Fresh Start

The soft shades of this quilt are fresh and relaxing.  I found peach, pale green and aqua fabric in my stash that matched the diamond print to create four 18” quatrefoil blocks.

Using larger pieces makes for quick work.  I quilted using peach thread in a decorative stitch along seam lines. Backing and binding are the same peach print. Fresh Start is 37” square.

Accuquilt dies used:
55000 square 6 ½”
55005 rectangle 3 ½” x 6 ½”
55006 square 3 ½”
55456 flying geese 3 ½” x 6 ½”

Side note: During this COVID pandemic, I have had an opportunity to reflect, evaluate, and make positive changes in my daily life. I don't mind staying at home; I like a simple life. I enjoy the peace and quiet of my cozy house. It's ironic that I don't really like grocery shopping, yet that's one of the few places I've been since March. I do miss eating out, especially breakfast omelets and catfish.

I wear a mask when I venture out for supplies – for my own health as well as those around me. Apparently most people that I see do not, so I'll choose to stay in a while longer since cases and deaths are still rising.

I don't like negativity. I turn off the news and avoid the endless sensationalized blather about the virus, politics, and other inflammatory topics. A lot of things are happening that I don't think are right or even make sense. If something or someone offends me, I will not watch, listen, or support their efforts. I've got better things to do.

Do what you can, 

with what you have, 

where you are. 

Theodore Roosevelt 

Bad Computer

About a month ago, I bought a new laptop computer. I spent a week installing and updating software and copying files from my old one. I had everything just like I wanted. Then, poof! The bluetooth stopped working last Thursday; it just disappeared.

After a day of troubleshooting, reinstalling drivers, trying solutions, and talking to Deepak from Dell, we gave up. Thirty-six years of computer experience didn't help this time.  It is apparently a hardware failure of some kind. I am shipping it back to Dell for warranty service this morning.

I had to move all info off the hard drive for security.  So, whenever it gets back, I'll have to install everything again from my backups. 

So, no blog today. I've had enough for now. I'm taking a break from technology. I'll be sewing, cooking, reading a novel or two. Hope to be back next week.

Crimson Glory

Crimson Glory

It's time to share my latest modern replica of a Granny Rose quilt. I have made several reproductions of her work, using EQ8 to design and Accuquilt to cut.  

This interesting block was one from her box of unfinished items. It's an old one called glorified nine patch, although there are actually 13 pieces. I guess that's the glorified part. I don't know if this was a test block or if it was left over from a scrap quilt.

I decided on red and white prints with a few gray accents for a cheerful Valentine touch. Crimson Glory features the kite block combined with 2½” squares, so no curves to stitch. My modified version has 21 pieces for each block.  I'd sure hate to cut all 550+ with scissors.

The pieced bright red border frames everything nicely. Quilting was done with white thread, following the outlines and crossing the blocks diagonally. 

The back is a red and white diagonal stripe fabric, split by nine patch squares in a row. Final 48” x 58” size is just right for a throw.

In addition to her completed quilts, Jerold's granny clipped design ideas from ads in Progressive Farmer and other magazines, and I saved them all. She cut templates from paper sacks, making notes on them for color ideas and number of pieces to cut. I'm lucky to have this quilty treasure.  More inspiration for me!

Midnight Star

This week's quilt is my version of the Hunter's Star block, using pieces from the Accuquilt Lemoyne Star and 4 ½” square dies. Rich brown and cream print and a subtle midnight black swirl provides the contrast needed for a striking design. 

I added a 3 ½” leafy brown border to four 9” blocks to make a 25” square table or wall quilt. I straight stitched along each section in a square pattern with tan thread. Backing is the same brown leaf print. Midnight Star is another favorite; I plan to sew a bigger one later.  

It's finally feeling more like fall! Now that we're home from camping, the temperatures have dropped. I wasn't exactly planning for 90 degree days on our October retreat, but we still had a good time at Defeated Creek. There was a breeze off the lake and our site was shady. Two side trips had us exploring the Roller Coaster Yard Sale and the Granville Quilt Show I wrote about last week.

Our trip was relaxing, even with the heat. Good books, yummy food, and leisurely walks fit perfectly into my plan for taking things as they come and enjoying the journey.

One little monkey wrench when we got home Friday: our 3 year old refrigerator had quit. All food lost. Four trash bags full of mushy, thawed and questionable stuff. We plugged in our 24 year old frig; it is now running fine in the basement. 

Fortunately we have extended warranty, food spoilage reimbursement, and the repairman is expected today or tomorrow. Who knows how long it will take to get parts, fix or replace?   To be continued...

Cheatin' At Cards

Cheatin' At Cards

My latest creation features an easy version of the vintage card trick block. The center is a four patch square, bordered by four squares and four rectangles. I used 3” squares and 3” x 6” rectangles in black and white prints, with white squares for the corners. Each block is set on point and joined with white sashing, then bordered with black gingham and white triangles.

The fun part was outline stitching each set of cards with a mock hand stitch and using a cross stitch pattern in black thread to accent the corners. White thread quilting finished off this striking 44” square wall hanging. Who said black and white is boring? Not me! 

 

♥ ♣ ♦ ♠

Life is like a game of cards.

We don't choose what we are dealt,

we choose how we play.

~Unknown

♥ ♣ ♦ ♠

I've Learned...

that you should be very careful who you trust. Not everyone who smiles at you is your friend.

The way people leave tells you everything about their character.

