Not much to report

I continued to cut the pieces for my Patchwork Party Spring 2008 quilt top. The fabric is lovely and I think this will be one of my favorite quilt tops ever. I am going to try to find the patterns for the Patchwork Party Spring 2006 quilt blocks on Ebay. I would like to encorporate all 24 blocks in a single top probably (still under consideration) without shashing inbetween the blocks.

I am still gradually taking my quilting cases from the ESA/St Jude retreat down to my sewing room. One trip at a time; one item at a time. When this is done I will have no room to turn and will finally have to get my sewing room organized. Quilt University has a class called "Studio Makeover". Maybe it should be my next class so that I can get some professional help from other quilters on how to set up my tiny space to it's best use.

Next fall will be my next retreat. A group of ladies get together in Indiana next West Harrison and we have a ball. I am looking forward to seeing all of these ladies again. We had a great time getting to know each other and admiring each other's projects. I learned a lot from them and was able to share some of my knowledge as well.

Enough for today. Karen

ESA/St Jude Retreat

WOW what a weekend! It was great. It is amazing what 46 quilters can complete when we have no responsibilities. My husband asked me what I did and I told him I sewed the entire time. He couldn't comprehend why I would want to go away to sew. I told him the interruptions at home included two dogs, a husband, cooking, cleaning, responding to his questions, shoping, visiting his mother, responding to his needs...you get the idea.

I finished a baby quilt top out of 3" squares. Just used a solid pale yellow and a white fabric with bunnies and teddy bears on it. This will be machine quilted by a friend and then finished with a border that I haven't figured out yet. The quilt will be going to a maternity hospital in Alaska. They fly in the mother's four to six weeks before their due date and fly them back home after the baby is ready to travel. Our small group, Piecemakers, from the Ohio Valley Quilters Guild (OVQG) try to send about 30 quilts twice a year to have ready for each baby.

My next project was not quilting by any means. I was given the great honor of sewing the Cub Scout badges on my 7 year old grandson's vest. I only have 1/2 of the side of the third patch to go and I will deliver it to him. How exciting is that!?

My main project for the weekend got slowed down by the fact that I left one of the materials at home...but I did what I could and will continue to work on it until it is done.

I had several other projects for just if, but they didn't take up much space and I never got around to them. I did overpack.

Guess what. I ran into a fellow Janiac. If you don't know what the Dear Jane quilt frenzy is about google it and you will see tiny little 4 1/2 inch squares that have as many as 25 pieces in each one. Take Jane and maniac and you have a Janiac.

Although I don't like raffles, I did purchase tickets with the knowledge that if I didn't "win" anything the money would be going to a good cause: St. Jude's Hospital. I had 10 winning tickets and came home with so many fabrics, notions and patterns I won't have to go to my LQS for a long time...well maybe a week or two.

I definitely encourage you to see if you would like to go to this quilt retreat. I am definitely going back!

Karen

April 9, 2008

I am frazzled. The last 9 months have taught me skills I didn't know I had and gave me friends that accept me as I am or show me how to better myself. At 60 I didn't know I could learn so much.

SKIP THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR MY WOES.
July was the month my husband, James, was injured in an industrial accident. After two surgeries for his left shoulder he is still undergoing physical therapy. This was not the first time he had been injured, but it was the last straw and he finally admitted that he could not longer work. Fortunately we had good advice from doctors and lawyers and he was awarded Social Security Disability.

In January he was diagnosed with the onset of dementia. We have been going through the various drugs and therapy's to try a slow a down hill slope. He seems to be holding his own.

Then in February he fell and all four quads in his left leg were torn. After surgery he tore them a second time and the surgeon put him in a full leg cast to save him from additional damage. He just started physical therapy on his leg two weeks ago. That is 12 to 13 hours of P.T. a week.

MY WOES ARE OVER
I have been quilting on and off for 50 years and have fallen in love with the art all over again. I have joined a quilt quild, gone on three quilt retreats and am looking forward to another retreat in less than two weeks. Quilting has been a haven for me to relax and rekindle my spirits.

Also, in the last three weeks I have discovered a new author (to me) in Louis L'Amour. I just finished the Sackett series and am now readying his short stories. What a wonderful gift of writing this man had. Here I am a woman and I am just as in to the western skills of the frontiersman and the boxing skills of modern man as any other reader of the male gender.

Now it is time for this tired woman to put the dogs out (2 Rottweiler's) and climb into bed for a good night's sleep.