Thursday....

I got a bit of stitching done. I might need a day off to rest my 'push' middle finger on my right hand. We will see how I feel tonight when I sit down in my recliner. I finished the stitching on this block.

 

I moved the hoop a couple of times last night and got a quarter of this block done. 

Updates of the 'Dad's'.

My father is doing well. He had a minor heart attack and is now off those meds No damage noted and he is doing well. He is waiting on a bed at another facility to do a heart catheter where they expect they will add a stint. He got bumped down the list this morning as someone needs it more and is waiting for a bed. I'm taking that as a positive that he is stable and in good hands now and will get the procedure as soon as they are able. We are hopeful for tomorrow. My siblings are taking shifts and getting my Mom up there.

My Father in Law finally got transferred to another hospital where they could do his procedure to check on his internal bleeding. They did the upper GI yesterday and found a stomach ulcer which they are treating. Unfortunately, his hemoglobin levels are still dropping so he is prepping today for a lower GI procedure tomorrow. 

The dog was oh so happy when we got home around noon. After a quick lunch, I did give him a walk before I did a little research on the computer. The dog is passed out at my feet on his quilt sleeping like a baby. 

I should go run errands.... but I think I'll go visit blogs instead. I'm going to pull from the pantry/freezer for dinner and make chicken chili with corn bread. It is an overcast day in Florida, and I feel like some cornbread slathered with butter!

The kids cooked a big salmon on the grill on Saturday night. Yuck! I don't like salmon, but they finished it all over a few days. Monday was meatloaf and baked potato. Tuesday was leftovers. Last night I did rosemary roasted potato and pulled some pre cooked pork schnitzel out of the freezer. 

Crazy week

 I did get a little hand quilting in on the bear paw before heading to school for the fall concert from the hs bands last night. Hard to believe they are 9 weeks into the school year!

It was a day of texting Tuesday. They finally transferred my FIL to another hospital where they had staff to do the upper and lower gi to find the internal bleeding. That is scheduled for today.

Then, lots of texts with my siblings as my Mom took Dad to the ER around midnight with chest pains, breathing issues and swelling in legs. Yup, he is in hospital and had a minor heart attack. No damage and waiting on a bed in another hospital for a transfer to do a heart catheter today. 

Any prayer or good thought for both, would be appreciated.

Slow Sunday stitching

 I'm happy to report a finish this week! These blocks got their cross hatching hand quilted this week.

This is the finished quilt! 

Time to go back to the bear paw quilt. I had plans to add some stitches in this last night, but after a busy Saturday, I took a hot bath and was in bed by 9! I'll add some stitches in today.

The busy day Saturday - was a very early start to get to a girl scout leaders house for 8, to put up the temporary lending library. We are waiting on permission to place at the lake less than a mile from her house. This is the girls Silver Award.

We got done earlier than expected, so we got Emily the black belt needed for her band concert Tuesday night. Then a breakfast at Bob Evans. 

Off to horses, where she got a private lesson again this week since Kyra is still feeling poorly from a bout of Covid.

Once home, I spent a bunch of time outside in the 'cooler' temps. We did have to bury one of the chickens. Something got in and got one of the reds, Miss Ivy. One of the friendly ones of course! Some patching with zip ties to close up gaps and hopefully, whatever got in won't get in again!

Then it was time to work on the weed filled area we call the garden. It is time to prep for fall planting, so I was busy pulling weeds. I can feel it today too! I still need to do the small grass and then run the tiller through and add the sun shade back up. It was taken down for the Idialia.

I have hopes to pin a quilt for machine quilting today, but a visit to my FIL in the hospital comes first after Grandma (my hubby's parents have been divorced since he was 6!) comes to take the kids for the day. She has yard work for them to help out with.

Bits of stitching will get squeezed in during the day.

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Anniversary and a finish!

17 years ago today, we said ' I do'. I never wanted a big wedding and Greg was good with us eloping! So, we booked a vacation with Sandals in St. Lucia and they threw in a wedding if you stayed for 7 days! 

