Happy Blocks and more

I finally got to spend the past couple of days in my sewing room and get some things finished up. The main item was a quilt top made using Eleanor Burns "Double Pinwheel" pattern. I started out making the lap size but it took on a life of it's own and is now a double bed size. It was too large for me to get it pinned up to the wall to take a photo so that will have to wait until the retreat next week. They have a balcony there that is perfect for taking photos. When I get back I'll post the photo. We always have a good time there. Howard's sister, Rose, gets together with a group of her friends that she used to work with and I come up with a project for each retreat. I guess you could call me the "resident teacher". The group ranges from beginners to advanced so coming up with something that will interest all of them can ge a challenge, but it's still fun. Check out www.redroosterretreat.com to see where we are going. It's a great place and the owners are so nice.

In addition to the class sample, I finally got my "Happy Blocks" for March made and just in time. The drawing for this month's winners is tomorrow evening. The theme was "Safari". I think my blocks came out pretty good after all. I made nine in all, two of each one shown here. There will be two winners and they will each get a set like the one in the photo and I made a set to keep for myself. I always make at least one of the month's blocks to keep and someday I'll have enough to make a scrappy happy block quilt. That should be interesting.

Howard saw the doctor this past Monday about a cyst on his wrist that's pressing on the nerve and causing his hand to go numb. He goes for nerve testing next Thursday and then back to the surgeon the next week to get the results and schedule the surgery. As a minimum, he will have the cyst removed but could also have to have the carpal tunnel surgery if the tests indicate nerver damage. It will be outpatient but he will still have to be off work for some time. Technically, he is retired, but he is one of those people that won't quit working until he quits breathing. I'm just praying that all goes well for him.

Now, I've got to spend some time getting all of my "stuff" ready to take to the retreat. I need to make a list so I don't forget anything important.

February is almost gone

The month is almost gone and I sit here wondering where it went and what did I get done? I often feel like the squirrel in the cage, running inside the wheel as fast as he can go and getting nowhere, fast.

As I look back, I did make another two sets of blocks for the Black/White/Bright swap on Quiltalk. They are addicting. I've got the fabric selected for several more sets. I think I may only send in the four sets and then make more for myself. Not sure yet. May change my mine. My plan with these nine inch blocks is to cut them apart in quarters and make a "Disappearing Nine Patch" quilt for one of my grandsons. I just think this would be a great pattern for a teen.

I've also got to get busy and get the two graduation quilts I need for this year made. I've got the basic idea for both of them and most of the fabrics. I just need to get busy and get them made. They are both for girls.

I'm also in the middle of making a "Double Pinwheel" quilt top from Eleanor Burns book by that name. I need it finished by next week as it is the class sample for a quilt retreat that I'm teaching at the second week of March. Time sure has crept up on me and I'm not at all ready for that. I've taught it before so that part isn't any problem. I like to make a new class sample when I haven't taught a class in some time to refresh my mind of any tricky points. So, I just need to get all of my "stuff" together. I'll post a photo when I get it finished.

Guess it's time to get off the computer and get into the sewing room and get busy. Those quilt blocks sure don't push them selves under the needle without some help.

Where has February gone?

Where has the month gone. It seems like all we have done is run back and forth to Mt. Juliet, TN because of the loss of Howard's brother-in-law, Jim. He lost his battle with IPF on February 2. The funeral service was so touching and burial was with full military honors.

This past Tuesday, we found out that Howard's dept. manager, Churchill Love, is going to be off work for at least two weeks, most likely a lot longer. He's diabetic and even though he has tried to take care of his self properly, he is having major problems with his feet. The doctors cannot find a pulse in either foor, even with ultrasound. They have put him on bed rest with his feet elevated and on medications to try to get the circulation restored. If it doesn't work, he will have to have both feet amputated below the knee. He will be 66 this spring and has always been very active outdoors. This has been a real blow to him and even though he's doing as the doctor told him, he is very depressed. I'm also worried about Howard as he will be working extra days and long hours trying to keep the meat department at the grocery store in good shape. They were already shorthanded and now it's critical.

In between all of this, I have managed to get some sewing done. I finished two sets of blocks for the "black, white, and bright" swap we are doing on quilt talk. I really like how these blocks came out. We are going to swap the nine inch 9 patch blocks and then when we get them, we are going to use them to make a "disappearing 9 patch" quilt. I'm real excited about this quilt and really think it will be perfect for one of my grandsons.

The weather has been a roller coaster as usual. Monday was warm. Woke up Tuesday to find my car coated in ice from top to bottom and the porch and driveway too. Fortunatly, it was a relatively thin coating and by evening, most of it was gone. Since then, it's been gradually warming up. Today is about 48 degrees but because of the gray sky and no sun, it feels cooler than it is. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 60's with rain and then Monday will be cold and maybe snow. I'm ready for spring, like a lot of people are.

