Orca Bay Step 5 & 6

Here are some pics of my progress....

Only a couple of steps left to this mystery.  I cannot wait to see what we are doing with the strings and triangles.  I absolutely love these little stars!

Christmas

Christmas at our house was a bit different this year.  Because I have two daughters who aren't on the best of terms this year we ended up having our Family Christmas on Christmas Eve Day.  They were civil, but certainly not loving.  I keep waiting for them to wake up.  Anyway....the children certainly had a good time.  I made quilts for all of my family (3 daughters, 3 sons-in-law and one stepson).  Everyone seemed to love them so that made me happy!  For my grandchildren I had been buying coin collections over the last 10 years and gifted them with them this year.  The two boys got Morgan Silver Dollars and Liberty Silver Dollars.  Samantha (oldest girl) got the collection of Peace Silver Dollars.  The two youngest got the Eisenhower and Susan B. Anthony collections.  They all got the startings of things like Roosevelt Dimes, Buffalo Nickels, Lincoln Pennies, Liberty Dimes and nickels, etc.  I am hoping that this gets them interested in doing more of the coin collecting.  I got them a couple of other little things as well.  They seemed excited by it all.

I spent Christmas morning at my youngest daughters house for breakfast and after that spent the rest of the day at home with just me and hubby.  He watched his shows and I went to the sewing cave for the rest of the day.  We had a nice lasagna for dinner and back to sewing I went.  I am working on the Orca quilt steps 5 & 6.  Finally got Step 5 done and now working on step 6.  I will post pictures of my kids with their quilts and my progress on the Orca quilt later tonight when I get home from work.  Yes...I have to work this week.  We are not busy so as you can see I am catching up here.

Our Friday Night (every week) Finishers is over with for the year.  It lasted from October through Christmas week and was such fun.  12 ladies getting together on Friday nights to sew and work on Christmas gifts for our families and friends.  I am so grateful for Pieceful Quilting for providing the venue and an advisor for our group to meet.  We will be meeting only once a month for the next 9 months now.  I used that time to make gifts, aprons for donation to the church fair and some pillow cases for home and the grands.  I look forward to meeting again in October.

Yesterday I took all my grandkids and went to the movies.  We saw "My family bought a Zoo!"  It is a great family movie.  The best part was being with all my grandkids for the afternoon.  Before I know it they will get old enough that they don't want to spend the day with Grandma!  I cherish these moments I have now.

Till next time............................

Orca Bay Update

Here are my finished Steps 1 - 4!  Doesn't look like much from this picture but it is lots of piecing!  I am loving the color combo and cannot wait to see what this quilt will look like.  I am off to set up the strips for cutting out Step #5.

Preparing for Christmas

It is only December 8th and what a start to this month it has been.  I got all 8 of the quilts back from the quilter that I am giving as gifts this year.  Four flannel lap quilts for the men in my life and one each for my daughters (bed size) and another for my sister-in-law in Florida.  I made 18 aprons (some for donation to the church fair) for gifts as well.  I am still working on my civil war tribute quilt as well as the Back to Nature quilt that I started last year as a block of the month.  I am also still working on the Orca Bay Mystery Quilt with Bonnie Hunter that we started in November.  It has certainly been a busy time for sewing in my house.

