Design Wall Monday Flying Geese Valentine Style

 

 

 

 

This pic is sideways as I could not get blogger to pick it

up as it was rotated in my picture file the right direction.

These Flying Geese finish out to 4X8. I have more to make

to get a good size twin quilt. I lined them up as you can see first

scattered then in rows of like kind.

 I believe rows of like kind is going to be how I decide to sew them.

The scattered geese had my eyes jumping all around.

 

It has been a long time since I have participated in Design Wall

Monday but hope to get back into it again and hold

my own feet to the fire and see some finishes

here in the year of 2014.

 

My husband became very ill around August of

2012 and was very blessed by a Gift Of Life Liver

Transplant  on May 2nd of 2013. That was almost

2 months after we lost our 8 year old grand daughter

in a car accident.  So I have not been doing the

greatest or have been extremely  busy and worn

to a frazzle. So I am trying to get back on

the track of creativity as therapy!!

So what do you all think Scrappy or Organized???

 

Wish that top pic was turned right side up!!!  

The Earthly Grandkids in My Life

These, my 7 grand kids are the ones that give me

the hope that brighter days are coming.

Makes me sad that the one celebrating his

first birthday at this party will never

know his sister Hannah. She so loved to

hold him. The cousin in the Nike

shirt called her the Baby Hog because

she would grab her baby bro when she got

home from school and not share.

 

These kids are my sunshine.

 



We Have Endured A Lot of Rain...In Life

I have been thinking it is about time I

 try to get back to my blog.

There are times I wish I had

been able to keep up with it in the

last year. Late 2012 and 2013 have

been rough. But honestly I say there

have been more days than not that

it was all I could do to get out of bed and

function....and some I didn't.

CFS and Fibro can kick butt under the

load of stress.

 

There have been happy times also

but it seems the hard times cut so deep

the happy times were dimmed.

 

 

 

My husband Joe started testing after years

of liver disease to get on the transplant list

in Aug 2012. His liver was destroyed by Hep C

before he even knew he had the disease. He

was diagnosed in May 2000. His was officially

listed  after the first of the year of 2013. 

We were struggling along doing all we could

at the hospital 100 miles north of us in Kansas

City to keep him going until he got the transplant.

 

Then if you have seen my blog you know we

 lost our 8 year old grand daughter in a tragic

car accident on March 9, 2013.

Joe had surgery to open up the portal vein in

his liver less than 48 hours after we lost Hannah.

The week of the funeral I believe he only was

out of bed long enough to get to her services.

I am looking at him at that funeral thinking, if

 we don't get that call soon I am afraid your

funeral is going to be next. 

 

I stumble on in a fog for months. The morning of

May 2nd 2013 we get the call to head to KU Med

Center not knowing until we get within an hour of

there if Joe is getting the liver transplant or if

it is going to another patient. Joe got it.

May 2, 2013 someone gave my husband the

Gift of Live ....their loved ones liver.

Kinda mixed emotions after loosing our grand

daughter less than 2 months earlier.

 

It was a rough deal and an ordeal to say the

least.  But, it saved his life. We were not able

to return to our hometown for a month as

we had to stay close to the hospital.

Thank God for some friends from the past

that took us in and treated us like we

were on a vacation.  I made many trips

back and forth that 100 or so miles but

Kansas City was home for a month.

 

There are some complications going on

with the Hep C attacking the new liver

and he will be needing treatments. That

will be a story for another day.

 

July of 2013 my oldest brother had a major

stroke after struggling with health issues

for several years. He just about died on us

in August of 2012 and had to go to a nursing

home for the rest of 2012. He got home late

that year.  He never really recovered from the

stroke in July but did get some better mentally

in late fall and could call and communicate.

I woke up to an early morning call on December

2nd that he had died in his sleep around 3am.

Didn't really expect that call then, had earlier a

few times but not then. The early morning after

my oldest sons 39th birthday December 1st.

I never knew when the mail came if in the cards

it was going to be a Christmas card or a Sympathy

card of which I am very thankful for. But it is

going to be something I will forever remember

when the Christmas cards come in the future. 