We dropped the kids off to school and then headed over to see my FIL Tom in the hospital. He is looking good and the infection is clearing up - the white blood cell count is much better than it was. We did get a call later that they will do another surgery to remove more of the bits from the kidney. He was in good spirits and no pain. 

I let the chickens out while I cleaned and filled their waters. After I got them back in, the dog needed to go out and sniff all around where they were hanging out. I added the finishing stitches into the Frosty's today!

While Bear was sleeping on the couch.

Here is the finished quilt hanging up in the dining room for a photo. I really need to find the 'fall' quilts and put them up. 

I went in to look for the fall quilts and the boys thought they needed some attention. Peanut is closest and Ollie is on the end of the bed. 

Time to go pick up the first kid from school. 

 

Cat time

 

Well, I tried to do some hand quilting last night. The dog was in with Greg, so I closed him in there and opened the master bedroom door to let the cats know the dog was locked in a room and they could roam. Last time I did this, Ollie explored and Peanut stayed in the door. This time, Emily picked up peanut and put him on my recliner and petted him. He stayed put... then decided he would curl up on my quilt hoop. I got a couple of strands worked before he took a nap.

My FIL is continuing to improve. I'll head over with Greg tomorrow for the kid drop off and to see him in the hospital since I have tomorrow off. I hear we may go out to lunch..... it will be our 17th Wedding anniversary after all!

Tuesday

 Monday was a long day and not a single stitch was stitched!

Greg left with the kids in the morning around 7:20 and he did not get home until after 8:30PM last night. He had a very long day. His Dad had a procedure or two before a late afternoon surgery to break down and remove most of the stone in his kidney. A stint is in place for the remaining bits to flow out. This morning, he is in no pain, which is a good thing. He will have a bit of a recovery to get his strength back, but he is in good hands.

Turns out, Greg did not tell the kids what was going on with his Dad while I was gone! They are updated now. I got the kid pickup and errand running yesterday after a crazy day at work. On the way back from getting Emily we saw this beautiful sunset. I pulled over to get this shot.

Then we got a text from Aidan asking when the heck we were getting home! It was after 7:30 and I left to get her for a 6:40 pick up. We did hit Doller Tree to get a poster board she needed for school today and Publix to get a few things.

Turns out.... the chickens escaped their area and he had just fixed the zip tie they undid and secured it before getting them all back where they belonged. 

I forgot to bring the headphones with wires to listen to my audio book on the plane, so I quickly hit the store before boarding Thursday and grabbed this book to read on the plane. It has been forever since I have read an actual book - audio books while driving or doing things around the house are the only way I can read lately. It was nice to hold a book in my hands. This is a really good book too. I'd recommend it. I am about halfway through.

Home

 It was an uneventful trip home. The plane just landed about 30 minutes late with the head wind and we left a little late from NY. Arrived home around 9:20 last night. Greeted at the door by Bear the dog, then Greg, then Emily .... then a boy with a big smile since Mom was home! 

Greg dropped the kids to school and has been over at the hospital with his Dad. Well, his Dad has been moving to procedures and we think he might have gone right from the procedures to surgery. He has not come back to his room yet. Still waiting on an update. 

Work is a little crazy this morning as well. I did get to go out and check the girls out back with Bear around lunchtime.

Ivy and Buttercup - the Rhode Island Reds.

Myrtle, Poppy and DC - the old girls. 

Blackberry.... who might be a rooster?

Bear likes to help me check on them.

One of the Plymouths is molting... They look horrible when they loose their feathers and then grow them back.

Eggnog, Blackberry and probably Ivy.

I'm hoping I can relax with some hand quilting on the Frosty's later tonight after the second kid pick up.

It appears meals while I was gone were from Papa Johns and Publix. 

Vermont

I got 3 towels crocheted last night.  I added buttons this morning.

