In With the New ~

 
This is a quilt inspired by Kathie Holland. She sure knows how to make the old become new again!

Hi to you all in the new year coming! Once again I am hoping for a year of creativity and good health for us all. I wasn't able to send out a note to each of you last post, I hope you understand...and I'll try to do better!

Larry is slowly improving, but always tired, poor guy. We look for more answers to come in January. I'm trying to keep up with the regular chores! We have always worked together as a team with them, but he really has struggled for a few months (understandable now!) with stamina, so it's been a change for us. (Jan, I know you are living this too, you have my heart.)

Now, let me show you something new in progress, and a finish. Remember this colorful collaboration of Lydia's hand embroidery, and my piecing? We finished it for little Nathaneal, and Lydia and Jeff delivered it this week.

 ~Lydia playing peek-a-boo between the quilt~

 here's the cute little man!

We are attending a friend and co-worker's 50th Wedding Anniversary. She is the Jr. High U.S. History teacher at my school. We've taught together for 20+ years. I kept thinking about the 9 patches that were laying around for a different project, and decided they would do the trick for an extra special quilt for her and Bob.

~squaring up those nine patches~

 I kept looking for a quick quilt, but nothing hit me in leafing through the magazines...except I kept noticing Kathie Holland's quilts...
which led me to her blog,
 Inspired by Antique Quilts,
and going back, I remembered this one ...

 

~picture from Kathie's blog, used by permission~

 ...which is perfect for a quick to-do! I sewed these squares back in July or else this wouldn't be possible for someone with the earned name Pokey :-}

 there was a quick draw of the plan...a lay out, a swap of color...

 a new grid lay out...

...and I think I'm ready to start sewing.

 

I didn't tell you when the party is, did I ...?

Stay tuned, and wish me luck!

Comfort Quilt #2, and ~

Larry is home, Merry Christmas! He spent 8 days in the hospital, and it was so-o long to us both! He came home Thursday night and had his first good night of sleep. He still needs to have some tests done, but I'm glad to have him home!

Here is the second quilt, completed in time for Christmas. This one is for the oldest daughter (who turned 18 since her father's passing in September). Again, the quilt was made up from her Daddy's shirts, chosen by her for colors and/or memories of hers. 

The first label was from the collar...









 and the second from the buttonhole placket.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas. We are thankful for friends, family, and the love of the Lord!

"
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2

A Two Year Tradition at Christmas...

We are visiting the hospital again this year... Larry is in the hospital for another surgery, bless his heart. The poor guy never regained his strength from last year, his endurance waned, he was tired all the time. The last 2 months found him with an upset stomach, and then he started a low grade fever that would come and go. He didn't go to the Dr. until I insisted that fever was not a normal state.

Our Dr. said it was gall bladder disease, since he was showing symptoms and was hurting where he was. We tried a natural remedy with good results, actually, but the pain did not go away, and he still was with a low grade fever every other day it seemed. On Thursday, December 15, that was it. He was admitted into the emergency room, then into the hospital. It took blood tests, IV's with strong antibiotics, chest x-ray, ultra-sound, ekg's, and finally a CT scan revealed he had a good sized abdominal abscess located right under where his gall bladder is located.

They chose to make an incision and insert a drain tube. Interestingly enough, the abscess was right where last year's drain tube was placed...hmmm-m....

We are hoping he can come home soon, but until then, I guess you know where I'll be, and why I've seemed absent... I love that man, I hope he gets to feeling stronger... he said he's feeling old. :-(

We laughed yesterday when he and I were walking around in the hospital. I was telling him I wondered what this place looked like when it wasn't Christmas. The lobby is decorated with huge trees and greenery, and the halls and nurses stations all have their own touches. The outdoor gardens are full of the most beautiful red and white poinsettias. There is even a decoration on each door.

A little cheer for everyone this time of year.

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." II Corinthians 12 :9,10

Comfort Quilt #1

 This is the first quilt top for Jesse's girls, I'm hoping to find a navy for the border.

Here is one of the pockets from her Daddy's shirts....




























Keep them in your prayers, please. Jesse died from a motorcycle accident. This will be the 
first Christmas without their Daddy.


 

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10  

What WAS on the Frame

How many of you heard about our winds hear in Southern California? Yesterday, I taught in a class with no lights, all. day. long. I arrived at school at 7:15 a.m., and my lights weren't on (my friend Sherri who opens the daycare usually turns them on for me), and it stayed that way! We do have a wall of windows, and the sun was out so it wasn't as dark as it could have been. My kids were great, we continued on as if it were "normal" (HaH! Does such a thing really exist?) day. Eight out of 23 students said they did not have electricity at home either. You would think that some of them would miss school, but not my kids, lol! There were more than usual late, with traffic lights out and debris on the roads. (Since I live so far from school, my morning at home wasn't affected as severely.)

From the classroom perspective, the worst of it was no background instrumental music that really helps the day to flow, and, there is no windows in our classroom bathrooms. It just meant being a bit creative, as the flashlight batteries were not working either :-}

At 2:30 or so, we were told we wouldn't have school today -boo-hoo- I had 2 boys literally get up and start dancing! I can remember as a child having snow days, but I do not think I've ever missed as a teacher for any reason like weather. I feel like it's a gift day for sewing!

 This is Ginny's beautiful hydrangea quilt for her oldest granddaughter Ashley.  It was quilted last Saturday, I'm hoping to put the binding on this weekend. The quilt was a kit, we tackled it together. Ginny wanted it to not finish square like the pattern called for, so she found some more fabric from the same line and we added length in the white butterfly print. This was the last quilt to be finished in her goal of a quilt for each grandchild. 

 

Her next one is an I Spy, and she has started this one all by herself! I can't wait to share those, since we both are making one.

This was a square for a special someone, just wanted to share it. It was a neat block and I liked the way the prints worked together. It's in the mail, finding its way to a secret quilt gift.

Happy first year to our kids! Time flies ~

The last share is one of the Love quilts for Jesse's girls. We asked for some of Jesse's shirts to make quilts for his 2 daughters and for his wife. It's still a goal to complete them before Christmas. Larry and Jerry helped to cut the shirts apart during a couple evenings in front of the tv, and I was trying to come up with a plan that would fit a special little girl.

 



This one is for his youngest daughter, who just turned 7. She liked Daddy's blue shirts because they are so soft. I put a gold one with them, and a couple of white shirts and fabric to extend the quilt to a good snuggle size.

The finish will have a couple of pockets from Daddy's shirts. Daddy's heart was right there under those pockets once, and it's a place she can put her hand to remember that his heart is still with her here.

Again, I am really thankful to have the day to sew! Hope you get to enjoy this day, too ~


"Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" Romans 11:33