I had some terrible news as well to start off December.  My very dear friend, Father Dan Harris, is gravely ill.  Dan was my priest, my boss, my counselor, my mentor and is my very dear friend.  I met him in 1980 when my Dad passed away.  Dad was an ex-chief in our local fire department and Dan was his chaplain in the department.  When my Dad passed my Mom asked Dan to do the funeral services and that is how we met.  I was so impressed with his loving support of our family and the wonderful tribute he put together for my Dad that I began going to St. Mary's Church shortly thereafter.  I have been there ever since.  Dan was our rector for ten years and for 7 of those years I was his secretary.  He was a vibrant preacher and an amazing teacher.  The kids loved him...little ones and big ones!  He got people going to church that had never darkened the door step before.  He began a youth ministry locally and throughout our diocese that still continues today.  He supported our volunteers at ground zero after 9-11 by leaving his home in Massachusetts and going to the Trinity Church across from the WTC and ministering to the men and women there.  He came back to town so many times after he was transferred to MA to do family funerals, baptisms and weddings (including mine).  He has been such a loyal friend to our family over the last 30 years.  Now he is back here in Hampton Bays for his retirement.  He became ill suddenly with complications to his diabetes and I am told it is grave.  I am deeply saddened by this news and pray constantly for a miracle to take place and for him to be healed.  I did get the news this morning that they removed the ventilator from him and he is breathing on his own and they are weaning him off some meds and so far he is responding very well.  God is so good.  There are so many people praying for Dan to beat this that God just has to hear us all. 

On another note...I am a mother with daughters that are at odds with each other and it is putting a real damper on our holiday celebrations as a family.  It is causing us to cancel out our usual Christmas Day gathering and only being together as a whole for about an hour on Christmas eve morning.  I want them to sit down like two grown adults and hash out whatever is causing this rift.  I am trying very hard not to get involved or in the middle of it.  I tell them that I love them both and will not take sides or agree or disagree with either of them.  They must work this out themselves, but to do that they have to talk to each other.  So far that is not happening and the hurt continues.  So I will be spending Christmas Day at home with my husband...no kids...no grandkids.  It will be a first for me and I gotta tell you...I am not looking forward to it.  I wish that they would get on the bandwagon of peace on earth and good will towards sisters!  I pray that it eventually is settled with them because this whole thing is causing me great pain.

This weekend my quilt buddies (thank God for them) are getting together for our Christmas celebration at Sue's house.  I am really looking forward to it.  Just being with friends who share my love of all things quilting is such a joy!  I am amazed at the friends I have made since walking into Pieceful Quilting two years ago.  They are all such wonderful caring women...and fun too!

That's all for today folks....be back soon.

Orca Bay Mystery Quilt

Last week I started working on a Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt that she does every November.  This is my first foray into the world of Bonnie's mystery quilts.  This one is titled "Orca Bay".  She was inspired by Orca Bay in Alaska at sundown by all the magnificent colors across the water.  My color choices are the same as Bonnie's (that worked out as they were the only colors I had a lot of)...black, neutrals, red and blue.  So far we have made 224 hourglass black/neutral blocks (2.5") and I am now working on the blue string blocks (3") and there are 72 of them.

I am having a wonderful time playing with this quilt over the last two weeks.  So far I am keeping up with the pack!  I will update on this every week and post some new pics!

Some updates

My Mom had the gall bladder surgery and had a pretty rough time of it.  She had some complications due to her digitalis levels being too high...it was literally poisoning her.  Then they gave her ambien to help her sleep and it gave her hallucinations very badly.  Scared the hell out of her. (and me with the middle of the night phone call)  I went and had a sonogram to check out my gall bladder (no stones!) and instead they discovered an enlarged liver.  Now I have to see a specialist this month about that.  Quite frankly I am scared to death it is serious.  I do not drink so cannot be alcohol related cirrosis.

I have been quilting up a storm for the holidays.  Made the portfolio...loved that.  Made two more lap quilts..one for Halloween and another generic that I may use as a charity quilt.  I am now making pillowcases.  They are so easy and quick to make. 

My sister is recuperating from her open heart surgery (triple bypass).  That was a scare I don't want to repeat.  She is only 51 yrs. old. 

I am sure looking forward to my trip to Lancaster with Roz in March.  Five days of quilt show and classes with some excellent teachers...a quilter's dream vacation!

