I have to say I have not had a quilt top on my frame since May. I got my bobbins threaded and then threaded the machine and started going. Well of course it started jamming up and then I got the tension fixed and then my thread started breaking. I changed the needle, had it in wrong. What ever I did worked and now it is fine. I had to leave to go to the grocery store but I will be back to it soon.

Fall in Minnesota can be such a wonderful time of year. It can be 85 like it was on Thursday and 60 today. Great day to put on a pot of chili. By this time of year I am pretty tired of food on the grill so making something on the stove or in the oven is so comforting.

Till Later.
Cathy

I got the quilt loaded and then realized that I only have 2 bags of batting. One a twin size and the other a double size. I only need 50 x 63, I really hate to waste the batting but really don't feel like going out tomorrow. I stopped at Walmart tonight on my way home (Joann's was not open) and the didn't have the batting I wanted. I have gotten very spoiled by the 100% cotton batting so that other stuff just feels like it would not be very soft.

My intentions are to get up in the morning and do some cleaning then hit the sewing room. Mike is wanting to clean the garage and he can I have no problems with that as long as he does not think I am going to be a part of his plans.

So I have decided that I need to post a picture of Ellie's quilt top. I think by posting it will hold me responsible to get it quilted.

I found a pattern that is going to work for Kris's quilt. It was a picture of a quilt I found in a magazine that had no other information except the name, it was an article on antique quilts. I searched and searched and finally found a larger picture and have figured out how to make it. It is called "Ocean Waves". All I could find out about it is that it is a antique quilt and does not look like there is a lot of information out there on it. I did find another quilt out there that was called the same, but was not the same quilt. I will post a picture on my progress on this one. I am excited to get going on it. We have Ronny's funeral on Saturday but I should have all day Sunday or at least some of the day. I can't wait.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Well my creative juices are flowing. I wanted to make my sister in law a quilt. Her home is very country and her living room is cream and barn red. So I am going to make her a cream and barn red. I found the pattern cut all my half square triangles and realized that it was squares not half square triangles. So now I am looking everywhere for a pattern that is mostly half square triangles. This is not as easy as I thought it was going to be. I will find one thou. The advantage of this happening I have been seeing a lot of patterns that I do love and am already thinking about the next 15 quilts.

Well no quilting but had a weekend away. Raychel went home Thursday and I spent the night with her. She did pretty good. I think being home will get her up on her feet a little quicker. Mike and I were leaving Friday morning to go to Fairfield Iowa for a bike rally. Pat called and said that Ron was not going to make it thru the day. We left Minneapolis and drove to Willmar. We stayed there for about an hour and then took off. We made it to Des Moines Iowa around 10pm we were pretty wiped out so we decided to get a room there. Saturday morning we got up and headed to Fairfield. As we were pulling into town we got the call that the show had been canceled due to rain. They had gotten around 6" of rain the night before and Dave Mason was stuck in Chicago in horrible weather and was not going to make it. We got the call this afternoon that Ron had passed away, it is so sad to lose someone that is so dear to one. I love getting home after being gone all weekend.

till later

Here it is Wednesday and my poor Raychel is still in the hospital. Her whole belly started sticking out last night and so of course they are checking it out. Would hate to send her home with a possible leak. They did a small bowel follow thru and we should know more later. They will be doing xrays through out the night. Hopefully it is just a lot of air that is having trouble moving. If everything is ok she will be coming home on Friday.

I am not sure what I am going to do this weekend. My plans are to go with Mike this weekend. I really want to go see Dawn and Gene, but I will have to wait and see.

Ok I feel like this is becoming a blog for everything else besides quilting and that might just be the way it is for right now.

Raychel is not doing well and I'm really not that surprised. Surgeries have never been easy for her. The doctors are not sure right now what actually is going on. She is only getting the feeding tube formula and only her pills are going by mouth. They switched everything over to oral yesterday. She also is have a lot of pain issues but that also is not a surprise. With her being on pain meds for 2-1/2 years they just don't work like they would for someone else. They tell me when someones is very malnurished and dehydrated that can cause a lot of pain by making the muscles contract and spasm. We are hoping that this will help all those issues.

Never got Ellie's quilt loaded and it probably won't happen tonight.

I talked to Dawn and she is going this weekend. I talked to my Mom and she is off all weekend so she said that she can take care of Raychel while I am gone. I really hope that this works out I would love to see Dawn. With them living in Ft Dodge Iowa and us in Minneapolis it is hard for us to get together. It usually ends up being twice a year.