Honesty is much better than sugar-coated bullshit.

People lie because telling the truth takes courage, and liars are cowards looking for the easy way out.

When customers are treated badly, they will eventually take their business where they receive courtesy, honesty, and respect.

On a positive note, while the world seems full of fake people, thankfully there are still some genuine, caring ones around. Kick the fake liars out of your life, so there's more room for nice folks.

And, finally, I've got to stop asking these three questions:

     “How stupid can they be?”

     “Who would do THAT?”

     “What's wrong with people?”

Some idiots are actually taking them as a challenge.

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“Never do anything that you can't admit doing, 

because if you are that ashamed of whatever it is, 

it's probably wrong.” --Ashly Lorenzana

Ripples Of Change

Life is all about change. Seasons, people, circumstances, politics, habits, health...you name it, it eventually changes.

Humans have the ability to recognize change, adapt to it, accept it, and move ahead.  Adults normally do just that, at least most of the time. Lots of us resist or delay some changes until we have no other choice (losing weight, eating healthy, avoiding conflict). Some people choose to ignore change or deny it altogether because they want their lives to stay constant. They blame themselves or others, make excuses and whine when things vary from their usual routine (if only, it's not my fault, why do I have to). Others want everyone around them to conform to their idea of perfect.

It's probably healthier to be flexible, have patience, compromise, adapt or move forward. The stress of resisting change takes a toll on us. And life would certainly be dull if nothing new ever happened. We'd be stuck. Change forces us to take action, explore, experiment, and expand our minds.

Change is inevitable. It ripples through our lives, sometimes barely moving along and sometimes crashing through like a tidal wave. Maybe the best way to manage it is to keep a paddle AND a surf board handy. 

"Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others."  

 – Jacob M. Braude

“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” 

– Dr. Robert Anthony

“Change is necessary, particularly when it comes to bad cooking and politicians.  Sometimes all you can do is toss out the whole batch and start all over.”   – Anonymous

Life's Rhythms

This has been an eventful year with lots of highs and lows. I've learned lessons, managed challenges, and tried to stay flexible.

It seems to me that the best way to handle life is to roll with its rhythms. Things happen that aren't in our plans. Sometimes the changes are nice surprises; other times they aren't. No matter which way, you have the choice to resist or adjust, panic or stay calm. How you respond is up to you.

Here are three tips that might help:

Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to. Being informed is helpful only up to a point. If you're not going to do anything with the information, why ask for it?

You can't fix or figure out crazy. Not going to happen. It's a waste of your time, energy, and brain cells to even try.

Let it be. Sometimes it's better to step back and wait. Life might make the right decision for you. Things don't always need to be micro-managed. They work out on their own without your input.

“You can't plan life. Because no matter how perfect your plan is, life has a way to rearrange it.” - Mina Deanna

Embracing Change

I've experienced a lot of challenges over the past three months, causing a great deal of change. Dealing with the sickness and death of loved ones is particularly hard. Losing both in-laws and my dog has been rough. Routines have been disrupted, tears shed, plans adjusted, and lessons learned. I've always known that change is inevitable and that living life is about moving forward. My mama told me that things happen like they are supposed to, so make the best of what comes. Sometimes that's easy and sometimes it's difficult.

Here's what I've learned:

• Change can happen quickly and at any point in our lives.
• The unselfish kindness of friends is helpful and comforting.
• It is fine to plan for emergencies but they seldom happen exactly the way we think they will.
• Acceptance of our emotions can help us deal with change and move forward.
• We do not have to react immediately to fix every problem; sometimes it is better to wait and see.
• Quiet reflection and deep breathing can calm us during times of stress.
• We cannot and should not control every circumstance in life.
• Resistance to change can cause frustration, anxiety, fear and distress.
• Allowing change to unfold gives us strength to accept, manage and learn from the experience.
• When we learn from challenges in life, we become stronger and better able to cope.
• Making informed, mindful decisions gives us power to deal with whatever change we are facing.

 

Every single day presents a new set of circumstances. Embrace them and live life!

"In every crisis there is a message. Crises are nature's way of forcing change, breaking down old structures, shaking loose negative habits so that something new and better can take their place." -- Susan Taylor

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Adjust. Adapt. Stay Calm.

What a crazy week!  I had several things planned, but life decided to throw a few extra curves my way. Nothing serious or life-altering...just not exactly what I had in mind. A delayed appointment resulted in a long wait in a loud environment. A family member lost something important, which required immediate action to avoid problems. A couple of other unexpected annoying situations changed my schedule.

And you know what? Overall, the disruptions actually turned out all right. Staying calm helped me adjust my focus and adapt to the current situation. I didn't lose my temper or get too frustrated. I was able to help someone; offer support and encouragement to another. Maybe my horoscope and biorhythms were positive. Or perhaps good karma favored me. Could be my resolutions to practice patience and awareness are working subliminally. Whatever the reason, I was able to handle the challenges with a positive attitude.

Looking back, my week was mostly full of fun and productive activity. I found time to enjoy a nice lunch date with my sweetie, visit with my mama, run errands, do a bit of housecleaning for mama-in-law, and meet friends for lunch on Friday. I read a mystery novel and even logged several hours in the sewing room piecing the new wall hanging for my living room.  
Here's a sneak peek ->  

Useful Notion: Life happens. Schedules change. Problems arise. How we react to each situation is what makes all the difference.

“Today, I remain calm, no matter what storms may come my way.”

– Anonymous