Finished

I finally finished my Celebrating Mary Brown block.

The light of the flash made some of the stems look blue.  They are really dark green.  I'm so glad to have this finished.

Here are all the blocks I have made so far put together.  I am loving how this is looking.  BUT....I have a long way to go.

I had started a quilt kit I got from Bluprint.  Yesterday I finished the top.

My hubby is holding it up.  I'm hoping to get this quilted by the end of the month.  It will be a cheerful quilt.

I am working on these blocks again.  I want to make a quilt for my bed using them.  I made another block yesterday making a total of 9 blocks.

I need to make 33 more blocks for my quilt.

My New Year started out sewing.  I'm looking forward to a healthy year and making lots of quilts. I'm hoping to do more posts this year.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs, Cathy

End of Year

I tried to finish up some projects and just missed the mark.

I finished this months blocks for Mrs. Lincolns Quilt.

I'm working on this quilt with Julie.


Next is Celebrating Mary Brown.

 As you can see I didn't get it finished.  Also it is a really bad photo.  This is Block 4 Row 1.

Be sure to stop by and see what the others are working on.
Karen, Julie, Nanette and her friend Jan, Jennie, Robin, and Rebecca.  I love how everyone does their blocks.


I also finished a few other blocks.  Here are my Cheddarback blocks.

I made Christmas Table Quilt but I didn't get it quilted so it is going to be a Christmas gift for next year.

It is a large Hexagon.  It looked a little plain till I added the snowflake in the middle.  I used a Sizzix die for the snowflake.

For an early Christmas gift I ordered the Derby House BOM.  It comes with fabric and pattern each month.

I love the fabrics.  I finished these yesterday.  I can't wait to see what blocks we will be working on in January.


Well this year had some low points.  We lost our youngest brother to a brain tumor.  In the last 20 years he had had 2 surgeries to remove the tumor.  They told him each time it would return and it did.  We were lucky to have had him as long as we did.  We miss him so very much.

The second is (as you know) I was diagnosed with breast cancer in September, surgery at the end of October, and Radiation treatments in November and December.  I finished the treatments Dec. 18.  They told me I would feel worse before I felt better...they were right.  My breast looks like it has a sunburn.  But gradually it is getting better.  I see the radiologist on Jan 2 and then I will start taking the hormone reduction pill.

I also had a bone density test which showed I'm in the normal range.  And I saw a geneticist.  They did a blood test.  I was negative for both Brca1 and 2.  And negative for a whole list of things.  Great news for me and my girls.

So here's to the new year.  I know it will be a good year.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I'm always glad to hear from you.

Hugs, Cathy

Mary Brown and Mrs. Lincoln

I wonder if they would have been friends....lol

It's the end of the month and time to reveal the next Celebrating Mary Brown block.  It is the 3rd block in the second row.

This is the 3rd month of sew along.  This particular block took days to finish.  I had to keep taking breaks.


I decided to work on Mrs. Lincoln's quilt with Julie.

I am really enjoying it.  I like each month there is a pieced block and an applique block.

Be sure to check out the other's blogs. Karen, Julie, Nanette, Jennie, Robin, Rebecca and Nan's friend Jan.


On the health front.... I started Radiation Therapy.  I have to do a total of 16 treatments.  I have 3 down and 13 to go.  The stress is worse than the treatments.  At least I don't have to go for a long period of time.


On a sad front we lost my brother Steve this week.  He was my baby brother and I will miss him terribly.  He is at peace now and in heaven with my Mom and Dad.  I will miss you baby brother.....

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs, Cathy

A Few Things

I've gotten a few things done and a few new projects started.

I finished one of the blocks for my Chedddarback quilt.  I still need to make the 5" blocks.

This block looked like it would be hard but was actually an easy block to make.


Next up is a Bluprint kit I purchased a while ago.

It is made from charm squares that are cut into 2 1/2" squares.   I think you could use jelly rolls for this quilt.


I purchased another Bluprint kit.  It was suppose to be blocks made of 16 patch blocks bordered with a contrasting color.  The kit came with 3 jelly rolls.  I decided to make a Scrappy Trip quilt.

I love the colors.  It reminds me of being at the ocean.  Right now I have 6 blocks made.  I'm trying to make a block a day.


That's it for quilting projects.  I have a health update.

I went and saw the surgeon.  It turns out that my tumor was twice the size as they originally thought.  Instead of being 4 cm it was 9 cm.  Still very small.  They told me even though I'm cancer free I'm not done with them.  I go back in 6 months to see her again.

