Must be Nervous Energy

 Even though they are easy--I still like this pattern for little boys.  The John Deere teddy bear quilt is for Hawke.  Fane's three month old little brother.  When we were at Haylee and Jerry's for pancakes on Saturday morning I asked Haylee if Hawke needed his own quilt.  I had made a cowboy quilt for Fane, and fun girly quilts for Aria and Saphira.   She did want Hawke to have his own.  So I put this one together Saturday night.  It needs to be sandwiched and quilted.

 The son and daughter-in-law of our friend, Nancy,  are expecting their first baby in April.  Nancy was the friend who in September lost her 2 1/2 year battle with cancer.  I had promised her I would make baby quilts for her grandbabies.  Since they own and operate an excavating- construction business--I thought this fabric would be great if it is a boy!  So after I finished the top for Hawke, I put together this top.  It is also ready to be sandwiched and quilted.

But, if she is a girl!  I have started this pinwheel and prairie points quilt.  I am still working on pinning on the prairie points.  I love this fabric.  It is Moda "Puttin' On the Ritz" pink.

I can't decide if it is better to come down with the wicked flu unexpectedly or to have your DH sick with it and know that you will be next!  DH was really sick last night and into this morning with the stomach and intestinal flu.  He has slept most of the day.   So I am waiting........YUCK!

Word Up 2012-"Value"

The first time I saw Kelly's picture for "Word Up 2012", I thought of the poem, "Footprints."  A friend gave us a copy of the poem the day that Travis was killed.  We asked our pastor to read it following the service at the cemetery.  A month later another friend gave me the counted cross stitch I have posted on my header.  It has hung on our wall for thirty years. 

As I thought about my word for 2012,  I kept thinking about what was important to me or what did I need to concentrate on for this year.  I kept thinking about what I value.  My list grew and grew as I thought about friends, family, things around me, my relationships and me.  So my word is "Value."  

I looked up to find an exact definition.  WHOA!  I selected these five definitions to focus on this year.

Definition: Value

noun

1.   relative worth, merit, or importance:

9.  liking or affection; favorable regard 

13. degree of lightness or darkness in a color.

                                                                              verb

17.  to consider with respect to worth, excellence, usefulness, or importance.

 

18.   to regard or esteem highly: He values her friendship.

In Memory of A Special Little Boy

Fane 3 1/2 with his mom, Haylee, sister Saphia, baby brother Hawke, and sister Aria on Halloween.

A tragic accident resulted in the death of a special 3 1/2 year old little boy on Wednesday evening.  On the way home from church activities at 8:15, Haylee lost control of her van on the icy, snow covered road and rolled over a bank.   I went by immediately after it happened.  I saw the tracks in the snow on the side of the road,  but didn't see the vehicle.  It was so stormy that I didn't stop but did plan to call authorities as soon as I reached home which was about 2 miles away.   Before  I arrived home I met two sheriff cars and shortly three more rescue vehicles.  To shorten the story,  Haylee's dad called asking for the church phone number telling us it was Haylee.   We continued to be involved by helping to locate Haylee's husband, Jerry.

Haylee and her entire family have been a part of our family by being friends forever.  DH and Haylee's  dad grew up together.  Sometimes friends are as close as blood relatives.

This has brought back so many memories of when our 4 four year old son, Travis,  was killed 30 years ago.  Haylee called at 11:55 crying and saying, "Linda, I need you.  I need you to help me through this.  What do I do?"   In tears, I told her that I would walk beside her each step of the way.  It was a night without sleep as DH and I relived and remembered.  She has a long difficult road ahead.  Please hold her, Jerry, and the entire family in your prayers. The services are this afternoon at our church.

Also--give your kids or grandkids an extra hug or phone call today.  Life is precious.

A Finished Flimsy!

From my plead for HELP!  "Where did I go wrong?"

 To using the ripper to take 8 blocks apart...

I have a finished flimsy ready to sandwich and quilt.   

I am thinking of using one of the darker colors for the backing.  

The binding is made from 2 1/4" X 6 1/2" rectangle pieces like the middle border. 
The fabric I used is Amelia by Moda. 

I found this pattern on Kelly's Charming Chatter.  She calls it, " Wee Ones

Baby Quilt."  She has the complete Tutorial ready to print out.

Smile--A Quilter's Brain

I borrowed this from a friend's facebook page!  I thought it does a great job explaining to others just what is going on in my brain!