Field Mice and Furnaces Don't Mix

For the third time this year, we awakened to a furnace blowing cold air and not able to get the fan to turn off unless we pull the circuit breaker. Bummer. At least it's not in single digits outside like the last time. Furnace man, and very good friend, was here by 11 am. He got it to cycle the heat off and on as needed but the fan is still running. The electronic circuit board had shorted out again. We had thought it was power surges before, but this time he found lots of mice droppings around the furnace. The furnace is under the house in the crawl space so they are all outside. Apparently they found their way in through a crack around a drain pipe and sought out the heat source and decided to munch on the insulation around the wires. So, much D-Con was spread around the furnace and any cracks that we could find were sealed. New circuit board will be here sometime the first of the week but we do have heat until then.

On a quilting note, I got the strips cut and sewn together and then cut into squares for my Double Pinwheel quilt. Once I get a little further along, I'll post a photo.

Time to go and sew

Today is a good day to stay inside and sew. It's cold, windy, and very little sun. I don't think it's going to be as warm as they said it would be. So, I'm off to my sewing room to spend some time working on the Double Pinwheel quilt for the retreat in March. I'm also going to try to remember to take some photos of the fabrics I bought on my mini-shop-hop Monday with Corry. I need to spend more time in the sewing room than on the computer.

I also need to spend an entire day doing the floors. This laminate shows every track of our shoe soles on it if the light hits it just right. While I like it so much better than the awful carpet that was in here, it's not as low maintainence as I had thought it would be. The first couple of things I used to clean it left it very streaky and awful looking. So far, the best thing I've found is the Swiffer Wet Jet that has the bottle of solution attached to the handle and you squirt it on the floor. Still have to be careful and go with the direction of the boards tho.

I'm off to get some lunch and then do some sewing.

And a Good Time Was Had By All

We had a really fun time with Howard's sister and her husband this past Sunday and Monday. I know, that is a weird timespan for a weekend, but those were his days off. We went for a late birthday celebration for Jim, Howard's brother-in-law. On his birthday, we were both sick with the flu/crud that was going around here. Since he has IPF and is on oxygen 24/7, we weren't going to take any chances of exposing him to any stray bugs. Their son and his wife and children were there also. He was building a window seat in his mom's sewing room.

Howard did all of the prep work before we left home so he could get right to his cooking when we got there, about 4 hours away. He cooked steaks, butterfly pork chops, baked beans, corn, and country style green beans. At home, he had made an apple cranberry cobbler and I made a banana pudding that we put in the cooler and took with us. It was all so yummy. Of course, we all ate way too much.

On Monday, the fellows went to CarMax and then to Opry Mills mall to get a battery for Jim's oximeter and to have lunch. After a couple of hours, they came home and took naps. Rose and I met members of the local quilt guild for lunch and a mini shop hop to three quilt shops. My "no new fabric" resolve went down the drain. Except for one kit, everything I got was for swaps or quilts that I need to have made in the next two to three months so it wasn't too bad. And, the kit will be perfect for one of the granddaughters.

The weather was good while we were there but it has turned cold again. Lots of rain and high winds last night, about 60 mph gusts. Sure thought that large tree in the yard was going to go over but it didn't. Guess it's stronger that I thought it was. Sure am glad that we haven't had to deal with all of the snow and ice many people have. They sure do have my prayers and good thoughts during all of that bad weather. We've only had the extreme cold for a few days at a time and it's not as bad as further north. I'm just glad my propane tank is full and the furnace is working.

Winter Tablerunner

This is a "Winter Blues" Table runner that I made as the January project with the quilted table group on Yahoo. The pattern is "Jolly Jingle" from Happy Zombie. I hope I got that right. The original pattern used a charm pack and the stars were black. Most of us in the group used the winter blue fabrics. All of the fabrics are blues, even the stars. I raided my stash for this one. I'm so happy that I didn't have to go out and buy anything for it. I think I've got a scrap of batting that will fit perfectly and I've got the fabric for the backing. I'm going to back it in a flag print so it will be reversible. Double the use from one project. I hope to get it quilted next week. I will probably just quilt in the ditch on it.

Yesterday Howard and I visited the dermatologist. We are both fair with blue eyes so we are susceptible to skin cancers. We made our regular visit to have some spots checked and frozen before they could turn bad. I had a couple on the back of my hand and one on my face. I do try to avoid a lot of sun during the summer and use a good sunscreen when I do go outside. I even have to use it on my arms when I drive in the summer. Best to be cautious.

Finished knitting a wrap/shawl for me to use when watching tv in the evenings. Haven't got a photo of it yet, but it's blue, my favorite color, and so soft and cuddly. I really think I'm going to enjoy using it. It will be nice to carry along in the summer when you go to a movie or such and the a/c is so cold your teeth are chattering. This is the first thing I've made for myself in a long time. I usually give away the things I make as gifts. But, I do enjoy making gifts for other people.