I'm back

My apologies for being absent so long.  A series of events have prevented me from posting for awhile.  The problems with the internet of course.  Then a quilt top I wanted to have finished for Father's Day.  Next was a day or two of typing answers to interview questions for an online newsletter.  I didn't realize how much time it would take to type answers to few questions.  I struggle with my grammar, spelling, and punctuation.  Then along came a bought with poison ivy.  I'm still itching from that.  I've been looking all around the neighborhood for Jewel weed (Touch me nots) and can't find any.  I've been using a baking soda paste since I can't find those flowers.  Anyone know where I can get some seeds?  I want to plant some in my back yard. 

 Oh yes, there was one day when I did something I haven't done in about 25 years and it felt wonderful!  It was just one small step in my journey back to a simpler life.  I went to see a Broadway musical with my daughter and Ladybug.  The last time I went to a musical was when my daughter was not much older than Ladybug is right now.  Why did I stop going?  Well, quilting commitments took up all my time. 

We went to see Shreck at the Kentucky Center for the Arts.  On a weekday night.  Even Ladybug really loved it.  When she is taken to see a movie she usually falls asleep half way through it.  She didn't do that with the musical though.  When it was over she asked if we could go back in and watch it again.  

She also enjoyed looking at the art hanging around the center.   Oh my goodness, the show was great!  It also brought back so many memories of the life I had before quilting commitments.  It was only one small step but that step is going in the right direction.  We are actually closer to the stage than the photo appears. 

Here is Ladybug trying to read the information about the actors.  No, I don't think she can read but she sure was intent on looking at it.  Maybe she's keeping a secret?  Can she read?  No, I don't think she can read yet but she has discovered the letters she practices writing can be found everywhere. 

Ok, on to some quilting stuff.  I finished this quilt.  It came out really squared. 

I used a dark thread to quilt a design on the plain blocks then went back with a matching thread to quilt around the design with meandering.

I did slightly wavy lines on the pieced blocks. 

I did a leaf and curl design on the setting triangles.  With a matching thread.  It gave texture without overwhelming the top design. 

I did a swag design on the inside border and a leaf vine design on the outside border.  I did the binding by machine. 

Here is a look at the back.

Ok, the quilting design is not much different than any other quilt I do regularly.  What was so time consuming about this one?  Well, the borders were much smaller than the top.  See how the border curves compared to the center area?   It was also an on point setting top which means more fullness to be worked into the quilting design.   Quilt tops like this take much more concentration to get finished as squared. 

When I say squared it always sounds wrong.  The quilts are actually not square but rectangle.  I refer to squared because the sides come out even instead of one side larger than the other.  I'm writing some tutorial posts to put on my other blog that will show the steps for quilting tops like this one. 

I have another quilt I'm working on and hope to finish it today.

Now where was I?

Sometimes its easy for me to loose track of what I've done and what I should be doing.  For several days, every time I wanted to get on the internet to answer emails or to write a post, this would happen.  I don't use anything electrical during a storm.   I think we are pretty darn lucky that we didn't have damage in this area like those who live in other states.  I see the reports on tv and my heart goes out to all of them. 

In between dodging storms, worrying about flooding, and dealing with my neighbor, I got a last minute ticket to ride the tour bus to Paducah.  It was a one day tour.  Someone couldn't go so the ticket was given to me.  Paducah was also dealing with flood and storm issues but our trip was somehow managed in between storms.  It was raining when we arrived, cleared up during the day, then started raining again as we left.

The flood issue was different.  The show was moved to different places around town.  Classes were held in a couple of churches, vendors were moved to different locations, and so forth.  This photo is inside the big white tent where normally there would be only vendors.  This year it held vendors plus the quilt show plus lots of people trying to get out of the morning rain.  The convention center where the show is usually held was completely under water.  It was very, very crowded in this tent so it was difficult to see the quilts.  It was also quite scary to me.  Why? 

Well, the big white tent was setting next to the flood wall.  I was told the flood water was at the very top of the wall.  I'm not sure but I believe the flood wall is about 30 feet high.  In a couple of places I could see a little water coming under the metal gates that connect the wall.   I kept thinking "what if the gates should fail?" so I got my behind away from there.  I can see the quilts another time.

