Lost Time Again!

It's been one of those years already ... I know, it sounds horrible to say that this early in the year.  But it's also true.

Let me start by saying that Chloe is acting like her normal self, but I started January with a very sick dog.  Chloe will celebrate her 13th birthday on March 19, and until this year she's never had many medical issues.  Just the typical stuff.  After she didn't want to eat or drink for a couple of days, I decided it was time to see the vet.  I got a huge surprise when Dr. Tyzzer called to tell me that her liver counts were high, enough so that they wanted her in the hospital at least overnight so they could give her fluids and IV meds. 

She came home with presrciption dog food, liver supplements and a request to have bloodwork done in 2 weeks.  I had to make broth to get her to drink, and added water to her food.  The repeat blood work showed an increase in the liver counts, so an ultrasound was scheduled ... results showed a very enlarged liver.  The radiologist report indicated chronic pancreatitis ... talk about very bad tummy ache.  And, the request for yet more tests. 

Well, I decided to not put her through any more tests because she was starting to become very anxious ... Dr. Tyzzer and I agreed that at almost 13, she gets to be pampered until she lets me know otherwise so she gets her new, special food along with liver supplements.

Chloe also had an arthiritus flair up ... she woke up one morning and could hobble on her hind legs.  They just didn't work at all.  Another trip to see our favorite vet!  This time, liver friendly anti inflammatories were added.  She gets the lowest dose, and while it hasn't completely fixed the problem she is back to being Chloe.

I also have to add that Dr. Tyzzer is just wonderful!  She has learned more about my life than I'm sure she wants to know, and still is eager to help in anyway that she can.

Now, by this point, I'm sure you're asking "How does this relate to your quilting?"  Well, I almost forgot to make a raffle quilt.  It's for the Chili Festival that is hosted by the PTO at Washington Elementary School where my youngest niece is a student.  I've made a quilt that is raffled that night every year since 2008.  It hit me about two weeks ago ... like a brick ... I didn't have one made yet!  I made a harried call to June, panicing that I needed to get a top made that weekend so I'd have time to get it quilted and back to finish the binding.  Thankfully, June had a calming influence and via the phone helped me pick out fabrics, all from my stash no less.  I used the block from the pattern Cheaper by the 1/2 Dozen and made a twin size quilt.  I had enough left over to make a pieced backing, binding and a pillow case to match!  Ginger is a dream!  I pick the quilt up tonight after work, and will get the binding on it and the pillow case made tomorrow.

And if you think one quilt is bad ... yes, you guessed it, there's another!  This one isn't a twin size quilt, and the pattern has to be a star.  This one will be kinq size.  Yes, back to my stash for a dive I went.  This time I pulled out six batiks and am in the process of making log cabin blocks that will form a carpenter's wheel when the top is put together.  I've got this ... 

Well, maybe ... Chloe's had a bad week as I think her tummy is hurting, and I'm fighting another sinus infection ... which equates to not as much sewing as I needed to get done.  I've talked to Ginger so she knows about the quilt.  And will be working on it tomorrow as well.  Thankfully, I have until the end of the month to finish it and get it delivered to Ginger for quilting ... Yes, I do believe I really can do this! 

Until the next panic ...
Julie

I've made some great progress.  Two quilts came back from the quilter.  Yeah Ginger.  Gorgeous work.  I finished the binding on this one.  It's a kalidescope.  I played with the border a lot.  I had sewn on several different patterns, but then decided to go simple with strips.  I like how it turned out.  What you can't see is that in the corner is one kalidescope block in each corner.   I haven't named it but it is going into our room at our son's house.  I'm using it on our bed at home for now until the next time we visit our son.



The other one is made using vegetable prints.  As soon as i finish it i'll post it.  Julie gave me all the vegetable fabrics.  it turned out wonderful.  I worked on the binding during the Super Bowl, but lost interest in that at half time..in the game silly not the quilt! 

The latest quilt I'm working on is for my husband to donate to the IMEF (Internation Milling Education Foundation).  They have a silent auction and I created one two years ago and I wanted to do a different one this year.   The meeting will be in Canada this year so I decided to do a red maple leaf.  I added the irish chain to break it up.  I'm thrilled with how it turned out.  I love the red and white.  I've been looking at several other quilts that i can do using two colors.  I'll probably do a couple of those next. 

