"OREO, WHAT IS SHE DOING TO ME"??!?!?!?!

Oreo had surgery yesterday on his left paw and am Happy to report, he is HOME!!! He does not like, however, the white sock I had to place over his paw, so that, he will not eat his bandage off! And then, I was told by Vet that when he has to go outside, I have to place a Plastic Baggy on his paw to keep dry!?!?!? Tried that, well, let's just say he tore it off before he got out of house, so now we are going through Socks!! Each time he goes out, old sock comes off and new, dry sock is placed on!! He is such a trooper! He just kind of looks at me with those big brown eyes, lays down and lets me keep putting socks on his left paw, probably thinking, "what in the world is she doing to me now"!?!!?!? Wouldn't you love to know what dogs think? Maybe, Oreo is thinking I am trying to teach him how to skate on one paw across our wood floor or maybe, he thinks I am trying to dress him up...I don't know, what I do know is that he just licks my hand everytime I place a new, dry sock on him and then ofcourse he gets a special treat! Oh, the life of my dog, Oreo!

What would call this Quilt?

Having finished a quilt I made for my Mom, which was by far the hardest quilt I have ever made, I laid it out to take pictures of, and it dawned on me there is sooo much meaning in this quilt. At first glance, you notice (well, really it kind of slaps you in the face) that the fabrics do not match. In fact, they are actually fighting against one another!

At first, you might think, how can she ever give this to her Mom! Let me explain...

My Mom, had only one sibling, a Sister, named Lois. My Aunt Lois had a vivacious personality. Bubbly would be a word I would use to explain her. She loved to sew...from clothing, to draperies, to covers for her couch. She had an "eye" for color and detail. She never used a pattern (which I thought was so genius), she would just look at something either in a magazine or store and then go home and replicate it and I mean, replicate it! She was truly an artist. She also painted, and once even needlepointed a cushion for a chair, which was undeniably "spectacular"! She never questioned or painstakingly pondered whether one fabric would go with other, she just knew (the color wheel was imprinted in her brain, I believe) and then she would create...so, after she died I wanted to make my Mom something out of all the beautiful fabric she called clothes. The result was a quilt.

She loved Pineapples on her door to make sure everyone felt WELCOME, therefore, you will see a pineapple made out of material she used as a chair covering. She was an ardent gardener, so a lot of her summer clothes were made with fabric that had, ofcourse, flowers on them. So you will find a daisy print used in some of the borders. You will also see an Iris print that she purchased before she became ill, which I don't know what she would have used it for, so that is the back of the quilt and the binding. In later years, my Aunt along with my Uncle were "Snow Birds", you know winters where in Fla and summers where spent in Long Beach Island, New Jersey where they had a summer home. Those summers, my sisters and parents would visit and stay and they are packed with the most wonderful and beautiful memories that I will always cherish. That is why there is a Lighthouse on one block, but it is not just any "old Lighthouse", this one is special because she painted that yellow bird on another piece of fabric, which I cut out and hand-sewed to the block, flying above, watching over the Lighthouse. There are some blocks where I just hand-sewed sayings I thought would help my Mom cope with the grieving process...they read, "Sometimes you know an Angel only by the Miracles she leaves blossoming in her path after she is gone", and "Angels live among us...they just hide their wings" and ofcourse, "In Loving Memory of Lois J. Budash". There is one block, using the daisy fabric again of a Heart that is broken, but sewn together by a piece of lace (my aunt always used lace to hem her skirts) and by using her lace, I thought it might tell my Mom, "I'm Ok, I'm out of pain now and that I miss you too". The last block I thought of was a hand(my Mom's) at the bottom of the quilt holding a heart and then if you trace this heart up towards the Pineapple there is another Heart...waiting...being caught by an Angel, my Aunt Lois.

So, yes the plaids don't match, the colors are off, but the meaning is there. Life isn't always pretty, it doesn't always go the way you want it, but always on the top (sometimes we have a hard time seeing) there are love ones that make the trip, oh, SOOOO BEAUTIFUL!

Dedicated to my Aunt Lois who was always a ray of sunshine in my Life and
Dedicated to My Mom, who is my Life!!

Mary

CABIN FEVER INSANITY....

Yes, it is true, I definitely have Cabin Fever Insanity...One of the groups I belong to is Pat Sloan Quilt Group on Yahoo and Pat has challenged us to make a log cabin throw or table runner to "bust out" of the cabin fever insanity....HOWEVER, can I add one more project to my many lists of things to get finished??????!!!!?!?

