Update on Marlene

I went to visit Marlene on Sunday. They have backed off on her medication so that her physical movements can be assessed. She still seemed "fuzzy" from the medication, but the priceless moment for me was when she saw me when I entered her room and smiled. She cannot communicate verbally because of the trach tube. I spent quite a bit of time with her and read her the cards sent to her through me and also read her the notes that she has received at the hospital and just talked to her in general about things that we have done together, pets, family, friends, etc.

Her condition still remains critical.

Blocks for Marlene - arrived December 10

These blocks arrived today ...

From Barbara R. in Southern California.

From Karen E. in Northern California.

Blocks for Marlene - arrived on December 8

More beautiful blocks have arrived.

From Antonija M. in Wisconsin.

From May S. in New Jersey.

From Patricia P. in Wisconsin.

Blocks for Marlene - arrived on December 6

Ruthie's block arrived on Saturday.

I'm all caught up on block arrivals for now. I'm sorry for the delay in getting photos posted.

Blocks for Marlene - arrived on December 5

These blocks arrived on Friday from Deanna in Fremont, CA.

Blocks for Marlene - arrived on December 4

Blocks have continued to arrive for Marlene's quilt. These blocks arrived on Thursday ...

From Holly.

From PatinAtlanta.

From Barbara.

Update on Marlene ...

As you have read, Marlene is very ill and has been in intensive care in serious condition. She has been been on a ventilator and her status has remained unchanged. She is on life-support and in a coma.

Her condition has now taken a significant turn for the worse and the prognosis is not encouraging. Please keep her in your prayers.

The Call continues ...

Some beautiful blocks arrived on Monday for Marlene.

As many have you have heard, Marlene is very ill. Her condition is still serious.

I have had an overwhelming response from those wanting to contribute blocks. Honestly, that doesn't surprise me at all knowing Marlene. She is such a dear person and a wonderful friend. Here are the pictures of what has arrived so far. On left - blocks from Chookyblue, Jeanne and Quilterbee (Denise).
On right - blocks from Alex Anderson.



I am organizing a quilt for Mar. I know the holidays are a very busy time for us all, so for those that are able to participate and send blocks ...

THE DEADLINE TO RECEIVE BLOCKS WILL BE DECEMBER 31, 2008.

The block pattern will be a 6" Finished Sawtooth Star (6½" unfinished) to be done in Civil War Reproduction fabrics with Shirtings or Muslin for the background. Use only 2 fabrics in the block - the Civil War print for the star center and star points and the Shirting or muslin for the background.

Do Not sign the blocks, but send a signed piece of muslin. The plan is to piece them in the backing.

If you would like to contribute a block or two, please email me and I will let you know where they should be mailed.

A Call to Arms ...

or at least sewing machines.

As some of you have heard, my dear and close friend Marlene of Mar's Pincushion Diaries is very ill and in the hospital.

I am organizing a quilt for Mar. I know the holidays are a very busy time for us all, so for those that are able to participate and send blocks ...

THE DEADLINE TO RECEIVE BLOCKS WILL BE DECEMBER 31, 2008.

The block pattern will be a 6" Finished Sawtooth Star (6½" unfinished) to be done in Civil War Reproduction fabrics with Shirtings or Muslin for the background. Use only 2 fabrics in the block - the Civil War print for the star center and star points and the Shirting or muslin for the background.

Do Not sign the blocks, but send a signed piece of muslin. The plan is to piece them in the backing.

If you would like to contribute a block or two, please email me and I will let you know where they should be mailed.

Pacific International Quilt Festival

Last month I went to Pacific International Quilt Festival. I actually went on two days, Thursday and Saturday. Marlene and I met up on Thursday and spent a wonderful day at the show. On Saturday I met up with Holly and I had another great day. I am always amazed at things I missed the day before. I did a small bit of shopping on both days, but haven't taken any pictures of my treasures.
The vendors were wonderful again as usual. We did take notice that there were some new vendors this year and also noticed that a couple from past years were not there. Not sure if it was a sign of the economy or that maybe they were vending elsewhere. Hoping it was the latter.

