REDO and mini show

 Have you ever finished a quilt top only to dislike something about it?  Well, here is my story on that note.

For years I have worked on the Over the River pattern by Meg Hawkey of Crabapple Hill. My husband was the one who admired it in a quilt shop on a vacation and so I bought it. 

It took years to finish the detailed embroidery started in 2016 and completed in 2019.  And then it sat.  I had all the materials together as I had selected some beautiful fall batiks to compliment the sepia colored stitching. 

I took it on retreat and finished the top!  Hooray!

But I did not like the blocks in the middle as the red print was what I had originally selected, but the outside flying geese did not have that many reds to pick it up.  So I frogged the blocks in the middle, leaving the green blocks. 

And last night I saw a batik out of the corner of my eye in my storage room that looked perfect. 

I recut and resewed the blocks putting the top back together!  

My hubby and I went to the Wisconsin State Fair yesterday.  I have been going ever since I moved her decades ago. Such memories and such traditions for us.  Here is me in front of a new mural of all the things state fair from animals and cheese and foods.

We love the Kids from Wisconsin, a great musical group chosen yearly from all over the state. There are probably 40 kids between the musicians in the band as well as the singers and dancers.  As always, they have a great combination of numbers with costume changes and different songs featuring the talents of the individuals. 

And one of my favorite parts is the quilts.  I did not enter the competition this year, but saw many friends' quilts displayed.  Here are a few of them. The first place winners in each category are always hung from the ceiling available to see but out of reach of hands. The rest are placed in cases with a variety of other crafts. such wonders!

Merry Merry July

 So now that the kids are gone, I have returned to quilting.  It is nice to be creative and start to finish up some things. 

Besides working on many 9 patches, I pulled out my Merry, Merry Snowman by Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill. I started this in January with a friend.  She would do the block first and then I would do it the next week. She was able to put her top together, but I got stuck with all the things going on. 

I had taken it on retreat in May and had things bundled up according to blocks.  The pieced backgrounds were completed, but I didn't have all the fabrics/wool I needed for the applique. And that is the state I found them in. 

So one at a time, I selected the missing pieces, chose fabrics and attached them.  The snowmen are all made of wool and then blanket stitched around the edges by hand.  There are many embroidery details for each block as well such as lettering, arms, carrot noses and such.  But I do use the machine to attach the fused fabrics. Button eyes will be attached after quilting. 

And here are the blocks  6, 7, 8, and 9.  

Hooray for me!

Update

 My dear daughter in law is doing better.  Her kidney has somehow started filtering and doing its job. The doctors judge this by a creatinine level. And it decreased which is good. She will not need a 2nd kidney and she has decided not to proceed for a 2nd pancreas.  She has lived with diabetes since she was 14 and does not want to attempt another surgery after the complications and days of sitting in the hospital. She misses the boys so much. We send lots of photos. 

As for the boys we are now at 50 days being together.  Wisconsin weather is lovely as compared with Louisiana.  They have gone swimming in all kinds of lakes and pools becoming so comfortable in the water with their goggles. We have visited lots of playgrounds as well, which they love. Additionally we have been to zoos. a planetarium, parks for trails to walk, indoor climbing, and more. I have them read almost every day which has boosted the second grader's confidence. And lots of homemade treats and eating outside.  We love being with them and I get lots of hugs. 

And no, the flight plans did not go as planned. I just returned from driving to the tail of Missouri and back in 2 days for returning those precious boys to their dad who drove them back to their home in Louisiana. I miss them already. 

A wonderful picture to treasure

Only picture with just me and my boys. 

Carousel at Vilas Park in Madison, WI

So back to quilting. I have tried to squeeze in some piecing here and there on my 9 patch wonder. I have the 5th row attached and the blocks for row 6 made. 

I am also hoping to get my Merry Merry Snowmen blocks finished this week. 

Now to make lists and return to the many projects in various stages needing to be finished. Well that and all the neglected parts of the house to clean. 

Away from home!

 I have been missing in action.  And that also means not sewing. So sad!

I needed to take another trip to see my step father in Canada. His renter was asked to leave. And the living area she used was a mess: literally. So after a long drive and overnight emergency visit to the hospital with him, I stayed over a week to help clean up, organize packing the materials, and keeping an eye on him. 

He lost progress from his rehab due to another issue with blood clots in his bladder and a couple of overnights in the hospital.. Ugh. But after a few days recovery, things began working and the house resumed to its original state after packing and rug cleaning. 

Things settled down and he began to gain strength due to his caregivers. So much better than when I started.

I also had the opportunity to visit my mom and spend some time with her. They just removed the Covid test before each visit. Yeah. But I did need to wear a mask.  

Then after the 10 day visit, I had a quilt retreat!  It was a much needed trip in beautiful weather. 

So what have I been working on:  Yes, many things at the same time.

