Signs of Spring

Ah yes - Signs of Spring are appearing every day. This morning I spotted a beautiful red cardinal in our back yard. The snow is gone and springs of green grass are showing more and more. We've had quite a bit of rain and the ground is saturated - and more rain predicted later today. I'm glad I don't have kids playing outside these days!

Chet had the riding mower out with his little trailer attached and spent an afternoon picking up twigs and small branches that came down in a recent wind storm. He was so pleased to be out riding and 'doing things.'

I've managed to keep as busy as I can and want to be. I still tire easily and end up taking a daily nap! I've been battling a slight flu bug the past week and am hoping it soon will be gone. I just don't like tummy aches and headaches! I did get busy at the sewing machine a few hours this past week. No pictures to show yet. Perhaps next week I'll have a few blocks done. I am making the parts now for the different segments in each block. The quilt is a large size but I'm not sure I'll have a large one in the end - it's kind of boring right now!

I went into the picture archives and found a few quilts I'd not posted pictures of before. Most are now out of the house - given to kids and grand kids and some were donated for fund raiser items.

Shown below is Majestic Mountains - a pattern from http://quiltville.com. It is not finished in this picture, I did add a border and had it quilted. Truthfully, I don't know if this quilt is here in the house or if I've given it away. (Pathetic soul, right?)

The piece below is in Mitch & Di's house in Wisconsin - she had a red sofa in the finished basement and I thought this went well with it - I don't remember how big it is but it is a good size wall hanging.

Next quilt is a multi-fabric 9 Patch with snowball blocks - I think my niece has this one but I'm not sure. A second one using this pattern but with yellow borders was given to a daughter in law who needed a baby gift. Not sure who she gave it to tho.

The wall hanging below was done in creams and ecru's, 6" blocks and donated to Relay For Life fundraiser. It was on display at school and one of the teachers had the winning raffle ticket.

The patriotic wall hanging below was also donated to Relay For Life as a fundraiser - the gal who managed the Bookstore had the winner raffle ticket for it. It hangs in her office at school.

I made a second patriotic wall hanging similar to the one above and donated it to church as a fundraiser for their annual chili supper and bazaar. The gal who had the winning raffle ticket wasn't too pleased with it - am thinking she gave it to one of her children. I hope the person who has it is happy with it.

Someone is in the kitchen rattling pots and pans and I think it's a sign to me! Till next week be safe and healthy and warm.

Sewing Again - Just a bit tho!

The snow is melting slowly and the back yard has a few broken branches and twigs scattered around it. Chet looks out the windows and licks his lips - I know he's chomping at the bit to get the riding mower out and clean up the yard! I know I'll have to ask the little boy next door to help him with the pick up because Chet's 'bending' ability has decreased considerably! Poor guy.

My bending ability is pretty good - it's getting up that's a challenge for me! Ah - old age has crept up on both of us. I did have good news after my last scan and blood tests - I am in remission and don't have to see a doctor till mid March. I'm still battling with radiation burns and the horrible itching of new skin growing back. I won't even mention my hair loss! Gaining weight is a battle, too - and I'm eating often. I am convinced it's as difficult to gain weight as it is to lose it! The ladies from church and another church in town have been bringing over meals - one on Wednesday night and the other on Sunday mornings. I have been cooking but these extra meals sure do help make things a bit easier on me. I'm stronger day by day and yesterday we ventured out to the bank, drug store, grocery store and Staples. I had a good long nap when we got home!

My fabric stash hasn't decreased too much the past few months. I did make two new sofa pillow covers. I found a Log Cabin block and made another, added backing and put the pillows inside. The covers are a bit too big but makes it easier to take pillow form in and out - am hoping the covers will shrink a bit after their first run through the washer and dryer. Photos below.



Picture below is of the small quilt I started a while ago - it was begging to be finished so I found matching/coordinating fabrics and finished it this morning. This will be a donation quilt.



Being house bound for the past five or six months has given me a lot of time to surf the Internet - I see so many pretty quilts and imagine them done up in fabric from my stash. . . so many quilts, so much fabric and so little energy!

This week I need to reply to Christmas cards and letters - am just now getting around to opening and reading them. And my lovely Southern Belle granddaughter, Anna Grace, had her 11th birthday last week. I did call her and we chatted a bit but I haven't sent her a card yet - that's top of the list this week!

Time to grab some lunch - Chet is shaking pots and pans! Have a good week, stay warm and well.