Once again the quilts were gorgeous. The quilt photos below were four of my favorites. As usually it was a very wonderful and inspiring show.







I'm already looking forward to next year. How many days til then ... (sigh)

About my Country Getaway ...

Darlene asked me about my weekend getaway so here goes ...

I was staying at a house in the country, just me and the dogs. It was so very peaceful out there. No traffic noise, no neighbors ... well there are neighbors across the creek, but they were far enough away that it was like not having neighbors. The house is decorated with quilts all around. They were beautiful and inspiring.



I took a hand sewing project and also a couple of machine piecing projects, along with my machine. I usually over estimate and take way too many projects to do, but at least I have a variety on hand to choose from, right?

I love waking up early in the country. The air seems so very still. And crisp. On one morning I could hear some resident turkeys making their way down along the creek. And the deer ... I could always count on seeing them very close every morning and evening. They seem very comfortable with me outside with the dogs. I kept the dogs close by me and didn't draw attention to the deer. It was so very cool, because the deer would check us out, but wouldn't take off. It was also amazing how close they were too when we were outside - had to be maybe 100 yards or so.

I stuck to hand applique. I was finishing up some my Sock blocks. I was in a block swap with some other ladies and had those blocks completed and turned in, but had to finish mine and Marlene's. Ruthie already has her Lost Sock top put together.

So my days were spent in the calming country air outside with the dogs and also inside working on my applique. The weather was gorgeous during the day with wonderfully cool country nights.

Country Getaway ... last day (sigh)

Well, today is the last day of my Country Getaway.  The time has passed all too quickly.  It has been so nice out here though and I hate to see it end.  The peace and quiet sure does give one time to think and reflect on recent happenings, let them go and move forward.  

I have to go get myself busy now.  I don't leave until this evening and I have a lot more sewing I want to get done before I have to load up the car and head back to "civilization".

Hope all of you had a chance to get some piecing and/or quilting done. 

Weekend Getaway ...

So I have this country weekend quilt getaway goin' on here.  It is so peaceful and quiet.  I just love it!  The deer have been around very close to my front door and they don't even seem scared of people.  It is so awesome!  There is a little creek just down the hill and at night all you can hear are the crickets and frogs.

My sewing starts today.  I have the coffee brewing and my project for today is all set to go.

Sorry I won't be able to post pictures of anything until after I get back home, as I am using a computer that is here at my getaway place and isn't mine.

I was thinking last night about all of the quilt related things that are set to happen between now and the start of the holidays.  The very next happening coming up (after this weekend) is the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara.  Plans have already been made and I will be meeting up with friends at the show.  

The coffee pot just beeped that it was finished brewing.  Coffee is calling.  

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and are able to work on your quilt projects. 

Catching up on last weekend ...

Let me see ... where to start ...

Well, for me the morning started early. Load the car, drop the pup off at her Grandmother's and then hit the road to Holly's. Marlene was loading up and heading from the other direction.

Holly was in her studio busy organizing her stash. She had completed the quilting on our quilts and had them hanging for us to see as we walked in. Mine is on the right.

We didn't realize it until later, but it dawned on us later that we were inadvertant participants in Judy's Quiltathon weekend.

Mar was busy working on a project with greens that she needed to get finished.

I was busy working on some red blocks that I had to get finished.

And Holly was busy on a couple of projects. She worked on the border for a quilt and then chose a binding for a quilt top that she had finished quilting. I have looked through all my pics. I thought for sure I had a pic the quilt she was doing the binding for, but I guess I didn't get one.

We had so much fun! We ate, we laughed, we sewed.

I brought a vegetable pasta salad, Mar brought tequila-lime chicken (yum) and Holly fixed garlic bread and some yummy brownies. Weekends quilting with friends are the best!

After packing up and saying goodbye to Holly and Mar, I parted company with my Lost Socks.

These are part of a Lost Sock block swap I am in. I can't wait for the other Lost Socks to come home.

Note: Edited to add pictures

So ... the weekend approaches ...

... and I am so looking forward to it.

