Design Wall Monday October 22, 2012

This is the mad dash to get ready to leave home for two weeks--I'm headed to Houston this Wednesday for Quilt Market and Quilt Festival.  As usual, I keep thinking "I need one more (day) (week) (etc) before I leave".  Of course, it wouldn't matter--the more time I had, the more things I'd fill that time with. 

This is what I've gotten done.  The samples for the classes I'll be teaching January-April, 2013 had to get done.  This one I really pushed to get done the last few days and it still needs the left and right borders--a quick trip to the quilt shop this morning will make that possible.  I love this quilt--the traditional tumbling blocks sewn in straight rows only, no Y seams!  Of course, I made it very difficult by using different fabrics for the light diamonds--NO, use ONE fabric only and the layout will be much faster!  The pattern is in the book:  Antique to Heirloom Jelly Roll Quilts, by Pam and Nicky Lintott:

 

Next, I needed a photo of the Trash 2 Treasure sample--these blocks are just on the design wall--they'll get sewn together after Houston.  My plan is to make this a Quilt of Valor:

The class is based on Trash 2 Treasure by Gyleen Fitzgerald--not paper pieced, it's a great stash buster.  I changed the last round by adding a larger triangle to replace 2 small rows--much easier and I like the secondary red square where the 4 corners come together.

Then I got busy finishing the Just Takes 2 red and white blocks and sewing the 3rd quarter unit together.  The blocks in the upper right corner are just "place holders" for this photo--they may or may not be what goes in there when the last quarter is unveiled.  I changed out the placement of some of the blocks based on the fabrics I had used. 

So, there you have it.  Besides the usual therapy appointments, (I graduated!), haircut, cleaning up the potted plants and moving the tropicals back inside, cleaning out all the leaves I could get out of the pond so husband and son could put the net in place, and the usual running around, I also did 26 hours of continuing education classes online for my return to H&R Block and had my interview.  This will be my 33rd year.  Working sure cuts into my free time.

Saturday I spent with my beloved husband at a luncheon reunion of his high school class.  As they've gotten older, they thought meeting once every 5 years wasn't enough so in October the class of 1965, Fairview, AL high school has a potluck lunch.  There were 125 students in the class and most still live close to home, about an hour from us.  My Philadelphia high school, class of 1971, had a class of 1210, and I have no idea where most live--not in touch except through a Facebook group.

Check out Judy L's blog to see what others are doing.

Look for updates from Houston--can't wait to get there!

Let's quilt!
Barbara

Design Wall Monday October 1, 2012

It's October already.  Six weeks ago I was in surgery and 3 weeks from now I'll be in Houston--for Market and Festival--the highlight of the year!

Here is the dark version of my Simple Symmetry quilts from Paula Nadelstern's class in May:

These blocks were made from the same fabric as "Day":

Try as I might, I could not get them to play nicely in one quilt so I made two.  It's amazing how different the blocks look on light and dark backgrounds.  They are simply quilted with variegated thread, using the walking foot.  Someday, I'll tackle free motion quilting, maybe...

 

The other little bit I accomplished this week is the next block in Grandmother's Choice from Barbara Brackman's Suffragist Block of the Week:

I'm going to start piecing these blocks together in rows, just haven't decided what color I want to use yet, either a brown, black or something light.  Maybe I'll know by next week.

 

Therapy continues and I'm feeling stronger each week.  I had fun helping my beginning students select fabrics for their quilts--this week they will make their first block.

 

Check out Judy L's blog to see what other people are up to. 

 

Let's quilt!

 

Barbara

 

 

 

 



Design Wall Monday September 17, 2012

I'm four weeks post-op today and will see the surgeon this afternoon.  He'll release me from home therapy and I'll start 3 weeks of out-patient therapy.  So far, I'm doing very well and, thanks to Advil PM, sleeping better the last few nights.

Here's how I've spent my days, with the Just Takes 2 blocks: 

I was all caught up until now--the most recent set of blocks just posted--there are only 3 and they are easy so I'll have those done in the next day or two.  This quilt will be one I'll be glad to be done--but I do like it.  I'll have it machine quilted--I don't like it enough to hand quilt it!  In two weeks we should get the next set of instructions for joining these blocks into another section.  That will make 3 sections down, one more to go.  I've kept a spreadsheet--so far, 1725 pieces and 57 different fabrics.

