Thursday, November 21, 2013

Today I received a beautiful note from a childhood friend. She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She is the most loving, kind, and generous woman I have ever known. There is such a sweet bond between her and her family. We played together as youngsters, and when they left our neighborhood to live in Venezuela, our neighborhood got a lot quieter. I know they've made many moves since, but we were blessed to be able to reconnect in 2011 thru Facebook. On a recent trip "home" to Ohio we were able to meet and talk for several hours.

Since I am a quilter, and love making quilts, I decided to make her a quilt to help her thru her journey. I contacted her sister, Judy, to ask if Jody had a favorite color and was told it was yellow. I love yellow, it's such a happy color!
Below is a photo of the finished quilt that was delivered to her on November 20th.


Quilt Stats:
Pattern: Disappearing Nine Patch
Size: 67" x 84"
Fabric: Mellow Yellow by Red Rooster,
Batting: Dream Poly (Twin)
Backing: Mellow Yellow by Red Rooster
Binding: Yellow Dot By

I found this Quilt Stats idea on another blog, Busy Hands Quilts. I think it's a great idea. So many times I'll see something I would like to try and there is no information given!

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Where Has The Time Gone?

I still can't believe that it is September already. This summer went so fast. Being in Columbus for two months didn't help. So I'm posting a pic of a top that I started in March! The nine patches are from quilts that I've made in the past. This is a totally stash scrap quilt. My drawer of 2.5" strips is still overflowing and I have enough pink nine patches to make another quilt (not as big as this one). I thought seriously about giving this quilt to a member of my family for Christmas, but I don't think it would mean as much to them as it would to me. Every time I look at it, I remember another quilt that I've made.



I know it looks like the first picture, but this time it's all sewn together. Need to find a border and backing and I will be done with it!

Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Blogging Overload....

I hope I'm not going to put anyone into Blogging overload...two post on two consecutive days!!!


I love a comment that a friend of mine posted on my Facebook page. I had posted a pic of a scrap quilt made completely of scrap leftovers. This is Jennifer's take on my comment about the scrap leftovers.....

No such thing as leftover fabric, just the beginnings of new projects!

Jen is not a quilter. I'm proud of the way she thinks!

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Do You Use A Pincushion?

I recently found a blog that had this article on it. I don't think I'll ever put another pin in my mouth again!!

I was working in the wardrobe department on a television series in Sydney. The pressure was intense, but it was exciting.

Around halfway through the shoot, I was making an intricate Victorian costume for one of the lead actresses. I remember the pale green taffeta of the gown as I sat at the sewing machine, struggling with all the pleats and ribbons that had to look perfect for the screen. As always, the most convenient place to put the pin I was using was in my mouth. Somehow, one minute it was clenched between my teeth and the next it was gone.
I didn't feel a thing. I turned around to a co-worker and said, "I just swallowed a pin." She stopped what she was doing and asked if I was OK. "I think so," I said. One of the girls called emergency services. Their advice was to eat a cotton wool sandwich which would, they said, coat the pin on its way down the digestive tract. I did this and we all had a good laugh about how revolting it was, and then I thought nothing more about it.
I spent the rest of the day assuming the pin would eventually find its way out. I was so blas̩, I went out that night and forgot all about it. The next day when I got to work, the costume designer told me that the production department had heard what had happened and were insisting I went for an x-ray. I remember thinking this was a bit nannyish, but I drove to a nearby radiology clinic and went straight into x-ray. While I was waiting for the results, the radiologist came back ashen-faced: "You didn't swallow it Рyou inhaled it. It's in your right lung. You need to go to the hospital. Now!"
The drive to hospital was a blur. I called my boyfriend and he was at the hospital to help me, rather shakily, fill in the forms. He signed the one that released them from responsibility should I die. I was taken straight into surgery and given a bronchoscopy. When I came round from the general anesthetic, the surgeon said that the procedure had been unsuccessful and had only pushed the pin farther in. I had to spend the next two days on an antibiotic drip before a specialist surgeon was free to operate.
The night before the operation, I was laughing with visitors, surrounded by flowers and get-well cards. I had also received a thoughtful present from the costume department, a block of wood with pins hammered into it and "Annie can swallow a pin" engraved on to the wood. The whole thing was a joke to everyone.
That is, it was until the surgeon operating on me the next day arrived at my bedside. He explained that the operation involved going in through my back between the ribs, possibly even breaking the ribs, and then removing up to a quarter of the lung tissue around the pin. All the laughter stopped right there, but I still felt calm; it was a surreal moment, as if I was starring in a hospital soap opera.
I managed to sleep that night, but in the hours leading up to the operation reality kicked in and I began to feel really nervous. I hadn't let myself think of any negative possibilities until then. The pre-op pethidine was a welcome relief from my creeping fear.
The operation was a success, and the surgeon managed to remove the pin without taking too much of my lung with it. I stayed in hospital for a week while they drained off the gunk my body had provided to fight the invader. There was a lot of pain and discomfort from needing to sleep and rest on my left side.
At a follow-up appointment a few weeks later, the surgeon told me how lucky I was to have had the x-ray when I did. He explained that if I had left it any longer, it could have meant either puncturing the lung, poisoning or worse.
I was off work for a month, had trouble using my right arm and lost sensation in my right breast, which has never recovered to this day – I swallowed the pin in 1985. Yet I did feel lucky. When I eventually got back to work, I had a very dubious celebrity status.
I still have the pearl-headed culprit in a container provided by the hospital. And I now shriek if I ever see anyone with a pin in their mouth – I have a six-inch scar on my back to remind me that, no matter how silly the action, the ramifications can be huge.