So Much Has Happened

It has been a couple of very eventful months for me.  My hubby had his gall bladder surgery (you would have thought he was the only one who ever had it) and had a long recovery from it.  He was out of work for 5 weeks before being cleared for light duty.  Now he has to address the issue of his back.  His doctor doesn't want to do surgery yet as it would be extensive.  They are going to try injections first and see if they help him at all.  He has a lot of pain so I hope that it does something for him.  He really  needs to get moving again.  He has been lying around on the couch for months now every afternoon and evening.  It is just not like him and he is driving me crazy!

My Mom also had medical issues.  She ended up in the hospital with stones blocking her bial duct.  They had to remove the stones and put in a temporary stent to allow the backed up bial to drain.  She has to go back and get that removed and then have the gall bladder out to prevent more stones.  Mind you she is 83 years old....not sure she is going to go for the gall bladder surgery.  She may just take her chances.

I have had some pain in my right side as well...thinking it is gall bladder too.  Went for a sonogram and am awaiting the test results.  My family is just having a jolly time with our gall bladders!

I have done a lot of quilting in the last months.  I completed the three quilts for my daughters and the four quilts for my son-in-laws and stepson for Christmas.  I have been working on some small projects with an online group that I belong to.  We made:  Christmas pillow, small handbag, star pin cushion, christmas gift box tree ornament, set of 3 cosmetic bags.  I still have to make the file holder, sachets, pot holders, cactus pin cushion, etc. that the rest of the group has done.  Each week they pick a different project to do for a gift.  You can choose to make it or not.  I am trying to do them all.  LOL!!!  I need to retire from working so I have more time to quilt.  That is my dream!

My friend Roz and I made our reservations to go to Lancaster, PA for 5 nights, 6 days to the National Quilt Show.  We signed up for 5 different classes to take while there.  We will be staying in a very nice Marriott hotel right in the convention center.  Cannot wait for March. 2012!

Our East End Quilt Buddies is having our 2nd annual quilt retreat at Pat's Retreat House in October!  Just a few weeks away.  Really looking forward to this trip.  Our friend Vicki is going to be coming home just for our weekend!  We all miss her terribly.

That's it for now!

What a week!

Lordy this has been the longest week....my Mom was admitted to the hospital last Wednesday with a UTI and a stone that is in her main bile duct coming from her liver.  This could be a very, very serious situation if things begin to change and it backs up in her system.  The plan is to do the procedure tomorrow to remove the stone and then follow up with a gall bladder removal withing a day or two after.  She is 83 yrs. old and has heart and diabetes issues as well.  She is scared and quite frankly I am a bit worried for her as well.  Can she withstand the anesthesia for that long for the surgeries?  What do we do once she comes home?  We all work and cannot be home with her.  I have taken three days without pay already to be at the hospital with her...can't keep doing that!  This is sooo hard.  My one sister has just recently gotten custody of her two very young grandchildren so she is unavailable to sit at the hospital with Mom for a shift and my younger sister will visit, but only for an hour or so because she has a busy life.  My brother is too darn busy with his fishing tournament this week....so that leaves me to sit at the hospital for 10 hours a day to deal with the docs and all.  I am exhausted!  Enough complaining....

I got a lot of sewing done in the weeks prior to all of this.  I made 14 aprons for gifts and donation to the church fair.  I made a set of three cosmetic bags for a gift, finished my block of the months, and made two quilts for two of my son-in-laws for Christmas.  Thank God for my quilting and sewing...it keeps me sane!

I am going off to get some lunch and then off to the hospital to spend a few hours with Mom.

Friday! TGIF!

Wow, I am glad this week is ending.  It has been a long one for me.  My three daughters have not been getting along lately and it is causing me great heartache.  I sure don't remember ever having these kind of disagreements with my two sisters.  If we got hurt or angry by or with each other we just said our peace and got it done with.  My three don't do that with each other.  They talk about each other to me and to each other, but never confront the issue at hand.  I try very hard to not engage in conversations where one of my daughters is talking badly about her sister.  They don't seem to get the fact that it is painful for me to hear that they "love her, but don't like her" nonsense.  I keep telling them "if you are angry at your sister ...tell your sister....clear the air and move on", but stop putting me in the middle like this.  They take it as I am defending their sisters actions rather than just trying to stay out of it.  Now one of my girls isn't speaking to me and said some very hurtful things to me.  I am sure it will blow over, but is painful nonetheless. 