This week I did a lot of straightening and cleaning my sewing room...found underneath the rubble even MORE projects that have been started by me and then left uncompleted, YIKES!!! Didn't know I had so many and even forgot about others!!! HOW can this happen???!!?!!?!? Easy, I have determined I LOVE TO START new projects but HATE to finish!! OK so now I have to find a way to FINISH!!!?!?!? So....this is what I plan to do. MAKE A LIST of the most pressing projects I want to finish. First on the list is a quilt I made for my Mom, using only the material from her sister's (who is deceased) clothing. My Aunt, (Mom's sister) was an ardent sewer, who loved to create clothes without patterns. She was the kind of sewer who could just look at an outfit or dress and then go home and replicate it!! She was amazing! So, when she died, I asked her daughter (my cousin) if I could have some of her outfits that she designed and I would use them in a quilt for my Mom. My Mom only had one sister, one sibling that is, so I know she will really love this quilt, as it is part of my Aunt (at least the creative side). The quilt is pieced, quilted and now all I have to do is the binding, so will complete that this weekend.

Next on my list is to keep up with "Leanne's House"...then a quilt I made for my youngest, which is pieced and quilted but needs prairie points added as border and then to add binding! After that, I will move on to a project I started 5-6 yrs ago from Country Threads. It was a BOM which has a garden theme.

The problem lies with the fact that I REALLY WANT TO START THIS LOG CABIN QUILT, I eyed by Pat Sloan called "Sweet Stripes" in the Feb 03' American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine (I will take a pic and post) - this would make such a great quilt for a soldier, I think! And I think could be put together fast using red/white theme! OH, HERE I GO AGAIN!!
I also, want to start the Wedding Quilt blocks, that I just love in another on-line quilt group!
Maybe, I should have renamed this entry instead of "Cabin Fever Insanity", "The Trials and Frustrations of a Quilter"! I think that would have more suitable for me!

Also, keeping you posted on my horseback riding adventures... am posting a picture of "Americana", who took me for another spirited ride for an hour on Saturday. Remember she is half/thoroughbred, half/quarter horse! We trotted, galloped and cantered, English style, fun, fun, fun!!

Quote for the day..."Creativity is really the structuring of magic" by Anne Kent Rush
and
"The imagination needs moodling, --long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering" by Brenda Ueland.

OH, CHECK OUT THIS WEBSITE, REALLY COOL! http://www.thepioneerwoman.com
(Too cute!!)

Stay warm, safe and happy,

Mary

IT'S SUNDAY AND FREEZING!!!!! FEB 10, 2008

Hello friends,

It is Sunday and below zero in Illinois! Brrrr.... Woke up this morning and temp was -3 degrees (not including wind-chill) ! Monday, weather is calling for 2-3 in of more snow! Okay, Winter is beginning to get a little "old" now. Keep thinking every cold day is one more day closer to spring/summer - YEAH! Even, Oreo, my black lab doesn't want to go out -too cold for his paws.

So what am I working on, you ask? Well, it seems everyday I keep adding more and more projects to my UFO list(s). I keep seeing more and more adorable projects that I want to start, but I HAVE TO FINISH what I am currently working on. Which is? Bloomin' Rose Blocks, Leanne's House, Mini Blocks 1-3 and then 2-3 stitcheries I have started!! When am I going to find the time to do this? Maybe I could stretch the time during the day to be a little longer...if I find a way, I will let you know my secret:) Actually, nights are a great time for stitchery while watching TV and mornings are another great time (before everyone gets up) to work at my sewing machine - love that sweet sound of a humming sewing machine! Sooo much to do!

Just finished a really great book, too! "Choosen by a Horse" by Susan Richards - what a great read, especially if you love horses. Speaking of horses, rode "Americana" yesterday. She is half quarter horse, half thoroughbred, Chestnut and WOW can she move! "Americana" had me Cantoring yesterday, OH WHAT FUN! I love to ride her with an English Saddle, she is young and loves to fly me around her indoor riding ring. Her gallop is a little bouncy, but am learning how to direct her using my legs with pressure. I can't even wear my spurs on her, because she just needs a vocal command and off we go! What a pleasure to ride her, she is such a Gentle Giant of a Horse and so, so Beautiful. I feel so privileged to be sitting on her with her mane flying free! A Sweet Piece of Heaven, that is what I whisper in her ear (I think she really likes that name because she nuzzles her large nose into my shoulder) whenever I say that to her. Carrots help to!!

Better get back to sewing, oh and Laundry too!

"too often we under estimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." --Leo Buscaglia

Monday, February 4, 2008

Good Morning and Happy Monday,

Yesterday, during Super Bowl, worked on Mini Blocks 2 and 3 of "Leanne's House". Just did a lot of cutting and today will sew them together. Love how these colors are coming together. Can't wait till I start the stitchery part!!!

Did not watch Super Bowl, except kept peeking in to see commercials!! My favorite was the Draft Horse and the Dog - I always pick the "warm your heart" commercials! Anyway, did enjoy the different commercials.

Got hit with another snow storm last night...took a picture this morning. My deck is slowly disappearing under all this snow! Great weather for all the snowboarders though!

Thought for the day: "Rarely do climbers stare up to see how far away the top still is. Instead, when they rest, the look down toward the starting point of their journey. The view they see assures them that they have already come a long, long way. Today, I will remember to face my climb with optimism". -quoted from a book called "Easy Does It".

Have a Great Day!

Mary