 

So I choose to believe that my brother Lester

is now with my grand daughter in Heaven.

She was there to welcome him home. It

gives me some peace to know he is with her.

 

I don't know if I have it figured out yet but am

beginning to learn that I MUST learn how to

dance in the rain as I have lived through

a lot of rain storms in the last 2 years.

 

I am trying to find that "new normal" but I

will never be the same after burying my grand

daughter.  Not a day passes that I do not

think about her or shed a tear or many

about her loss.

 

But life goes on ...we must go on.

So to the next steps in the life I live..

caring for my almost 92 year old Mom.

Her birthday is February 9th...92 years old.

Her mind is slipping but she makes it

in her little apt with some outside help and

Joe, I and my only brother on earth

keeping an eye on her.

 

Next week I will know more about the

treatments my husband needs to save his

new liver and ultimately his life.

Life goes on ...rain or sun...or for now in

SW Missouri light rain turning to ice.

 

I hope to be posting quilt blocks and

yard flowers soon. My summer therapy

in 2013 was my yard flowers and Boston

Ferns....I am so ready. Bring on the Spring.

 

Speaking of Spring...on May 2nd it snowed

the day Joe had his liver transplant. Hannah

loved the snow.  Joe missed it he was in surgery

for over 8 hours. I have never seen it snow

in our area or Kansas City in May!

 

Hope some of my old friend from when I

did my blogging are still out there.

Would like to hear from you all again.

 

When it rains in your life ....learn

to dance in it...even if the tears are

falling as fast as the rain.



Hannah.. July 21, 2012

Hannah's 8th birthday party.

July 21, 2012.

The last birthday party you

shared with us here on earth.

Next one will be in Heaven.

 

 

 

 

Hannah RoseMarie Lamb....July 21, 2004 to March 9, 2013

Four weeks ago today on a nice Saturday afternoon, I got a call.

There had been a vehicle accident near Lebanon, Missouri.

My 15 year old grand daughter was getting a little drive time

on I44 to log hours on her drivers permit, driving her Mom's van.

I can now say I have lived through the worst moment

of my life and lived to tell about it. It was my oldest son

on the phone. The 3 grand kids were on their every other

weekend visit with their Mother. They were going to St Louis

for a fun weekend trip....and a party...Hannah loved a party.

It was then I found out that my Grand daughter Hannah had been killed

in the accident.  The van had rolled and even though she had been in

her seat belt she had been partially ejected.  She was pronounced dead

at the scene. The others were all treated and released before midnight.

Their Mom was life flighted to Springfield and released 4 days later.

She had been completely ejected from the van.

 

Logan has a heavy burden to bare from driving,  Bryce my 12 year old grandson

was in the van seat next to Hannah.  I pray that God heals their minds

from what they saw and went through in the accident.

 

These pictures were taken of Hannah a couple summers ago.

They are some of my favorites of her.

 

Her Celebration of Life was on March 15, 2013...a beautiful

summer like day.   Many people came.  She touched many lives

in her short 8 year and almost 8 months.

 

What's Gramma gonna do?

Keep on going and hug and squeeze the six grand kids and

step grandson, that are left behind, a little tighter and

a little longer.

Spring Lilies and an Old Coal Bucket

Usually the only time I see these in my yard, it is in the early

spring. Last week I went out in the heat

of August and here they are.

We call them Naked Ladies....

I rescued this old coal bucket from the yard at

Mom's farm house...it is in sorry shape.

I have been watering it and the Hens and

Chicks are looking better than they did in this

picture I took a couple weeks ago.

I am having a bear of a time getting the

darn fescue grass pulled out.  I know it

is not much to look at but I want

to get it looking better....because

Mom painted it and planted it.

Now, that she is past 90 and not

able to do more than help look after

herself on good days....the things

she created mean a lot to me.



I usually do not see these dried leaves

all over the place until after the first

hard frosts of fall, but we have had such

a drought of a summer the leaves are

just falling off all over the place.



Design Wall Monday

Well the stack and whacks are on hold...or have been ignored

since the last Monday's post of them. So, I have picked up

a new project to start and it is in the new book about

borders, by Judy L. 