9 patch quilt: 4 rows completed and more pieces

Chandalier quilt with my quarter square triangles ( about 15 blocks left to add border to it)

Merry, merry snowmen

And a new little project: lazer cut wall hanging from Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts: 

And then on Saturday of Memorial Day, we received the call that our daughter in law was called to get her kidney/pancreas transplant. Hooray! She has been waiting since August. So we awaited 2 days while the surgery kept getting postponed and then it happened on Monday. 

So as planned I made arrangements to fly to Louisiana and help with the house and the boys and all the menagerie of animals. Because on top of her surgery, my son was due to start his new job since he had been waiting since April.  Government agencies to not move quickly. 

So she came home on Saturday and was so glad to be in her own bed and around her family. After 12 hours she struggled with nausea. And just like that she went into shock and needed to return to the hospital ( an hour away). 

The pancreas needed to be removed in surgery and then the kidney although still implanted did not improve her levels. So 2 major surgeries in a week and still hoping the new kidney kicks in. Things leveled off and she returns twice weekly for check ups and dialysis every couple of days. They did a biopsy of the new kidney.  It should be working. HMMMM. 

The boys and I have done many projects, read lots of books, and take care of their pets and along with the 4 kittens . I am adapting to 20 degree warmer weather and air conditioning as well. We practice skate boarding in the mornings when it is cooler as I hold them and they balance around a vacant walking track. 

And after 3 weeks I brought the boys up north to my home for the next month as their Mom recovers.  What an event to have them fly in 2 stages back to Milwaukee. They were nervous and excited and did very well. I was so worried in Atlanta changing planes but it all worked out. 

They are enjoying our weather and we are swimming and playing on playgrounds, reading, and more.  So much love and so much fun. 

And today I FINALLY sat at my sewing machine.  What a wonder! 

Hope all is well with you.

A finish for Sarah!

 My daughter had moved to a bigger apartment a while back.  And for that she needed furniture as she had increased her space a great deal from a studio with a kind of small bedroom  to a 2 bedroom space.  Wonderful wood floors and lots of room for an office as well. She purchased a new couch and with her new decor, I offered to make her a new lap quilt. 

I finally made it and finished the top on my retreat in early March. And now, I got it back from the longarm quilter.  It is a very modern design found in an issue from last year's American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  The fabrics were a collection from Connecting Threads. The inside border was a golden tone of the same line and the background was also a light version of the same line; the print is a very light version. ( You really can't see it in the photos. )

She and I selected a minky/Shannon cuddle fabric for the back which makes it so soft and accentuates the swirly quilting designs. 

I then decided to make a single fold binding of the scrumptious fabric and attach it by machine. 

And now it is DONE!  

                                             

Quilting design on the front; the thread color was done in a light gray.

The binding was attached by a zig zag on the machine which will fluff out after wearing and a wash. 

I also just wanted to finish it and didn't want to hand sew the synthetic fabric.

Yummy plush fabric showing off the quilting design.

Easter

 I have been missing from quilting for several reasons. 

First and foremost, my husband and I took a trip to visit and cherish our grandchildren.  We flew this time to Louisiana. And although it is supposed to be a warmer climate being in the more southern region of the US, we were met by cold and rainy weather.  This may have restricted our outdoor activities.  But it did not affect the fun we shared with the boys.  Lots of snuggling and books!  Without a doubt the very best part. 

We shared 2 Easter dinners with them. One with just the 6 of us and the other with my daughter in law's extended family. The latter had amazing desserts and I loved the pecan pie myself. 

I have been unable to sew on my sewing machine.  It is in at the "spa" receiving its yearly chiropractic care and cleaning.  Today it has been 2 weeks; so I expect to get it back very soon. 

So I have not done much but cutting out parts for piecing. It is actually stunting to my process.

But since my return, our weather was just gorgeous last week: in the 80s and sunny.  Trees have bud, the grass is greening, and my tulips have arisen from the ground.  

Funny how we are back to SNOW this morning. It is only a quarter of an inch, but it is cold and a drastic change.  I liked wearing my spring clothing, being outside, and cleaning up around the house and porches. 

BIG FINISH!

           My Ocean Waves is completed.                                          TA DA!  ( Cymbal Crash!)

Here she is up close and personal on a dreary not sunny day.

You can notice the quilting down by my long armor, Judee Purdy. 

It was completed in triangle pieces. 

       

Beautiful border to coordinate with the quilting.

A better picture of the piecing, but not as much of the colors which are warm.

Most of the fabrics were Kim Diehl. Although the background was Katie's blouse by Betsy Chutchian.

The back was a wide back also by Kim Diehl.  I warm Mandala pattern.

The binding is scrappy and took a couple days to hand sew. Yeah for tv and streaming program!

And  huge thank you to my husband for assisting with the photographic hanging of the quilt outdoors. 

Finale!

TA DA!  (  2nd Cymbal Crash!)   

(I am married to a percussionist and have 2 children who followed in his footsteps.)

Broke a tooth!

 I was enjoying a reuben  sandwich with chips and a dill pickle. And all of a sudden I bit something hard. I pulled it out and and saw a nugget of white with gray silvery side. It was a cuspid of a bottom molar.   After an hour or so, I called me emergency number to my dentist as it was Friday evening. I had no pain and so waited until this morning ( Monday). 

