Back in Action

It felt good to be back at my volunteer job at the hospital today and to deliver a quilt for Project Linus.  The Child Life employee said she had a teenage girl in mind for it already.  She just had surgery and will probably be hospitalized through Christmas.   It's probably already on her bed.  Things just work out!

This quilt top was made totally of scraps.  All I had to buy was the backing.  The levels in my bright fabric bins have really gone down!  Now here's my dilemma--should I work them all the way down making scrap quilts or go shopping to replenish them?

What Happened to November?

I just realized that I need to post right away or I will miss the whole month of November.  Ah, yes, November, the month I parted company with my gallbladder.  It turns out that all of those stomach aches and back pains were trying to tell me something! 

This post is your anatomy lesson for today.  Know your digestive system and pay attention if you have pains under your right ribcage.  I gave up my gallbladder a week ago and feel much better!

Newest Finishes

It's always good to finish things.  I love to start projects, especially with applique blocks.  I'll whip up the blocks and stick them in a drawer--or I'll make a top and then hang it in my UFO closet.  (There are way too many in there.)  However, in the past week or so, I've finished three things!  

 First is this little quilt (about 21 x 29) that I am donating at the hospital where I volunteer.  They're having a raffle to raise money for benevolence projects.  I hope it stimulates some ticket sales.

Next is this child's quilt that went to Project Linus.  The animal shapes are from a book called Polka-Dot Quilts.

This last quilt also went to Project Linus.  It's special because I got the border and backing fabrics on trips to Dallas to visit friends from my internet quilting forum. 

Yet Another Chance to Vote!

I've entered the Weekly Themed Quilt Contest on Quilting Gallery.  Here's the link if you'd like to view the teddy bear quilts:  http://quiltinggallery.com/tag/weekly-themed-quilt-contest/
As always, if you feel I deserve your vote, I'd appreciate it.  Anything I win is funneled back into my charity quilting.

The bear pattern was designed by Sindy Rodenmayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com

Finished Quilts=Eye Candy

Lots of pictures today!  I have finished several Project Linus quilts lately.  This is the way I always seem to work--start several quilts within the span of a few weeks, work on them all at the same time, and then finish them within a few weeks.  The first two quilts will go to the hospital with me tomorrow.

The last two quilts went last week.  I got to give the sea life quilt to the mother of a three-week-old baby who had been very sick in Pediatric Intensive Care but had survived and was going home that day. 

My Most-Traveled Quilt

While browsing through the file of quilts I've made, I paused on this one and thought about how far it had traveled to find its recipient.  My quilts have gone all over the USA, but this one, amazingly, went to an orphanage in Bangladesh! (There was an opportunity to donate through a member of my quilting forum.)

That little cutie on the right in the front row is now the owner of a jungle animal quilt I made.  His smile has kept me going for a long time.

Quilts for Beautiful Granddaughters

On Monday I will spend the night with my darling granddaughters, ages 4 1/2 and 2, and I will be giving them their new quilts.  I've had them ready for several months but was saving them for cooler weather.  However, the older DGD called and asked for hers, knowing that I had been working on it!  That made me feel so great that I'll be delivering their nice, warm quilts in 95-degree weather!

First is the two-year-old's quilt, full of hearts and little rag dolls.  Each doll has a different embroidered facial expression, from extremely happy to mad as @#$%.  This little doll loves to play with dolls and has a very nurturing way about her.  I hope she likes her dolly "banky".

This next quilt is for Miss Four-Going-on-Sixteen.  She chose a big fat quarter pack for me last Christmas.  After a little editing and adding some more fabrics (had to shop--darn), I made this daisy quilt for her.  I was lucky to find one of the prints for the backing, too, as well as finding my favorite Fossil Fern for the flower petals.

Monday night I might have to turn down the AC and tuck my DGDs in with their new quilts!

Dino-Rawr

Once again I must pay homage to the creative talents of Sindy Rodenmayer at Fat Cat Patterns.  This is her darling design, and I enjoyed making the little dinos with some unusual batiks for whch I thought I'd never find a use!  It has gone to the hospital to do its good work with a Project Linus tag attached.