Thank God for my quilting!  It has gotten me through the painful week.  Each night I go upstairs and do a little sewing to keep me occupied and not focusing on the whole thing with my daughters.  I am working on a flannel quilt for my son-in-law, Jim.  He is one who truly appreciates each and every quilt that I make.  I have made three quilts for my girls for christmas and they are all at the quilters being quilted.  I am making aprons for all the women in my family and some extras for the church holiday fair.  I have joined a "Gifty Galore" group online and each week they pick a project for the week.  It is fun throwing together small gift items to see if they are something I want to keep or make more of for gifts.  So far I have made one "shop hop" purse/bag.  It is 4 x 6 in size and has credit card/license slots in it and room for a wallet and keys.  Perfect for the shop hopping day!  I have most of the supplies for some sachets they made and need some interfacing for some cosmetic bags I am going to do as well.  This week they chose a holiday pillow.  I have all that I need to do that project already so I will do that this weekend.  It is fun as they are all quick and easy projects and are making me do things I don't normally do...like zippers. 

I am off to our Friday night Sit n Sew tonight.  I am bring with me 8 already cut out aprons to put together.  It is a reversible apron and very quick and easy to make.  One of the women in our block of the month group had me and a friend over to her home and showed us how to make it.  Once I have completed these 8 I will have 16 all together to give as gifts and use for the church fair.  Of course I plan on keeping at least one for me!  It is going to be hard to chose just one though...they are all different!

Well that is it for today....God bless.

Heat Wave

Here it is mid July and we are having a heat wave....96 degrees today so far and will probably reach 100 by the end of the day.  It has been a hectic couple of weeks.  My hubby had been having really bad abdominal pain now for almost a year.  His doctors were sending him from doctor to doctor to rule out other things before deciding on the gall bladder.  I always knew it was gall bladder....of course who listens to me????  He finally had his surgery on Monday the 18th and is home recuperating.  He is feeling a bit better today and of couse, being a man, he decided to do a few things.  I hope he isn't overdoing it.  Why can't men just follow doctor's instructions and not do anything they aren't supposed to?

My hubby's step father passed away on Saturday the 15th of July.  No great loss.  He was a mean man who made everyone miserable and when my hubby was a child he would beat him terribly when he misbehaved or did anything wrong.  When I say beat him I mean like with a broomstick.  He just wasn't a nice man at all.  I think his Mom was actually relieved although she would never admit it.

I have been doing lots of sewing.  I made up six aprons to be used as gifts for Christmas this year and plan on making several more.  I am working on a shadow box quilt with winter scenes of kids playing in the snow and another project with a group of ladies that is a dresden plate quilt exchange.  I have so many finished tops that need to be quilted that I have lost count.  I really need to email Sue and learn how to use that long arm of hers.  It will be worth all the cost of the lessons to be able to do my own quilts.

I think tonight I will spend some time working on a couple of Sylvia's Bridal blocks.  I haven't touched them in a while. 

Sure wish I was in Alaska or somewhere like it right now...................

Another Day!

