I didn't fall off the planet, maybe down a rabbit hole or two.  Life got a bit hectic this past year following my Momma's death.  My sister and I have had to take over helping and caring for our 84 yo Dad.  I spend way too much time at various doctor's offices.  The surprising thing is for an 84 yo he is in pretty good health, but with the diabetes, cancer, heart issues to stay that way you go get tested a lot.  I don't think I got any sewing done after finishing my youngest granddaughter's quilt until January when I started this quilt for my niece's wedding.  I feel like it took forever to finish.  I finished it in April right before her wedding.  I was very happy with how it turned out.  It is made with 7 different batiks.  She was at my house on Thanksgiving and saw a quilt I started over 2 years ago and am still trying to finish and she loved the batiks in it and I thought she would enjoy those in a quilt for her wedding.

My husband and I have also been babysitting the two granddaughter's more this spring with my son and daughter-in-law's work schedule changing.  I now understand that saying about why people have children when they are young!  Although since my third grandchild is due anyday I am working on a quilt for him.  I was trying to hold off this post and put that quilt in it also, but that may take a bit longer and it's been long enough since I posted!

Sew Long for Now!

I finally finished this quilt, binded and labeled for my sweet one year old granddaughter Leia.

Isn't she just adorable!

And look at the curls on her two year old sister!  

Life does not always go as we plan and mine has left little time for sewing lately.  It really hit home how much I miss it recently and so I am trying to make a conscious effort to get more sewing back into my life.  Two of my nieces are getting married in 2015, my daughter is graduating college and my youngest will be 18 so I have lots of quilt projects in my mind.  

Now to get them out and put together with fabric!

Sew Long for Now!

I took the above picture the beginning of July with the best of intentions to blog about the baby quilt I was working on for my 2nd granddaughter.  I never got to it.  I started doing Yoga with my daughter and I started walking every other day on the Greenway near my house.  Last night when I took the picture below of the pieced quilt after I pinned it for quilting I thought I had better get myself organized and post this...before she graduated from college and I still hadn't updated my blog!!!!

I had no pattern for this quilt.  I just like the material and wanted to do something to be able to really see the cute patterns so I came up with this block configuration.  I was going to outline the yellow blocks in red and the frog blocks in the green, but I ran out of both and couldn't find anymore to match so I went looking for other material to coordinate.  It is very bright and cheerful for a very cheerful 10 month old girl.

Sew Long for Now!  

It took almost a year, but I finished the Yellowstone wall hanging.  While in Yellowstone last June I found these four prints on fabric of an artist rendering of some of the famous sights.  I brought them home and went to one of my local quilt stores and purchased material to coordinate.  It feels good to accomplish some sewing.

Sew Long for Now!

My dear Momma went to be with the Lord on April 22.  When she and Daddy first started seeing each other he gave her yellow roses and he continued to through the years.  These are yellow roses he put with her when we buried her.

Sew Long for Now!

A picture of my dear sweet Momma as she battles cancer.  She no longer can get out of the bed and I spend several days a week staying with them helping out.  My sewing is pretty non existent right now. I know this is a season and I am doing what I am suppose to be doing but sometimes it is overwhelming.  I feel so grateful that I can help what little bit I do.

Sew Long for Now!

I have slowly been working on the 2013 BOM.  I am working on the one block with hand embroidery now and when it is complete I will put the top together.

In other happenings, we met with hospice and they are now coming once a week to see my parents.  Last week was very busy with me traveling to my parents house twice.  Once to go with my Dad to a stress test.  He has been having chest pain and has had blockages before and then the second time was to go with him to see his cancer doctor.  Both his visits had good reports.

Sew Long for Now!

I didn't meet my goal of sewing everyday this past week, but I did sew more than I have in ages.  I worked on some blocks for the 2013 BOM that I am very far behind on.  I already know I will not be able to sew everyday this week.  Momma has an MRI tomorrow morning and an appointment with the radiation oncologist in the afternoon so tomorrow will be spent with her and Dad all day.  I will try to keep my goal and check back soon!

Sew Long for Now!

A new year, a clean slate.  2013 had some rough bumps in the road for my family with my husband's accident and my Mom's illness.  I lost my sewing motivation at the end.  I want to get it back.  My New Year's resolution is to organize my sewing room so that I can sew for at least 10 minutes every day, even if all I get done is some cutting.  Are you making any sewing related resolutions?

Sew Long for Now!

This is a sweet picture of my Mom and Dad during one of her cyber knife treatments for her brain tumor the week of Thanksgiving.  She has chosen not to have chemo for her cancer.  This is one of the hardest experiences of my life and trust me I have had lots of hard things.  It is so emotional and stressful for my Mom who faces her own mortality in the next few months.  Even though she says she is at peace with that, she is still scared.  What bothers her more is the loose of her memory at times.  She is so scared of loosing her mind.  Then there is my sweet 83 year old father.  He has his own health issues and now he is caring for her and it is so very hard on him at times.  One of their big concerns is they don't want to be separated, so he struggles through the hard parts.  My youngest sister and I are trying to help them the best we can.  I live 2 hours away and she lives an 1 hour further south of me.  Once a week we drive up to spend the day and help do their shopping and what ever else they need. In between we call them and keep in contact with each other and our other siblings.  It takes a lot out of you.  I have not sewn anything in a long time.  One thing that has keep my spirits up is when I have a moment to myself I read through other sewing blogs and see all the lovely inspirational things my fellow bloggers are doing.  That is my sewing right now.  I know after the busy holiday season, even with what my Mom is going through, I will find some time to get to all those UFO's I have!

Sew Long for Now!   