The blocks are 7 and 1/2 inches unfinished, the picture of the

quilt in the book is just beautiful. 

I love adding borders to my quilts that get to the finish line and

this book has a lot in it. It also shows you how to figure for

your borders to fit correctly. 

There is a little hint pic of what this quilt will look like on the

very right side of the front cover, if my health and time allows

it to get to the finish line.

Too, many WIPS at my house and not enough energy and

time!!  There are even more project in magazine

pages and my mind than there will be time!!

Are all quilters this way??

I envy you all that have no health problems

and can accomplish all you set out to do!!!

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Fibromyalgia just

flat sucks if I may say so!!

It gets in the way of my life...the life I had planned

and the one I am trying to live.

Done whining for now!

or until next time..............



Butterfly and Tulip Wall Hanging

This is from an Eleanor Burn's pattern, made by Carol Farley.

I had admired this quilt on the wall of the shop for a couple years and

when she decided she was closing I ask if she would consider selling it?

She told me yes!!!

 It now has a new home hanging on the wall in my Mom's

apartment, here in town.  Her bathroom has butterflies and

I knew this would go really well and it just fits perfect in the spot

I wanted to hang it.  She really likes it and it just brightens

up the room!! 

 It also brightened Mom's day, which I must say sometimes is hard

to do.  I think being 90 and life is not how she wants it.  She wants

to be home on her farm, in her house, but can't be...it's just plain

hard.  So, when something brightens her day it is really worth it.



Another Antique Milk Can, Red Wagon, and Tub

This last week a friend asked me to drive our pickup over

to her garage to move a few boxes. She had this

old milk can sitting in her garage and I could not resist.

I asked her if she was wanting to sell it and I got it

for 5 dollars!  It is a small one, not as large as

my other ones so I wonder if it was a creamer

type can.  Made my day!!!!

This miniature red wagon came home with me from the

Kountry Kin Quilt Shop that was closing.  Not sure

what I am going to find to put into it.  It has those

hard tires so I know it is one of the old ones.

The friend that sold me the milk can also wanted to get rid

of this old tub.  It's in rough shape but I like it.

It reminds me of the tub Mom always had hanging on

the side of the little well house down on the farm

where I grew up.

If my memory is serving me right, I believe that I was bathed

in one very similar to this when I was really little.



Fabric and Burned Iron

Well, my design wall looks the same as it did in the last design

wall posting so I didn't want to bore you with that today,

  instead I will show you what I plan to have

on my design wall in weeks or months to come!!

I plan on taking the black and white fat quarters and cut more from the

bottom yards and make a Turning Twenty, believe it or not

I have never done one of those yet.  I think I have the pattern

and loaned it to my daughter in law, so will have to track it

down first.

 If you go back to my last posting you will see where one of my local quilt shops

went out of business due to the owner going into retirement....so she really

had some good sales this last week.  No time to sew, had to shop.

The above fabric I plan on doing a Rail Fence with the bottom three and

a small border of black Kona I already had on hand. Then one of the

shop teachers talked me into the plaid for the border, not sure on that

but will see how it looks after the rail fence is done.

 There were some really good buys going on so I had to build up on some backing and

some stash fabric as I told myself I would never be able to find fabric again at the price

they were going for in the shop's closing sale.  So I indulged a little too much.  I don't know

what I will do with the wild flower fabric....just really liked it!!

 I did plan on trying to get more stack and whack blocks done for my wall and

this is how it started.  I sewed some and then plugged in the iron and left the room.

I returned and it smelled funny so I thought I better set it on the ironing board before

setting my seams and it was on there just a touch and the smoke rolled!!!!

I am so glad I didn't touch my fabric with it as I had purchased it late last

summer and just got enough to do my project. If I had burned that

block I don't know how I would have replaced that fabric!

The iron hit the trash sack, actually I threw it on the ground first then went

back and got it.  The thing was stinking up the sewing room!!

I still can't believe it heated up that hot in such a short time.

Glad I didn't leave it on and walk off for very long, it had one of those

deals where it turns itself off after a certain amount of time...but

after this blow up doubt that was working.

