Sour Apples

Right now all my former friends from Guild are enjoying their selves at a retreat at Blue Licks Battlefield and State Park. They are eating and drinking and sewing and sharing quilt tips and talking and having a wonderful weekend. I do envy them. I love retreats.

I have no hopes that these former friends will ever become my friends again. In fact I don't want their friendship. However, I cannot imagine cutting myself off from the guild and future quilt retreats. I am not sure what I will be doing about it, but a solution will be found that makes me content in myself. If they are uncomfortable about my solution that will be something they will have to deal with.

These former friends never understood what I was going through. They just saw my sorrow and anger at circumstances and could no long deal with it. Again, that is their problem. That my DH almost died on October 10 is something they know nothing about and I don't really think they would care.

I have lost one husband to an auto accident, divorced a second because he shut me out of his life and almost lost a third one to kidney failure, sepsis, staph infection and pneumonia. For three days we kept DH alive on a ventilator while trying to heal the infection, restart the kidneys without dialysis and clear his lungs from the pneumonia. That we have had four weeks of hospitalization to deal with; that DH has lost 30 pounds during his illness; that he is using a walker or wheelchair because he has no endurance; that I have been beside myself with worry; in all of these things they were not there for me.

They pledged their friendship and help and then withdrew it because they could not deal with me. I regret that they were unable to help me. I would have loved the support of friends. However, I am moving forward and getting my life in order. My DH still has dementia. He will continue to slide downhill into a memory loss. There will be times that I will want to strike out at anything to deal with the anger of my husband loosing his memory. I will find other friends who will comfort me. I will find other quilt buddies to interact with. I will go on with my life and be a happy and content person.

I can only feel sorry for these women and hope that they never have to deal with what I have been going through and what I have ahead. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I have been at the brink of death and seen my husband pull back into a life that we never thought we would enjoy again.

Whether these women read my blog or not, I felt that I finally had to express my sadness at their reaction to my deepest pain. They were not there for me and I can never forget what they did to me. They are forgiven and written out of my life.

I am sorry for the sour apples...but I needed to get this written so that I can go on with my life. The pain inflicted has continued to eat at my heart and I don't want that pain any more. I don't want them to apologize. I just want them to stay away from me and leave me alone.

In spite of the content of my blog today, please have a happy and safe day. May God watch over you and keep you in his love.

Baby "Trip Around the World"

It has reached the binding stage. How exciting. I have to get several quilt tops together and go to Jo Ann's for a binding fabric that will work with all of them. Either that or get a neutral solid color fabric. That might be the better idea. With a 40% coupon burning a hole in my pocket I think I will be heading that way right after work. Then I will pull out my instructions for making binding and be on my way to a finished UFO.

I am practicing my machine quilting on a Kid's Komfort quilt that will be turned in at the October Guild meeting. I am getting so much done in the evenings that I cannot believe it.

I miss the interaction with my 'friends' but get so much more work done without the distraction. Maybe they did me a favor. I am sure that was not their intent, but you know the old adage. "When life hands you lemons make lemonade." I should open a lemonade stand at Guild. Naw. They ain't worth it.

The above is not an example of a Christian thought. But, remember that I am not perfect. It is what I do with my thoughts that makes my Christian walk. It is easy to forgive. The hard part is to forget the slings and arrows and go forward. With Christ at my side I walk through each day with an easier heart knowing that it is written: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather
give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay
saith the Lord." Romans 12:19 (KJV)

Have a great day, Karen

Success oh what sweet success

The top for the baby quilt for Alaska maternity hospital in the Trip Around the World is complete. I could only find one of the two FQ's that I needed. So I improvised. I used fabric glue stick and a very light interfacing and glued the remainder of the FQ to the interfacing. Then I cut a 2 1/2" strip balancing the interfacing evenly on either side of the strip. It worked out perfectly.

I only had to "unsew" one more set of squares that was out of order and finished the top and ironed it. I have one more with different FQ's to make and then off to JoAnn's for backing for both quilts. How exciting.

My reqular Monday night group Quilted Chaos is not meeting this month. The hostess is on vacation in Washington, D.C. Therefore I have the entire evening to cut out the 2nd Trip Around the World and proceed from there.