I have not been blogging much because I have not been sewing much.  In the last month my mother was put in the hospital and diagnosed with stage 4 cancer that had metastasized and spread to her brain and lymph nodes.  I have spent most of my days at a hospital or doctor's office.  The oncologist told us Thursday that she had only 6-12 months to live if she responded to the radiation.  If not 4 or less.  The brain tumor is in her motor strip and has affected her memory and motor skills.  I have several syblings so I don't have to go through this alone and lots of extended family.  It's just when I do have a moment to myself I am so exhausted mentally as well as physically I can't get much done.  I had started this needle roll for my daughter and got to the first stage the night before Mom first went to the ER.

I finally made myself finish it a few days ago. 

I have several projects to work on, I just don't really feel up to it right now.  Maybe, as the suddeness of this wears off and the whirlwind of things to take care of slacks off I will get myself back together.

Sew Long for Now!

My lovely daughter gave me this puzzle for my birthday.  When she was home on fall break her and I started putting it together.  My oldest son started helping us add a piece here and there.  It got so addictive the two of them sat together one whole evening and finished it!  I got some puzzle glue and sealed it.  The shop in Dayton's Farmer's Market she got it in had it displayed in a frame and it was lovely.  Next week I hope to find a frame and then hang it in the house!  Now, I will always have the lovely memory of them as adults working and laughing together!

Sew Long for Now!

My two beautiful granddaughters together!

I finally finished the blue quilt and I am planning on starting to quilt the 2012 BOM next.

Sew Long for Now!

I have not fell off the face of the earth!  I have an intermission in my life!  I had to pause my life because our oldest son moved in with us and the next day his wife gave birth to our second granddaughter!  She looks just like her older sister, both beautiful!

Until her mother recovers I am helping out.  Boy, I forgot what it is like with little ones under foot.  16 years makes a huge difference.  I am hoping in the next couple of weeks to get back into a schedule.

Sew Long for Now!

I made 24 flying geese last week.  I ran out of the scraps of matching material so I will have to get some more from the shop to get up to the 32 required.

I have been machine quilting the blue quilt and hope to have it done this coming week.  

We started school back with my last student.  Our daughter has been at college for a week and we feel so blessed she picked this small school.  So far everything is going good.  All those activities you seem to curtail during the summer months are working back in our schedule and things are picking up around here.  Maybe that is a good thing though.  Maybe it will get me back in to a routine where more sewing will be accomplished!

Sew Long for Now!

I was behind on my BOM and so I got down to work and caught up.  The July BOM is above.

This churn dash is the August BOM.  Now I have to make 32 flying geese to fit in.  This is a mystery quilt and so we will not know how it all fits together until the end.

I have been wanting to knit one of these ruffle scarves.  I bought this pretty purple and went to YouTube and watched a video on how to knit it.  I got about 1/3 way through and it slipped off the kneedles.  I tried again and it did it again.  When I laid it down for the night and then picked up the next day it was hard to keep it on the needles.  So I went back to YouTube and found a video showing how to crochet it.  Crocheting was so much quicker and I finished it in a couple of hours.  I gave it to my daughter, who loves to wear scarves.  I have another skein of the purple and I will knit another and either keep it for myself or give it away as a present.  It is really fun! Now I am knitting a shawl with a beautiful wool.

Sew Long for Now!

I couldn't believe how long it has been since I last updated.  It doesn't seem that long.  We are so busy getting our daughter ready to leave for school and getting our home ready for our oldest son, his wife and soon to be two daughters to move in with us.  He is leaving the army and moving back to the east coast.

 I did get the scrappy quilt finished, quilting borders and all.

 I have been knitting new dish clothes, mine all are wearing thin.

During our local shop hop I received a new project.  Its a redwork wall hanging with Virginia landmarks on it.  It was designed by the lady who owns one of our local quilt shops.  It took me and the children two weeks to transfer all the designs on the material.  The woman who designed it had over 100 hours of handwork in hers.  Mine will probably be more because I am not as skilled as she.  So in about 10 years I should have it completed (wink wink.)

It is so hard to believe that we are in our 21st year of homeschooling and we only have one child left.  It is bittersweet seeing them grow up and mature, but missing those sweet childhood moments.  It goes by too fast!

Sew Long for Now!

My children helped me pick up June's BOM when we came back from our trip.  I was sick.  I thought I had a cold and I would be well in a few days.  16 days later and I finally had to get two prescriptions from the doctor.  After 24 hours of the prescriptions I am feeling a bit better and I was able to finish the block.  Next week I pick up the July block.  I am glad to not get behind.  

I also went to a local quilt shop during their sale and got batting and backing for four tops I have ready to quilt.  I want to start on one this week.

Sew Long for Now!

Trip

I haven't been sewing this month.  I have been on a fun road trip with my family.

 We went across country and stopped a few places along the way.  One was Mt. Rushmore.  The scenery was gorgeous.  Custer State Park was near here and we enjoyed that a lot!

Then we drove on stopping in Montana on our way to Yellowstone, where we spent the most time.

 

The buffalos,

 

the bears,

 

the elk. 

It was just gorgeous to see this part of the country that I have never seen! 

Sew Long for Now!

I have been working on a scrappy quilt with the dogwood fabric I bought last summer.  I cut it all up into 5 inch squares and then sewed them into 6 X 6 blocks.  I laid them out on my design board aka the bed.

I didn't have enough of each color to do an exact pattern, but I like it for scrappy.  I heard recently that I am going to be a grandmother again to another little girl in late September early October.  I am looking around for ideas and patterns for girls quilts.  Sew fun!

Sew Long for Now!