A new project

It's been really hard to get my get up and go going. Weather is so cold all I want to do is sit with a good book, wrapped in lap quilt and read with the noisy TV rumbling along in the background. It's been chilly with temps dropping into the 20's lately, snow promised which didn't arrive and wind storms on this the left coast.

I haven't been working on my block a day project instead have started yet another project that will not turn into a UFO. Last July at the family picnic my 22 yr old grandson asked me "Gramma, will you make me a new quilt, mine is way to small". I thought back to when I had made this quilt and realized it was for his 8th grade graduation and a lot of time has passed since then as well as growth as he's reached well over 6'4". Thinking all 3 of my grandsons are towering up to 6'7" I decided my goal should be 3 new quilts long enough to cover these long legged boys. Having made the mistake of asking what colors they liked I had to figure out what on earth I could do using neon orange, yellow, red, black and blue. The best I could do was choose 3 colors plus a black and do a sorta rail fence. Each one has different favorite colors, eye bleeding bright and black.




I started the first one having found the perfect batik black background with a pattern to it. Added some neon orange and a green. I have a good start almost half the blocks done on this one. Strips are cut and as I changed my mind in mid stream am short just a yard of solid black which necessitates at trip to my LQS for more. I would like to finish them all for Xmas and being realistic what with postage cost will have them done so they can take them home next July when they come to visit

Tomorrow I'm going shopping with my sister for Thanksgiving dinner. I've checked the weather reports which promise rain. I'm hoping there's not a repeat of last year when I woke up finding way to much snow to drive off my mountain. In any advent should it snow and I can't drive my BIL or Nephew will come fetch me and return me to home. John's ship is out to sea doing a cable repair and while they are supposed to be back in Portland on the 23rd this weather has delayed the repair and will certainly not plan on his being here for dinner.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving spent with family and friends.

Another day spent waiting on repair and delivery people. My new washer is all installed and been working quit well. This new washer isn't as fancy as the old one and doesn't have some of the nicer settings that the old one did but will make do. With everything being sent out of the country and hardly anything manufactured here in the good ole' USA things just aren't as good as they once were. My old washer lasted just 7 years and the one before that a good 20 or more. What I wouldn't give for some good old USA made appliances.

The plumber showed up on the heals of the washer delivery and nice guy that he was pulled out that nasty carpet in the bathroom and some of the staples. Not his job description but he did it anyway. Quite a few dollars later I now have a working toilet with a wet floor I am slowly drying.

Next up when the floor is dry I will have the fella out that installed my new flooring. He's saved the left over linoleum from the laundry room and it will be just enough to do the itty bitty bathroom floor. I've had my three's so now hopefully nothing else will decide to give up the ghost.

While the plumber was here I laid out and taped down my backing for the RR to pin sandwich it ready for hand quilting. Bless the plumber he said it was beautiful. I've started the quilting process. This one I am going to enter in our local fair this year and see if I can add another ribbon to the box I already have. It's not a large quilt, barely queen size and hangs just a bare 6" over the top of the bed but I'm not into having them so over sized they might as well be called bedspreads.



Tomorrow I go back to the LQS to pick up the background fabric I forgot to get yesterday so I can get back to my Block a Day which I haven't been able to keep up with. I'm not pleased with the way my photo's are printing out on fabric sheets as they are not sharp and the color isn't good. I've wasted so much ink and fabric sheets that I'm going to give up trying to print any more. Plus, they never print out where I want them too. I'm totally not printer savvy or I have a poor printer. I'm trying to make a memory quilt for my Roscoe and it's not working at all.


I'll leave you with Lady.

Lady Loves a Fire

It's been really cold in mornings and because my Wood guy hasn't called to tell me when he can deliver a couple more cords of wood for the winter I have been rationing what little fires I've had. Today he called and has several more cords for my winter wood so I cranked up the stove and raised the temperature in the house from 57 to 75 degree's. While this is a bit warm for me I can open the door to the garage and let some of the heat out. Lady loves a fire and will lay in front of the stove for days on end if it's got a fire in it. VBG

My block a day challenge has taken a back seat until I can get out to the LQS tomorrow and hopefully find some more of the fabric I have been using for background in my stars. I want to keep it consistent for some reason and haven't a clue why.