Just another Monday....
Well today my poor hubby goes to see the gastro doc to schedule an endoscopy.  This whole thing with his abdominal pain has gone on way too long.  This all started nearly a year ago with a trip to the ER.  He has had severe abdominal pain in his right side intermittently ever since that first occasion.  It has gotten progressively worse.  He has had MRI's, CT scans, sonograms and many many blood tests.  The scans ruled out any tumors hanging around and did reiterate the bulging disk problems he has in his back.  The spinal surgeon he saw doesn't think it is the back problems causing the abdominal pain he is having (this is what his primary care doctor had thought).  I have been saying all along that I think it is his gall bladder, but they all kept blowing that off. He was sent for a colonoscopy and that showed nothing wrong.  Why in heaven's name they didn't do the endoscopy at the same time is beyond my comprehension.  All of the scheduling and appointments with doctors to get the prescriptions for the testing has taken almost 12 months and in all that time my poor husband continues to suffer with this pain.  He has even returned to the ER twice since that original visit.  This last trip to the ER the doctor said he feels strongly that his pain is his gall bladder and he must return to his primary doctor to have a special test on it scheduled.  Another two weeks waiting to have that test....the test then shows his GB is only functioning at 30%.  So his primary now sends him to a general surgeon.  The general surgeon wants to have the endoscopy done before he schedules GB surgery so he can rule out ulcers first.  He calls the gastro doc and asks his office to expedite this test for my hubby.  Well they then give my husband what they called the first available appointment...3 weeks down the road.  That appointment is today.  Now to schedule the test itself.....probably another 3 weeks at the rate this whole thing has  been going.  It is just so frustrating for both of us, but my poor hubby is in such pain for him it must be awful.  He has certainly been a lot crankier lately...and that is saying something since he has a grumpy nature anyway.  Even our grandkids call him "Grumpy" and bought him a "Grumpy" t-shirt from the Snow White shop at Disney as a joke. 

While he was out fishing for Father's Day I had the whole day to myself to sew away the hours.  I spent it playing with a "bag of crap" the local quilt shop put together for an Apron Challenge they have going on.  We have to use at least 30% of the "crap" in the bag in the construction of our apron.  There is a load of junk in that bag too.  Buttons, snaps, trimmings (very very small) from cutting fabric, one focus fat quarter that must be used, ribbons....you get the drift..."crap"!  I had fun working on the project and am about half way done.  I am making it a "crazy quilt" design using all the trimmings under the decorative stitches I put between each fabric and the focus fat quarter as part of the fabric pieces making up the crazy quilt.  I will embellish with the buttons, etc.  Made bows out of some of the very tiny pieces of trimmings and stitched them along the waistband.  Will put buttons on the center of the bowtie.  Probably won't win any prizes, but had a lot of fun doing it.  The first prize is a new sewing machine, 2nd is $100 gift card to the shop and 3rd is $50 gift card.  Judging is done by the shop personnel.  There will be an extra "voewers choice" award that will be a basket full of quilting goodies! 

I have so many projects going on at once it is making me dizzy...I don't know what to work on when I walk in the sewing room.  Block of the months (4 of them), still working on the Civil war quilt and the Back to Nature is way behind, still working on Sylvia's Bridal quilt, have about 8 quilts to be layered and quilted, two that need bindings and loads of kits in two baskets to be done.  Sure wish I could retire from work and just take care of my home and sew.  But alas....there is a mortgage on my house that must be paid!  I will continue to work until they take me out in a pine box! LOL

Spent some time yesterday with Michelle's girls sewing on their doll quilts and then Susan stopped by with our little Allie who had her tonsils out on Friday.  She is doing amazingly well with the surgery.  We made table toppers for the three of the girls for their bedrooms.  They were all very excited to take them home and put them on their night stands.  If I was retired I could spend so much more time teaching them all to sew!  The two older girls (6 and 10) are learning quickly. 

Well that is it for today....be back again soon!

Rainy days

It is a rainy gray day here in Center Moriches, NY today.  I am at work with nothing to do.  Sure hope some work breaks soon.

Saturday was my grandaughter, Allison's 5th birthday!  She starts kindergarten in September.  The time sure has flown by.  I wish it had been a happier celebration, but her Mom and my other daughter had a spat and are not speaking so it put a damper on things for me.  It just breaks my heart as a mom when my daughters don't get along.  It is usually over things that it shouldn't be.  I wish they would just talk to all out and be done with it.  Maybe they are afraid that if they "clear the air" they won't be able to get back from it.  I told them both that I want the situation fixed once and for all.  They are sisters and this kind of tension shouldn't be in families.

