Test Block

I saw this quilt on Pinterest a while back and fell in love with it. I decided I wanted to make it to enter in the 2021 Quiltfest. The pattern arrived last week, but I only opened it yesterday.

Above is my test girl block. I see I got one of her pigtails too high, so I’ll have to figure out where I went wrong and correct that for the next girl. But I think this will will pass inspection as is. Little girls’ pigtails aren’t always symmetrical, you know.

There’s also a doggie block, a kitty, a small house and the large center school house, flowers, and a picket fence. I think it’s going to be fun to make. I won’t have to buy much, if any, additional fabric. I have plenty of cute prints in my stash. 

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 08/01/2019, Lisa Allen said ...

She's adorable!

---

On 08/01/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

What a charming quilt this will be and is sure to make folks at the 2021 quilt show smile. Enjoy the fun of making it and with those two cute blocks, you're off to a good start!

I'm with you on the varying height of pigtails!

Hugs!

---

On 08/06/2019, Judy Cloe said ...

Love this pattern. I look forward to seeing it in the next show!
-----

---

Puzzle Pain

All right now, this is getting ridiculous. I have had this “Starry Night” puzzle on my dining table for more than a month and here’s where I am. It’s not like I don’t try. I spend time with it almost every day. I calculate I’m getting about two or three pieces per hour of trying in. So I’ve decided that I’m giving it another week--and not just an hour a day. I’m going to devote lots and lots of time to the boring thing this week. No quilt making, no reading except when I go to bed at night. Only the very most necessary housework. If it isn’t finished by Sunday, I’m telling my sister she has to get it off my dining table. As Popeye would say, “Enough is too much."

In the past few weeks, I’ve discovered (and bought) these two puzzles that caught my eye. I’m very anxious to get going on them. Plus I have five or six more waiting in the wings that I’ve found at the thrift store.

By the way, Mr/Miss/Mrs Turtle was returned to the wilds of my back yard. When Jesse went out a little while later to check on her/him, the critter had absconded. It was nowhere to be see. Probably hiding somewhere from the two-footed monster who caught him and imprisoned him in a big white tub and let some cats stare at him. Live long and prosper, Turtle.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/29/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

Sorry Starry Night remains more of an annoyance that fun. Feel free to remove this puzzle from your dining room table and our life as it's become a pain in the neck or southwards. The tow new puzzles look wonderful and hopefully the makers didn't make the pieces the same shale.

May your turtle have a pappy life elsewhere.

Hugs!
-----

---

Another Beak to Feed?

Look what Skipper and I found a little while ago in our back yard. I was afraid if I left him out, a dog might get him. I also thought he needed water. But I don’t need another animal. I’m waiting to hear from my turtle-expert friend, and owner of two turtles, to see if she wants to add to her herd.

I guess I could take him down to the creek and let him go. Which I will probably do if Greta (the turtle lady) doesn’t take him. 

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/28/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

I'm not sure I'd want a turtle on a quilt, but it's your quilt and, for now, your turtle!

Hope your turtle loving friend will take him/her so he/she can live safely and happily ever after.

Hugs!

---

On 07/29/2019, Judy Cloe said ...

I think the turtle will be much happier released by the creek to live in the natural world.
-----

---

By the Pot or By the Cup

I have wanted one of these for some time. But with nobody in the house drinking coffee but me, I felt it would be a needless luxury. Jesse says he likes to smell coffee but doesn’t like to drink.

Anyway, daughter Andy gave me a Mayfair gift card for my birthday back in March. I had been procrastinating about what to spend it on until I discovered that Mayfair has the coffee pot for the same price as Walmart with no shipping fee. So I ordered it, and it came yesterday. You can brew and entire pot of coffee or a single cup. For the single cup, you can use pods or you can use the reusable filter cup that’s included to make a cup using your own ground coffee.