I haven't had very much to blog about the past couple of weeks. It has mainly been work, work, work. Oh, and I have been busy finishing up some Obligation blocks.

But the weekend is almost here. Another sewing weekend has been planned with friends and that can only mean one thing ... FUN FUN FUN. I have started to gather my things, don't want to forget anything. LOL

Anyway, it's early and I didn't feel like breaking out my camera, so there aren't any block pics just yet. Have to grab a cup of coffee and get ready for today. But check back, I'll get something posted a bit later.

Thanks for stopping by.

Last Weekend Continued

So, getting back to last weekend Quilt Frenzy ...

Every morning and evening we saw several deer families. One doe had a single fawn and the others had twins. Very cute and not very skiddish at all.

Holly made and quilted this cute little neutrals quilt.

And she also found up and quilted this beauty.

Pam chose fabrics from her stash for these small socks. She had her mini group make them for her group project.

Holly was busy making these cute Halloween blocks. This quilt is going to be gorgeous.

Mar gave a tutorial on those cute little gift bags that she brought. And Pam gave a tutorial on a project bag that she has made that uses clear vinyl. Mar made one of those and was also busy working on her Potato Bags.

We also got to see Mar's Prairie Paisley quilt and the picture on her blog does not do it justice folks. That quilt is beautiful!

I was busy working on my socks (like Pam's above) for a sock swap that I am in.

We had so much fun. I'm looking forward to doing it again. Break out the calendars girls ... we gotta do that again!

Celebrations

If you haven't stopped by Mar's blog recently, be sure to head on over there and check out the celebration. It's her Blogoversary and she is having a giveaway.

Mar - it's been so much fun reading your blog and seeing all of your wonderful projects this past year. I look forward to many, many more blog entries.

Starting the weekend

Wow, so much to post ... where to start ...

Hi's and hugs all around upon arrival and then into the "hive" to start the fun.

We were welcomed in ...

and then ...








What a treat to be able to have this view of fabric all day while working on projects.




Marlene brought the cutest little gift bags for everyone. How sweet was that!

We started with some Show and Tell. And then we got right into setting up our sewing stations. We had a Friday afternoon jumpstart to the weekend and a full day and a half to follow.

I'll have to continue this later. Blogger is being a bit resistant to uploading pictures at the moment.

Weekends - What can I say ...

Don't you just love weekends? I do. They are such are welcomed change to the ho-hum work week. This weekend is no exception. I get to spend it with friends ... quilting, of course! My friends Mar and Holly are coming down to get together with Pam and me for a Quilt Frenzy. I guess a frenzy is good when it comes to quilting.

Sorry I don't have pics to post just yet. This past week got away from me. What can I say ...

Hope all of you can spend time quilting with friends this weekend.

A Busy Weekend

It's a busy weekend ahead for me. I have been working on some applique blocks for an online group swap that I am in. The deadline is near - so I'm stitching my little fingers off.

Today I am going to help a neighbor, Carol, cut out a quilt. She is fairly new to quilting and hasn't really done much rotary cutting. And then it is back to applique for the rest of the weekend.

I also have to pick up some fresh batteries for my camera and then I will be able to post some more pics.

Hope you all have a fun, quilt filled weekend.

A Quilt For Beatrice

So, my brother called a while back to see if I had a quilt that would be suitable for a baby. No - nothing for babies. We have some friends in England that were new grandparents. So, I told him I would see what I could come up with.

I had some fat quarters that I had won as a door prize at a guild meeting that I thought would work. Hmmmmm


So I added a couple of other pieces and came up with this grouping of fabrics.


This is the quilt prior to quilting. The picture was taken on a dark, rainy day. With the lights and the camera flash the colors got a bit washed out. Oh well. I found a green on white Beatrix Potter toile that I thought would be spot on for a British babe. My friend Holly quilted it using a Baptist Fan pattern and it turned out perfect. I didn't take any pictures after it was completed and now I so wish I had. I needed to get it sent off quickly so that it could get to Beatrice Elizabeth in Colchester, England. Beatrice, Mum and Grandmum all love it.