Kountry Kin Quilt Shop Closes

Carol Farley decided it was time for her to retire as

she was turning 66 this last week, so Kountry

Kin Quilt Shop had it's last day of business

on July 28th, 2012.

I will miss this place.   Carol was the one that started

me on the path of making quilts.  That was something

I had wanted to learn to do for many years.  When

I finally had to give up my last part time at the end

of 2005 I went to learn to make quilts.  Carol is who

I had my first lesson from. I saw a sign advertising

her class on a table runner in Oct. 2005 and walked into

her shop and signed up.  She worked with me one

on one that first day and the rest is history.

I am hooked....when my time and energy allows it

I like to make quilts.



This old sign greeted us at the front entrance. 

That dang knob on the front door always stuck on me

when I went to leave.....I never did learn to turn it the right

way. 

When you pulled up and parked the first thing you would notice

was one of Carol's latest quilts hanging from the front railing, weather

permitting.  I always liked that because that was what

caught my attention the first time I went to her shop.

It was a quilt flapping in the breeze with a sign on it

to advertise a beginner class.



 When the sun was perfect at the right time of day the

stained glass window at the back of the shop was beautiful.

See, this once was a church located west of Rich Hill that

was moved into town in 1992.

I went up to do a little shopping at the first of this last week and

it was already starting to look a little bare ......lots of good buys.



 I loved how she had this old trunk display set up for kid's

fabrics.  There was a little red wagon on the back side

of this and it came home with me.  Wish I had gotten

a picture of it while it was sitting here.

 I think the little bear looks a little sad that Kountry Kin

is closing and he won't be seeing us running in and out

any more!!

 This was Marie waiting on customers the last Monday the

shop was open.  That cluttered table had seen a lot of

quilts made, classes taken, friendships formed, tears shed

and plenty of laughter and good food..

It is where we sat at our monthly Stitch in Time Guild meeting.

 Pretty Christmas display.

This is the very last Shop Hop Quilt from the Spring of

2012 made by Carol, each block was made by a different

shop owner on the hop.

 I love these scripture quilts and have the fabric to do this, it's

in my "WIP's" work in progress.

This is a quilt Carol made that sat on a table at the

entrance/ exit...where the door always stuck on me.

Good bye Kountry Kin and thank you to Carol Farley

for 19 years she gave to the business community of little

old Rich Hill, Missouri and all she of gave of herself to

the manywho entered her store.

Happy RETIREMENT...enjoy.  See you at the

local quilt shows and guild meetings.

I am gonna miss this place.

It was a therapeutic place for me at times!!!

Stack and Whack Blocks

Well, these block seem to boggle my mind.  I have to

really pay attention to what I am doing.  I love

the Stack and Whack quilts I have seen, and everyone

says they are fun to do!!

I think they are a little bit complicated, but then maybe after

you do a few more they get easier.  I plan to do 8 of these

blocks and make a couch throw for my Mom's apartment.

I love how they remind me of those little kaleidoscopes we had when

we were kids back in the day.  Those were so fun to play with, you

never did know what design you would end up with.  I was always

trying to turn it and get the same one to show up twice.

This is just a beautiful one a lady from my guild made...

Kay W. from Stitch in Time, this thing is a California

King Size....and I am worrying about doing 8 blocks?

Then again I have the energy challenge (CFS) that likes

to dictate when and how much I do.

If you have the patience they sure do make beautiful quilts.

Antique Pink Churn Dash Quilt Finished!!

The Pink Churn Dash is finally finished. I purchased this

top at a sale well over 20 years ago and stuffed it away.

I had to do some repairs and finishing on it but it

was worth it.  It is a beautiful piece of work that

some lady put a lot of love and time into.

I decided I was going to try and do the binding by machine.

I sewed the binding to the back and brought it around

to the front and secured it down with a decorative

stitch.  It came out ok... I think it will take a lot

of practice to be able to machine finish a binding to suit me.

I just didn't have the courage to tackle it by hand

after doing the Crazy Quilt binding by hand the first

of the month. My hands were sore for days.