Here's the maple leaf quilt top.  I just finished it tonight.  I now have to decide what to do with the borders.  I was thinking a 1 1/2" in red then a 2-3" white.  i would like to do corner stones but haven't decided if I will work.

 

quilter off center 2

2013 - The Year of The UFO!

Well, for me anyway, this is the year of the UFO.  UFO being unfinished object.  Yes, I will be starting some new projects.  I also plan to spend some serious time digging through my vast backlog of already started projects and hopefully finishing many of them in the process.

Yes, I am making progress!  Tuesday night was the first night of a new six week class at Millstream.  I handed five, yes - 5, quilts over to Ginger Ouwenga for quilting.  She had a long arm quilting business, and does a phenominal job of quilting!  Four are baby quilts, and the other is a twin size quilt that will be used for the 2013 Chili Festival and Washington Elementary School in Lindsey, OH. 

The oldest quilt top was finished about four years ago.  Progress, at least for this week.

New quilt started.

I started a new red and white quilt that I will donate to the International Milling Education Foundation for a silent auction. The auction is in Niagara Falls, Canada this year so I decided to do the maple leaf pattern. I plan to alternate it with an Irish chain. Here are the first two blocks.


This is going to be a lap quilt. I'm not sure if I will quilt it or hire that out. I'm excited to start this and it is a fairly easy quilt.

Happy quilting!

Baby quilt done

I finished the baby quilt. I will send it off Monday. It's for a friend's first baby. He is so thrilled to be a parent. Got to love it.
Here is the label. I believe all quilts should be label to tell future generations about the quilt. So much history is lost when a quilt artist doesn't acknowledge their work.

Don't forget to label!

Starting 2013 off right!

June's got me beat, but I do like her resolution to blog more regularly this year.  Along with catching up on my backlog of UFOs, PIGs and the like!

2013 has started of better since I have 3 baby quilts ready to be quilted.  I finished two of them late last year - Cousins of the Blue Frog 2 for my newest great niece and a colorful dinosaur quilt.  The third, a turtle quilt, is for a co-workers newest addition who arrived last week.

I've also started purses, inspired by "Muffintops" fabric given to me by a friend.  I fussy cut 10 samll panels to use in five purses.  I'm planning to keep one and use the others as gifts.  I just hope that the recipients don't read anything into them other than I had fun with fabrics.  Thanks to my good friend Nancy for providing the jumping off point!

Oh, and placemats!  I wanted to make some as a Christmas present ... no, they're still not made but everyone loves the modification to a free download that I found.  Yes, the making of a quilt is in there too.  Oh boy, do I love to find more stuff to add to my Someday list.

I missed the first meeting of 2013 for Stitches in Time, a local quilt guild.  The membership is very reasonable, and it will give me a chance to not only learn more about quilting, but to also meet new quilters and spend more quality time with my fabrics.  Maybe even use more of it, too!

Julie

Baby Quilt almost done

I've made good progress.  I have the baby quilt together and quilted.  It just needs the binding.  I learned a lesson about creating blocks tilted.  I saw a Nancy's notion show and she measured the block and created a side template that was 3:1.  For my quilt I cut the template 12 1/2" x 4".  Then I cut diagonally down from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. 

Well after I finished my tilted blocks I saw a Fons and Porter show where they just attached a border the width of the widest point of the angle then cut the square to make it tilt.  Here is a picture of the block.  See the triangle shapes on the side.  They were cut with a template.  The next time I will just sew a border that is approximate 4 1/2 to 5" wide all the way around.  Then create a 12 1/2" square and lay it on the block with the friendship star in the center titled and cut around it.  When I do it I'll post pictures of how it is done.  I think it will be much easier.

 

The quilt is made using 6 blocks and then sashed using 1 1/2" blocks of all the fabric.  Once I'm done I'll show you what I did to the back.  I've really gotten into pieced backs.  I like the idea of getting two quilts.  one on the front and one on the back.  It allows me to create two quilts where before I'd only get one and put a plain back on.  I'm pretty conversative on the backing just yet, but I'll like to get more patterns on the back.  I'm thinking a lasagna quilt or any big block quilt would work.



 

till next time!  Quilt away!