Next....

Ooh....Kansas Troubles...Diva Troubles should be the name of this baby!  Who'd a thunk it would be such a challenge!  I changed my fabric choices...I sewed the triangles upside down...I lost my pinwheel in the middle...I had nothing but troubles!  Oh well...it is done and I like it!

This BOW is very challenging and I like it!  I think I have my layout planned...I just love EQ7 and the fact that I can go out to the internet and grab images of the fabric I want to use and play with them.  How wonderful is that?

Anyway, I have a setting with an alternate block that looks nice and old fashioned to go along with these wonderful Civil War blocks.  I am looking forward to the next challenge!

On a very happy note, my sister is all set to leave Columbus Ohio tomorrow morning and set off for a twelve hour drive back to MN.  Her husband will drive the daylight hours and Ashley will drive in the dark.  They are taking her to a rehabilitation facility in Edina, very close to us...and she may be there for as long as a month.  I have picked out a quilt to cheer her up in her new setting.  I have talked to her every day and plan to go see her on Tuesday if she is up to visitors.  Please God, let this go off without a hitch!

Ahhh....Saturday!

Even better when it is a Saturday AND a Dear Jane Workday! I got to hang out with about 12 of my good buddies this afternoon...we all get together approximately once a month to work on our Dear Janes....or what ever else moves us. My friend JoAnn has that new space above her quilt shop that is just ideal for this purpose. What fun!

I really like what Kari was working on. We had exchanged Chimney Sweep blocks at the shop and she was putting hers together. She has a beautiful applique block in the center and borders all around...the album blocks were one of the borders. It is gorgeous!

My sister has had 3 good days strung together. Her doctor said she was on track to be heading out the door on Monday. We have our fingers crossed and are praying hard that this comes to pass...and that the trip (12 hours from Columbus Ohio to Edina Minn where she will be in recovery and rehabilitation) won't be too much for her. I talked to her several times today and she is very alert (we were balancing her checkbook and paying bills) and wants very much to come home.

Well...I get to pick out the fabrics for the next installment of the Civil War BOW from Barbara Brackman. This is going to be a "scrapbook" of my Jo Morton fabric collection. It will be FABULOUS!!! I will post a picture when I finish the block...a challenging one this time....again! Love it!

Civil War blocks...progress!

I finished two this week and am all caught up! I chickened out and appliqued the Seven Sisters block...and I nearly used up all of one of my favorite fabrics in the Texas Tears block. Sniff! I hate using up one of my favorites but I did just that in preparing for a mystery class. I fell in love with one of Jo Morton's earlier pieces...a cinnamon pink fabric with little "pepper pots" on it. The very last FQ will be a part of this mystery quilt.

Speaking of sisters...mine is still having a tough time. She was supposed to be back in MN by now but had emergency surgery (3rd time if you are counting) on Sunday. She is devastated. Her youngest is in Ohio with her now, as well as her husband. Ashley is bolstering Mom's spirits a great deal. I feel so helpless. She says she will not go through this again so in five years, I most likely will lose my sister. I hope she has a change of heart by then.

Enough sad! Here are my beautiful blocks!

Yeah weekend!

So, fun day so far....I am picking together fabric for Kari's mystery quilt weekend. I am going with Jo Morton (who else?) fabrics in pink and brown. I love her Andover line and the wide stripe that she put out with that line will be my border....and THEN...the fourth block from the Barbara Brackman Civil War BOW has come out. I still need to finish appliqueing the seven sisters block! Oh well, I can pick the fabrics out for this one. I need to stay on top of this BOW.

My sister is coming home on Monday. She will be taken to a nursing care facility for a few weeks. She is still weak, has fluid problems and needs round the clock care. They will get her back into fighting trim...and I can't wait to see her.

Happy Weekend!

It is below zero and I am not planning to go ANYWHERE this weekend. Too cold...that means I have time for QUILTING! I just had a lovely massage and am ready to sit down in my comfy chair and work on my weekly applique block. The Red and Green quilt is shaping up!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Reely! Lime IS a Neutral!