So tomorrow after the washer repair person comes I will go to town and hit the November sale at my favorite LQS. If I take a canned good for their food drive I can have 30% off one cut of fabric which will be nice as I need to get a backing for the RR. Also need to pick up 6 different colors to make a quilt for one of my grandsons who wants a real bright competition orange in his quilt and black to tone it down some. Kinda psychedelic I think. Lots of other good % off at my LQS as well.

Also need to call in the plumber as my master bedroom potty has developed a leak and I can't use it till it's fixed. It's leaked into the carpet in there (who ever decided carpet in the bathroom should be shot) so have to replace that as well which is a good thing as I am not pleased with it anyway.

Round Robins are finished

Today we exchanged our RR's. When all is said and done we all loved our finished top.
The suspence was killing us as we decided to wait till we were having our cinnamon bun break as we had to work on our Nieces top which we wanted to finish today and did.

Mine
Marcie
Pattie
Barb

Roscoe Blocks

I was thinking about Roscoe as I sat down to stitch up my blocks today. The sun was shining in the window where he used to lay as I sat at the machine. I don't know if others miss their pets when they are no longer here but I sure do miss mine.

Block a Day

Today I finished up cutting and sorting the strips into groups for our 2012 Family Raffle Quilt. I decided to do a block to make sure the measurements were correct. They were and I had to trim as I stitched each strip together. We have some stitchers in our group who haven't a clue what a 1/4" seam is and have to compensate by cutting an extra 1/8" to everything. I sometimes think they don't really care but just get 'er done. This is one of 2 blocks for our Triple Irish Chain.

I have cut pieces and parts for my Block a Day Challenge and finished my block for today. It's also a challenge for me to dust some left overs from other projects. I'm doing star in a star blocks in rich fall colors with some brights thrown in. I want to have every star different in some way. Today I felt rather down. While it was a sunny fall day I felt gloomy as is my block. I missed having my partner there in the sewing room with me. It's still hard to go in there and be productive but each day does get better.








My sweet great granddaughters at a 4-H event.
Reese raises chickens and does very well having won many championship ribbons. Brooke will follow in her footsteps as she gets old enough to participate in 4-H... Their Mom also raised chickens as her 4-H project and did very well winning many ribbons. I wish they lived next door so I could spend time with them.

A Kindness for Roscoe

Yesterday I faced the very difficult decision of calling Roscoe's vet tomorrow and making an appointment to have him Euthenized.

I sat and thought about what an active, feisty furbaby he has been all his life. From chasing his mice around the floor to playing soccer with bits of litter compared to these past few weeks when he became sicker and sicker and had to be hospitalized. The yahoo support group I found encouraged me with medications and sub-q IV treatment that I could give him a few more months of quality life.

I asked myself as I sat with tears in my eyes what kind of quality of life was I giving him? I look at my wonderful kitty and can't help but cry when I see him hiding behind the bathroom door, not eating, struggling to his water dish and litter box. The hardest part which makes my tears flow is his not wanting to be held. The struggle giving him medications that I have to force on him and the IV's is not being kind but cruel to a dying kitty.

Yesterday my sister asked me if I was going to have him cremated and if not her friends husband makes small pet shrouds. She has picked out a burgundy one for him and will go with me to the vets. Her husband is going to make him a box and prepare his final resting place out under the trees and ferns.

This has been a very difficult decision to make. I knew when he was hospitalized and I signed a DNR form that I had started coming to terms with loosing him. I am ready to end his pain hard as it is for me to let go. I will miss our lap times as he dances around while I brush him. I will miss him on the bed at night I will miss my companion when John is gone.