Pretty scary stuff!!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

I've been busy!

It's been a busy month for me. I'm trying to get as much done as I can before I travel to Columbus for my daughter's surgery. I'm not sure if I'm taking my sewing machine, so I'm sure I'll be going thru withdrawal.

This is a quilt that I finished for Quilts of Valor. The blocks were donated to our guild quite awhile ago. I picked them up and brought them home. I was so please to find the tan "crackle" fabric in my stash. I know that fabric is pretty old.




The last quilt is a Relay For Life quilt. The wait staff at our local Applebee's is sponsoring a team again this year. I was asked to make a quilt for a raffle.





I have one more donation quilt to work on and I think I'll be all caught up. I will be putting the final border on it tonight. Will post a picture later.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

God works in mysterious ways!

I firmly believe this! It doesn't matter if it's a big problem or just an ordinary day to day issue. Today I stopped at our local post office to get a priority mailer. They don't usually have a box large enough to mail a full size quilt, but today, my clerk told me someone had just brought one in that didn't need it....that's one! After that I called a friend to ask if her sister was coming to town any time soon, and she told me that she would be here this Saturday...that's two! So instead of having to worry about mailing my quilt to Indiana and hoping it made it, I could now take the quilt to my friend's house and she would present the quilt to her younger sister....that's three! All the stars were aligned perfectly for me today! I didn't not get a great picture of the quilt, I had to use my iphone, but I think you'll be able to see how pretty it is! Here it is:




I used the pattern, Emma's Star by Pleasant Valley Creations. I did change the pattern slightly to add two borders. I used one jelly roll of Flirt or Marmalade (sorry both collections are in the quilt). I think the jelly roll was Marmalade and the outside border is Flirt. I love both collections!

Today is hubby's birthday, so we will be going to eat....and yes he is still on crutches. His MRI showed a large pool of blood behind the kneecap. He gave Jeff a choice of draining it or letting his body absorb it. Yep, he choice to not have it drained! Go figure. Men, you just can't talk to them! lol

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Sneak Peak

>So last Thursday my husband landed splat on his backside while doing a home inspection. Apparently he twisted his knee very badly. I have suggested strongly that he go to the local ER, but he knows best. His knee is swollen about three times its normal size. Today I went to a local drug store and purchased a pair of crutches for him (that only took three trips). He now has it wrapped with an ace bandage and is moving very slowly. He makes such a horrible face when he tries to bend it, but still refuses to go to the ER. I've given up at this point. I made my escape to my basement where I have my design wall.

I have been making scrappy nine patches lately. So today I decided to put them up on my wall. Here's a sneak peek of my quilt. Not sure if I will keep this setting. What do you think?

Sunday, February 10, 2013

While Surfing the Internet

While surfing the internet about a week ago, I found a blog that had "sewing saying" on pin back badges. I thought I had put the website in my favorites, but looks like I didn't. If anyone has any idea where I might find these again, please let me know. I believe they were a collection of 20 pins for around $20. Thanks!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Scrappy Stars

Our valley has been hit by a lot of snow recently. The schools have been closed on several occassions in the last two weeks. Although it is beautiful to see...some people just shouldn't be allowed to drive in it. I'm sure as I get older, the younger generation will say the same thing about me!

The good news is that my friend Peg, who works at a local school, had the day off! We decided to go to lunch and then return to my home for an afternoon of "play." We both belong to a local group that meets the first Sunday of each month called Piecemaker's. Peg won the lottery blocks from this group several months ago. She brought her blocks today and we made some small adjustments to the blocks and were able to come up with a placement design that we both liked. I wish I could remember where I found the tutorial for this block, but I think it makes a striking quilt! Peg will cut sashing strips and sew the top together so that she can bring it back to our "show n tell" at our April meeting.



Excited about my daughter coming home this week. Love spending time with her!

Stay safe and warm!