Dragonfly Crossroads

I named this quilt Dragonfly Crossroads for many reasons. My mom loves dragonflies, the pattern it came from is crossroads and the trying times my mother will be going through are also what I call the crossroads of her life.

I started this on Saturday morning with the pattern, some tan fabric and a jellyroll and by that evening the top was complete. Sunday morning I cut the backing, basted the layers, quilted it on my DSM and machine bound the binding. I had it in the dryer by 7pm local time.

This quilt is for my mother who is at this time up in Denver (hour and a half away) at the hospital going through chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. She was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, for which there is no cure.  The transplant is supposed to give her up to 10 more years.

So for now we have 2 weeks of pure torture (chemo side effects etc) then we should start seeing a slow and steady progress back to her new normal. She will be in the hospital for 3-4 weeks and then 2-3 more weeks in aftercare. I will be going up to stay with her for 2 days a week until she is out of the hospital and then I will stay with her 4 days a week while in after care, my dad will take the rest of the days each week.

It has been really rough on all of us. I have had to take care of a lot of things while she is up there and though it has been rough it is worth it because I know she will come back stronger than she left.  I just really feel helpless most of the time.

Anyway, this quilt is a crossroads from her life before cancer and chemo to the life she will have after everything is over and done with.


I don't know if I will be able to post regularly but I will do my best. I seem to take a greater joy/need/pleasure in quilting now than ever before. I think it is because it is my time to get away from it all and concentrate at the task at hand.

Here is hoping everyone has a great week and I hope to have something else to show you all soon.

Take Care
Michelle

Swap Blocks Galore 2

I am finally seeing the end of the swap blocks. I have two more birthday blocks to make and I will be done with my swaps, for now anyway.  I have some BOM to finish up and maybe by this weekend I can move on to actually getting some tops sewn together.

My online quilt group Quilted With Love is having a sew in this weekend. I am hoping to get all of my errands done between today and tomorrow and then spend all weekend sewing. My hubby will be in Vegas this weekend so it will just be me in the boys. Guess is will be quick finger food, they can play outside and do their own thing (they usually do anyway) and I can sit and sew.

Keep in stitches.

Michelle

Cutest Pin Cushion Ever

Is this not the cutest pin cushion ever. You can even put a spool of thread on the tail.
I bought the pattern to make this and haven't been able to get to it yet, so yesterday while out at the LQS I bought one.  This one will keep me company until it goes off to its new owner and it will also help me figure out the pattern a lot quicker.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday.

Michelle

Snowmen in March

I just finished my blocks for another swap. These are 9.5 inch snowball blocks with snowmen fabric as the centers.  Do you know how hard it is to find snowman fabric in March? Well, I did manage to find a few here and there and the rest I pulled out of my stash. I do know that they will probably be coming out of the woodwork come May, June and July but until then finding them is like finding gold.  I have decided that when I get all of my blocks back I will put them into a quilt with some other snowball blocks I make with embroidered snowmen, since I have tons of designs.  Will I get to this project in this century...that is another question entirely.

I am now off to enjoy the beautiful weather, supposed to have a high of 71 today and then 40 tomorrow with a chance of rain/snow,  only in Colorado.

I am also making another batch of mug rug/candle mats and then I have to get ready to go out tonight to see Jeff Dunham.

Enjoy your Thursday and take a few minutes to sew, or crochet, or knit, or anything crafty for that matter.

Michelle

Swap Blocks Galore

I know I haven't been around a lot lately, but I have been really busy. I have been washing, ironing, cutting, deciding, coordinating, sewing, squaring....well you get the idea.

Here are is some eye candy of the swap blocks I have finished. I have some more I am working on so I hope to get those done tomorrow.

I should be able to bust out a lot more things this week....I ended up having to get a cast put on my foot.  You know the one I broke way back in December...it still is not healed.  They can't figure out why it isn't healing so this is the next option. 

It was a bright purple last Wednesday but while in the shower on Saturday I got it wet so I had to go yesterday and get a new one put one. This one is neon orange.  I get it changed next Wed. so I will have to decide on a new color....blue, green, pink, purple, orange, glow in the dark, and that is all I can remember.

I can say I am so over this and want it over so bad....I am on crutches and I did get a knee walker....I will save that story for another day.

Til Next Time, Keep in Stitches,

Michelle

Stash Report #5

Just a quick post to show my stash report. I have been really busy and am hoping to get out there sometime this week to show what I have been up too.

In the mean time I hope everyone has a great week and gets lots of projects and sewing done.



Beginning Total             2470.5
Used This Week           24.125
Used YTD                    88.625
Added This Week         73.25
Added Year To Date    316.75
Ending Total                 2519.50


Michelle

Stash Report #4

I almost forgot to report today.  I was "sew" busy making birthday swap blocks  and watching the Daytona 500 (rather listening and then looking up when there were crashes).

I actually didn't have too much come in this week and for me that is odd.  I have been on a yarn kick, but more on that another time.


Beginning Total             2470.5
Used This Week           0
Used YTD                    64.5
Added This Week         1
Added Year To Date    243.5
Ending Total                 2471.5

Good news is I used a lot today and of course bought some today so that will go on my totals for next week.

I am going to try and finish the birthday blocks for my blockswappers group and go to one of my local charity group events tomorrow.

I go to the Doctors on Wed. about my foot and more than likely I am going to finally be put in a cast, not looking forward to but what can I do.  It has been over 2 months and it still isn't healing.  Why didn't they just cast me to begin with I do not know (and either do the last to doc's I saw for that matter).

Hope everyone has a great Monday.


Michelle