I am here to report that both the cup that i made last night and the pot that I made this morning turned out wonderfully well.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/27/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

How interesting. We use a Filtron cold water coffee system that we've had for about 35 years only buying new filters and such occasionally. It make concentrated coffee that is kept in the 'fridge and you put about an ounce into you mug and pour hot water over it. You get a fresh cup of coffee every time. We gave one to my parents as Mom would brew 8 cups of coffee in the morning and they drink it rehated all day. Ick!

I'm delighted this works for you!! Enjoy!

Hugs :)

---

On 07/28/2019, marie said ...

i'm glad you got this and hope you're enjoying your coffee! yum!
-----

---

Fixed!

It wasn’t difficult at all to fix the Stegosaurus. The seam ripping was the hardest part. I never have been very good at taking out seams. But once I got the offending pieces out, it was easy peasy to put the correct ones in. For the tail, that meant just adding one half-square triangle. For the front leg, I actually made a new unit and replaced the old one.

I’m considering not adding borders as I had planned. I like the size it is now. I think maybe a binding made either from the leafy fabric or the dark green will be sufficient to frame the piece.

Now to get in a little afternoon reading.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/27/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

Way to go!!!

Hugs!
-----

---

Curses!!!!

I thought I had the Stegosaurus top finished except for adding the borders. I photographed him then came downstairs to download the photo and write a blog to post in the morning. While I was writing, I kept thinking “something doesn’t look right.” Then I looked back at the illustration in the instructions and about had an aneurism. Both his front leg and and his tail are wrong. Back to the drawing board--er, uh, I mean sewing machine.

I normally love this kind of piecing, where you cut out only squares and rectangles and sew them together in such a way as to create your design. This one, however, gave me some periods of frustration. The instructions were pretty awful. Some pieces were labeled incorrectly in the instructions and/or diagrams, one diagram was missing. And the instructions were crammed together in great chunks of type instead of separating steps into bullet points or at least separating them with line spaces. Now that I’m looking at my finished piece, I see that I didn’t catch all the mistakes in the instructions. Or maybe I added a couple of mistakes of my own.

Below is a photo of the diagram. You can see where the errors occur.

I don’t believe it will be too difficult to fix. Redo the front leg unit and replace the dark triangle in the tail with a background triangle. Easier said than done, probably. 

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/26/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

What a bother to be faced with bad instructions and then to have some annoying mistakes, too. Your Stegosaurus looks good to me, so perhaps he/she can stay as it is?

TGIF!

Hugs!
-----

---

So Here’s the Deal

I had a nice visit with my primary care doctor and his nurse practitioner yesterday. Somebody (namely them) had the guts to tell me, straight out, what the other doctors I’ve seen have beat around the bush about. I cannot expect to ever be totally pain free again.

Strangely enough, that’s somewhat soothing. I’ve been worrying that there’s a cure out there somewhere that I just haven’t found yet. Turns out, that’s one thing I don’t need to worry about. 

But the news isn’t all bad. Dr. G thinks perhaps we can get the pain to a manageable level, a level at which I can go about living my life without having to stop every few minutes and lie down.

We’re going to start with physical therapy. (Note: This hasn’t helped in the past, but I’m willing to give it another go.) We’ll give that a chance to bring help, how ever long the therapist thinks I should give it (or however long my insurance will pay for it). If that doesn’t get me to a level where I can function more comfortably, Dr. G. is going to refer me to a pain specialist. He promises he knows one who doesn’t just give you a bunch of pain pills and send you home to bed. He didn’t go into detail as to what the pain doc does do. I guess we’ll have to see if and when it comes to that.

I believe I’m going to actually make it to the sewing room today. So here I go.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/25/2019, Denise Fischer said ...

I am glad you have a better picture of what's going on. I would suggest trying a different physical therapist than last time, different ones might have some slightly different training. That worked for me. Also a pain specialist can do wonders. My daughter was referred to one at Stanford when she was a teenager and that guy had some great techniques that were not meds.
-----

---

You Ain’t Gonna Believe This

I still can’t believe it. I actually managed to run my car over my cell phone and render it disabled.

