Church Thanksgiving Celebration

I attended my little church's annual Thanksgiving celebration after service yesterday. The food (turkey and dressing and so much more) was amazingly good and the fellowship was fun. I made the pasta salad.

By the time I got home, my back was hurting so badly that I could do nothing but lie on the couch and read. I managed to get up later in the evening and make a batch of Loaded Fries, but I didn't feel like eating any of them. I overate at the church luncheon and really wasn't hungry anyway. So Jesse ate them all.

I hope to get to the sewing room and make at least a couple of cat blocks for Kris's quilt later this afternoon. But first there's laundry.

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On 11/18/2024, Barbara Anne said ...

I'm so glad you were able to attend the Thanksgiving celebration at your church and look at all of that scrumptious food! It would be difficult not to over-eat with all of those delicious choices.
Your pasta salad looks yummy! Lovely table decorations, too.

In a bit I'll send you an email photo of the cat quilt I made about 30 years ago for my dear Aunt Connie, Mom's older sister. She died about 20 years ago and I have the quilt back again.

My sewing mojo seems to have departed and that's awful at this time of year.

Hugs!
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Quilt Progress

I finally got the last one of the blocks for my Teacup Kitties wallhanging done. Each kitty represents a month of the year. Top row: January, February, March, April
Middle row: May, June, July, August
Bottom row: September, October, November, December.

I will sash them together, but I haven't decided what fabric or fabrics I'll use for sashing. And I'm thinking I might change the layout to four rows of three blocks each to be more representative of the four seasons.

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I have 14 blocks (12 large and 2 small) made for a quilt I've been promising a friend for a Long, long time. It's finally going to become a reality, if I don't hit a snag, as my daddy would say. The friend is actually the daughter of my best friend from school days (from 6th grade until her death a few years ago).

So that's all the sewing news for now. I failed to get a photo of the Girlfriend Quilt before it went to Angela (the longarmer). That Will have to wait till it comes home. I'll get my book reports updated next. Happy weekend to all.

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On 11/17/2024, Sandra Clarke said ...

Glad to see you back, you have been busy!!!! Love the kitty quilt!!

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On 11/18/2024, Barbara Anne said ...

What delightful kitties in seasonal cups and I love your idea to have them in 4 rows of 3 kitties per row. That's how the year rolls around, after all. :)

I look forward to seeing the GQ when you're allowed to show it publicly!

Of late, I am bogged down with a too large quilt I was trying to machine quilt, but am going to hand quilt it instead. The budget won't stretch to paying for long arm quilting as it's now so expensive, at least here.

Hugs!
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Weeks Later

Don't know about Ozzy, but I've been in a slump. Thanks to those of you who checked on me to see if I was still around. I don't know what the problem is these days. Time just seems to go so fast that before I get half done of what I plan to do, it's time to do something else.

I have been sewing a little. I got the Girlfriend Quilt top finished and delivered to my longer quilting friend. I got the last block of the Cats in Teacups done. I started a cat quilt for a friend that I've been promising her for a long time. And I got my sewing room straightened up--but it didn't last. It's a bit of a disaster again. The only way to keep it presentable is if I just stay out of it.

Healthwise, I got plugs inserted in my tear ducts. The procedure is supposed to help with dry eye problem--which is a real problem with me. I've tried every drop, prescription and OTC, out there, and nothing does much good. The plugs seem to help, but they certainly don't cure the problem. But help is better than nothing.

I've been reading, of course. I'll do a book report post later. I'm about to give up on the Books Read sidebar. Typepad has just about made it impossible to use.

I'll also get photos of the quilt projects I've worked on.

I hope everyone had a happy Halloween. We had five Trick-or-Treaters here. That left me and Jesse with almost an entire large bag of Reese Cups to finished off. 

I haven't got Thanksgiving plans finalized yet, but I'm thinking it will be small--me, Andy, and Jesse. Not sure if Jesse with be celebrating with Alicia (girlfriend) or here.

Sorry for the long absence from the blog. I'm truly going to try to do better. Hugs to all. 

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On 11/16/2024, Sandra Clarke said ...

Glad to hear from you!! You have been very busy on the sewing of several projects!!
You get a lot more done than me!! I seem to waste most of my time looking at other people’s quilts!!!!

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On 11/16/2024, Barbara Anne said ...

How wonderful to see this new block post and am glad you've finished the GF quilt and gotten it to your LAQ friend with time to spare before Christmas!! Applause, applause!
Hope you find a working solution to the dry eyes problem as that sounds no fun at all.
I'm about to try to machine quilt a larger quilt than I've ever done before so am going upstairs to fuse the fusible batting again, the take a deep breath and begin. It won't be fancy stitching, only straight line, but that suits the Skylines panel (Hoffman) that's in the middle of the quilt. Do pray!

Hugs!

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On 11/17/2024, Sharon Bass said ...

Glad to see you back. Blogging seems to be a dying art. It seems strange to become so attached to people you have never met but you do. When you disappear for a long stretch of time I worry. I bet you never would have thought that your daily activities would be someone else’s daytime soap opera. Funny…. 😁
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Catching Up

This is my new granddog Ozzy. Daughter Andy recently adopted him. He initially showed up at Jesse's girlfriend's house, and after trying unsuccessfully to find his owner, she made him at home. But having one dog, two children, three cats, and a full-time job already, Ozzy (his name was Chip at the time) became too much for her. So Andy took him in.

At first she was sure she had made a mistake. Not having ever owned a dog that she was responsible for (we had dogs from time to time when she was a child), she was sure she had bitten off more than she could chew. But things are settled down, and Andy and Ozzy have bonded. They visit me frequently, usually on Saturday to watch the Bama game--or in the case of last Saturday, to watch movies as there was no Bama game. Ozzie is a very good dog and appears to be well cared for. He had not been snipped, but he has been now. And the vet gave him a clean bill of health.