This weekend is a Q.U. cyber retreat. I have sent myself three goals. 1) Organize all my fabric. 2) Organize all my projects. 3) Layering finished tops to start quilting. If I finish these then I will start somthing else. I do not think my DH will like my cyber retreat. When I home he wants my attention. It must be hard not to have any hobbies or things that he can do. Here he is stuck at home 24/7 with nothing but two dogs to play will. I would go crazy! Thank God for quilting.

My trip to JoAnn's on Saturday after our visit with my MIL was amazing! Between all my coupons and the sales and my AQS 10% discount I purchased $122.00 for only $61.00. What a bargin. I still have my 40% coupon left and it doesn't expire until August 9th. I wonder what I will do with it?

Have a nice day, Karen

OHAD not

Last night I was supposed to go to my Monday Guild small group. Instead I fell asleep in my arm chair and didn't wake up until my DH asked me if I wanted a peanut butter sandwich at 8:00. That is an evening shot in my opinion.

I did do some internet surfing and downloaded a few quilting patterns for future reference. Just what I need, another UFO project.

Today my BOM from Everything Quilts arrived. It looks like a really fun block. I cannot wait to start.

Tonight is laundry night, so I should get some quilting done in between loads.

Have a great day, Karen

Another top finished and another top started

I finished the top for the Alaska quilt and added a border. It is all ready for layering and quilting. Then I started "A Trip Around the World" for the Alaska maternity quilt project. I cut ten fat quarters into 2 1/2" by 22" strips and then started sewing the strips together. I need 6 pieces 3" wide out of each panel that is number 1 through 10. Then I need 4 pieces 3" wide out of each panel that is number 2 through 1 and so on. I have the 1-10, the 2-1, and the 3-2 rows done. When I have all the rows done I will put a single piece 2 1/2" by 3" between a 1-10 and 10-1 row and have the top row of the quilt done. Once I have completed the top and made sure that my directions are workable, I will post them here.

I have two of these baby "A Trip Around the World" for the Alaska maternity quilt project to do. Boy will I have a show and tell at the next Piecemakers group meeting.

Tonight is the mid month gathering for Quilted Chaos. I still don't know what I will be doing there. Have fun and talk with my friends most likely. I wish I had some binding to fasten on a quilt but I am no where near to that process on any of my projects.

So far I have been able to keep most of my promise about keeping ths living room and dining room straight on a daily basis. Last night I had to leave my iron out because I forgot to turn it off after my last strip was ironed. I will have some picking up to do tonight when I get home from work, but I can do that while I cook supper for DH. I did some major inroads into the kitchen this weekend. Only two mor surfaces to work on and then some major scrubbing and I will be done. The next cleaning project will be the landing between the the stairs. I do progress, but slowly.

Have a nice day, Karen

Sewing Room / Studio

Saturday I rewarded myself for going to visit my mother-in-law by going into the Dollar Store and buying out almost every Sterilite storage box they had. I must have spent about $125 on storage for my new studio. Right now they are balanced on the back of the couch in the family room. As soon as I finish getting the living room and dining room in my new austerity format I will truly start on the studio.

My house is a bi-level and the studio will be in the family room that is directly beneath the bedrooms. It is the coolest room in the house during the summer (which is a good thing) and has a fireplace so that I can keep it warm and attractive in the winter. I am so excited about this new studio. I will be able to have quilting friends over for mini retreats.

I am still waiting for my pattern to be sent from Starr Designs that I ordered at the NQA show. I am getting impatient to see it! I still have to purchase about 12 yards of a pale yellow fabric at my LQS to use as the background fabric. I am thinking about Moda Marbles or Fossil Fern at the background, but will have to see what they actually look like next to the HQ bundles I picked up at NQA.

Several of my quilting friends are passing around vintage quilt magazines. We put a post-it on the page of a pattern or article that we want. At the end the magazine will be taken apart and the individual who want the patter will get it. If more than one is interested a copy of the original will be made so as not to run afoul of the copyright laws.

I picked up several pieces of remnant fabric at our local big box fabric store (Joann's here in Cincinnati) on Saturday. That also was in reward of my trip to my mother-in-law. Several are fleece and will coordinate with other remnant pieces of fleece that I have purchased for my quilts for the Alaska baby quilt project that Piecemakers is supporting. Last Thursday at our meeting we took out an enormous storage box with fabric and tried to coordinate fabrics together into packages that will be used to make tops for this project. I picked up so additional fleece then.