It was another long three days.  DH had a 4 1/2 hour procedure at the Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Mpls. on Thursday.  I was in the waiting room from 5:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.  There was a slight complication with his blood levels following the procedure which required a delay leaving the recovery room.  I did leave long enough to eat a light breakfast and again at lunch for a sandwich.  (Not like two years ago).  He required a cardiac catheter ablation in both upper chambers of his heart.  One chamber was in Atrial Flutter and the other in Atrial Fibrillation.  We arrived home about 6:30 last night.  I am really counting on this helping him feel better! For his sake and MINE!

Maria to the Rescue!

Thank you Maria!  I also went back to look at Kelly's tutorial.  She made the comment-"Be sure your blocks are laid out correctly or you'll have to make friends with your seam ripper."

New lessons learned:
#1--Look carefully before sewing.
#2--Don't panic at night when you are tired.
#3-Be thankful for your blogging friends who are willing to help--Hopefully not too many thought, "Duh, Linda---Take it apart!"

I took the eight blocks apart and all is well!


Linda

Help! What did I do wrong? or Maria to the Rescue!!

I am working on a baby quilt.  I used Kelly's from Charming Chatter's pattern and tutorial.
  It was supposed to look like this:

However!!  I have 16 blocks one direction  and 8 blocks with an opposite pinwheel.

I haven't pressed the squares yet in case I have to rip.  But I can't figure out how I would resew them if I did rip!  Any suggestions?   The strip on the left and the three on the top  are going the wrong direction.

 

 Thank you!

On Thursday during vacation Tatum, 2 1/2 years, spent the day with me.  Who said you can't bake Christmas cookies after Christmas?  

Thank you Maria!  I just took one apart quickly and saw my problem!  New lessons learned:
#1--Look carefully before sewing.
#2--Don't panic at night when you are tired.
#3-Be thankful for your blogging friends who are willing to help--Hopefully not too many thought, "Duh, Linda---Take it apart!"

Wonderful Memories of Christmas 2011

My two  Daughters-I-L asked if we could celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve day.  Waiting for Christmas Eve makes it a late night for the grandkids.   Since there was no day off before Christmas Eve, I totally changed my normal menu.  Usually it is homemade Swedish meatballs and gravy, mashed potatoes,  fruit salad, and mixed vegetables with cheese sauce followed by French Silk or Pumpkin Pie.  I switched to my lasagna, lettuce salad, garlic bread, and pie.   I will admit it was much easier!! And fewer pots and pans to wash while cooking and cleanup was easier.

Santa came to visit that afternoon.  He wanted to remind Conner, Kasey, and Tatum to make sure they went to bed on time so he could visit that night.  He also tried out Kasey's cookies--he said he would be looking for them when he came to her house.  As always,  Santa took a Christmas picture of our family before he left.

That evening we all went to the Christmas Eve Family service at church.  My children sermon this year was reading the story,  "Silent Night, A Mouse Tale."  It is the story of how Straus Mouse ate through the bellows of the organ where Franz Gruber and Joseph Mohr's carol, Silent Night, was first sung accompanied by guitar.  Who knows--maybe it really happened that way!

After church we all went to Great Grandma Joyce's for carmel corn, cheese and crackers, and time together. It was a wonderful day.  Celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior!

How Many Kings?

Blessed Christmas Greetings to My Special Blogging friends.

 

I am Blessed! No Words necessary!

A finished wedding gift!

 Knowing that next week will be even busier, I finished the wedding gift for Keith and Stephanie.  The wedding is Saturday, Dec. 17th.   Something new for me,  I actually made a label for the gift. I haven't labeled many of my gifts.  One of my many strange quirks--maybe because I knew someone who wrote her name on everything she gave anyone.










I hope to spend some time sewing tomorrow night with another Friday Night Sew-in.   I have another skirt cut out using this pattern.  Also--I selected a runner pattern today to finish before Christmas as a gift.

Friday Night Sew In-December 9Heidi is hosting an extra Friday Night Sew In tomorrow night, Dec. 9.  There is an awesome give away to a lucky quilter!  Check out Handmade by Heidi!

Time for Me Friday Night

DIL-1 picked up Kasey and Cole shortly after 6:00 last night.  She stayed later at work trying to catch up on things.   After they left I pulled out the pieces I had cut for a Christmas Tree Skirt  gift I am working on for a December 17 wedding. I am hoping that once I sew on the inner green border and outer red border the red will pop.