There was 2 cords of wood outside that got put into the cellar and stacked Friday morning. My sister Jo, niece Kristin and I were outside passing wood through the window. Kristin's hubby James and her Dad, my bother David were inside stacking. That was a workout.

Today was a wedding and reception for my niece and her hubby. It was a nice day filled with seeing family. Tomorrow is a travel day home. Good news on my FIL. A golf ball size stone in his kidney. Surgery is scheduled for Monday. 

Time to add a couple more buttons and crochet the last two snowmen towels for mom. This was the beautiful sky last night.

Chaos....

I swear, every time I head to Vermont in September, my FIL lands in the hospital! Greg is insisting it should not affect my travel plans. So, I am still planning to fly tomorrow up to my nieces wedding while he and the kids stay home. 

My FIL's neighbor called to let us know there was emergency vehicles (ambulance and fire truck) at his house yesterday morning. Greg called the house and hospital. Once he was at the hospital, he headed over. It was a long day. Turns out, he fell in the bathroom but was smart enough to phone 911. He was very weak and has no energy. After lots of tests... he has a very bad UTI, is dehydrated and some of his bloodwork is off. The man will be 88 next week and is living on his own, despite being essentially blind in both eyes now - a new development over the last month.  They kept him overnight, since they know they can't release him home alone.

Greg and I have been discussing his living situation for the last few years and a lot more the last month as his eyesight is failing. He did not want to move in. Now he is a little more open to the idea. I have a feeling I will be packing up my sewing area and the office in the finished garage soon, and that might become his new space. We will see how things progress, but the first step is getting the infection cleared and his energy back. I'm hoping for a few weeks in rehab so I have some time to clear out rooms and figure out a new office space. We do have an interim plan in mind in case rehab does not happen. 

I had this stack of cutoff triangles leftover from making the Christmas Cactus Wreath. I trimmed them and pressed them on Sunday. I don't know what they will become, but they will be a little leader and ender pile next to the sewing machine this month.

 

Fixing a quilt

 I was over at a girl scout volunteers house last week and she showed me a quilt she has that needs repair. She loves pigs. It was done by her favorite aunt, who has since passed. It looks like the fabric on that one block has shredded.

 I think a box of the black appliqued on top should work to fix it.

I did some measuring and pinned a fix to it on Sunday. I have yet to stitch it down... I want to get the frosty's done first. I might need to adjust the size just a bit, although I know with needle turn applique I can make this one work. I did press about 1/4 an inch in but it got undone when I pinned it. Well, the iron was not as hot as it could have been either! I hope to have this done by September 20 so I can hand it off at my next meeting with her.

This will probably be my project for next week.... 

Crochet towel tops

 My mom uses these towels in her kitchen and I know she could use some new ones. Since I am flying up in a few days, I figured I should check and see what towels I have before heading out to buy some. I have some oldies here, tags from Richs, which has been out of business for over 20 years! 

Two fall ones just needed buttons. I added them yesterday. I'll pull a selection of fall themed ones and Christmas to work on while traveling. 

Sunday Slow Stitching

 I just checked back on last Sunday's post, and I've hand quilted 3 of the Frosty's this week! That means I just have 3 to go. I really need to mark the last 3 with their cross hatching. I doubt I'll have them done for next Sunday, as I am traveling to Vermont later this week for a Wedding. It will be a very quick trip - 2 flying days and 2 days up there. I'm looking forward to seeing my family again and the cooler weather! 

This is the Frosty I finished yesterday, all the lines spritzed out. I do love how those lines look. I've always loved the look of cross hatching. I like the puzzle of creating a continuous line with the strand of thread I am working on. 