I got all the quilts washed (warshed) and put away that I took to

the 4th of July Quilt Show up in Rich Hill.  I don't think I

will show another one again this year unless it is my red white and

blue crazy quilt. I like it, it is different than most quilts.

My Nine Patch will go back on the foot of the bed when the

weather gets cooler.

       When visiting at the show a few of us ladies were talking about washing

our quilts, how to and what not to do. Well then we got off on the

topic about how most of us say "warshed" when the proper way is

washed.  I know I tell the grand kids to go warsh their hands and get

a funny look once in a while. I guess it's all in what you grew up hearing

and I believe that in Southern Missouri we heard warshed more in my

day. I won't even get started on windows....

Radio Flyer Wagon, White Milk Can and Porcelain!! WOW

My white milk can now has company.  An old friend 's girlfriend gave me the little

red wagon after seeing how I messed around a little in my yard. Bless her, I

hardly know her.  Then the friend gave me the old chamber pot on the right when

cleaning in his storage unit.  I saw it needed rose moss planted in it right away.

Then while down at my Mom's farm house, I noticed her old porcelain pot with

the red handles and saw the moss was croaking since she is not living there.

I thought I better bring it home so I could water the moss and had a vision of it in this

little wagon with the other porcelain pot. Yep, they fit. 

I also saw that little black tub sitting neglected and needing flowers in it so

home with me it came and it fit in the milk can.  I have never grown Petunias, 

that's one of Mom's favorites. I just don't like the smell of them.

Well, I thought since I took the little tub from her place I would put some

Petunias in it....so far it's working for me, they are thriving in this 100 degree heat.

While thinking about one of my favorite fabric and quilt shops going out of

 business it came to me I had seen one of the white and red pans in her shop

and wondered if she was selling it.  So on my next trip up there it came home

with me for a good price.

I didn't have any dirt from the farm around so I went to Wal Mart and bought 

cactus soil.   I have never used that before and  am not sure how it is going to 

work  for my hens and chicks but they are still alive in it. Hope they thrive

in this heat.  

I really like my little arrangement if I may say so. Just wish it

were not so very hot outside so I could sit and enjoy it more!! 

It would all probably look better with some white landscaping rock under

it....give me time and some $$$$'s and maybe it will happen.

Patriotic Crazy Quilt and the 4th Quilt Show

This is the first crazy quilt I have ever attempted to make. I just pretty much

grabbed pieces and sewed them together...some in more of a Log

Cabin type block, others hog podge. In the middle there

are 4 paper pieced blocks surrounded by the 5 heart blocks.

It was a fun quilt to make.  This was the first time it

went to a quilt show.

 Here is my favorite and first nine patch making a showing and probably 

the last time I will show it.  I like using it.  It was on the bed most of  this

last winter.

The Wedding Ring Quilt is mine but was purchased at an antique shop, wish they would

have labeled it!!  The one in the middle next to it was the one my grammie has started

and hand pieced. I finished it and had it quilted in 2012.

 This Dresden Plate quilt is also from the antique store and I have no idea who put all

that hard work into it or saved up all those feed sacks.  The prairie point binding is really

unusual and they did a great job hand quilting it. Still I wish I knew who and when it

was made, but and sure glad I am the owner. I will enjoy and appreciate it!!

This is the first of two raffle quilts made by a couple ladies at the Stitch In Time 

Quilt Guild.  I hope it is in a home that appreciates it as a lot of hard work

went into this lovely quilt.

This is the second raffle quilt made by many of the members of the guild. We each made 

a few tossed 4 patches and then turned them in to the shop owner who them stipple quilted each

and everyone of them. They then went to the president of the guild and she and another

lady put them together by machine and then by hand with those skinny black strips.

This is the one I wish they would have drawn my ticket for!!!

Happy thing is the shop is closing and the owner is going to retire and she did

all that hard work stipple quilting those block and guess what???

 They drew her name and she won the quilt!!! What a great way to end your 

last month in business after 19 year....winning the raffle quilt you put a lot of

hours work into.!!!!  Glad she won it if I didn't  LOL!!!