An excerpt from an email from her mum reads:
"It is stunning and I know it will be something that she will enjoy and treasure. The skill of crafting a quilt is a rare and amazing phenomenon in the U.K. Your stiches leave me in awe and the Beatrix Potter material is very apt. Beatrice is certainly a very lucky girl. Again thank you for the precious gift that I know she will love for all her years."

Long Beach International Quilt Festival

Early on July 25th I headed out for the show in Long Beach. The drive was good, the traffic wasn't bad either. As I drove past the LB Convention Center, I was amazed at the line of quilters waiting to get into the show. It was already past 10:30, but the line extended from the front doors all the way over the pedestrian crossing the spans the multi-lane road. I went and checked into my hotel, left the car and walked to the show.

It almost seemed like the Convention Center had no clue what to expect. I heard from some reliable sources that the Quilts, Inc people kept trying to prepare them for us quilters, but kept getting told that they (the Convention Center) knew how to deal with crowds. Clearly they didn't. On Saturday they ran out of food. People stood in line for an hour and a half waiting to get something. I talked to a couple of ladies during my lunch break (no standing in that line for me) that had driven around for over an hour just to find a place to park. I was glad that I walked. Plus it seemed foolish for me to since I was staying so close.

The show was so much fun. And the vendors ... OH MY!! Friday was vendor day for me. Saturday was for viewing the quilts.

I saw so many people that I know too. I almost did as much visiting as I did shopping. LOL

The quilts on display were interesting. Seems I didn't need all of Saturday for viewing them. They were, for the most part, all Art Quilts. And, as I mentioned in my first entry, Art Quilts are not my forte. I ended up spending just half of Saturday viewing the quilts and then it was back to ... you guessed it ... the vendors.

In all it was a great weekend. And I will be back next year, curious to see what Quilts, Inc has in store for the 2009 show.

Guild President's Quilt

I had the opportunity to organize and work on the quilt for our guilds outgoing President a couple of years ago. It was a fun project to work on, but at the same time I was nervous. Why nervous you ask? Well, making a quilt for myself is one thing, but making one for someone else is an entirely different matter. Sure, she knew the quilt would be coming because any guild President that serves 2 years gets a quilt from the guild. The tricky part is what fabrics to use and what pattern or design. This ended up being fairly easy. I had a general idea of her fabric preference and knew she likes traditional patterns. I selected a pattern from a BH&G Quilt Sampler and used 30's reproduction fabrics (the apron and feed sack styles and none of the "cutesie" prints). She loves this quilt! whew

A Weekend Quilting with Friends ...

I got a call from my friend Pam. Seems some of the Sacramento gals were coming down for a mini Retreat at Pam's new studio. How could I possibly turn down an invitation like that! So I quickly packed my things on Friday after work and headed off to quilting bliss.

The weekend was so much fun! Everything was perfect, well almost everything. It did get a bit hot during the day on Saturday, but that did not slow us down in the least. We all had a very productive weekend. And did I mention that the food was fantastic? It was a perfect weekend.

I'm a Tour de France girl ...

I know ... you're asking what does the Tour de France have to do with quilting. Well, not much really, but let me explain. I really enjoy the Tour and have been watching it for a number of years now. And yes, I get up at those very early pre-dawn hours (West Coast time) to watch it.

Well, Quilts Inc. decided to put on a quilt show in Long Beach this year. Yea for the west coast. I decided to go to the Long Beach International Quilt Festival (more about that later) and in doing so I would be giving up the final 3 days of the Tour. I was okay with that. So while in Long Beach I just figured that I would find out the results on ESPN or some other sporting news. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Versus network while watching TV and relaxing in my room after spending the day at the quilt show. How could I ask for more.

So here I go ...

I have finally decided to start my own quilting blog. I have read a few of the quilt blogs out there and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the beautiful quilts so many of you have created. Even though my quilting journey actually started quite a few years ago, for blogging purposes I will just pick it up from here and touch on events in the past as they become relevant. As far as my quilt preferences go ... I prefer applique and traditional pieced quilts over art quilts. I admire those that can produce art quilts, but they are just not my forte.

So, let this be a second beginning in my quilting journey.