I was asked to be a facilitator at a girl scout Sisters Retreat next month. They have a baggie of squares available. I was originally thinking to show how to hand stitch a four patch and then make it into a quilt to donate somewhere. Instead, what about a take with project? So, I cut some 2.5 inch squares and hand stitched them into a block, then a bit of leftover batting and a larger back that I folded in half and then again onto the front. This is how I did the individual hexagons. I need to work on it a bit and come up with an instruction sheet to send with them. Mine finished as a 4.5 inch little coaster. We have a little under an hour time slot, and there are 3 options of things to do at my rotation. A self led t-shirt weaving (story weaving), the quilting and then a nail art.

I hear one of the other facilitators is making sure her session is opposite my session so she can attend. I got morning, she is afternoon. No pressure there!

 

I'm travelling light with just a purse and carry on, so the hand work for the travel days will need to be small. I think some counted cross stitch maybe? I also need to get a few kitchen towels for Mom and make them into the little crochet tops so she can hang new ones from the oven in the kitchen. It is hard to find the old ones and I dislike the new microfiber ones.

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Civil War Love Letters is a Quilt Top!

This quilt is 60x72... I think. I added a little bigger border with the blue cut at 4.5 inches instead of 3.5. There was 2 yards on the bolt so I just got both instead of the one yard I was thinking. I have plenty for the binding if I don't go with a dark blue :). 

Sorry for the bad photo - I was kinda excited when it was done tonight. My meeting got changed to a Zoom meeting.... so I got more time in the sewing room to get this to a top. This turned out much better than I expected. I'm a happy camper.

Progress....

 You are going to be sick of this quilt soon, but I'm on a roll! I got in the car on Wednesday afternoon and saw this temp! Ok, it was 101 but I had the door open for a bit while I put the waters into the holders and put the windows down. Yes, I have a lot of miles on this 9 year old car! 

I was able to do some frogging of the blocks while waiting for school to let out. I laid out the blocks when I got home. We won't mention I had to think a bit with this process!

Today I was busy sewing them into pairs and sections....

until they were all sewn together. After I pressed it, I had to fix 2 seams. Yup, it got put into time out since the blocks were not finishing at the same size! Sigh. I made it work.

After dinner (Sams roaster chicken, bag of mashed potato, brown gravy and a green leaf salad), I did add a 2 inch strip of the new cream to the outside. I'll add the blue border on Saturday. I think it is about 52x60 now but I have not really measured it.  I seem to have a meeting for girl scout events tomorrow night and then I'll pop to the football game and see the halftime show.

The dog was snoozing in with Greg in his den Wednesday night, so I closed the door and opened the master bedroom door where the cats live. Ollie came right out and sat evaluating the situation about 2 feet from the door. He even jumped up on my recliner and wandered into the sewing room! Peanut got carried out by Emily and he scampered right back into the bedroom but sat in the doorway looking at me. Progress! I went in to spend some time with them later and immediately got a Peanut on my chest and Ollie pulls up the end of the bed. 

Thinking....

I pulled a few blocks to take with me to the store and left the rest on the floor. Bear the dog thought it needed some changes! 

I was unable to find a plain blue in that same shade... but I found this fun print that will work great as a border! I also found a similar cream print. I think I will take the suggestion left on Monday's post and just do the blue cornerstones in the 'middle' area and then put the new cream print on the outside as a small border. Then the new blue fabric as a second border. So.... I have some unpicking to do. 

I did not touch the frosty's at all on Monday but did add a few stitches in last night. Progress.  I should have this one finished off tonight and then I'll have 4 to go.

 

September omg

 I am in a Ravelry Quarterly UFO club where we are encouraged to pull out those UFO's hiding away in the house and get them finished. I have a huge list of UFO's in various places and have a lot of them listed on my Summer UFO list. This stack of blocks are on the list and as I was looking it over I kept going back to this one. I made these one a week back in 2014 from the Civil War Love Letter Quilt.

I went digging in the drawer and pulled out a pile. Do I get credit for knowing exactly where these were? I figured I'd add some cream sashing to them, but it turns out I had already added something to 2 sides. I laid them out and was missing one.... so I went looking in the drawer and found another stack of them! I laid out the ones with the partial sashing. One just has one cream sash on one side. Do you think I still have any of that blue for the cornerstones.... or the cream fabric? I did a quick search and darned if I can find any! Well, I did find one strip of the cream but not enough. None of the blue. Sigh.

