This week, for the first time in 5 months, I was able to go fabric shopping. I had known that I needed some red fabric for one of my BOMs but since I was unable to stand long enough to cut fabric and press the fusible on it, it really had been a moot point. But since I have been getting a little stronger (slowly, oh so slowly) I decided it was time to venture out and shop. I took this picture because those two rows of fabric are all polka dot fabrics and I was very impressed.
Then yesterday I spent some time drawing/copying the applique shapes on my fusible: I did this for three BOM blocks.
And then today I began cutting fabric and applying the fusible. I’m getting all three blocks ready at the same time so it was a little confusing. I only cut into four fabrics so I still have some more to prepare. I kind of got waylaid by knitting needles and yarn.
One fun thing we did last week was to drive our daughter to where she was picking up her very first brand new car. It was 300 miles up and back with sitting time while she went through the car buying process and then we also stopped for a late dinner. But we had lots of fun and she was very happy. She even got a nurse specialty car tag.
Health Update: I saw the oncologist a couple of weeks ago and he is putting me on a relatively new medication that is supposed to help build up my bones while killing cancer cells. It has to come from a special pharmacy and be approved by the insurance. It took two weeks of back and forth conversations to get that approval but he finally got it. The medication comes in the mail so we are waiting on that.
Tomorrow I see the orthopedic surgeon with the hope that I will be told that all is well with my hip and clearance to drive. He never told me not to drive but the home health nurse assured me I wasn’t supposed to.
Then the next day I am seeing the cardiologist who will tell me that the pacemaker is working fine.
All three of these doctors are great but I am ready to not be tied to them quite so much.
I hope everyone had as nice a weekend as we did and that this will be a great week. Gari
Well, this mess doesn’t look like much, does it? This is try 1, of 3 tries, at beginning a new pair of toe-up socks using a beginning method new to me. Have you heard of Very Pink Knits? Staci is a knitting teacher who writes patterns and shares techniques through YouTube videos. Anyway, I tried remembering the video directions and had problems. So then I tried just doing my own cast-on, which worked but I felt that I had failed my “test” so I pulled it out again, watched the video again and then got started over. I know have the toes almost done but it is time to watch the third video about how to finish up the short rowing on the toe. Then I will have the easy time doing the foot.
And here is the new yard I got for my next sweater. I am going to repeat the last sweater, this time with a yarn that matches the pattern. I know that it will be easy and just the right thing to work on while Mother and I are visiting later this month.
I did get an owl completed except for her eyes. I can’t seem to find the fabric I’ve used for the pupils so for the time being I am pretending that she just had her eyes dilated.
I did buy a little more fabric this week: flannel for receiving blankets. This pair I just love so I bought enough for at least 2 blankets.
I didn’t get as much done this week as I had hoped but I have started feeling better. Today I tottered around without the cane (it felt a little lonesome all alone in the corner). But I was glad to have it close at hand because a couple of times I thought I was going to need it. My daughter, the nurse, said she thought it may be bursitis although I thought that only happened in the shoulder.
We have no plans for this weekend so I am hoping that I will have a lot of sewing/knitting time. And it would be all right, to to have a little antiquing time, not that we need more stuff. 
Have a great weekend and see you again on Monday.
Gari
I am sharing this link at Patchwork Times.
This is about as close as I can get this week. Let me tell you why…..
Friday we decided it would be a good day to drive to Pensacola. I had been “needing” some light bamboo #2 DPN needles and hadn’t been able to find them locally.
Look at what all I found. And, yes, I also found the needles I was wanting/needing. Not only that but they came with this note:
Can you see what it says? One extra needle and the opportunity to get two more if they brake. Who ever heard of something like that? I really appreciate that kind of customer service.
I also visited my favorite fabric store. I shopped for browns so I can get busy making more owls and then I ran into the striped fabric (I see binding for Weave) and the creamy orange that I have no idea what I will use it for.
It was a fun and long day so we went to bed early in preparation for Saturday.
Then on Saturday we attended a local Quilt Show (sorry, no pictures) and then went to our grandson’s wedding.
The ceremony was held at a small lake, on the pier/pavilion. What a perfect setting. The men wore cream shirts, brown vests, jeans and cowboy boots. The bridesmaids wore really nice brown dresses and cowboy boots. Everybody had a great time.
Now, why no Design Wall? Well, first there is this:
This is Sherlock, a rescue Dapple Daschund who came to live with us on Sunday afternoon. We adopted him 3 weeks ago but his health was bad and wasn’t ready to come home with us until Sunday.
He has already made friends with Sadie, who is just about the same size, only fatter. It seems it will take a little longer for Abby to warm up to him.
The second reason why there is no Design Wall is that just before we went to get Sherlock, the door fell off of my Studio. Yes, FELL OFF. I went to open it and it fell to the left, still attached at the bottom. This door is very heavy and it took two of us to hold it up and at least get it relocked. But I really can’t get into the studio, where all my new stuff is, until I figure out how to get a new door (door and casing).
Well, that’s my story. My plan is to get everything and everybody working in sync again so that next week I can have something new and fun on my Design Wall.
Have a great week, Gari
This is the reason I have been absent from my blog, and my studio. Most of you have seen her picture in the header of this blog but last weekend we had the first chance to be with her in person. She lives almost 1000 miles away from us and at only 9 months is quite unable to come for visits with us. She is the daughter of our DS#3 and his very sweet wife.
