Friday, December 31, 2010

The "No Feet" Post

Cheapo Fiscally conservative that I am...
I'm not willing to shell out moola for a picture of bare feet walking a path.

Which is what I wanted to end the year with.
The thought of me walking into the next 365 days.
Not knowing what they will bring.
But being thankful for each one.

Mostly, thankful for family and friends (this means YOU!) that walk the path with me or are walking another way and we intersect here and there.

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Monday, December 27, 2010

Turning the Corner!

My favorite day of the year just passed.
The winter solstice!
From now on, it will stay lighter just a little bit longer each day.
That means spring is on the way!

Trying to catch up on all the bloggy goodness that happened at Christmas.  I love reading about the traditions and memories families and friends kept and were making!

Hubby luv took the week of Christmas off for vacation.  The boys enjoyed having him home.  Javi is on a three week break from classes and Bean and Middleman are off this week still.  Friends over today to kick bootay on the XBox!

Some exciting news at our house!  We've adopted!  LOL
Please welcome Wee-kips to the family with us.
Here she is just waking up from her mid morning nap.  Not to be confused with her early morning or late morning nap.

Wee-kips was an outside kitty at KT's country home.  She has some issues due to what they think were either being hit by a car or attacked by a larger animal.  They live in coyote country and Wee-kips just showed up at their house late summer/early fall.  She also has something not quite right with her jaw as in head injury?

She is the most docile, loving, cuddly kitten in the world.  Lady and Peek-a-Boo are adjusting.  Speaking of, Peek has had a couple of instances where what we think is a tumor has burst.  It happened again this morning and we've decided that taking her to the vet would probably kill her (does not do car rides at all!) and the vet would either suggest putting her down or a treatment she might not survive anyway.
We've decided to keep her here at home and let Nature take its course.

Among some other fun, quiltey things, I finished the Aloha Quilt.

This is the back.  The two tall people helping me were Javi and his friend Josh.  Thanks guys!

This is the front.  I quilted straight stitch around the pinwheels and a meandering stitch on the large, floral print.  Just a thin edge for the binding.  I wanted to get better pictures, but the guys were needed in the family room to kill aliens!

Okay, not quite caught up on everything, but I feel better just reconnecting with blogland.

Hard to believe another year is almost here!  I don't do resolutions, because I usually break them.  LOL 

Wishing all a Happy New Year!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Friday Finish-Lazy Butt Blues

I live in Cornville, USA.
Our nightlife is eating out and trips to Wal Mart.
LOL
I do, however, belong to the Indianapolis Modern Quilt Guild.  I'm not sure why they let me in since I've never been to a meeting.
When you have kids, who have soccer, school, germs etc, you find your availability is a teeny bit constrained by them.

It's okay though.  'Cause I love them!

Anywho...
Karen's block for November.
Where did November go?
Oh, yeah.
LOL
So, tonight was the night to get up off my lazy duff and do some construction!

She asked for houses with block measurements in multiples of threes.  Mine ended up 12.5 x 12.5". 
I have learned not to try and quilt after a chemo treatment for my mom.  LOL
The brain disengages at the parking lot of the cancer center and I'm not exactly sure when (or if) it will decide to start functioning again tonight.  I loved the colors and fabrics she chose.  Not ones I would normally pick, but I loved the way it turned out.  That's what I like about the bees, you get to be out of your comfort zone and play on the wild side!  The orange strip at the bottom is for all the brick roads we have in our town that I just love.
I originally was going to try and do a block of my house......but.....ahem.  Simple really is better! 

You can see incredible, inspiring and beautiful pictures on our flickr group!

Mom's doing well.  She's experiencing some of the side effects of one of the drugs.  Bless her heart, she's a trooper.  She brought her knitting (she's making a prayer shawl for the church) but they vampired her and the iv was in the way.

Here's to a safe weekend for those traveling on the coming snow!
Here's to a better weekend than me for those who live a little bit more south and warmer!
Brrrrr!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our soccer coach's family is in serious need of a miracle.
Would you please lift them up in prayer over the next few days?







Wednesday, December 1, 2010

This Week's Finishes!

One reason I hate snow is that it's usually there because it's cold.  Too cold to go outside and take decent pictures of anything!

Madeline's block is finished.  I think I like it on point as much as not.  When I made the "Dove" in the middle, I just kept thinking bikini top or owl eyes.  'Cause what you don't see are the curved sides on this flower.  LOL  I'm glad it got sewn into something a little less crazy!

Both blocks together.  Funny, the solid one looks larger in dimensions than the scrappy one.  My points aren't quite like I would like them on this bottom edge for Madeline, but no amount of finageling would fix it!
Grrrrr.

Over the last few months, I've been stashing away orange fabrics with the intent of making a quilt for a cancer patient at the center where my mom takes her chemo.  I'm saving up blue as well (you can kinda see it on the left).  I'm thinking a HST one about the size of a large lap quilt, less than a twin.  Cancer patients receive Benadryl (or a form of it) when they take their chemo and this, along with the other drugs, can make them experience cold and chills.

I'd like to give a little warmth back into the world.


Happy, sunshiney, warm colors!

I'll be working on the November block for Karen for the IMQG bee.  She asked us to make house or building blocks (which I cannot copy and save the examples she sent, ratz!) in such vibrant, colorful fabrics!  Need to do a little planning on this one.


Carppy, crappy picture.  Here is what I've gotten done so far on my Lone Star quilt.  I started it at my mom's right after her latest chemo.  Dad was in the hospital and we didn't want her to be home alone during her "sleepy" weekend.

This is a QuiltSmart, fusible interfacing pieced project.  I've been wanting to do a Lone Star for a long time after seeing one at my LQS.  KT and I wrangled our broods and hubbies together in their "many" van on a Saturday and went together for some therapy.  I was going to buy the strip method pattern, until I saw this


pattern could be done on the fusible interfacing.  It's exactly like English Paper Piecing!  The seams fit together wonderfully!  The hardest part is figuring out what fabrics and colors you want to use.

Very much worth the money to buy the interfacing and do it this way, especially since this is a first time trying this pattern.  I have a better feel for how things go together and where to place fabrics.  I will definitely be doing this one again.  I just wish the pictures were better, but it's bleak, gray, white and cold outside.  Which, as you know, means dark inside!  Blech!

And it is that time of my life where my 5th grade student will be showcasing his burgeoning talent.

Ah yes!
Bean originally began with the French Horn.  But, it was difficult to play and gave him headaches.  Go figure!
So, he moved on to a trumpet like instrument called the cornet.
Much smaller, not as loud.
Yay!

Hope you all have a great day, despite whatever weather you're having.  If it's sunny and warm where you are, book me a flight and I'll come visit!  If not, I feel your pain!

P.S.
An update on my mom and dad.  Dad came home Monday from the hospital and is settling in nicely at home with things getting back to "normal" (if there ever is such a thing!).  Mom had her doctor's visit yesterday and will need two more chemo treatments and then will be on a maintenance chemo treatment once a month.
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.  That was a very long three weeks!

P.S.S.
Don't forget to check out Amy's blog for Sew & Tell's Friday Finish!