), the good news is that since she can't post more steps, I'm not getting further behind on her quilt. (Trying hard for a silver lining here ladies, trying to see the cup half full, etc.) . Its fun to goof off and do nothing when that is your choice, not so fun when you must stay imobile or fall over. Good news-I can use the computer for almost 5 minutes before doing my famous impression of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Hope that the next time I post, I will have photos of PROGRESS on the quilt. The pictures the rest of you have posted are wonderful- same pattern, so many different moods and quilts.

Progress report for 1 hr. challenge and something entirely different

Today I worked on assembling the blocks and am just about finished with the pre-little squares step. I may be able to finish this evening and start on the little squares tomorrow.

And now for something entirely different......Tazzie has been showing her applique for a miniature quilt, I commented on it, she emailed and asked if I applique/like to applique. Here is my answer...a little over 10 years ago, I took a class to do a Baltimore Album quilt-then went back to work and didn't finish the class. The instructor tried to get us to use a different applique method for each block, which we pretty much did, but don't ask me which methods, I don't remember. You can see the reverse appplique as I haven't trimmed it yet and it shows through.These are the blocks that I made up to that point. The center block (burgundy colors) is an applique block from the same time frame from another class that I was also taking at that time- a sampler. Both quilts are Vintage UFOs in my closet. The sampler will be relatively easy to finish, I am a block or two short, so I will chose random patterns and finish it up eventually. As far as the Baltimore Album- I completely enjoyed doing the applique, but these days my hand cramps up, so I don't know if I would ever see the end of a 25 block applique quilt. That one may require one or two more blocks to balance the color, then empty blocks in between to show off quilting. OR- maybe it just needs to be a table runner!

Making up for lost time

I may not have gotten started on time, but I'm starting to catch up. I have gotten a lot cut out, the HSTs are all sewn but need to be pressed and squared. I have cut some fabrics for the medium bordering squares. I have put two blocks together and placed the small squares around them. I am auditioning the mustardy gold for corners on all the blocks. So far, this is what I have. What do you think about those corners? I have also gotten a few rows of quilting done on the Turning Twenty. I even straightened the sewing room before I left it this evening! WOW- I must be sick!!

My daughter-in-law took some time off from work to take me to the doctor and he is concerned that this is the third time this year I am having the same problem-this time without any sign of an ear infection. Also, it is taking much longer to go away. So, to be safe, tomorrow I go for an MRI. We are not expecting anything, but want to eliminate unseen problems being the cause for the vertigo. The up side of this is that I won't be going to work again tomorrow, so I will be able to sew a bit before and after the appointment. That's my silver lining for tomorrow.

First day and I'm behind already.....

Here I was, being so good, doing at least an hour a day of quilting things, if not actually sewing. I had finally measured and marked the Turning Twenty top, mounted it to the frame. I even began a row of quilting. About 18 inches into it, I decided the top wasn't mounted 'straight' enough, did some frog stitching and remounted the top. This was all on or before Saturday. Sunday I woke up with vertigo, and unable to keep any food down because of it. Major bummer, a day set aside for nothing but quilting/sewing and I couldn't move my head without major unpleasantness. Today I am improved, but not cured. I can finally look at the computer screen for a little while before it starts to affect me, and if I don't move to quickly, or tilt my head in particular directions, I'm pretty good. I even managed to keep down some food. Since I feel good from the neck down, laying still gets pretty boring, especially with the siren song of the sewing room, and Judy's challenge quilt starting today. I didn't feel safe using the rotary cutter under the circumtances, blood not being one of my favorite things when its mine and outside my body, so I didn't cut anything. But I did pull some fabrics that should give me enough squares to make my HSTs. I also pulled some for the little squares around each block. Once I feel more stable, watch out! I want to get this thing started. I am also starting the Ostrich that Forest Jane mentioned for Peach Quilting. I picked a small and ultra simple block that is made from scraps of my very first quilt. I made the quilt, and this block back around 1994, and can not for the life of me remember what this block was supposed to be for, except that it had to do with the guild I belonged to at the time. Anyway, this is my only little orphan floating around. It may be more of a challenge to create something around this block which should probably be just one of many than a block meant to be a centerpiece which shines on its own.

Progress of sorts...

With all the challenges going on this month I feel a bit like a child in a candy shop- which do I want?? Well, I'm NOT doing the no buy challenge. That doesn't mean that I will buy, just that what will be, will be. I don't buy all that often anyway.

Hanne invinted me to do her one hour a day (Hanne has a good way of handling several things, check out her blog). I had already started. I decided that I would use that yellow with purple vines as the backing for the Turning Twenty quilt, as so many of you recommended. I put together the backing one day over the weekend.

I had also received my copy of PCQ Designer, which is an add on program for my quilter. I spent more than hour going through the instructional videos trying to learn the program. The next day I spent several hours auditioning different quilting designs for the quilt and planning them out. I still have to fine tune it, but it all helps me become more familiar with the software and to make better use of my PCQ. And....all of that will help me produce results that will please me more. Win/win situation.

The backing is on the frame waiting for me to mark the top and put that on the frame. I'm looking forward to doing it. It is the largest quilt I have tried on the PCQ so far. Once finished, it will also be the third UFO that I can cross off my list this summer.

Now I'm lookin forward to Judy's Hour a Day quilt-so I'd like to get this out of the way first.

Karen- thanks for the help correcting my blog email settings.

Its not just the weather that's having a dry spell

...so am I. I have any number of UFOs, PIGs and a stashbusting leader&ender in the sewing room, but I just do feel the urge to go up there. Now, I can blame the heat wave and say that it gets a little too warm up there, even with the a/c. Honestly that would only be partially true. If I had something that really captured my interest, I'd be up there. Right now, I have no enthusiasm.

My UFOs are stalled as I have to make decisions-not something I do without second guessing myself and rethinking a few times. I should take the bull by the proverbial horns and 'just do it' with one project, but after putting all the time into pieceing, I want to be pleased with the backing or the quilting pattern that I use.

For example, I have a Turning Twenty that I made up in loud and (hopefully) fun colors. I made it to coordinate with the seat cushions in my vintage trailer. (see the close up of the parrot print) Doesn't everyone decorate their trailer? I wanted it to be a blast of color, fun, maybe even a little outrageous, and since it was to get some hard use, expendable-not-heirloom or to please the quilt police. Well, dh's disabilities made using that trailer unsafe for him, so we no longer have it. There goes some of the momentum. Also, while I enjoy the colors and the fabrics I chose for it, I don't like them in this design. I think they would have worked better in smaller pieces than in these big blocks. So, I have this top that I can't use as originally intended. I have two backings for it- a solid black, or a totally blinding yellow and purple batik that I bought on sale that would make it even more colorful and wild. I'm not 100% with either of them. Recently Nancy posted some fabrics (July 30) that she bought online, and I can see at least 2 of them that might be better choices for backings.

All this angst over a quilt that I'm not in love with, but I still want it to be 'right'. And this is just one-there's a bunch up there! See why I'm stalled. I can't wait for JudyL's PLAN in the middle of this month. I'm hoping that will breathe a little enthusiasm into me. Com'on Judy, save me from the summer doldrums!