And yes, I need a crown.  So I saw the substitute dentist, my older one who retired. And since I can put up with the strangely shaped molar for now, I will wait to see my dentist until 2 weeks from now. 

Most of the snow has melted.  Wisconsin is weird.  People were outside in the 45 degree sunny weather without coats and some in shorts. Go figure!

But I finished my book, Lessons in Chemistry. And I recommend it. It was a fun read and insightful on the 1950s. The chemist lost her job to do being an unwed mother/ widow. Our book group had lots of discussion over the science versus religion, male domination of work and home, as well as other aspects of the book. Very interesting!

As far as quilting, I have started the setting of my hourglass blocks and I like it!

The navy fabric turned out as I had visualized it and provides a nice backdrop for the pattern of the patchwork. The fabric is a small x mark in black of the navy; so it is solid looking.  I have lots more blocks to complete and then to make the setting triangles.  More design work at that point. 

And as for goals,  
 Binding  is on for Ocean Waves and only hand sewn on 1 side.  I need to reattach it as some of it is too wide.

Need binding on the mini quilt and it will be done.

No snowmen. 

It's Spring?????

 We have another beautiful snow that flocks the trees and looks so pretty.  5 or so lovely inches of this COLD WET SNOW!   Fortunately, I have everything I need here in the house. So there! I will just sit here and read my book, Lessons in Chemistry, and stare out at the now blowing branches. 

There is a driveway and sidewalk somewhere.

I have been sewing some:  

Quilting the mini: 

The back looks gray but is more of a medium blue.

Sewcialites blocks: 4 new blocks

All my blocks so far of the Sewcialites 2; free weekly pattern from Fat Quarter Shop.

18 out of 20. I have one that I made twice with different fabrics.

It's SPRING!

 The calendar and the vernal equinox say that it is spring today. And I am truly jealous of more southern states that are lucky enough to feel warmer breezes and see daffodils and such. Wisconsin is NOT ready ready for spring. I can say that I have seen several robins arrive. Where they get there food is a complete mystery to me as we are between snow storms here. No buds, no blooms, no green here. 

Here are some lovely shots of the surrounding roads outside the city showing the current status of our weather.

And I did make some St. Patrick's Day crème puffs with mint green filling and chocolate and sprinkles on the top. Delicious!

So my sewing is progressing. I have my ocean waves back from the quilter and have made a scrap binding for it. My goal is to finish the binding this week. 

I also added a 3rd row to my 9 patch scrap quilt. Each row requires 64  3 1/2 inch 9 patches. And many units are already made for the next one. 

I was all set to assemble a quilt where I have made 60  hourglass units with 4 squares ( 5 1/2 inches)   and 110 mini ones (2 1/2 inches)  I ordered a blue fabric that was to be more navy for the setting. But it turned out to be royal blue. So now what to do with 4 and 1/2 yards of it???? And I have to find another navy blue. 

My quilting goals for the week:

Attach and hand sew binding Ocean Waves

Finish quilting  Mini trees and maybe mini hourglass quilt

2 blocks for Snowmen.

Another mini top

Last winter I made a quilt top needing 400 quarter square triangles.  Well I finished it, but without the last border and was left with over 240 of these hour glass blocks.  So this is my first use of them.  It is a meager 32 units.  But I enjoyed the wool, finding a design, selecting the colors and appliqueing it done. Then on to the assembly of a quilt. I utilized the Fat Quarter Quilting book for inspiration.  

10 by 16 inches

I have a 2nd block planned for it with a different layout.  So many creative ideas and not enough time. 

I have 60 5 inch broken dishes blocks made. 

I have been working steadily on my 9 patch scrap quilt. If I don't feel like working on anything else, I will just sit and sew 1 and 1/2 inch squares together randomly putting colors together Last night it was 20 of these units.   It is now 24 inches by 81; this is it folded in half. 

RETREAT quilt tops completed!

 I love going to retreat. So much uninterrupted quilting time with so many wonderful ladies.  Good snacks! And overall just a good time!  I come home tired from sewing so much, but I really love all the friendships, quilting ideas, and the give-away table.  This year we had a whole table of wool roving and I avoided it.  We also had many suitcases of fabrics from a former quilter at 4 dollars a yard. I filled in my pink and purple voids of my stash along with some dots. And I was gifted with a bag of mini-charm packs. I need to repay her somehow. 

So I spent a few days sewing over 500 strips to make this quilt for my daughter: about 70 inches squared. I need to have her select a back for it.  HOORAY!

And then I finished my Over the River quilt top for the remaining days.  This is a multi-year project. I found my post where I had finished the embroidery February 2019. But I started it in the summer of 2016.  The stitching began one summer and it took a week just to trace the designs and back it with a thin fabric . I was able to complete the pieced blocks and middle assembly at another retreat. All that was needed was the large flying geese as the last border.  And now to get it off to the quilter. 2nd HOORAY!