Another finished

This quilt is the one I had finished a couple of days ago before the neighborhood drama.  The items on the blocks are to represent each grand child of the owner.  With 4 blocks left blank for future grands.  Because the items were so varied in shape, I decided to do meandering.  Yes, I do use meandering quite a bit.  I like it for versatility.  I could do many different background fillers but meandering requires less mental planning for going around things.  I did the binding by wrapping the backing over the front. 

On the outside border I did a feather and leaf design.  The feathers and leaves flip flop from side to side.  I used monofiliment thread to give the design a bit of shine and at the same time not distract from the grand kid blocks.  I didn't want to use a black thread because the owner didn't want black thread on the back.  I couldn't use one color in the front and one in the back because then there would be a polka dot design on the back.  It's almost impossible to balance the tensions perfectly enough to prevent polka dots.

Here's a look at one of the blocks with a meandering background.

I know it's hard to see the sashing stitching but it's a leaf design.  You may be able to see it better if you click the photo to make it larger.

Here's a look at the sashing design from the back.

Here's a look at the border design from the back too.

Another look at the sashing design.

I feel much better today.  I do get frustrated with my neighborhood at times and really wish I could move away.  Then, after I think about things, I realize that no neighborhood is truly safe from crime.  Heck, I see the news everyday, there is crime everywhere.  Even rural areas have meth labs, pot growing, robberies, and murders.  Burglary happens everywhere.  Thieves break into houses in the country the same as the city.  Thieves target businesses as well as boats on the river.  In all honesty, we are not even safe from crime in our own homes by way of our computers.  Cyber crimes are just as bad as in person crimes.

Crime just seems to be more noticeable in the city because there is more people in the city.  My neighborhood is more concentrated with unemployed individuals so the crime rate is higher.  I guess what I'm saying is that I live here and this has been my home for many years.  I've watched kids grow up and have kids.  I watched those kids grow up and now they have kids too.  Everyone knows me and I know most of them.  If I moved someplace else no one would know me and I'd be sort of alone.  I may get frustrated again and rant on my blog about it but.... here is where I live and here is where I plan to stay until the time when I can't live alone anymore.

They are done

The two memory quilts are finished and have been picked up.  I believe there will be plenty of tears over the weekend.  I'll hear all about it Monday when the man comes back to do some more handyman work for me. 

This is the first one.... left side.

The right side.

The tribute square.

The second one.... left side.

Other side.

The tribute square.

I did simple crosshatching all over both the quilts because it's subtle and follows the squares theme.   Her clothes are the important focus.... not the quilting.  I used cream color thread except for the tribute squares.  On those I used mono thread.  I wrapped the backing over the front for the binding.

It's a holiday weekend and I plan on relaxing instead of quilting.  I might work on the garden... then again... maybe not.  It's supposed to rain most of the weekend.  Actually, they say it will probably be raining until Friday of next week. The river is still at flood stage and the weather service can't make up it's mind how much farther the Ohio River might flood.  One prediction says it will be at 29 feet above flood stage and other predictions say only 27 feet above.  A flood is a flood... how much water doesn't matter... it's still destructive and dangerous.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

What is today?

Monday after my doctor appointment I came home to work on getting rid of this.

Which now looks like this. 

This side.

Now looks like this.  See how much the cherry tree in the foreground has filled out in only a couple of weeks?  It's full of tiny cherry buds.

I got lucky Monday.  I saw a city clean up crew working in this area cleaning up damaged trees from the last storm that came through our area.  I asked if they would mind cleaning up the wood from back behind my house too.  To my surprise they did it!  They didn't mind adding my stuff into their load even though it wasn't on their list.  I went behind them and raked up all the little stuff left behind. 

Along about dark I'm standing admiring the work that's been done and I'm thinking to myself that this should be my next project of cleaning up the jungle.  All the vines and small scrubs that are growing in the fence.  If I don't take care of it right away it will take over the yard by summer.  I think I can start on it in the morning.

I hear a little voice in my mind say..... today is the 18th.  Then it dawned on me..... the date is the 18th!  Yikes!  I had completely forgotten.  The two quilts which are my part of the bargain are supposed to be finished by the 22nd.  I had agreed to change the due date a couple of weeks ago so he could give the girls their quilts for their birthday.  I've been so thrilled and involved with the changes in my backyard I had completely forgotten about the new due date.  So today (Tuesday) I headed straight to the studio when I got up.  The tops are now done and ready for quilting.  

She wore a shawl quite often.  She had two favorites which are now the borders on the quilt.  The one above was a shawl of fleece.  This one is handwoven from Mexico.

Because of the loose weave it took quite a bit of work to keep it from raveling after the cutting.  I put a stabilizer on the back then cut the strips.  Handling very gently I put fray check along the edges then zig zagged to hold it together.   Tomorrow the first will be quilted, hopefully before Ladybug arrives.  The other will be quilted on Thursday and the binding on both will be done Friday morning.  Providing..... we don't loose power during the storms coming through here tonight. 

He came by today to give final approval of the tops.  Last chance to make changes before the quilting is done.  It's always a teary eyed emotion when the quilt tops are viewed for the first time.  I believe his daughters will like the quilts as much as he did.   I could hear the angel whisper in my ear.... you did good. 

Flu bug and angels

I have the flu.  It's running rampant through Kentucky right now and probably other places too.  I should still be in bed.  I've been sleeping off and on, day and night, since Wednesday afternoon. 

