Fanciful Quilts

...and somewhere I have a photo of #1.   Who belongs to the "oh good grief - why didn't I see this before I got this far" club???  I'm sure you'll discover the layout had a bit of a glitch.   Hmmm...perhaps if I just rotate the top to the right.  Or stand on my head..... Next step - find backing.   No worries.  The organized chaos in the sewing room will allow me to find backing in less than a month.     No clue as to what is next on the design wall.  Lots of UF Q s....and not enough time to fulfill my 2015 Resolutions.  Not even close.   However, there is always 2016! Angel45402

The day after.....Black Friday Sales....serious thoughts of never eating again.... Thanksgiving dinner was amazing.  Sister's and BIL's invite was very much welcomed....despite the urge to follow with my original plan and arrive in my pajamas.  It was a lovely dinner....and good conversation....and the realization I have so many blessings and much to be thankful for: God whom I can trust and put my faith in Him for every detail of my life Despite a good number of excess pounds (and no, excess is a good enough description), I have my health.   I have a wonderful church family whom I know I can (or in this day and age:  text) just to chat.    I have a wonderful husband who, despite the good number of excess pounds, believes I am quite exceptional.  44 years plus and he still has that great smile that warms me down to my toes. We have four exceptional grandkiddos who let us know we are special to them every time we see them We have exce...

After reading several Facebook postings (a morning habit that doesn't seem too harmful.....),  I took stock of the Thanksgiving posts.   All is good.  God is good...and He is in control.  I can rest comfortably in His care. Thanksgiving. Two pies are comfortably resting on the kitchen counter.  Yes, homemade. Do I have to count the crusts as not being homemade?  That aside, two gluten free pies were baked by me.  Not to mention, the oven not only got a thorough cleaning (ewwww), but a nice oven liner was placed lovingly underneath the heating coils with a stern warning: you better do your job or else.  Okay - back to the pies.  One pumpkin pie - made with coconut milk.  Canned coconut milk.  Looked all over creation in the two stores for this ingredient.  Ha - it was hidden all along next to the condensed milk.  So much for the meager shelf area that proudly proclaimed GLUTEN FREE.  Somehow I have assigned GL...

I think not.  Not for me.  Not now, not ever.  So many projects, so little time.  However, I did spend quite a bit of time reorganizing the room.  An entire day and then s ome.  While there are probably a few BEFORE photos hanging around, it's best to just share the NOW photos.  Besides....it was truly a terror seeing those BEFORE photos.  And why the need for organizing?  Design wall.  There wasn't a clear pathway to the one wall that would suffice for a design wall.  Sometimes it just takes a nudge (or in this case, a push off a cliff) to realize something has to change. So a few photos of the NOW..... First - a shot of the mid arm and the beloved quilting frame.  Or maybe it's the beloved quilting frame that houses the beloved mid arm.  At any rate..... Finally pulled the entire set up out from the wall....just so I can now order a second set of handles for Mz Bailey.  Time to branch out and use pantographs...

You would think in a period of 24 hours, the very least that could have been accomplished was to iron the backing and the quilt top chosen yesterday. Procrastination. 3.2 mile walk. Lunch at Uno's after the walk  - which went fairly well until the lunch crowd decided to have lunch with two elderly walkers in sweats....aka. myself and dearest husband.  Goodness, women still wear heels.  I digress. In lieu of preparing quilt top and backing....  8 of 10 small blocks were framed.  Partial seams.  I am not a huge fan of partial seams but am getting the hang of them. Ten of ten would have been completed....but alas, when one runs out of steam, one should simply stop, reflect and be happy for what was accomplished.  Translation:  I misplaced the two blocks - which were discovered after photographing the 8.  Babysitting either one or two grands tomorrow....so perhaps on Thursday quilt top and backing will find themselves ready for ...

Already September 2015 and while I feel there is not much to show for it (translation: at least 40 quilts done), I am sure there is much to show.... Instead of focusing what's in the past, I intend to do my best to focus on today....and let tomorrow worry about itself. Mathew 6: 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. So no worries....just focus on today. Have finally decided to focus on goals for the remainder of this year - and on to 2016.   Quilty goals. One finished quilt a month.   That's it.   Seems simple enough. September 2016 The "Amy Butler" quilt....  Quilt top: ....and quilt backing...... 21 September....9 days to go.   And penalty for not completing?  Absolutely none. Nice. Angel45402

I belong to a yahoo quilt group:  Quilters Who Care.   Every so often a member of the group loses a mother...or a father...or a brother....or is just having a difficult time. When facing a difficult time, quilters have the same thought....make a quilt of comfort. Email goes out....send heart blocks!   Nothing beats a comforting quilt.  This one will go to a member who lost her mom a short time ago.   When my dad died a few years ago, I received a heart quilt....so many hearts, so much comfort.  Of this I am sure:  when in doubt when grief strikes someone you know - consider a quilt. Sew on! Angel45402

I won't even look back to check when was the last time I blogged.  Gasping is probably not good for the soul. Quilting and quilting and quilting....and more quilting.  Not true.  Some quilting.....but not nearly enough to be content.  What does it mean to be contented quilter?  For some, happily sewing away 24/7.  For others, maybe an hour a week.  I'm somewhere in the middle. Blocks are slowly becoming quilt tops....Quilt tops are slowly becoming completed quilts.   I'm slowly getting there. This is the Pocketful of Mysteries (Mystery?  I'm always confusing the name of the yahoo group) quilt.  Each block posted by the owner of the group - each representing a letter of the alphabet.  Four corners are the Friendship Star.  Bless EQ7 for making it easier to come up with a layout.   Oh yes, EQ7.  That has consumed a lot of time ... sometimes, frustrating.  Other times, not so frustrating.  It'...

It took awhile to unearth my password to this blog.  Shameful.  Two years of MIA???  Life has a way of taking unexpected twists and turns.  How we twist and turn is either a testimony to God's grace....or not.   I have noted that many quilters take on a word every year.  A word that defines...or a word that one HOPES will define....or a word that one prays will keep them on track.  I like that.   2014's word was:  Acceptance.  Didn't do too well with it.  Much as I would lovvvve to go into each and every story, I'll spare the details. 2015's word IS:  Encourager. That's a word I often overlook.  How many times have I looked at others' quilts (usually posted online with a yahoo group) and wrote nothing.  Zip.  It dawned on me recently that a word appropriately spoken could have spoke volumes to that individual.  Encourager.  Yes, I think that is a word I will have to print out in very large ...