Here’s what happened. Arriving home yesterday after having lunch with my sister and two friends, I pulled up to the mailbox to get the mail. I opened the door, reached into the mailbox, got a couple of pieces of mail out, closed the car door, and pulled into the garage.

As I started to get out of the car, I couldn’t find my purse. I knew it had been in my lap ever since my sister and I left Sonic where we had stopped for a thirst-quenching cherry limeade. It was on my lap, so that my sister would have access to the passenger seat, and when I let her out at her house, I didn’t move the purse from my lap to the seat I wish I had.

After searching the car over for my purse, I decided to check at the mailbox, as that is the only place I had stopped since I knew I had gone into my purse. There lay my purse in the grass under the mailbox. But, faith and begorah! there lay my cell phone in the street where at least one of my tires had run over it. 

You can see the damage in the photo--crushed. It tries to work, even rings from time to time. But I have no control of anything about it, and the screen is just a mishmash of images.

So I have to get a new phone. Mine was not an expensive phone, thank goodness. So there’s that.

I also need a new back, but those are less easily acquired. I have an appointment with my primary care physician tomorrow to do some additional evaluation of my pain situation and hopefully refer me to some sort of specialist. I’ve been to many, but not in the last almost two years. So I’m hoping with my fingers crossed that somebody has come up with something that might offer some help. It is getting tougher and tougher, by he day, to walk. 

But for today, I have a book to finish and then I plan to go to the sewing room and do at least a smidgen of work on the Stegosaurus.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/23/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

OH! Say it isn't so, girlfriend! What a bother to have to get a new phone but I applaud your detective skills in finding the squished phone - and your purse.

I hope and pray that your doctor has a good idea about new and improved treatments and/or medications to help your back or has a most excellent doctor to refer you to. Wishing you WELL!

Hugs :)

---

On 07/24/2019, Nicole said ...

Ack. These things happen....Have fun figuring out the new phone. So sorry to hear about your back issues.
-----

---

I Haven’t Given Up...

...on anything. Although there have been times. My sister’s “Starry Night” puzzle has been in danger of going back where it came from (its box) several times. But I persevere. I manage to get two or three pieces in most days--but them only by chance. I just pick out a spot and try every piece (they all look virtually alike) until voila! something fits--or doesn’t. 

I certainly haven’t given up on Cait’s stegosaurus wall quilt. I just haven’t been able to get back into the sewing room since whatever day it was that I worked on it. I have his head constructed and part of the fins (no photo, sorry). Too much to do and not enough ability to do most of it. Lots of reading books required for one thing or another--either for book club or ones that someone has asked me to read and keeps at me to read them.

I haven’t given up on my physical condition either, although it’s a hard row. Walking is getting more and more difficult, more and more painful. Yesterday I tripped over one of the pets’ water bowls, kicked it into the dining room, water went everywhere. And if not for some quick thinking and quicker grabbing, I would probably have landed in the dining room too. The water and food bowls aren’t even in traffic areas. I keep them out of the way to avoid accidents. But somehow, I managed to connect my big foot with one.

I did just now give up on my resolve to not take any more Flexeril. I hate that stuff. I think I have said before that it makes my body feel like a tub of green jello. I took a hot shower, applied two of the patches daughter Andy gave me, and then swallowed a Flexeril. I’m waiting now for the green jello to arrive. It won’t be long, so I best close this post and pick up my book and get a few pages read pre-jello.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/19/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

Well done on the Starry Night puzzle and your start on the stegosaurus wall quilt!! Fabric left the mailbox today en route to you. btw. :)

Sorry you're still not feeling good and are finding no relief from Flexeril or other such medicine and for the annoying encounter with the water bowl. Isn't it amazing how far water spreads when it has spilled?

Wishing for things to be better inside and outside you, my friend.

Hugs!
-----

---

Santa’s Workshop Revving Up

Today I worked on a Christmas gift for my writer/paleontologist daughter Cait (she never reads my blog, so I think it’s ok to post this). Ever since Cait was a little kid, she has loved dinosaurs. Now when she isn’t writing novels and short stories, she works preparing fossils for a local museum. So I thought a quilted wall hanging featuring a fearsome stegosaurus would make a neat Christmas gift. She can hang it in her office.

