Christmas rush, rush, rush

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Today's finished quilt. I'm not sure what this top design is called but I like it. I did a Baptist fan in the center pieced area.


Then a freehand feather around the outside. In order to make the feather wave and curl I had to use the outside sashing along with the border.


This is a view from the back.


As each quilt gets finished; I get more anxious to start organizing. I've never felt like organizing so early before. These feelings always waited until January to come upon me. When I did the end of year paperwork is usually when I got the feelings to start cleaning and organizing everything else.

Probably because it has always been rush, rush, rush, to finish up the Christmas quilts. The working hours get longer so that more quilts get finished; then, the day after Christmas, it's totally quiet and there is nothing to do. No phone calls. No early morning to late night working. I would still be in the rush, rush mode and had to do something with all that adrenalin energy. So I would put it to good use by cleaning and organizing.

Ah, well, I have to do the same thing as anyone who is working an outside job, I have to wait for the time off. The vacation. That's what the time between Christmas and the January waiting list actually is...my vacation.

Ok, I have another quilt on the machine calling me to work......

Senior moments - a chuckle

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Blogger wouldn't let me post this morning so I'm here late. Karen did create a post to let us all know she came through the fires in CA fine.

This is today's finished quilt.


I thought mittens on the border was appropriate for this one. I did line dancing in the pieced squares.



Wind meander behind the appliqué and stitch in the ditch around all the characters.


This lady has got to be the Queen of appliqué! I took a really close up picture so you could see how her stitches are invisible. It's all needle turn.


Oh yes.....now the chuckle.....

I thought I was being so very clever. I even patted myself on the back for being so organized. Having so many grandkid's birthdays to keep up with; I decided to put them all on the calendar a couple of years ago. It's worked out very nice the last couple of years that I can look at the calendar to know who's birthday is coming up. I can send a birthday card in time for each to get it before the date.

A nice helpful memory trick for seniors......right? Well evidently I'm not seeing too well with the new glasses after all. Or else its another one of those senior moments.....

The other day when I came home from the hospital I saw the mailman getting out of his car down the street. I was still groggy from the drugs given to me in the emergency room....I go inside to wait for him. I took a glance at the calendar to see what quilt is due next thinking maybe I could put it on the machine before getting more sleep......oh no!....Ellen's birthday was the next day. I hurriedly address the envelop of a birthday card. I get this done before the mailman reaches my door. No problem....Ellen should get it the next day...right?

Ok, today I'm looking at the calendar again to see what quilt is due on the machine tomorrow.....yikes! The birthday wasn't Ellen....it was Ellis. DUH! Then the image of Ellen's face and the faces of her parents flash through my mind.....all I could do is start laughing at the perplexed look they must have had......since Ellen's birthday is in February. It must have been totally confusing for them to receive a birthday card three months early this year.

I'm still chuckling at the strange things I do sometimes in senior moments.....

What has stocking up on groceries got to do with quilting?

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I'll explain in a minute...but first, I have to ask, has anyone on the blog ring heard from "Seams to an end" Karen? Did she make it through the fires ok? I sent a comment through her blog asking but haven't heard back from her.

This is today's finished quilt. This quilt just seemed to say it needed simple quilting.


A close up of the quilting. I used the Circle Lord crosshatching template in the piecing. A simple freehand scallop along the border.


Yesterday was a day to stock up on groceries.



I leave them in the front room until I can put them all away. That will be done as soon as I finish the blogging for today. What has stocking up on groceries got to do with quilting?



Hmm... its like this...if I'm not worried about what's for dinner, I can keep on quilting.

This represents about 6 months worth of staples. It's part of my time scheduling strategy.....to get the maximum amount of work completed in the least amount of time.

As anyone knows, shopping takes time. I want to save time by shopping for 3 hours one time every 6 months instead of one hour once a week, or twice a month, or whatever time most people shop these days. The cost of gas is a factor too. The fewer times going to pick up a few items at the grocery, the less gas used. I don't have a car but my daughter takes me. It's still gas used. (by the way, gas was at $3.29 a gallon for regular yesterday)

I spent a little less than $150 for everything that should last a good long time. Last time I shopped for the same items it was a little less than $100. I can see the cost of gas effecting everything already. On average my eating had cost me about $3 a week. I can tell right now that it will change to about $5 based on what I spent.

My daughter will pick up eggs and milk for me when she is headed this way. I don't usually get fresh vegetables or fruits unless a customer feels like giving me an apple or an orange as a gift. (a banana is an extra special treat) My veggies and fruit are in a can or in the freezer. If I had a garden, I would can my own veggies....canned is good.

I did pick up some fresh mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower from the discount table. I couldn't find anything wrong with them except a dark spot here and there. Those will be put into the freezer.

I sometimes go to the grocery after my guild meeting once a month. I have someone drop me off right around the corner and my daughter picks me up there later. I only look for items that are on the discount table. Anything I can put into the freezer. Somethings I get lucky and there are bananas there. Most people are spoiled to blemish free fruits and veggies. I'm not. Very few things come from a home garden blemish free. A cut here and there and the blemish is gone.

So that's what stocking up on groceries have to do with quilting. It's just one less thing to worry about as I concentrate on getting organized, staying organized, and staying ahead of the waiting list.

I'm off to start putting away groceries. It will take time to prepare the stuff for the freezer. I may not get back to the quilting machine today. We shall see....

Today's finished quilts. This is a panel quilt. I used mono thread and stitched in the ditch then stitched around the characters.


I loaded both of these on the machine together. This is an appliqué quilt. I also used mono thread and stitched around the characters.


Then did a windy meander in the background.


The final push is on to finish up the Christmas quilts. When they are done....I can start to do some things for myself again. I'll have to prioritize my to do list before tackling anything though. I want to be efficient as well as organized.

A day in the emergency room

Today's finished quilt. A block of the month sampler quilt.


I did a curled feather in the outside border.


A flower and leaf design on the green sashing and a ribbon curl with flower on the cream color sashing.


A flower and leaf in the pieced corner stones.


I finished this quilt in time for my Sister-in-law to come over. I was busy putting her backing onto the machine when I felt a pain in my side that nearly knocked me down. I called for a taxi to take me to the hospital. We spent the day at the hospital with me drugged up and sleeping while she sat.

Turns out I had a kidney stone. I can't remember having that type pain since giving birth to my last child. Luckily, medication given through an iv tube broke the stone apart and all is better now. I came home from the hospital and slept the rest of the day and last night.

Today, I have to catch up on work left undone from yesterday. Customers are coming with the last of the Christmas rush quilts....I hope.