Getting around to all the relocated vendor spots was difficult.  There was many more people riding the shuttle buses because of the distance to the locations.  It was an hour or more wait time for shuttles going to the farther spots or to get to class locations.  I did manage to finally meet a long time internet friend.  I've been trying to meet her in person at the Paducah show for several years.  I couldn't help but tease her a bit by not telling her my last name.  I simply said "I am Anita" then gave her a hint now and then in our conversation.  After about 4 or 5 dropped hints she finally had a look of recognition instead of a look of puzzlement.  I would loved to have stayed and visited with her a long time but with the shuttle situation as it was I had to leave.  It took me almost two hours to get from where she was to the tour bus pick up point.  Had I stayed any longer I would have missed the bus home.  I don't think they would have actually left me behind but ya never know.

I did manage to get my scissors sharpened by the scissor guy.  I've gone to him so many years that he knows me when he sees me.  He always has a smile and a wink when I arrive and greets me by name.  Funny how habits can form friendships. 

I bought these at Hancock's of Paducah.  I wanted a set of browns but those were sold out.  Hmm.... sold out early in the morning on the first day of the show?  There must have been someone there ahead of me looking for the browns.  I can still use these.  I wanted these for doing some portrait quilts...... IF I ever find the time to make them. 

Oh yes, I forgot, there is also a finished quilt to show you.  This one began with one side that was either two or three inches longer than the other side.  It is now square.  Hmm.... a half inch difference... but the best I could do.

The outside border I did a leaf and curl design. 

The first inside border I did a different leaf and curl design and a simple swag on the second inside border.

I did line dancing on the pieced squares.

Another leaf and curl design on the setting triangles.

One more leaf and curl design on the solid squares.

Here is the longer side border that I tucked to resemble a pieced border.  You can see that it does show but looks much better than it would if I had simply left it quilted with all those little tucks.

I'm hoping to get more work accomplished..... if..... if.... the weather clears up, the neighbors behave themselves, the machine acts right,.... well you know what I mean.

Busy busy

There were bills to be analyzed and paid.  An energy saving ideas seminar to attend.

* photo removed by blogger

Homework to complete.  I'm so loving learning to create portrait quilt patterns! 

A windfall of produce to preserve.  I got oranges, onions, grapes, potatoes, greens, and apples.

Cooking to be done.  Gee..... it gets eaten before there's time for a photo.  Actually, I gave both pies to neighbors as soon as they were cool.  He had picked taken one to carry home and return for the other.  He didn't want to chance dropping one by carrying both at the same time.

A quilt on the machine larger than the largest batting I had.  Time needed for adding extra batting.  It's stabilized and some of the quilting has been done.

A cabinet shelf that decided to fall down in the back.  I took the time to repair it then changed what is stored there.

Clothing to be cut apart.

Then cut into squares for two large memory quilts.  Luckily I could work on these when the power was out a few hours.  The storms pasing through were pretty intense that morning.  One tornado touched down not far from the nursing home my mother lives in.

I had cardboard furniture to be worked on.  I wanted to test a recipe for homemade paper paste.  So far it's working.

There was a food inventory to be done before my next shopping trip.  I'm tired of buying stuff because I didn't know I already had dozens.  My grocery storage had gotten way out of hand.  I desperately needed it organized.  I don't think I will need groceries for a very long time. 

A couple of doctor appointments and friends to help moving things to higher floors in preparation for floods.  A Ladybug that's discovered the fun of hide and seek.  Ladybug sitting to do crafts doesn't last as long as it used to.  There was company spending the day sitting to talk about troubles.  So what's a great listener to do but to sit and listen? 

With all these things going on over the last few days...... when was there time for writing a blog post journal entry?  Or even getting near the computer except to do homework for that matter?  The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity around here.  I'm hoping now that I've gotten myself a bit more organized I won't feel quite so overwhelmed.  I can't say I won't be just as busy.  At least I do feel a little better knowing where my groceries are located and how much I have.  Now I guess I need to organize my craft stuff too?  Nah.... that can wait a little longer.  There are projects to complete and homework to finish and friends to listen to and pies to bake and a Ladybug to run after...... here I go again.   