 I'm pretty sure I got both at Joann's so I will be heading there Monday with a few of the blocks to see if I can find that shade of blue grey and the creamy floral white print for the sashing. Wish me luck! There were a few more blocks that were not the right size, so they will be added to the back I guess. My goal this month, is to get this quilt finished and quilted and bound. Nearly 10 years... I think it is time to get this one done!

I'll link up with the One Monthly Goal Challenge over at Stories from the sewing room. 

Yes, I see the turned block =) I think there are Gremlins in the sewing area!

Slow Sunday with the Frosty's

 I was doing a bit of hand quilting the last few days and since I don't wear thimbles of any kind, my fingers are a little sore. I have 6 of the 12 frosty's quilted. 

Here are the six that are done in the middle of the quilt. I need to mark the next 3 so it is ready when I want to pick this up again Sunday night. I am marking them using the 45 degree angle line on my ruler. These Frosty McChill's were a free sew along with Melisa at Pinkernpunkin blog.

Linking up with the Slow Sunday Stitchers. 

RSC - Teal kites

 A 3 day weekend! Horses got moved to Sunday this weekend, so the kids headed to Grandma's to help run errands and do a few things around her yard for her. We'll go collect them later today.

The dog got a walk this morning - he didn't pull which is good! He has not been walked this week at all.  I think he knows if he pulls, he doesn't get a walk. Emily is on tap tomorrow to get up and out of bed for his walk. I watched F1 qualifying with Aidan while adding a few stitches to the Frosty's. I have 5 of the 12 crosshatch quilted. I machine quilted the sashing and cornerstones earlier this summer and already added the binding. I really spritzed well and have not had an issue this time with the blue lines reappearing. I hope to get the 6th one quilted tonight while watching Harry Potter. It is September... so I watched the first movie last night. I've seen them so many times, it is nice to listen to while hand quilting.

I tried something new for lunch. I had picked up these frozen falafel's at Aldi's a few weeks ago. I popped them in the oven and made some tzatziki. I had a nice salad with 3 falafel's, tzatziki and hummus. Boy, those babies had a little kick with the red pepper flakes in there. Good, but spicy. I had to get more tzatziki to tone it down. I'll have to pick up another package and have it for dinner some night and see if the kids like it. I still have 9 left in the fridge.

I took a look in the block container and saw I am doing kites and split nines. I was in the mood to make the kites today so got the Accuquilt out and some teals and added 2 blocks. I'm using the 8 inch cube so I believe these are 8 inch blocks. 

We really didn't get any issues from hurricane Idalia, but boy have we gotten storms the last two days! It was a deluge when I went to go get Aidan from school yesterday afternoon. I was nearly to school, going on a road through the greenway with beautiful overhanging trees.... and right before I got there - probably within a few minutes, a tree came down and a truck swerved to miss it and hit a car! The road was blocked. It was still pouring but someone had gotten out to check on them. I turned around and headed the other way to the school. (I am not good with blood at all!)  I saw the ambulance and fire truck heading there a few minutes later as I was heading back, so I knew it was under control. I hope they were ok. I picked up a very soaked boy and headed home. We had a moat at the house! A couple of the roads had flooding on part of the road, but we could get through. This is the edge of our front yard looking out at the busy 2 lane road. The water was over the driveway as well.  It was gone a couple of hours later when I headed to go get Emily. The football game was cancelled, since they were to play Crystal River and they got flooding with the hurricane and will make it up later. The band had a practice, since they got cancelled with school letting out Monday and cancelling all after school activities due to the approaching hurricane. The Atlantic is very busy right now and there is another disturbance forming off the coast of Africa. Just a normal September in Florida!

Linking up with the RSC.