Barbara Brackman has several blogs.  I love them because she provides so much history, about quilts, textiles,  historical events, etc.  She just started one called Grandmother's Choice which celebrates the Suffragist Movement that gave women in this country and other countries the right to vote almost 100 years ago.  Each Saturday for 49 weeks there will be an 8" block posted with historical information about the crusade for voting rights for women.  I am using the colors of the English Suffragists:  violet, green and a little red for rebellion.  She talks about the colors several groups used in their logos.  It was a long battle but ultimately successful--perhaps we now take that for granted.   There is a flickr group with photos, a reading list if you want more historical info and lots of ideas for colors and settings.  It began September 1, 2012 and here are the first 3 blocks I've made:

I'm not sure yet if I'll set them with sashing or block to block--time will tell.

 BTW, the blocks are all in Barbara Brackman's BlockBase computer program with thousands of blocks.  If you have EQ it is a great addition.  If you don't have BlockBase, Electric Quilt is doing a giveway:  go here to sign up for that--it would be terrific reference for any quilter.  EQ is also starting a BlockBase Sew-Along starting soon.  I've got a few things I need to finish so Grandmother's Choice is the last Sew-Along I'm going to start--please remind me of that the next time I get excited about something new that comes along.

To see what others are up to go to:  Judy L's Design Wall Monday blog.

Let's Quilt!

Barbara

My Hospital Stay OR Why BOTH of us were admitted

Here's the story of my week:

In preparing for total knee replacement on Monday August 20, I told my husband I needed him with me much more than last time, when he spent about 20 minutes a day with me after work.  He took this week off from work so he could be at my side as much as I needed.  I also told him to get a good book or two, as he would mostly be sitting in my room.

The day before we worked for 3 hours in the yard, as usual, and he didn't drink anything while doing that--I drink a lot of water each time we work out there.  Monday morning he had a small breakfast before we left for the hospital at 5 am.  I reminded him to bring a book, but, no, he'd be fine.  So, while I'm in surgery, he decides to give blood!  He did not drink anything afterward, saying he'd be fine and would drink something later. 

I got to my room about 11 am, feeling pretty good considering the major surgery I'd just had.  At noon I told him I was a little woozy and he said he was too.  I turned to look at him, he was very pale, and then he said "Hit the call button".  It took a second for me to get what he was saying but when I looked at him again, he was totally passed out, pale as a ghost, jaw slack, head hung back.  Gone.  I buzzed for help, RNs come right in but go to me first, thinking I'm the one with the problem then see him.  "CAll for the crash cart!"  Many people come running and fortunately, my nurse, Adam, remembered Will said he had given blood.  They got juice into him and had to persuade him to go to the  ER--at first, he said "No, I'll be..."  Yep, FINE!  They take him to ER and more than 8 hours later he was admitted for further monitoring.  He was a patient until Wednesday noon when he went home to shower, change, grab lunch and come back.  I didn't see him during this time though we spoke on the phone from time to time.  So I can't say he wasn't in the hosptial with me this time, he just wasn't "with" me!

I had to call my local son to have him go to the ER to stay on top of the situation there.  His wife arrived mid-afternoon, so they could split their time between us.  They contacted my Nashville son, who arrived at 11:15 pm, once Will was admitted.  He only stayed until the next morning but at least my husband could quit worrying about the house!  Joshua has a wedding to shoot in Marfa, TX today and tomorrow so he flew to Austin yesterday and just couldn't stay with us any longer. 

The good part of this is that I didn't worry about myself at all--everything went very well for me.  Until he was admitted I just tried to prepare myself for seeing medical personnel and a chaplain come to me.  He could have been gone, he now realizes that, and it was just lucky that he was sitting in a hospital room when he blacked out.

I got home yesterday, have done well with hospital therapy and home therapy today.  I mananged to get the same home therapist I had 5 years ago, I really like her and was glad she was still there. 

Each day will see some improvement and eventually, I'll be better than I was.  It's a very slow process but I know I will get there.  No photos this post--you don't really want to see a big bandage on my knee, right? 

Now I'll take a little nap, then dinner--he's being extra sweet to me now!  It's hard for a patient who prefers to be left alone to be all about the needs of a patient who wants to be taken care of!  He's doing better each day.  But I think he was relieved when I told him a little while ago, he should plan to return to work Monday--I've got quilting friends coming each day to make/bring my lunch, and with therapy twice a day, and resting in between, I'll be "FINE"!

Please quilt something this weekend and think of me--I may not be up to working on all the projects I prepared just yet!

Barbara