Even her Grandpa was entranced by her.
And I loved this picture as Elsa eats and Ponce keeps watch over, or under, her.
And just in case you think this will be all the pictures I will be sharing, think again. I have a few more and, thankfully, her mother keeps taking and sharing even more.
I did try to use my time wisely. I had some time to myself and spent it sourcing out yarn shops. I found two and did myself proud with these purchases. Then, on the way home we just happened to go by Mary Jo’s in Gastonia, NC. Well, we didn’t exactly “go by”. When I realized that we would be there during open hours I gave myself 30 min to shop for fabrics for a the new BOM Carol Doak is running. And, yes, I was in and out in 30 min.
The three on the right are batiks. I never have enough background fabrics and then there are just some that call out to me while I am passing. And the purple, well, I really need a Halloween tablerunner and placemats. Will I have them done this month? Who knows?
Of course I need to say that we also did some antiquing on our trip and one of the things I found was this acrylic box. It is about 30” high and 36” deep with three shelves and the perfect place to store my yarn.
I started this sock prior to our trip but since getting back I have completed the heel flap and am currently working on the gusset (the hardest part for me to understand). I forgot to split the yarn into two balls so I can’t start the second sock until I get this one done.
I have a couple of other knitting projects started: I like to have one in the the house, one in the studio and one to work on when I get bored of everything else.
And what about quilting? Well, I have two new BOMs to start and one to finish plus the two that are still ongoing. I have one quilt top still waiting on the frame. So after I get some household chores done I am going to be sewing, quilting, and knitting. See what fun I have!
Hope you are having fun, too. Gari
I am not going to show you what my blank design wall looks like: boring. Earlier in the week I had several blocks on there and they can be seen here.
And later in the week this is what it looked like. Here we have the parts for the backing of the Funky Chickens top.
And here it is all put together and ready to go on the HQ. I was excited to take it into the quilting room and get it on the frame.
And then the chicken top went on. You know, when the quilt was in waiting I almost forgot how bright and fun it is. But now it is out in the open and once again I makes me smile. Of course once I begin working on the quilting, that smile may dim, a bit. 
I had some questions about what fabric I am going to use to make the cushions for our deck swing. This is what is on the bolt end. I think it is kind of a plastic-like coating over canvas and is sold as an outside fabric.
This is what I am using inside.
I got it after I read all of this on the side of the box.
And it is made/sold by the company. I can’t say how either of these products work because I haven’t begun working on them but hope to soon.
Also during this past weekend we went to the movies (Superman) but before it started we had to walk off lunch. We walked the mall (way hot here) and while there I found this, a new cover for my iPhone. I have been looking for an owl cover ever since I got the new phone and there it was, and in ORANGE!!! I am so happy!
And that’s not all the good that happened. Our LQS had a fabric sale: $2.99 a yard on lots of fabric. I bought 34 yards. I see mostly backing fabric with a little applique thrown in.
So, if you read my last post you saw this little pillow I made for DH. Well, I came in from the studio and found it here, in the middle of the floor. Since both DH and I were out of the house, I suspected that one of the dogs had pulled it down.
However, when I asked them they assured me they both had been in this chair, behaving. Don’t they look innocent? Yea, right!
So, today all the BOMs I am doing come out. I have already downloaded the teapot (no I haven’t found the lost one) and the fish and owl will be on my drawing board this afternoon.
I will be sharing on Patchwork Times and What a Hoot Quilts.
Have a great week! Gari
But first I must share the fabric I bought at the quilt show in Atlanta last weekend. These are half yard pieces of batik that may be used for owl blocks.
And my coolest purchase was this basket. The maker put that stick in the handle and I immediately saw that it would make a great binding basket. The lady that makes them is not a quilter and really liked my idea. Since I already had the binding ready for the quilt on the frame I was very excited to see that my idea will work.
Then I got busy and finished the blocks for the backing of my Funky Chicken top.
Next, while shopping for something else, I found this fabric, on sale, that I believe will be perfect for the rest of the backing. I am hoping I will be able to get this put together next week, I just have to plan it out.
Then I returned to the HQ to see if I could get this quilt finished.
When I last left the frame it was breaking thread both from the cone and from the bobbin. I spent quite a while playing with both tensions until I finally got them to work together.
So I was back to quilting and now only have 1 1/2 rows to go. I find that if I quilt only one row and then go on to other things I get several things done, just not as fast. And, I don’t get bored.
So I put together this month’s owl. Right now he is on wax paper but later this week he will be on the background fabric. I still need to start stitching these owls down before I get too far behind on them.
I also drew and cut the fusible for the latest teapot BOM. Right now I am auditioning fabrics so I have nothing more to show here.
The last thing I worked on so far this week is this pillow for DH. He picked out this fabric and said he wanted a pillow so a pillow he is getting. He doesn’t read my blog so it is easy to talk about it here.
I did finish one other project but can’t show it yet. I had a great idea for Mother’s Day this year that involved printing. Well, my printer decided to not print red and it has taken me all this time to get it to do what I wanted. Yesterday I finally got it to work and today I completed my project. Mother does read my blog so I can’t say what I was making but it will be in the mail tomorrow and should be with her on her birthday, Monday.
Well, that has been my week so far. I’ll probably nap for the rest of the week. 
But really, I still have about 5 shelves worth of fabric still sitting in the other room, waiting for me to make bunches of trips so I guess I better get busy. 