I finally finished the binding. Isn't this beautiful? Totally out of my comfort zone. I am a Civil War girl all the way....I can't wait for Diane's book to come out. It will be marvelous!
My friend Kari Schell did the quilting. She is amazing! I love what she did with the quilt.

Reely Lime is back from Kari!

This is going to be a teaser! My lime reel quilt just came back from Kari Schell...she did a wonderful job of quilting it...I am putting the binding on and have to get back to that. Oh my gosh!

My sister is still in Columbus, still in the hospital. She woke up this morning with a bit of a fever and some pain in her ribcage area...so more tests and a CAT Scan...I wish she was closer! I could have the Evil give her a glance or two...certainly much cheaper and it comes with free purrings...

Another Civil War block

Here is the second block...the history Barbara Brackman has added along with the pattern is wonderful! Check it out if you haven't already!

Better today...

She is still in intensive care but they are backing her off the respirator and she is breathing on her own. This has been so hard for her! Her husband feels that she is sad because she thought she would be going home soon...and he thinks it may be a week or more before they release her.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support. I am sure this is helping her pull through!

When she is back in MN and recovering, we will be making a quilt together as part of her get back to normal therapy. We did this last time and had a lot of fun.


Meanwhile, I am starting a new quilt based on Barbara Brackman's Civil War BOM. I will use my wonderful stash of Jo Morton fabrics...here is the first block! I am thinking of a diagonal set with sashing...will need to make a few more blocks but that isn't a big deal...I am looking forward to seeing this one finished! I think I will use one of the beautiful stripes from the Annandale line for the outer border...and maybe a smaller stripe from Providence for the sashing...

Still Scarey...

My sister had her surgery and there was a crisis today. She wanted to sit in a chair and in the process of moving her to the chair, she passed out. Her blood pressure dropped alarmingly and there were 10 people in the room immediately with a "code blue"...her husband thought she was lost. The surgeon happened to be in the hospital and opened her up, thinking that she had something bleeding that should not be...didn't find anything. So, she is in intensive care overnight for observation...

Please pray!

I am working on the Barbara Brackman Civil War blocks to distract myself.

My sister....

My big sister, Diane, is having surgery tomorrow...she is so brave. She is having 3 tumors removed from her abdomen (cancer) and this is the 4th such surgery. Please add her to your thoughts and prayers. Her surgery is at 1pm EST tomorrow.

First project of 2011

My talented friend Kari made a lovely bag for me as a Christmas gift. She used my favorite fabric (by Jo Morton) and I was inspired to make a couple of "extras" to go along with it. This bag will become my Heart and Hand applique bag. I have to get some blocks prepped and keep this ready to go. Isn't it wonderful?

Kari used a bag pattern from Terry Atkinson and I used her Cash and Carry pattern for the thread case. The needle case has a wool page in it for needles and pins.

Happy New Quilt! er...Year!

What a way to end the year! I finished a beautiful quilt and put it on my bed..just as the power went out last night around 11:30. We had to use candles and cell phones to light our way...and I missed out on how Sherlock Holmes ends...Oh well...I can catch up on that today.

Here is a picture of the quilt. The pattern is the Night at the Symphony free pattern from Moda with a few modifications...it was quilted by my talented friend Kari Schell.










Also, you can see the quilt inspector doing his job....Evil Awful Puss has made his indentation of approval on the quilt.

That Evil...always hard at work. Doesn't he make it look easy?

I am so happy that my dear friend has emerged from her surgery with flying colors...now on to my next concern...my older sister is facing cancer surgery for the 4th time. We have a prayer service for her today at her church. She is so brave! Please add Diane to your prayers...she has tumors in her abdomen and liver that will be removed.

I am working on making a list of all of my Works In Progress and will share this with my Dear Jane group in hopes of making a dent this year...I am also going to try to get a handle on the Projects In Grocery Sacks that I have sitting around as well...I have a big herd of PIGS...phooey!