Last week I went for my Radiology consult.  It was a two hour appointment.  We decided that since the tumor was larger I would do Radiation Therapy.  She also checked my Vitamin D levels and they were really low.  So now I am taking Vitamin D.

Yesterday was my Radiology simulation and breathing appointment.  First they checked to see how my films turned out holding my breath compared to breathing shallow.  Thank goodness they were the same so I didn't have to use the machine that stopped you from breathing.  I had to lay on this very uncomfortable table with my left arm in a sling over my head.  I had to stay in that position for 1 1/2 hours.  I hurt all night.  

At this appointment they set up the times for my Radiation treatments.  Since Thanksgiving is next week they are closed Thursday and Friday.  I will be going in on Sunday at 10:20 am for my first appointment.  Then I go everyday at 10:40.  I won't know if I go 3 weeks or 6 weeks until my first appointment.

Wednesday I go and see another Doctor regarding taking the Hormone Reduction pill.  And December 5 I see another doctor regarding Genetic testing.  So I'm going to be a busy girl.  Not sure how the radiation will affect me so I don't know how much quilting I will be getting done.

Well that's it for now.  I'll post again on the 30th to show you my next block for Celebrating Mary Brown.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I always love hearing from you.

Hugs, Cathy

Monthly Goals

While it has been a tense month with my health issues I have been able to get more done than I expected.

First is Block 3 of "Celebrating Mary Brown".  There were a lot of pieces in this quilt.  I am so happy with the way it turned out.

Be sure to check out the blogs of Karen, Nanette, Julie, Jennie, Rebecca and Robin.  A friend of Nanette's, Jan, will also be joining in on the fun.  Julie is going to be doing a different quilt.  She is working on Mary Lincoln's Quilt.  I also had the pattern and decided join her.  Here are my blocks.

These are the first months blocks.

And the second months blocks.  I chose to enlarge my blocks to 8".

I just barely got caught up on my Cheddarback blocks.  By just barely I mean I finished them yesterday.

I appliqued this block.  I decided to use green stems and a different color vase from the original block.

I used a different color combination from my usual chose of fabrics.  But I am very happy with how both of my blocks turned out.

Finally I sewed the blocks together for the Log Cabin Table Quilt.  

I'm hoping to get this quilted next week.  Another Christmas gift off my to do list.

On the medical side of things....my Doctor called Monday and told me that all the markers from the lumpectomy came back clear.  I am officially cancer free.  I go and see the surgeon today.  She will checking my incision (which is 3" long) to make sure it's healing good.  The biggest problem I have is that the solution they swabbed my body with prior to surgery caused a rash on my chest and side.  So I'm on benedryl  and cortisone cream.  Next month I have an appointment with a specialist who will be putting me on a pill that will lower my hormones as the cancer I had was hormone fed.  Then we will be discussing whether or not I need to have the radiation treatments.  So for now all is well.

I want to thank everyone for the all the well wishes, prayers and hugs.  I do believed they worked.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs, Cathy

Surgery Update

I had my surgery yesterday.  It went great.  My doctor said she got all the cancer.  I'm doing fine.  Sore but no real pain.  Tylenol is working for the soreness.

I want to thank everyone for the prayers and keeping me in your thoughts.  They are so appreciated.

Next post will be something quilty.

Hugs, Cathy

Some Quilting

I want to thank all of you have sent me prayers, hugs and shared your similar experiences.  You will never know how much this means to me.

I go tomorrow and have the savy tracker place in my left breast.  This will help the surgeon access the right spot.  My surgery is scheduled for Monday the 21st at 9:30 am.  I will be happy to get this part over with.

I have been able to work on a few projects.

This is the final block for Pat Sloan's Out of this World Sew Along.

This is the completed top.  I am going to add a 2" inner border of the black fabric and then a 3" outer border of the background fabric.  I'll use the black fabric for the binding.  This is going to happen after my surgery.

I purchased Layer Cake of some Christmas fabric.  I had printed up a pattern for a Layer Cake Log Cabin quilt.

I have enough strips cut to make two table quilts.  I haven't sewn this blocks together yet but I love how it looks.  I have another Layer Cake that I want to make a couple more of these.  They will be Christmas gifts.


Did you see Lori's (Humble Quilts) latest sew along.  It was called Almost Amish.  Well I couldn't resist.

The original call for 9 blocks to make a square wall hanging.  I made an additional block to make a table runner.  I love how it turned out.  Thanks to Lori for another wonderful Sew Along.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs, Cathy