As of yesterday, all the blocks, all 120 of them, are finished for the Girlfriend Quilt. I had hoped to get it to Angela for quilting by October 1, but I'm not sure I'll make that deadline. I still have to put the blocks together into a top. But I might. We'll see.

I have to get going. I'm sister Ramey's designated driver today for her colonoscopy. Thank goodness my last one was clear so I will probably never have to have another. Ramey's a little younger than me, plus her last one showed polyps. More information than you needed to know, I'm sure.

Happy Autumn, everyone. It's still hot as heck here, but we have a hurricane down the road.

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On 09/26/2024, Barbara Anne said ...

Your Girlfriend blocks are looking good and you know this quilt will be beloved by its recipient!

Do you put your square set blocks together like Mary Ellen Hopkins suggested? Lay out your blocks,pair them up from left (or right, top or bottom) and hold them with pins to keep them in pairs and to mark the side you sew on. When all pairs have been chain pieced together, press them, and then pin the pairs (next door neighbors) to the pair right below them, again with a pin to mark the edge you sew - and nestle those seams! You've added 'across the street neighbors'! When all are 4 Patches, then sew the 4 Patches to each other, and sew on! You've made neighborhoods, villages, towns, and when all are sewed you'll have two chunks of quilt blocks - a city! and there is only one seam to join the two chunks that goes all the way across the quilt side to side OR top and bottom. Brilliant. All chain piecing and it's together
before you know it. There is bound to be a You Tube video about it. This is how I always sew my tops together ... unless they're on point, of course.

Hugs!

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On 09/29/2024, Barbara Anne said ...

Me again! Please check your email. :-)

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On 10/31/2024, Barbara Anne said ...

How is this delightful 'Girlfriend' quilt progressing? Inquiring minds, doncha know?!

Happy Halloween, my friend!

Hugs!

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On 11/08/2024, MARY LINES said ...

Been forever since you posted. Is everything OK?
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Girlfriend Quilt Progress

I've promised to have Jesse's girlfriend's quilt ready for him to give it to her for Christmas, so I"ve been putting lots of miles on the old Bernina. I have 54 completed sawtooth star blocks and 6 half completed star block (photo above). That's 60 sawtooth stars that will be complete in the next day or so (assuming I don't have any more plumbing emergencies or other catastrophes). 

But that's only half the blocks. The star blocks will alternate with charm blocks (photo above). So I have to make 60 of those too. But they should be a little quicker than the stars. So I think I'll have it ready for the long-armer by the beginning or middle of October. I'm going to have her attach the binding too, so all I'll have to do after that is sew the binding to the front and make and attach a label.

Oh and I'm growing a little more fonder of the color scheme as I go.

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On 09/05/2024, Nancy said ...

Quilted Twins is having a big sale on orange fabrics. Have you picked a backing yet?
I am working on a Christmas quilt from a terrible pattern. I have had to redraft each block. Not for the faint of heart!

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On 09/05/2024, Barbara Anne said ...

What wonderful progress you've made and I love your alternate block choice! Keep on going as you're nearly there.

In the photo I sent you of the quilt I made for my mother (1995), I neglected to say the King's Crown block has the Flying Geese star points simply turned inward!

Hope you find a backing fabric in those happy colors. I'll be visiting the Quilted Twins site to have a look-see at their sale - thanks Nancy!

Hugs!

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Girlfriend Quilt Off and Running

I spent several hours yesterday working on the orange-teal-and-purple quilt. I played hooky from church this morning, planning to get back working on it. So far, plans have not panned out. I've spent most of the morning trying to get my email to work. Changing emails, posting codes, trying to figure out what passkeys are, and cussing like a sailor.

I finally got email working--for now. 

It remains to be seen if I'll get any sewing done today. I'm quite undone from wrestling with computer, email, and secret code issues all morning.

Happy Sabbath, everyone.

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On 08/11/2024, Barbara Anne said ...

My sympathy on the computer woes and bothers. Just last week, our sons finished the new computer they've been building for me and there area lot of kinks to be addressed before it functions like my old computer but better. For example, I can see what I'm writing now and on the old computer I could see sort of a white shadow of what I was writing on the white background.

Ahh, you're making my favorite quilt block: Evening Star. I'll send you a picture of the quilt I made for my mom that alternates this block with King's Crown blocks as you may like the look of those blocks together.

Hugs!
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Girlfriend Quilt Kickoff

A few days ago, Jesse asked me, rather haltingly, if I would make his girlfriend Alicia a quilt. And I, rather haltingly, agreed. Then he told me her favorite colors are purple, orange, and teal, so could I make it in those colors? 

Now I'm sure I have enough fabric to cover my neighborhood, or maybe even my town. I have multiple bins of blues, reds, greens, pinks, pinks, and more pinks. I have all manner of holiday fabrics. But of purples, oranges, and teals, I have little bitty piles. 

So the first order of business in making the girlfriend quilt was to go fabric shopping. Sister Ramey and I went yesterday. The above photo shows my haul. Then we had lunch at Cracker Barrel--after finding that our first two choices of restaurant were closed on Monday. But Cracker Barrel didn't disappoint.

I have to get busy now. I'm putting the two projects I was working on on hold for now to get started on the girlfriend quilt. Jesse better not break up with the lady before I get the quilt done. Because I know absolutely nobody else whose favorite colors are purple, orange, and teal.

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On 08/07/2024, Mary said ...

Those are beautiful colors - very tropical and happy! Bet they'll make a beautiful quilt.
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