The battery in the smoke detector decided, last night, that it would start to die.  Which meant every 3 minutes it beeped a warning.  After a couple of hours of listening to the beep I decided to go ahead get up and change it even though I felt miserable.  I keep spare rechargeable batteries all the time for different things. 

Well, since I'm up anyway, I decided to take some chicken soup out of the freezer to eat.  Yup, for breakfast.  Chicken soup is good for the flu or a cold.  It will give me strength and help me sleep.  While I wait for the soup I'll fill you in on what I did before the flu bug got me.

Saturday was Ladybug's birthday party at Puzzles Fun Dome.  That's where I must have gotten the flu.  There were lots of kids (with runny noses) zipping around all over the place. 

I spent most of Sunday with the online class videos.  By golly..... I think I'm learning it!  I was doubtful before and now I'm just thrilled. 

Monday I had an appointment which lasted all day.  Actually it was supposed to be a seminar about saving money on utilities.  I knew more than they did so I was bored all day.   As payment for attending I get a portion of my utility bill paid each month for a year.  Not a lot but I'll take it anyway.  Gotta save money whenever I can.

Tuesday I had another appointment.  My annual PAP test.  I was taken to a room that was freezing cold, told to remove all my clothing, then given what looked like a paper towel to cover up with.  Geese!  It was up to me to choose whether to cover the top or bottom half of myself.  When the doctor came in I was covered by my coat and shivering.

When I got home, I started cutting apart the clothing for the two memory quilts I'm making.  There's three bags of clothing to make two queen size.  

I finished cutting the seams out of the clothing of one bag.  I need to buy a bolt of stabilizer before I start the piecing.  The other two bags will get done when I feel better.

Wednesday I finished the quilting on the quilt that's still on the machine.  When I finished it I was already starting to feel yucky so I left it there.  I'll take it off this weekend and take more photos.... if I feel better.

I also had two bags of inherited PIGS brought to me.  PIGS are projects in garbage (or grocery) sacks.  Some people call them UFOs too.  These were given to me to use for charity quilts.

So what did I get in the bags?  Well, there is this candlewick top.  The fabric is quite thin.  I'm thinking maybe I should take it apart and put stabilizer on the back of each square.  If I can work the cost into my budget?  The blocks don't look like they were cut all the same so squaring up the blocks should help too.

There is a lot of age damage to the PIGS.  Like this set of embroidery blocks.  I'm not sure what the brown stuff is.  I should wash these before piecing them together.  If the brown doesn't come out, maybe I can tea dye them. 

There's this set of painted ladies.  A couple of completed ones but the rest are not finished.  The paint is really stiff.  I don't know what kind of paint it was so I can't duplicate the original work to finish the blocks.  I'm thinking maybe I can finish these with my Tusaniko inks.  I'll check to be sure the original paint is permanent before putting more work into these.

These are appliqued by hand.  Enough for a whole quilt.... or two.  I'm thinking maybe some really pretty background quilting in the white area.  The fabric on these is really thin too. 

Hmm.... embroidery block kits.  But look at the staining.  I'm not sure how I will finish these.  I haven't done any hand embroidery in years.  I don't know if the stains will come out so I'm not sure I want to put a lot of hand work into completing these.  I can't wash them first because the design will disappear.  

These quilt blocks appear to be from a block swap or a guild.  A couple of the blocks have signatures on them.  These are also stained.  I think I can wash them before piecing together. 

Another hand applique top.  This will have to be taken apart, washed, and squared up.  I believe I can take this top apart and make two tops by alternating with plain blocks. 

There are three Dresden plate quilts started.  These should be fairly easy to complete.

There are a couple of nine patch quilts with large blocks started.  The pieces are cut, just not sewn together.

Here's another complete top.  It has me puzzled about what to do with it as well.  It has candlewick blocks alternating with yellow blocks.

I was surprised to find every one of the yellow blocks have a pattern drawn on them.  All different like the white blocks.  Hmm... were the drawings intended to be the quilting design?  An applique design?  More candlewick? 

This is where I will let the angels whisper in my ear.  What?  You don't know about the angels?  Let me explain.  When I get clothing quilts or Pigs I never know exactly what the person (passed away) would want.  Clothing quilt designs are, of course, first chosen by the one who brings me the clothing.  I then put individuality to each one.  Inherited pigs are sometimes easy and sometimes difficult to figure out.  When I'm completing either a Pig or a clothing quilt I feel as if an angel whispers in my ear..... "do it this way"..... and I usually listen.  The recipient is always happy because I listen to the angels. 

Hmm... there are those who don't believe in angels.  I do.  I have sons who have passed away.  I choose to believe that...... There is a land where those who have loved and lost will meet to love again.  I choose to believe my sons and I are only separated until I see them again in that land. 

Ok, my chicken soup is ready to eat.  Then it's back in bed for me. A couple more days of rest and I should be back to my old self again.

I finished the inside border and the sashing on the quilt.  I did a type of flower and leaf design. 

It starts with the flower in the corner (cornerstone square) then goes out with a leaf vine to end with a flower at half way to the next corner.

I move to the next corner and work out from it to meet the previous flower vine. 

I took an order for two clothing memory quilts to make.   I'm doing these in exchange for some work on my house.  It will work for both of us.  I'm to have them finished by the first week of June. 

I have a lot going on and there's no time like right now to get started.