This whole last month has been a difficult one for me.  My poor husband has been suffering with abdominal pain in his right side along with lower back pain for almost a year now.  He has been sent for MRi's of his spine, had CT scans and sonograms of his abdomen, a colonoscopy, and numerous blood tests to determine the cause over the last 4 months.  The pain is getting worse as time goes on.  The neurologist wants him to see a spine surgeon because he has "serious issues with his spine", but he doesn't think that is the cause of his abdominal pain. (He does not elaborate)  So he makes the appointment with the spinal surgeon to hear what he has to say.  He gets there and the neurologist was supposed to send copies of his spinal MRI's to the surgeons office...of course they sent the wrong ones.  So this whole day has been a waste of time and a loss of paycheck for the day.  The doctor reschedules the appt.  We go and get a copy of the MRI's ourselves and he will take those with him when he goes to the appt.  The pain gets bad enough for a 2nd trip to the ER for my husband.  The doctor there thinks it is his gall bladder.  He wants hubby to go back to his regular doctor for further test on that.  He goes for the gall bladder test and it shows that GB is only working at 30%.  He goes to the general surgeon as per primary doc's instructions.  The general surgeon wants him to have an endoscopy to rule out an ulcer before he schedules gall bladder surgery and removes a partially functioning gall bladder.  Why they didn't do the endoscopy when they did the colonoscopy I don't understand.  Now he has to go through more anesthesia, another lost day from work and lost money.  He is in constant pain and I am worried that this is something that is going to become life threatening before they figure it out and do something.  I have suspected all along that his gall bladder is the source of it.  The general surgeon said it still could be the gall bladder, but he wants this test first.  My hubby is getting so frustrated and tired of not knowing and suffering in pain.  All the worry about him is causing my fibromyalgia to flare up terribly.  I hurt all over every day ... it even wakes me in the night.

Thank God for my quilting and quilting buddies.  Roz was over on Sunday and we sewed together all day on various projects.  She worked on a quilt for her daughter's graduation and I put together my "birthday blocks" from our East End Quilt Buddies" swap.  Sewing gives me such peace while I am at it.  I zone out and the world goes away for a while.  I have a class tonight to make a strip quilt that looks real easy.  Just uses a continuous strip made from jelly roll strips.  We finished up a class last week making a Star Shadow pattern where the pieces form the shadow of a star behind the original stars in the quilt.  It was a neat effect.  Then we had a quick class on making chicken pin cushions.  They were a fun project and easy to make.  It is a good project to make for the church fair this December.

I am grateful today for all that I have and pray for healing for my husband.

Just Some Musings

I am sitting at my desk with practically nothing to do and thought I would pop in here.  Last night I went to a quilt class called "Star Shadows" given by Alice at Pieceful Quilting.  Alice is just the greatest teacher and will be sorely missed when she retires in July.  I am enjoying the making of this quilt and cannot wait to see the finished product.

Yesterday we had a scare with my grandson, Matthew.  The school nurse called to say he should be seen right away by his pediatrician because his heart rate was too fast.  My daughter took him to the ER at the doc's instructions and they checked him over.  They found nothing wrong and think it may be from his allergy medication.  They changed his prescription and Lord I hope that is all it is.  Christine is going to follow up with a pediatric cardiologist to be safe.  I cannot tell you how frightened I was...and I am sure my daughter was beside herself with worry.  I thank God for his mercies!

My fibromyalgia has been really acting up lately.  I am in constant pain with it and this causes my muscles to contract and tense to the point that they hurt all the time as well.  I am so tired of being in pain constantly.  All the meds on the market for it have so many terrible side effects that I won't take them.  When I can no longer function I will consider them, but until then it's a no go.  My quilting , when I sit at the machine for too long, aggravates the fibro also.  I have to remember to get up and move around every 1/2 hour or so.  When I am quilting I tend to zone out and forget the time.  My hubby will sometimes call up the stairs..."Hey, are you going to cook dinner today?"  I just forget the rest of the world when I am "in the zone"!