I have so many new projects that I need to list on my blog that I will wait until I get some time at home to do it.

Have a great day, Karen

NQA Annual Show in Columbus, Ohio

I really thought I would not be able to attend this year's NQA show, but two friends are going up Thursday and they invited me. How wonderful to have great friends. Since this will be my second year I have a better idea of what to bring and what not to bring.

Extra batteries for my camera are a must. I will be packing a sack lunch instead of going hungry this year and will not forget my water bottle. I am going to leave my purse at home and bring only the essentials in a smal clutch bag. I will use the NQA bag I bought last year and buy another this year and use them for carrying things. Most important will be a good pair of comfortable shoes.

I cannot wait. This year they are having a special exhibit of rose quilts. I plan on getting some great pictures and ideas for my own projects.

If you cannot tell I am really EXCITED about this.

I irons some of my new fabric that I got on e-bay at our small quilt group evening. We shared some patterns and processes for flying geese. I know there will be a flying geese quilt in my future.

Less than 48 hours and I will be in Columbus. Hooray!

Have a great day, Karen

Have you missed me?

I haven't updated my blog in quite a while. Too busy at work and then have caught the e-Bay bug. So far I have spent almost $1000.00 on fabric and one pattern. Now I have to get to work making these purchases into quilt tops and other things.

Speaking of other things I saw the cutest adaptation of a 5" square last night at a birthday party. Two 5" squares were sewn together without a binding with the two bottom corners cut off as if a 2" half square triangle had been removed and the edges where the corners had been were sewn together. It was a scissors holder and if it had been made in orange with green handled scissors it would have looked like a carrot. Words cannot describe it and I don't have a picture.

We were celebrating J.W.'s 60th birthday. What a hoot! It was a surprise birthday party and she hadn't a clue. The food was great, but the conversation and show and tell was even better. It was a new way for us to bond over our quilting without pulling out a piece of thread or fabric.

The party favors were 5" squares of different fabrics rolled up in a ribbon like a napkin ring. You do remember what cloth napkins and napkins rings are, don't you?

I am starting to gather some things together for my new sewing/quilting studio. I haven't measured the room yet, but I know some Sauder bookcases are in order and I have a pattern for a special sewing table that I purchased from Keepsake Quilting. All I have to do is clear out all the stuff from the family room and start creating a floor plan and move everything from my current cubby hole. I should be able to report that it is finished sometime in the next few years. I do move slowly.

Have a wonderful weekend. Karen

A quiet weekend

After a very quiet weekend the moving week has arrived. I work for a large insurance company and they just completed the third tower of our complex. The first was occupied in 1986, the second in 2000 and now the third in 2008. They haven't started the fourth yet, but there are six in the original design. I will be working hard to purge obsolete files in my office and packing what will be in the new office. I hope to change from the "cluttered look" to the "professional office look" with nothing on the desktop but the current project. Since this is totally out of character, it should be a real shock to myself and my co-workers. Not much quilting will be going on this week as my hands will be really tired. In case I havent' mentioned it, I have rhuematoid arthritus and although in remission somewhat, my hands are really easy to injure.

I have finally gotten all my quilting stuff from the retreat downstairs in the house. I was going to do a quilting/washing machine marathon yesterday, but got caught up in a Louis L'Amour novel and couldn't put it down. Instead, I did a kitchen/reading marathon and wow I found my counters. You know the phrase "everything out on the counters"? Well I have counters again. I even made three pots of ice tea for my husband and baked brownies. I am quite content with the results. Now if I can get the final two counter areas clean I can start the next phase of kitchen remodeling. I need a new floor.

Tonight I have a get together with Quilted Chaos, a group of members from Ohio Valley Quilters Group (OVQG) and I hope to get a table runner cut out. It is based on a Timeless Treasures pattern available on the internet that uses a fabric with stripes. I cannot wait to get it cut out and get started on it. Today I will be working on cutting out additional blocks from my Patchwork Party Spring 2008 quilt during my lunch break. I have decided to get the blocks cut and then set the quilt aside for my October quilt retreat.

Well, I better get to work purging and packing my office.
Karen