Cruisin'

My daughter Melanie and I went on a Norwegian Cruise. We were brainstorming ideas back in November and when we realized that the MSC Poesia cruise ship docked in Oslo, we quickly decided that this was the one and I contacted Hanne to see if she was available mid May to get together. She was. So we did. It was more than great. 

Hanne's husband offered to be our chauffeur and took the day off work. He is easing into retirement. 

We did some touristy things then went back to their home to get the grand tour of Hanne's quilt room. I am so inspired! She does her little stitches with her morning coffee. What a great idea. Doing the stitching to start the day instead of trying to work in the 15 minutes later. 

Hanne has 68 completed Stonefields blocks. We know. Melanie counted them. She wants to finish it so will be joining Rebecca and Gretchen and me as we begin work on ours. Gretchen and I talked about making it together 9 years ago but did not begin then. I came home and pulled out the project box I had put together 10 years ago when I got my pattern. I must have added to the box, because it is quite full of promising soft prints and pastels. Lots of Mary Koval reproduction filler fabrics. Did I say lots? And I finally found the stash of reprodution shirting fabrics I bought lots of years ago. One yard cuts no less.

Since I have most of the fabrics in the box pre washed, I shall whack off a few peices of the shirtings and pre wash them also. I had precut "about" forty 6 1/2 inch squares of other shirtings and some solid creamy fabrics. I am ready to start. More than 20 years ago I bought most of a collection for a cause by Ro Gregg called Heaven Can Wait. There are fussy cutting options of cherubs and flowers. I do like flowers. I have 4 yards of the border fabric. And it is already pre washed. Yes. I do pre wash my fabrics. I like to get the sizing out and have a softer fabric for hand work. Will I be doing hand work? Not sure yet. I got a shot of cortesone in my right hand last month and it feels pretty good. Well, until it got caught between the hand rail and the bus door in Copenhagen. The bruise is almot gone. 

Blessings,

Chris

 

Rambling

Devan and I had a chat about possible quilt projects. She tells me she likes the Flowers for my Wedding Ring but thinks it would be easier to make the Bali Wedding Star. It has to do with the applique. So we pulled out a tutorial for a Jelly Roll Race quilt by Jordan Fabrics.

We may start here. It will have to wait until the end of the month. She likes the autumn coloured roll and the brown batik. So what does that mean for Gramma and her great ideas? The Quiltworx quilts will have to wait. For now. I am okay with that. 

I took all the geraniums outside for the summer. It had been raining for a couple of days. Great time to take them out so they can get all wet and hydrated before getting too much summer sun. That will come later. But where is my good new shovel to dig the holes? I finally found it put away nicely in the drive shed. But not where it had ever been before. Now it is on my porch, close at hand. Speaking of hands, mine are feeling pretty good right now. I will try my hands at pie making tonight. It is rhubarb season and we really like rhubarb custard meringue pie. 

I bought a Majestic Palm at the local grocery store last week. Couldn't pass that up. $22 and 7 feet tall. There were dozens to chose from so I took the tallest one. It looks amazing in the SonRoom. I have already repotted it since the roots were quite potbound. Some 50 years ago my Sweetie and I had gone to visit an elderly neighbour of his who was living with her daughter in a highrise apartment in town. It was her 97th birthday and we took her a handful of tiny pink wild flowers. She hugged them close and smelled them. They were called hipaticus. I had never met anyone so old before. I have known a lot of them since. Anyway, they had a Majestic Palm in the living room touching the ceiling. It intrigued me. I wanted one. Now I have one. Some things are worth waiting for. Now to keep the thing alive until I am 97.  

The consensus for my leader ender project is to start with Trail Mix. No Y-seams. No triangles. No curves. No designated background. I bought a new 60mm blade for my large cutter. Do they really cost $21 for one blade? And is it true that cutting paper dulls the blade? And I have never yet tried to cut through twelve, yes 12 layers of fabric at the same time. That is in the instructions on the Quiltworx pattern. Otherwise, I would have to print off more newsprint templates. So I bought a new blade. Actually, I bought not one but 2 new rotary cutters. Someone wrote about them so I checked them out. Amazon delivers to my SonRoom door quite regularly. I also ordered the Creative Grid Double Wedding Ring Template set. I have been watching various tutorials about the Quiltworx process. Good thing there are so many. I am learning how to read their patterns. No simple feat. I am learning how to prepare to get ready to start one of the quilts. It may take me a while to get out of the starting gate. But I will be ready when that time comes. 