Till Later

Well did not get to the quilting. Mike wanted to go out to see Jessica and Aaron's new place. They have been in their new home since last Sunday and she let him know that this was not acceptable. She is funny. They really do have a beautiful home.

Went in saw Raychel in the afternoon, she is hurting and it seemed to be getting worse. The nurse explained to her that this is normal as she moves around her body needs to get use to it just like working out. Sounds like she is going to come home today, Mike will go get her. She is wanting to go home to her apartment and I am not sure that she will be ok. We asked that she come to our home and Grandma said she could go there for a couple of days. I guess there is nothing like being in your own bed.

Might be able to get some sewing in this week after work. Mike works down at the State line Rally on Saturday and I will be going with. Dawn and Gene will be working that show also and it will be so wonderful to see them. It is a 6 hour drive but it will be worth the company. It also will be nice to get away from home and just hang out and not run between the two girls homes.

Till Later

As much as I love my weekends Sundays can be a sad day. The end is near and another week of work. I am hoping to go see Raychel early so I can get home and sew.

My intentions are to get Ellie's quilt loaded and started. When I have machine quilted other quilts in the past it is always the anxiety of, am I going to do a good job? I feel I am good at the piecing part and the fabric choices it is that final step. I think a lot of my problem is I want to be so much better than I am. I know that practice, practice, practice is what is going to make me better but my time is short. I really can't wait until winter when I can take more time off work and really spend some real quality time in my sewing room. My fear is Mike is planning a trip to Arizona that I am not aware of yet.

Till Later

Raychel is back in her old room, this is a much more comfortable room. The surgeon saw no need for I.C.U. and I am glad. She has two incisions not sure why will know more tomorrow when the surgeon comes in.

Tomorrow is suppose to rain all day and Raychel has a lot of visitors coming. Mike and I got all the upstairs cleaning done so I think I will load Ellie's quilt. I am not going to get comfortable loading the quilt frame unless I start doing it and I have 3 quilt tops that need to be done. I think my goal is going to be no no more working on new quilts until I get those 3 machine quilted. It really is not that bad of an idea.

Until later

Raychel's surgery went well. The surgeon said no more surgery the risks outweigh the benefits. We are hoping after a couple of months with the feeding tube she is going to start feeling better. They moved her into intensive care to keep a close eye on her due to all the complications she has had in the past.

Hoping if I don't get home to late I will be able to get some sewing done in the morning, but of course I have to clean house first.

Well no surgery today, they were not able to coordinate the surgeon, g.i. doc and the operating room so it will be tomorrow at 1:30. This actually will work out better Mike is off until next Thursday and I will be off for the weekend.

I am hoping to load the quilt for Ellie. She was born in April and I should really get it done. I picked up the backing today at the quilt shop by work. I still am not real comfortable loading the quilt and then it is the actual machine quilting that I get nervous about. I really need to get out of the meandering that I am always doing. What I need to do is get some muslin and start practicing. I ordered some pantographs and I would like to practice with them or with the stencils that I have purchased. But for right now I will get this quilt loaded and meander it and be done and try to do some practicing before I have to get the next one loaded.

Well I did not get to sew last weekend and I am so disappointed.

I spent all day Saturday with Raychel and it was wonderful. She was able to go shopping, which she loves and then I made her favorite dinner. It was good to see her eat. I left on Sunday to go home to sew and ended up helping Jess and Aaron move into their new place and then ended up bringing Jaxson home with me. I still am not use to having a toddler in the house. Monday came and I helped Jess and Aaron continue to move.

Raychel ended back in the hospital on Monday which I new was going to happen sooner than later. Tomorrow they will be putting in her feeding tube. It will not be like a normal procedure thou for her. I was told this morning that it will done as a operation and will take about 3 hours. They are hoping over the next 2 months of getting nutrition she will get some strength and be able to handle surgery at that time. They have decided that they are going to remove the entire stomach, something they have been trying to avoid but the time has come.

I am excited for this weekend to get here. Mike is not out of town so that means my children will not be so demanding of my time. Of course we will be spending a lot of time at the hospital but it will be both of us which makes it easier to handle. I am hoping to squeeze in some sewing time, maybe early morning.

It is 65 degrees at 4:00 in the afternoon, I think Fall is on it way.