Much needed attitude adjustment.......

Oh my.... what a week and a half.  The hubs is still not back to his usual self yet.  He has had a bit of set back but will be seeing some doctors next week..... so time will tell.

So with my job, taking care of my hubs, the house, the four-legged kiddos..... well I've neglected to feed my sewing/crafting addiction.... and the results have not been pretty. Lots of griping, lots of sighing and lots of self-pity..... 

So this afternoon - I walked into the craft/sewing room, turned on the iPod, heated the iron and locked the door..... I only came out to cook a quick dinner and then back in....


ahhhhhh......  I feel so much better now....  

New Challenges......

My poor husband has been down this whole week with what we thought was a back injury.... About a year and half ago, he was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease - which in our research we have found is not really a disease - just something that happens to us as we age and/or suffer a major back injury.  Last Saturday, he bent over to pick up something and poof - he was on his back in bed.  He missed work.  I worked a little at the office and then worked from home so I could take care of him.  Not that is a major challenge in of itself, but it does give us something to think about as we age - what challenges are we going to face..... (The funny thing is that in the past when he would have an episode like this - the kids were still home so I did not miss any work..... but now with two of the three living in their own places and the youngest working all day - I had to be able to work and take care of him.... (Something great might come out of this because my boss said to me today that I demonstrated that I was able to work from home and he thought maybe we could come up with an arrangement where I do that more often......  woooo hooooo.....)  I not trying to get my hopes up - but wow.... I WOULD LOVE THAT!  

The even better news is that my husband went to a pain management doctor today.... He suffered through the ride over - "bumps in the road," could hardly sit in the waiting room chair, barely walked into the examination room..... then when he came out - he was nearly skipping!!!!  I am not kidding!  To make this long story short - he received some shots and by the end of this weekend - he should be feeling almost normal again!  Apparently - he does have the disc degeneration - but the problem this time is in his joints.  Apparently he has one leg longer than the other.....  he now has a lift to wear in his shoe and it may take care of any future problems.....   Who knew!  

So during all the craziness our life was this past week - I started two new projects.  Well, actually I had committed to them prior to this week - but they started this week.  

I joined Block of the Month Club at my quilt shop. I am so excited and thrilled that we got a different color choice - but really nervous about trying something completely new to me.....  templates.....  

Isn't the fabric choice beautiful?  I have not worked with many browns - so I very very excited.  The finished blocks I saw in the shop are GORGEOUS!  As I said - I am excited on one hand but extremely nervous on the other to try templates.  However, everyone at the shop tells me that if you are going to use any templates....  Marti Mitchell templates are the ones to use.....  So I have a month to make the first block - which is a called "Five Flying Geese."  One of the members of the BOM club gave me some good advice (yes, I am the only newbie in the club!)....  she told me to try out the block on scrap fabric first.  She was super sweet to add "use good scraps, because it will come out great and you will want to use it for something else." Love the encouragement from these experts!  

And I started a Second Mystery Quilt this week!  Here is the fabric I decided to go with....

Look - more browns!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fabric second from the left - the one with the fern leaves on it....  Actually I totally love the third one from the left too - the golden brown with green leaves and red flowers....  Heck, I love it all!  I am super happy with my choices and I have Marla at Quilter's Bee to thank... she helped me with the final choice of the LOVE LOVE LOVE fabric.  

I am still working on The Giving Quilt - which is now renamed John's Quilt.  For some reason my husband really loves this one.  He loves the colors and the setting (just not the focus fabric) .... Funny because I love the focus fabric - but not the other fabrics... so this is going to be his quilt - without the focus fabric. That means I can use it in something else!! Ellen at Quilter's Bee was able to alleviate my fears - I had not cut the triangles incorrectly - I just forgot how to sew them on!  So ......  I do need to take one of the triangles off (the small one on top) and adjust it - but it is on its way to becoming John's Quilt. 

So this week was full of new challenges.....  aging, templates, time management and seam ripping!  

I love how my life is now intertwined with fabric.....  

Yarn and Prayers......

25 beautiful youth and baby afghans

Over 50 crocheted and knitted hats

My church prays for and donates yarn to a small group of ladies that lovingly knit and crochet these offerings.  We are able to give the afghans to a Women's and Children's Shelter and the hats are given to our church's Food Pantry to hand out during the winter months. 

I am blessed to be a part of a loving church...... 

But even more blessed to spend time with these ladies as we pray, knit, crochet and  most of.......

LOVE.....    

New Year..... New Ironing Board Cover

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Ironing Board Cover...  and I actually made it myself....  I really do not know where I got the idea........was it a blog or on Pinterest or e-mail newsletter?  I just cannot remember.  ("Getting older is not for sissies," as my old Pastor used to say!) 

I wanted a new ironing board cover to match all the fun colors in my sewing/craft room - and I just could not find one that was the right colors.  Most that I saw were $15.00 and up!  So I went and picked up some fabric which was right what the decorator doctor ordered!  I love all flowers.....   and did I tell you I made it MYSELF..........  With no pattern!  Well, other than turning the ironing board down on top of the fabric and

cutting around it.  I really really really wish I could remember where I found the idea so I could give this brilliant person the credit they desire! 

What prompted the desire for a new ironing board cover????? 

So glad you asked.... it is from the ironing and cutting, sewing and ironing I have been doing lately on the newest quilt top.  I showed you the fabric in this post. The pattern is from Jennifer Chiaverini's Blog and is the Resolution Block quilt from the 20th book in her Elm Creek Quilters series.....  Here is some of the cutting, sewing and ironing...  

Do you see the very necessary quilt tool above the sewn patches.... in the tin foil???  Yep - sustenance!  

Here is the focus fabric.... I just love it and my dear friend who started this quilting journey with me - she loves it too.  I think I will have to give her some!!!!  

Here is a little peek at the design board.  I am getting excited to sew the blocks into rows and then the rows together - BUT I must figure out why my triangles are not the right size.....  Does this mean I will be visiting my favorite Quilt Shop.... Oh Yes it does!  

So it is a Happy New Year.....