AWOL

Well, maybe not Absent Without Leave but last month I was certainly absent. Last month I had some issues.  One day I bent over and when I sat up I had the biggest floaters in my eyes and was seeing bright bits of light.  I went to the eye doctors for an exam.  Nothing too bad...but I needed new glasses.  I had also had lots of eye watering so it's been difficult to sew at times.  The doctor noticed a skin tag on my eyelid that has changed since my last exam.  So off to the eye surgeon.  He said it had to be removed.  So this Friday I will have the growth removed and biopsied.  

Next up was my annual Mammogram.  Well it's been longer than a year.  Any way they saw something on my right breast.  They wanted to compare films from my last one.  However, they closed that facility and the films are in storage and no one can find them...go figure.  So tomorrow I have to have another Mammogram and an Ultrasound.  I'm not too worried about it.

Since I have had visual problems it has taken me longer to get some things done.  But here we go...

Up first my Front Porch block for July.  I missed the link up at Humble Quilts.

I wish I had chosen a different green for more contrast but I'm still happy with this block.


I am way behind on my Cabot Cuties.  Hopefully I can get caught up this month.

I do enjoy making these blocks.  These blocks are 4 1/2" finished.


1857 Sampler

You may notice that I haven't added the corner diamonds on any of my blocks. I'm going to try and figure out a different way of putting these blocks together.

This is my Westering Women block.  

Well that is it as far as sewing goes.  We did get to go to our annual Detroit Tigers game with my daughter Kelley and her hubby Chris.  It has been so hot here that I was afraid I would melt in the heat.  We lucked out.  It was a beautiful night and the Tigers won.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a great day and get to enjoy some nice weather like we are.

Hugs, Cathy

Happy Memorial Day

A few days early but the weekend is here.

We went camping last weekend...another baseball tournament.  But guess what no pictures.  Spent the majority of the weekend walking.  My daughters and myself have fitbits and they keep challenging me.  I always loose but my step count keep rising.

I have a few things to show you.

I finished 2 of the 4 1857 Sampler blocks for May...2 to go and the month is almost over.

This is the May block for the Sugar Club BOM.  Paper pieced.

Last months Westering Women block.  I'm hoping to get the current block done this weekend.


I don't know about where you are but here it is soooo hot.  When we were camping Sunday was so cold we had to put the furnace on in the camper to take the chill off.  We came home Monday and the temps were the complete opposite.


Speaking of Monday...my sugar levels had been in the 300's so I went to the doctors.  They gave me a few explanations.  One was that I was walking so much that my body was breaking down fat which released sugar into my system.  The second reason is I wasn't eating correctly.  I now am eating every 2 hours.  Smaller meals and 3 snacks a day.  And guess what...it is working.  My sugar levels are now under 200 and getting lower everyday.  I also lost 3 lbs.  Bonus!!!


I have finished my Gweenie Inspired Medallion center block.  I can't wait to show it to everyone.  If you look in the upper right had side of my blog you will see a button that Lori designed for us.  If you are joining in on the fun go to her Blog - Humble Quilts and grab the button.  Soon the center blocks and the design for the next round will be revealed.  


I also joined in one the "Front Porch"  quilt sew along with Lori.  Finished my block while camping.  Hope you are joining in too.


Thanks for stopping by and have a safe and happy Memorial Day.


Hugs, Cathy

Sweet Gum Leaf

Oh the torture....  I started on this block right away.  The dreaded Y seam did me in.  I stacked all the pieces for the block on a design board and put it up.  Then yesterday I was checking out blogs and visited one of my favorites Fun with Barb .  She is also doing Barbara Brackman's BOM Westering Women.  However she is doing her blocks to finish at 9".  She did her block using HST.

I was going to do the same and then I remembered a pattern I saw for 8 pointed star where you didn't have to do Y seams.  So thanks to Barb for her inspiration.

Top diagram is the block directions from Blockbase.  The bottom is how I redrafted the block.  What a difference in sewing but not in how it looks.

I appliqued the stem.  It took about 20 minutes to sew the block.  I spent over an hour trying to get one Y seam made.  Love this block.


Next month I am going to be having a giveaway.  What you don't know is that for the last 6 months I have been testing blocks for Quiltmakers 100 Blocks Vol. 13.  I so enjoyed it.  For my participation they have sent me 3 issues of the magazine.  One for me and two to give away.  So stay tuned and watch for the giveaway the beginning of May.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the weekend.

Hugs, Cathy

Overwhelmed

I have made a decision.  I'm working on too many BOM's, BOW's, BOD's and I don't have time to work on anything else..  I have been sick with a terrible head cold for the last couple of days.  Just enough time to get behind on everything. So I decided to drop some.  I will continue to keep the patterns but I just can't keep up any more.

365 blocks, Splendid Sampler and 1857 Sampler will be put on hold.  I will continue to save the patterns and work on them when time permits.  This will give me time to work on some WIP and get some quilts quilted.  Whew....I feel so much better.

I have a finish to show you.  Small, wonky but sweet.

This is a quilt from Cheri Payne's pattern "A Good Day"  It is 11" square.  I heavily quilted it and that made it wonky  but I still love it.


I also finished the next block for Barbara Brackman's BOM.

I'm going to use the same background print in all blocks and use a red, white and blue theme.

Today is beautiful.  The sun is shining the skies are blue and I am starting to feel so much better. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Hugs, Cathy

It's February!

It is usually gray and snowy this time of the year but today the skies are blue and the sun is shining.  Not good weather for quilting...good weather for getting outside and walking.

I managed to get a few things done this last week.

Here is block #1 for Barbara Brackman's latest BOM. 

I put my gray churn dash blocks up on the design wall.  I cut out the balance of the blocks and made 4 yesterday.  I need to make 6 more blocks and then I can sew the top together.  I put up a new design wall.  I bought a curtain rod, 3M hooks and curtain rings.  Put those up on the wall and clipped my new Fons and Porter design wall (my son got it for me for Christmas).  I like this new set up.  The old one covered the closet that I keep boxes of fabric in.  I had to take down part of the design wall down to get into it.  This one I can just slide it out of the way.

I made it to JoAnn's last week and picked up the backing for the above quilt and backing and binding fabric for my blue and orange quilt.  I plan on basting the blue and orange quilt later this week.

My goal this year is to finish up projects that I have started in past years and get some quilt tops quilted.  Speaking of which....I went through some piles in the sewing room and found some already basted wall quilts that need quilting.  The one I decided on finishing is.....

Flower Baskets by Cheri Payne.  I has been basted for quite a while waiting to be hand quilted.  Last night I quilted around all the flowers and the vase.  I marked the quilt with vertical lines and got a few of them quilted.  This will be a finish later this week.

I'm off to go for a walk with Sammie and then hopefully find some sewing time.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day.

Hugs, Cathy