I didn’t fire up the sewing machine even once, but I did get a lot of cutting done. This little piece requires a LOT of cutting. I got all the background pieces and the dark-skin pieces cut out and labeled before my back cried “uncle.” Tomorrow I hope to get the rest of the cutting done.

Pattern Source: Sew Fresh Quilts (https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com)

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/15/2019, LaVoice Morgan said ...

What a neat idea. I am sure she will treasure it. You do nice work.

---

On 07/16/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

Stellar idea and it couldn't be more perfect for Cait! DS1 loved dinosaurs as a small child and I turned a dinosaur print hand towel into a hot water bottle cover for him all those years ago as he had lots of ear aches back then. He went from that to a fascination with bones.

Enjoy the process and rest when you need to!

Hugs!
-----

---

Quantum Leap

Well, I’ve tried everything else for pain relief--every kind of salve, cream, ointment, patches, drops, pills, exercises, CBD in both oil and gummy form. So why not quantum physics?

Daughter Andy brought me these patches this morning to try for my back pain. Somebody she knows says they work like magic, so here goes. They’re supposed to work with quantum physics--no drugs or chemicals. I’ve had one on my back now for a few hours. So far, I can't tell a big difference, but I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve given it a good try. If I find it doesn't help, I suppose the next thing will be graveyard dirt and eye of newt.

Sister Ramey and I made a short trip to a local thrift store just for fun. I got Skipper this little shirt to wear when we watch Bama football this fall. It’s actually a baby shirt, but it looks just Skipper’s size.

After we perused the thrift store, we had lunch at Rusty’s Barbecue next door. If you ever have occasion to be in or near Leeds, Alabama, I recommend you give Rusty’s a try. Some of the best BBQ in the land (pork, beef, chicken, ribs). They also have scrumptious vegetables. I always get their fried okra.

Now I’m back home on the couch with Skipper. He’s napping and I’m about to do some reading. Happy weekend to all.

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/15/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

I'm so sorry you're enduring so much pain and hope those patches did you a world of good after a while. There is always moving to a state where cannabis is legal and go that route. There are so many strains that help this and that, surely there is one that relieves your type pain. Hope somehow you're feeling better today.

Love the Bama shirt you found for Skipper to wear during games. Roll Tide!

Big hugs!

---

On 07/17/2019, Sandra Clarke said ...

Where do you get the patches you mentioned. My friend has much back pain! Thanks!
The dinosaur quilt will be a wonderful gift!
-----

---

Shiny and New

What did we ever do without microwaves? For some reason, mine bit the dust a few weeks ago. I can’t understand why. It was only 25 years old. But it did. It zapped out. Jesse and I endured a few weeks without a microwave, but we finally decided it had to be replaced. We were addicted to nuking. Not that we used the microwave for cooking really. But we found it essential of thawing frozen foods and heating up leftovers and late night snacks. We just couldn’t seem to remember to plan ahead and take something out of the freezer in time to have it for a meal.

So we measured our space, and I went on Amazon and found an oven that would fit, and it was shipped to us post haste--or Fed Ex haste actually. Since Jesse declared he could install it, I wasn’t worried about that part of the project. Until the thing got here and it was soon evident that this was a two-person job. I tried to be the second person, I truly did. But it took no time at all to figure out that I was the right person for the job.

So Jesse called a friend who found time to help--after a couple of weeks wait. They worked for an hour or so before the friend had to leave, at which point the oven was sort of hanging from the wall--not stable, not usable. But I was assured that the friend would be back the next night to finish the job. The friend did not come back the next night, nor the night after, nor any night for the next week or so. It was time to send out an SOS. 

So I called some good friends of mine, Lori and Greg, who are always happy to help. They had a baseball game to attend that night, but the very next night they showed up with tool box in hand. In no time at all, Jesse and Greg had the oven installed and usable, and Lori and I had a good time talking and laughing and petting Skipper. 