I have a plane to catch Tues and have not yet started packing. Going on my first ever cruise. With my duaghter. To Norway. Plan on visiting with Hanne while we are there. And Katherine's, the only quilt store in Oslo, is walking distance from our hotel. How cool is that? And it is just as warm there as it is here so I will not be taking my winter coat after all. My computer will not download photos off my camera and I do not know how to get pictures off my phone to my blog. Another new thing for this Gramma to learn. But that is what keeps us going isn't it? 

Blessings,

Chris

New Leader Ender Projects

Omigosh by Sue Garman. I first saw this pattern at a quilt show more than 20 years ago. I wanted to make one. But then, I wanted to make one of everything I saw. Years ago, I found the pattern at Come Quilt but could not bring  myself to pay more for shipping than the whole pattern. Recently, I discovered the digital download.

During my surgery recovery I spent a lot of time reading. I read through several patterns. Complicated ones. I had to figure out the underlying pattern and understand the step by step process. Then, I had to decide what colourway I want to make this. That should have been easy - scrappy. But scrappy what? brights? reproductions? white background or cream background? Solids or prints? Do I follow the RSC colours? It all makes sense, sort of. 

My brain will not allow me to mix modern brights with muted repros. Even mixing solids and prints has me hesitating. I know. I don't have enough to do. 

Trail Mix. This is another scrappy pattern that will be great as a leader ender project. This one does not have a designated background. This may make it easier to decide on colours. I saw Gail's when I visited her last fall in Kansas City.                              Trail Mix free download  

I took time to read the pattern to figure it out also. Now, which one do I start on? Whichever one, I will have to take time to precut a lot of strips and pieces and do some organizing. Then there is what colour thread do I use? Probably cream will work for both. However, I am working on 2 fast precut quilts with shiny white backgrounds. Not posted about them yet. 

My right hand is paining so much less and I find myself typing so easily now. I even hunted up the weed digger tool and dug some weeds today.  

blessings,

Chris

Dreaming Again

I came across a great vlog recently by Karen Brown of Just Get it Done Quilts. It gave me ideas. So I started researching and dreaming.

I have been cleaning up and organizing the Blue Room. It was so dreadful. I was initially looking for the left over fabrics from my Cherries Quilt. It has been hand quilted by the mother of the couple that bought most of our cows a few years ago. It still needs to be bound. 

So I pulled out a kits box and had a good look at Jinny Beyers New Moon. I bought this kit 10 years ago on sale. I had really wanted to make the Moon Glow, but it was not on sale. Too bad since it would have had all the fabrics in the kit. So, the other day, I found a free pattern download. So, I did. I downloaded it. All 75 pages. Now I have more options to dream about. 

Jinny Beyer has you printing off countless papers for each unit. Lots of paper needed and ink. Make sure to print the original pattern at 100%. After that you can photo copy onto newsprint. I bought a whole ream on amazon a few years ago. 500 sheets. I wonder now it that will be enough.  How did we ever quilt without copiers and computers?

I also  have her Shenandoah Baskets kit that was the 2015 BOM from Craftsy. See what you get when you start sorting and seeing and organizing. Nothing simple about this one but it is really gorgeous. Did I ever mention I met Jinny in person in Australia when I was there 10 years ago? Forgot to take out my camera for a picture. I do that a lot. Forget. 

It appears that Devan likes this one better than the Bali Star. I have both patterns. Flowers for my Wedding Quilt. I will let her decide since she will be making it with me. She is a get at it and get 'er done kind of girl.  I was looking through a bag of batiks I bought a lot of years ago. Possibly 15-20? I may have a new plan for some of those.

