Happy 4th birthday to our Aoife in Oregon.. Enjoying the rainbow cake her mommy made her. Dylan, age 14, showing off the muscles he has earned working construction with his stepfather. A treat for Grandma...A tiny sewing machine with a clip on the top.  Perfect for holding checks for the cleaning lady or memos for myself. Someone is sewing!!  Done last night are 3 string bags for gifts.. easy peasy and fun to make. The recepient of my Marse Derse quilt has requested a black backing... I cannot do boring;  gotta do fun. Messed up here with a pinched nerve in my adducto ..read more

Nine years after the loss of my love, I found some plaid snippets of his shirts.   My own new potholder, in process...missing my man. Tonight I made some bags from yesterday's tute....After making the pattern and trying out one, the others go by in a snap. Last time Emily visited me, we made matching ironing hams...Using the fox ham below, I pressed my bags. Today started out delightfully....I excercised in our awesome pool for an hour, made my  bed, took a shower and was on my way to lunch when I fell... Jeeze Louize!!!  How and why, I have no clue.  One minute I ..read more

Tonight's sewing: Drawstring bag.. A card playing friend of mine wanted a bag for her Rummikub tiles.  She asked for her politically favorite fabric... I decided to fine tune a pattern so I could whip up more if asked.  reversible string bag This was my choice...I loved this tute.. Politics????  Voila!!!  So glad I had this fabric... Her favorite team: The way the strings go in is genius...easy peasy...I cannot wait to make more. There is a new member of our complex who used to own a bead shop.  She has donated tons of beads.  Tomorrow, I will go to see ..read more

Marcia Derse fabric/ Jeni Baker pattern..African fabric border finally on..... Below is our Aoife, a few weeks till age 4...A dress made by her mother from Liberty of London fabric. In preperation for the rope bowl demonstration, Monday, July 8, I made the final example. I usually use batik so the fabric will not fray.  This bowl used regular fabric scraps....amazing...I love the fraying. Making rope bowls is so very relaxing..  As I prepare examples, I am learning new techniques. Voila my bound plaid quilt...Mary Jerz did a  great quilting job....there  is nothing li ..read more

Yesterday was a two sided day.  After physical therapy, I  met Lynsey the Rea Road library for tutoring...TBTG a friend of mine found the perfect tutor...after at least 20 tries..wasting valuable time...Algebra is hard stuff.  Lynsey had been struggling for quite awhile.  I was delighted to have been there to meet her tutor to  see how it went.  That I paid, was  worth a million dollars.  Just wish we had found her sooner..Lynsey is only 15.  She cannot find her own tutor for homeschooling .Algebra is a struggle for some of  us.   Lo ..read more

My Lynsey came to visit for a few days...A stressful time as she struggles to complete her Algebra for 9th grade.  100 missing lessons are due by Friday...That girl worked and worked, but very few here understand that kind of math...certainly not  me.  Tomorrow she goes home to finish it with Zoom tutoring from her grown up cousins. Lynsey is desperate for clothes for school....Enough is so not enough for age 15. She did some fabric organizing for me that I cannot do.myself. So very worth it for both of us.  Here she is folding and moving fabric for her grandma. In her mi ..read more

 Me thinks that my arthritis is getting worse and my physical health is declining.. Today, I was so cheered by friends.  Linda and Sherry orgainized my space, found my lost objects, fixed the so far unfixable, made me laugh and spoke quilting speak with me..They helped me choose joy today.  I am forever grateful. Below is my latest experiment in rope composition...a trivet.  My in-house quilting group wants me to teach a rope bowl class.  I am starting to make some examples.... The in-house quilting group is doing a donation of flannel burp cloths to the local shelte ..read more

Happy Fathers Day...As I am so grateful for the fathers who raise other peoples children with love. Here is my oldest grandson, Evan...He will be 19 in 12 days.  He dropped out of high school at 16; He learned a trade in construction from his step-father; He has accumulated in his savings...money....Last year, he bought himself a tiny house and plugged it into the back yard for his own independence and freedom..  A few days ago, he bought himself...with his own earnings, his first car.... Sooo very proud of Evan. Dear Aunt Carl....of Greenville Alabama...my daddy's sister.  Yo ..read more

 A lovely quilty day today.   Grateful today for honest friends who are free to share their angst as well as their joy. Sharing quilty  things with quilty people...there is nothing better!! Cassandra from https://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/ has this chicken pattern...It is a bit task heavy as there is tracing and ironing and cutting and stitching; however, I think it is quite cute.  I found these tonight only because my Lynsey straightened my apartment before she went home.. My family in Portland is excited to be getting chickens...I think Portland allows 4 or ..read more

Yesterday at  CMQG, I had the pleasure of being surrounded by amazing talent. Due to the sharing and chatting and laughing and sewing, I managed to finish piecing all these blocks Just adjusting the value and I will whip them together... It is close to the time I will be chatting  with my great longarmer, Mary Jerz. My Lynsey is visiting....It was to be one night, but she needs to finish a million home schooling lessons in a few weeks in order to graduate to the next level...10th grade.  So much stress for her...probably quieter for her to study with her grandma. and of cours ..read more