Catching up

Ok, a catching up post.  I did finish the quilt that was on the machine.  I'll show you photos in a moment.  I started my online portrait class and I LOVE it!  I'm finally learning how to create the patterns to do portrait quilts.  I had doubts about whether I could learn it or not.  I do learn.... it's the retaining the information in my head that worried me.  Margaret is a very patient teacher and easy to learn from.  I no longer have any doubts about retaining the information. 

I still have a lingering cough from the flu.  I'm allergic to the flu shots so when I get the flu it lasts longer for me.  I've gone through a couple of bags of cough drops already.

Thursday mother had a nasty fall out of her wheel chair again.  She got another bad gash on her forehead and had to be stitched up again.  She falls asleep in the chair and leans forward in her sleep until she falls out.  I suggested they start using a front opening harness that will keep her in the chair but is easily opened if she needs to use the bathroom.  Legally the nursing home can't use a chair harness unless the patient can open it them self for bathroom breaks or getting into bed.  The patient has to agree to use the harness and my mother doesn't agree.   

I did a little work on my cardboard blog this morning.  I made it so the steps are easier to find later if someone wants to do one step at a time.  The steps are listed along the sidebar.  I don't work on the cardboard stuff very often so the steps get added to the blog slowly.  For the new people reading this blog, my cardboard blog is about making real functional furniture from boxes that would otherwise be thrown into a landfill.  Right now I'm making a cardboard breakfast bar to go in my kitchen.  Later I will add smaller and more crafty items made from cardboard to the blog.  I call it cardboard but some people call it.... paste board or corrugated. 

Ok, here's the quilt I just finished.  You've already seen some photos I took while quilting it.  This is the top laying on the intake table. 

On the inside border I did a flower design in each 4 part section. 

On the inside blocks the centers were all different but the outside of the blocks remained the same.  I did line dancing on the centers. 

I did a flower and leaf design on the outside of the block.   This is the flower and leaves in the triangles.

This is the leaf design on the corners.

Here is the inside (pieced) border with the flowers from the back.

A look at the outside border with the weaving feathers from the back.

Another look at the outside border next to the inside border.  The weaving feather changes colors as it weaves.  It's a very subtle change between the two colors.

This is the sashing and corner stones from the back.

A look at the blocks from the back.

The next few days are going to be quite busy for me.  (So what else is new?)  I have a lot of work to catch up on now that I'm feeling better.  Right now I have homework to complete so I can turn it in today.  Later I plan to load the next quilt and start stabilizing it.  I need to work on cutting apart more of the clothing for the two memory quilts I'm making.  My house needs a good cleaning and I should make more chicken soup for the freezer.  I don't like not having it ready just in case I get sick again.  I've already been exposed to another winter time sickness which is a 3 day virus.   Geeze!  Why can't people stay away from me when they are sick?  Ok, it was Ladybug around me while she was sick.  She was exposed to it at daycare.  I love her anyway.

Still here

 The last few days I've had to be gone from home everyday.  I renewed my mother's state medical coverage.  I filed the annual guardianship reports with the court.  I had a doctor visit and some tests run.  I left home each day before daylight to catch a bus.  By the time I got home in the afternoon, I was so cold all I wanted to do is get under a quilt to get warm.  Writing a post or getting on the quilting machine was the last thing on my mind.  I did dress in layers but the cold seemed to go right through them.  Standing at a bus stop is not fun when it's freezing and snowing outside.

It's also not a good idea to tell in a blog when I won't be home.  There might be a burglar checking out my blog to see when he can stop by.  Yes, burglars do check blogs and facebooks. 

Anyway, I took some small work with me because I knew I'd be sitting in waiting rooms a lot.  I got the pieces cut out for this small quilt.  I ironed them all down to the background last night.

This is a gift for someone I know who has started an exercise program and diet.  It's a 2004 Jane Wilson pattern.  It's raw edge applique.  I bought the pattern back then because I liked the whimsy of it but never had a reason to make it until now.  It just needs a border then I can quilt it.

I also have a quilt on the machine.  I'm hoping to get the quilting finished by Monday.  It's a very large quilt.  I barely fit it onto the machine.  It's hard to believe this month is almost half gone.  Time moves so much more quickly than it used to. 

Ok, short post today.  The machine is calling me to get to work.