I am going to call one of the ladies that lives locally and gives private classes on her long arm machine and set up some lessons.  I want to learn how to quilt my own quilts!  Renting time on her machine is the perfect solution for me since I cannot afford to buy one of my own nor do I have the room for it.

My grandson, Austin, celebrated his 11th birthday yesterday.  He had a little league game last night and got to pitch two innings at the end of the game.  He did so great!  I am so proud of him.  I cannot begin to tell the depth of my love for my grandkids...it is unexplainable.  It is the same, but different than your love for your kids.  I guess you can only know if you have grandkids of your own.

Guess I should get back to work now........

Retreat

What a wonderful time I had on our annual quilt retreat with Pieceful Quilting, Riverhead, NY!  2 1/2 days of sewing, chatting with friends, sewing, eating, sewing, chatting some more, sewing.....you get the drift!  We made an awesome quilt designed by Diane at Pieceful Quilting with the theme of "From our House to Yours".  It was Roz's birthday and I gave her the "shawl" I had quilted for her.  She loved it and I was thrilled that I had done it for her.  My hubby also made here a "quilt shop" bird house as she had admired the ones we have on our garage.  She was very touched that he had done that for her.  The hotel had a new chef this year and the food was awesome!  They took very good care of us there.  This coming weekend we are off to Lancaster for the BIG quilt show!  More quilts and shopping!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a few thoughts....

It has been over a month since I last posted here.  So much has happened and been accomplished.  My grandaughters finished their pillow cases and presented them to Mom and Aunt Christine for their birthdays.  They were so proud of themselves and their work.  (which was awesome!)  I have completed quite a few "tops" in the past weeks.  Finished the Turning Twenty I mentioned the last posting, almost finished my Civil War Tribute Quilt top...still have the borders to do, did a set of placemats and napkins for patriotic holidays, and did all of my block of the month projects as well as the block exchange I am involved in.  This weekend we have our annual Pieceful Quilting Shop retreat at the Southampton Inn!  Cannot wait to get there on Friday afternoon!  Three days of quilting with my quilting buddies.  Then the following week it is off to Lancaster, PA for the American Quilters Society huge quilt show and some shop hopping around the area to different quilt shops!!!!!!  The week after that a bunch of us are going to NYC for a "red & white" quilt show with over 600 quilts from a private collection and the Empire Quilters Guild annual quilt show as well.  You would think we would be "quilted out" by the end of all that.......NO WAY! 

Sit-n-Sew Friday!

Here we are at another Sit-n-Sew Friday!  On the first Friday of each month our local quilt shop opens the classroom for a small fee and 12 of us get together to sit-n-sew together.  We have pizza, sew, talk, sew, eat, talk, ...well you get the drift.  It began in the two months before Christmas as a "finish your gifts" Friday night and has evolved into a gathering of good friends to share the love of the craft of quilting.  Tonight I am taking a kit I had put together to do a "Turning Twenty Again" lap size quilt to work on.  I will probably get it all cut out and start sewing on it tonight before I leave there.  I am using all floral fabrics in the pink, cream, apple green and lavender color scheme.  I really have to figure out how to post pictures here one of these days.
I honestly don't know what I would do with my spare time if not for my quilting.  It has become such a passion for me even though I am not a pro by any means.  I just love the feeling of peace that settles over me when I am sewing.  I also love watching the puzzle of pieces become a beautiful piece of art as I stitch it all together.
Tomorrow I have my two grandaughters coming over to learn how to use their sewing machine I gave them for Christmas.  I think I will have them make a small tissue holder for Mom's purse.  It was a simple pattern and since they did such a good job on their pillow cases last week I think they can handle it.
Happy quilting!