My Entry for Pets on Quilts Show

The quilt shown here is my entry into SewCalGal's Pets on Quilts Show.  The cat on this quilt was inspired by Spencer, Max, Ashley, and Quincy--the four cats whom we have loved over the years.  Only Quincy is still with us, but we have such happy memories of our curious furbabies and their funny, charming ways.

This quilt went to Project Linus, and I am fortunate to know what happened to it.  It was given to a young girl who had scoliosis surgery.  Her ambition is to be a veterinarian.

Pets on Quilts Show

I have just heard about SewGalCal's Pets on Quilts Show that is starting tomorrow.  Take a look at her blog to see if you want to enter a quilt yourself.  If you do any sewing for children's charities, you probably have made at least one quilt with a cat, dog, horse, or other kind of pet on it.  She has sponsors and prizes!

We Won a Homer!

Disclaimer:  This has nothing to do with that odd little cartoon dude, Homer Simpson.

We are so proud to be notified that our room addition project, the suite for my mother-in-law, has been selected for a Homer Award by the St. Louis Home Builders Association.  This award is like the "Oscar" to people who are in the building trades in this area.

We think that this award recognizes a great collaboration between an excellent remodeling business, Mosby Building Arts, and our family.  We look forward to displaying our Homer statuette in our home and are very glad it doesn't look like the cartoon guy mentioned above.

On the Wall Today

The last few days I've had fun working with the fabrics I won from Jojo's in the online quilt contest.  I also bought some coordinating fabrics to supplement the prize package.  At first I was making dark stars on light backgrounds, but today I started to make some in the reverse and I'm happy with the effect.  Unfortunately, these stars are gobbling fabric, so I think I'll be shopping some more.  Oh, darn, I just "hate" fabric shopping!

Yet Another Chance to Vote!

A big "thank you" to anyone who voted for Wilma's quilt last week. She won! Our friend, Linda, who also frequents The Quilting Bee Forum, was encouraged by our wins and decided to enter this week's contest with this beautiful quilt that she calls, "Beyond the Seashore". If you love it as much as I do, you'll want to go to this week's Weekly Themed Quilt Contest and vote right away! Thank you!

Another Chance to Vote!

After my good fortune in last week's Weekly Themed Quilt Contest at Quilting Gallery, I hope to pass on that success to my friend, Wilma, from the Quilting Bee Forum. Wilma has entered under the theme "Picnics", and her watermelon quilt (left) is simply luscious! Click here to see the entries, and I hope you'll consider voting for Wilma.

Be sure to click on the picture to enlarge it so you can see the seeds!

New Volunteer Job

I went to my orientation at the hospital today for my new volunteer job. I was asked to work at the front desk of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, monitoring visitors and assisting nursing staff. They are moving into a new building next week with a new nurse call system, so we will all be learning to use it together. I'm really looking forward to this, as this is the place to which I deliver my Project Linus quilts, including the one shown above. (Cat pattern by Fat Cat Patterns.)

Thanks for the Votes!

Thanks to anyone who voted for my patriotic quilt in last weekend's contest. I was so fortunate to win this wonderful bundle of fabrics from Jojo's Quilt and Gift Shoppe. They will make a pretty Quilt of Valor for a brave female soldier. I can't wait to get started!

I Need Your Vote (Again)

I decided to enter this quilt in the Weekly Themed Quilt Contest. This week's category is "Patriotism". It's the first quilt I've made to donate to Quilts of Valor and was given to a wounded soldier at Fort Bragg. Our military personnel and their families deserve more appreciation than we could ever adequately express, but this is my own small way to trying to do so.

If you'd like to see the contest entries, click here between July 9 and 11. If you think I deserve your vote, I would greatly appreciate it. If I win any free quilting supplies, I will use them to make more quilts for Project Linus or Quilts of Valor.

Good Luck, Dori!

Today I'm thinking a lot about my quilting buddy, Dori, as she has surgery in Oregon. This is the "Good Vibrations" quilt that I made for her to snuggle in and remind herself of how many people care about her.