I am now officially  intrigued by the Quiltworx patterns and process. I do like process. My usual practice is to research, track down, purchase and collect everything for a big project, put it in a box, then move on to something else.  

tutorial for fpp   more tips for quiltworks   reading the pattern

Thirteen year old Ellyse is at hockey with Daddy who referees. She is learning to be the time keeper. Seventeen year old Ava has a migraine so we cancelled our lunch out to our favourite secret place. And almost (next week) twelve year old Devan is in the kitchen making ice cream and doing laundry. Ran out of bath towels. It is spring time and raining so cannot do yard work today. And that is how I ended up having access to my own computer for a Saturday.

blessings,

Chris

Chookshed Challenge May 2025

I have been absent from blogging most of this year. Been a bit distracted with a trip to India, Breast reduction surgery and 11 weeks of treatment for a wound that did not heal quickly becuse of an infection. Time to get communicating again. 

Yesterday I had an appointment with a hand/wrist specialist that was booked nearly a year ago. I wanted another opinion.They put freezing in the palm of my hand just at the base of the bad finger. Then the cortisone directly into the joint. That did not hurt. Much. The swelling from that is almost all gone. Just a bit stiff in the finger. I can now use a butter knife and I tried pushing and pulling the needle and thread in one of my Ella blocks. The fingers are stiff, but there is no pain. These blocks have been waiting for over 3 years. The Chookshed Challenge number for May is 8 and that is Random on my list. What shall I work on? As soon as I announce what I plan to do, I change my mind a do something else. 

I have been dreaming again about starting a bunch of new quilts. I have discovered a new to me quilt shop about 1 1/2 hours from here that has retreats and workshops for the Quiltworx Judy Neimyer amazing patterns. I have the Bali Wedding Star I bought a lot of years ago with pattern and all the papers. I went hunting through my many project boxes looking for the Batik jelly rolls I bought from Craftsy back in 2011? And some yardage at a half price sale.

My research shows lots of different colour options. And custom quilting. I wonder if I could machine quilt as you go? I have lots of time to obsess about that since I have not yet decided to start. 

I have gotten new square project boxes to organize all the papers when I start cutting them out. That is something I could do if we zoom with Chooky tomorrow night. Hhmm?

These were for the Bali Wedding Star. I asked almost 12 year old Devan if she liked the pattern enough to spend the next 5 years helping me make it. Maybe.

I found a tutorial to make the thing so I saved it here .

I want to be able to find it again easily. 

I have a quilt retreat here at the farm the last week of May. My quilting friends from Cornwall will be driving up for the week. My friend Robynne said she would give me her Cattails in the Meadow kit. Pattern and papers. And now, suddenly, I may or may not be in advanced Quiltworx school. Am I ready for this? Come back later this month to see if I remembered to pursue it.

I am off on a Norwegian Cruise with my daughter and plan to take along my Ella applique blocks. Will I finish all 5? I hope so. 

 

Blessings,

Chris

Boob Job

Where has Chris been the past 2 months? All the plans and goals and good intentions. After returning home from India and jet lag recovery, I got a phone call the beginning of February telling me that after 4 years of waiting, I had been approved for breast reduction surgery and surprise-surprise - there was a cancellation and I could have the surgery on Thurs. Do I want it? I took about 3 seconds to consider and said yes. So - the past 10 weeks have been taken up with pre-op, op and post op. Well, post op really meant driving into town nearly every day to the nurses clinic to have the dressings changed. There had been an infection and 4 weeks of antibiotics, nausea, constipation, no dairy, no sitting in the sun, no lifting my arms, getting help combing my hair and dressing, no showers. I did go to a local hair salon to get my hair shampooed. That was nice. 

Turns out, the infection caused a wound that did not heal and so then yet another 4 weeks of carting around a VAC unit plugged into my left breast. I got to shower 2 hours before having it changed every 3 days, driving into town. Freedom came last week when the wound healed up enough to stop the VAC treatment and now just change the dressings every 2-3 days. This for another 2-3 weeks.