I never let a kind act go unrewarded if I can help it. I had a still-warm peach cobbler, fresh out of the oven, for our friends to take home with them.

I haven’t done any quilt making lately, but I have plans. Exciting plans. Stay tuned.

 

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/09/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

So glad you new microwave is installed and useful at last. We are spoiled to all sorts of kitchen convenience items, aren't we?

Oh, don't you miss Service Merchandise? It was a one stop shop for small appliances and other things and you could comparison shop among several brands of each item.

We've discovered a yummy frozen Chinese food maker called InnovAsian and found the Sweet & Sour Chicken, the Orange Chicken, or the General Tso's Chicken delicious. There are other varieties but we haven't tried them. The meals can be cooked in a pan, the oven, or the microwave tho we haven't used the microwave yet. They also offer one person meals, two person meals, and family meals but you might have to shop around for the one person meals. I've found the best selection at Kroger.

I look forward to hearing about what you're making in your sewing room!

Hugs!
-----

---

Wishing All a Star-Sprangled Fourth

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/04/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

What a charming picture!

Happy 4th to you, too, Susan. Hope your many red/white/blue household decorations and quilts have your home - and yourself - ready to celebrate with family and good food.

Out flag is flying, the eggs are ready to devil, and both Vidalia Onion casserole and Potato Salad are made, We'll have hot dogs and corn on the cob, too. Yum!

Hugs!
-----

---

Lots of Laughter and Quilts

Yesterday was the July meeting of quilt bee. We met at Cyndi’s house, and the only bad thing was that I had to climb a hill from where I parked my car to get to her front door. I was nice and didn’t park in the driveway, leaving others room. I should have been selfish. It was a hard climb. But worse, later when I left to go home, I got to my car only to realize that I had forgot my bag with my show-and-tell in it. So I had to climb the hill again. Almost didn’t make it that time.

But it was a great meeting. I don’t know what got into us all, but we laughed about everything--especially a discussion about a former member whose name Rita was trying to remember. We went through all the names of all the former members we could think of, but never hit on the right one. Cyndi even brought out her “President’s Quilt” from the mid-90s when she was guild president to see if that person had signed her quilt. She had not. But we did learn, from Rita, that she drove a Saturn and lived in Something Woods.

Enough of that foolishness. We also had a great display of show-and-tell. Here it is.

Rita found three quilts in a box in her mother’s attic. The quilts date to sometime in the mid-30s.The tops were made by Rita's grandmother and probably quilted by a church quilting group. Some needed repair.  One had stains on the back from being in the box for so long. But even with a few stains and frays, they were beautiful.

***

Nancy made this colorful top. We  encouraged her to add a bright border or two for a terrific child’s quilt.

 

***

 

My show-and-tell was my recently completed charity cuddle quilt, made from a Pat Sloan pattern, using a few of my collection of novelty squares from past swaps. I entitled this quilt “I Spy By Starlight.” 

 

***

 

Doris showed us her sweet quilt top, made from a Panda Panel. We loved the green and gold top and bottom borders, which she confessed were the result of a mistake. Instead of cutting both colors the same size, the gold was accidentally cut and inch smaller, resulting in the staggered checkerboard. We liked the mistake better than we would have liked a true checkerboard pattern.

 

Doris also won some black and white squares and came up with this interesting way of displaying them. Doris said it wasn’t easy figuring out the math, but we all loved the finished project.

 

***

Note: All photos by Cyndi Wheeler.

 

---

This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.

On 07/03/2019, Barbara Anne said ...

Love the quilts, one and all, and am glad you were able to make it to the party.

Laughter is good for what ails anyone, but not so much when climbing a hill twice. Methinks I'd have called Rita and asked her to have the next person leaving bring your bag to you at the bottom of the hill or to toss the bag down the hill!

You've reminded me to check out Pat Sloan's free patterns. Thanks!

I highly recommend Crystal Light's Peach tea for this awful summer heat.

Have a happy 4th!

Hugs!
-----

---