Here at our house we are adjusting to having another person in residence. DMIL moved in about two months ago. She likes her new space. As soon as the closing is complete on her old house (hopefully on Monday), I think we will all be able to relax. It's been a tricky process to sell a house that is 400 miles away.

Our Room Addition is Finished!

I am thrilled to report that our room addition is finished and is ready for DMIL to move in. The only sad part is that our crew from Mosby Building Arts has moved on to another job, and we miss them! The whole organization is first class, and we highly recommend them to anyone in the St. Louis area who has home improvement needs.

How about a little tour? My camera doesn't really have the right kind of lens for this kind of photography, but you can get a peek at our new space. First is the hallway into the new space. This used to be my laundry room, but now it is my wonderful pantry. I love this space! I love everything about it.
The hall leads into this bright and airy living space. This next picture shows the sitting area, which will have two recliner chairs there in front of the gas stove and TV.

On the opposite end of this space is the bed area. I made a birdhouse quilt for her bed.

This is part of the bathroom.

Here's part of the walk-in shower with bench.

Finally, here is an exterior view of the addition, waiting for landscaping! Now comes the big move for DMIL, and we are hoping she loves her new space as much as we do.

Rocket Man Quilt Completed

Isn't this a darling design? Of course, it's from the creative mind of my favorite designer, Sindy Rodenmayer, at Fat Cat Patterns. When I met Sindy, I suggested that outer space would be a good theme for a quilt because she hadn't done it before and I had a box of space-themed fabric! I was so thrilled when she created this pattern. Even the back of this quilt is cool. I used a print that has a navy background and planets, some of which are 4-6 inches in diameter.

I will be donating this quilt through Project Linus soon.

Construction Update!

This is a HUGE day at our house! I'm doing laundry at home again! Woo hoo! The guys finished the laundry room first to help me. My four months at the laundromat have ended. (The window looks out on the front yard.)
I want to introduce you to our guys from Mosby Building Arts who have done most of the work on this project. (Many subcontractors have come and gone, but these have been our guys all the way through.) First is James, our project manager, who is willing to do any job, including washing windows. Those are bookcases on that wall, and there will be a little gas stove in between.

Here are Steve and Steve, who are working outside because it is finally warm enough to work on the deck. These guys are so funny!
This is Tony, our painter. The picture is taken from the new room, in front of the bookcases, looking toward the laundry room.

As you can see, the project is moving right along! We'll probably be finished in a couple of weeks.

On an unrelated note, the song in my head today is "Hillbilly Bone" by Blake Shelton. This song has such a good beat (sounds like I'm on "American Bandstand") that I feel like I could do the Texas two-step to it--and I've never tried that before!

I Need Your Vote!

Quilting Gallery sponsors a weekly themed quilt contest, and the theme this week is "Little Boys". I decided to enter to try to win supplies to support my Project Linus work. (I've made about 160 so far, which requires plenty of thread and batting as well as fabric.)

The contest can be found here. If you feel I deserve your vote, I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

It Looks Like a House Now!

We still have a long way to go, but I wanted to show our addition now that it is clad in the same siding as the house. (The trim isn't quite finished.) There is a lot of activity inside now as tile setters, painters, plumbers, and finish carpenters dance around each other. Hopefully it will soon be warm enough to add the deck connecting our back porch to the addition. We are hoping to move DMIL in April.

Redecorating

I've been having fun redecorating my blog today. With so much mess in my house it is a pleasure to be able to change the "decor" of something without creating dust and drips. Today the men are sanding the drywall in the addition. They taped everything up tightly. There is still thick plaster dust on everything! How does that happen?

The song in my head of the day is "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. I have a very strange mind.

Don't You Wish Your Dining Room Was Hot Like Mine?

Don't you wish your home was as lovely as mine? Do you remember this room from my Christmas picture? Now it's a storeroom for faucets, a toilet, sinks, a shower drain, a ceiling fan, light fixtures, many tubes of caulk, etc. On the other side of the room are stacks of boxes of collectibles from DMIL's house. They say that in a few weeks all of the building supplies will be installed in our room addition. It'll be sad in a way. Then I'll have to start cleaning again.