I do not play computer games any more nor do I watch more than 1-2 hours of TV per month. Sad. I know. I have been thoroughly enjoying hanging out in the SonRoom sitting around, feet up, watching the sun rise and watching it set, and reading. Reading a lot. Nearly a book a day. Some of them kindle books. Lots of blog reading. Very little writing. All of this to say, I got about 10 minutes of sewing done. I am begining to start to feel a bit ambitious. But I know better than to plan too much activity.

I tracked down a copy of the Plan-It Day curriculum from my on-line writing group that I had done just before the first covid lock down. Was it really 5 years ago? This will be my writing goal for this month. To again work my way through the 30 pages of why I write. 

I have 3 book projects in the messy-first drafts stage piled up in all those storage boxes. Now to try to make sense out of all those hand written pages and make a plan to move them forward. 

In 2 weeks I have an appointment to see another specialist about my hands. I can write (a page or 2) and eat (but not use a knife) and type, but I cannot manipulate needle and thread. They may offer cortisone shots. I had a couple a year ago from another doctor. That lasted about a month. And my weight is down to the lowest in 20 years. That is nice.

Today it was warm enough to go outside and rake some of the flower beds. I made a deal with my husband. I would make piles appear (small ones) and he would make them disappear. We shall see. Oh. And no hot tub for at least another month. Looking forward to that. And the Norwegian cruise mid May with my daughter is ON. 

blessings, 

Chris

Mid Winter in Canada

I have come to the realization that in my many years of quilting and the countless quilts I have made and started, I have not made A.N.Y  for my grandchildren! How did that happen?? Other than a simple 9-patch baby quilt before Ava was born 17 years ago that all 3 girls used. And how did she get to be 17? And driving? And making plans for college? 

I did make David a pillowcase when he was sick with pneumonia a couple of months ago. But Jonathan was sick also and so was their dad. I did buy some special fabric when I was in Missouri in Oct. So now, I need to make quilts for my grandkids. There are 7 of them. I have several on the go that will be fine for the girls, but what about the boys? Not flowers or applique. No. Got to have cats and soccerballs. Oh, I do have the fabrics. Had them for at least a year. These are among the fast new quilts on my Chookshed Challenge list for this year. No Y-seams. No triangles. No curves. Just sayin'. Something fast. 

The boys came over for a New Year's Eve sleepover and I had Jonathan design this using 3 layer cakes. Then I sewed it together after I came home from India. 

 This is my new profile picture. And yes. I did climb up onto those rocks by myself. Sort of. Barefoot so I had good footing. It was a breezy day at the beach on the Bay of Bengal. We almost had lift off. 

That was an amazing trip. I hadn't been there for 6 years. Everything changes. All the time. But my passion for the people there has not. There were just 2 of us on this trip. We plan to return in October and do a women's conference. This is one of my favourite things in India. Speaking to women. Encouraging women. Praying for women. 

I did get to speak to pastors and their wives this trip. I spoke about how my Sweetie and I stayed married for 53 years. 

I took one quilty project along with me. I ironed several fabrics onto some wash-away applique sheets. We were just hanging out one afternoon and the boys offered to help. So they did. 

I had 3 pair of sharp scissors with me. Turns out that I had a 4th pair that got into my carry on bag and I had to give them up at security at the airport. Oops.

A trip to India is never complete without visiting our school. We were celebrating the senior class as they were getting ready to write their final exams and the junior class put on a party for them. It was so much fun. Including dancing and balloons. 

 I am in the process of booking a Norweigan cruise with my Daughter for mid May. That is going to be fun. I have never been on a cruise ship.  She has been on several and loves it. 

I am also planning a Quilting at the Farm retreat for the end of May. Everyone is invited. It should be warm by then and the sping flowers at their best. Right now we are in the middle of winter with lots of snow on the trees and ground. My Sweetie has pneumonia and I am reading lots and doing not much else. Never a dull moment here at the farm. 

The Chookshed Challenge number for Feb is 10 but my hands cannot handle the EPP for now so I will work on something else like start another new fast quilt. I have lots of charm packs ready to sew together for a Dis-appearing 9-Patch for David. Now that I have started doing these without using pins or clips, I may as well get a few more made. They don't even have to be pressed until the very end. 

Blessings,

Chris