That Song in My Head Today

It's driving me absolutely crazy! I have had this same song in my head for days. I even hear it when I get up in the night to go potty! I hear it in Smokey Robinson's voice:

"Ooh baby baby

Ooh baby baby"

This particular part is repeating the most frequently:

"I'm just about at the end of my rope

But I can't stop tryin' I can't give up hope

'Cause I feel that one day I'll hold you near

Whisper I still love you

Until the day is here

Ooh I'm cryin'"

For crying out loud, I want to know why this song is haunting me! Any theories? I'm hoping that by typing this here, I'll give "Ooh baby baby" to YOU!

Interior Views of Construction

DH has been taking pictures in our room addition before the drywall goes up so he can remember where all the pipes and wires are. I guess this is a good idea in case you need to drive nails or cut into the walls for some reason.

This is my favorite wall--where my washer and dryer will go. I miss them so much!

This is the wall in the sitting area of the addition. A cute little gas stove will go between the windows with bookcases on either side. Mom is going to put two recliners in front of the stove. What she doesn't know yet is there will be a TV on the wall above the stove.

This is the bathroom wall where the vanities will go--see the mounts for the sconces? This wall backs up to the garage, so a lot of insulation, drywall, and firewall will go in that wall this week. Some day we will have a garage again, and we can move all the garage junk off our back porch!

I feel like we're at the stage of this project where you just give up and accept that it's going to go on forever--kind of like the ninth month of pregnancy.

Now You've Seen It All

This is the third quilt I've made for an animal--yes, an animal. I can't believe I said that. These are all very special pets, pampered furbabies who love being warm and comfy like the rest of the family. The first quilt for my DS and DDIL's dog, Jack, and the second was for DMIL's cat, Ginger. These pets really use their quilts!

DH has recently been placing a load of guilt on me because our 13-year-old cat, Quincy, didn't have a quilt. He is a heat-seeking orange tabby who always goes where he can steal some warmth from someone. I finally got with it and made a quiilt for Quincy, picturing him being more active than he actually is! He started using it the first day it was finished! (I think my pet quilt recipients have actually appreciated their quilts more than some of the human recipients. LOL)

My Christmas Table

This picture shows my table just before we sat down for Christmas dinner. I wanted my dear friend Debi to see the table runner she made for me, as it was the centerpiece! The colors were perfect!

Finished Some PL Quilts

While the carpenters and other tradesmen are banging away outside, I've been sewing inside (which is a much better place to be, trust me!) We have been having lots of rain, and it's a cold sea of mud out there. This first quilt I've finished is called "Silly Zoo" and was designed by Sindy Rodenmayer at Fat Cat Patterns. There are other darling animal patterns there, too. If you look on the Home page, you will see her brand new pattern, "Rocket Man". (That "Sheryl" she mentions as her biggest fan is moi!)
The second quilt is "Beach Fun". I found the blocks in a book called "Travelin' America in Applique", which I found late last year at Jo Ann Fabrics. I really like this quilt except for one thing. I used a puffy batting because my Project Linus coordinator gave it to me, but hand quilting it was a big fight, and I don't like the puffiness. I doubt if that will bother the recipient, though. Hope not!

The third quilt is from a pattern by Annie Unrein called "Wicked Easy". I like it because it's easy piecing, and some of the pieces are big enough to allow space for applique.

These quilts are going to the hospital tomorrow, and I send them off with prayers that they will do good work.

We Are Under Roof

Here's our room addition with walls, windows, and a roof! The guys have made so much progress in this frigid weather. What you cannot see is the plumbing, and HVAC work that has been done inside. The electrician should be coming out this week. Construction is such hard work. I really admire all of these people who are working for us.

I took the picture from the porch outside our family room. It will be joined to the room addition by a deck. Sometime this spring we will be sitting out there--after we put the yard and perennial garden back together!