An amazing quilt to share!

 I am in love with this pretty quilt!  It has been a work of art by my friend Binsa; she blogs here.  Just see what she has been up to!!!  

https://cobblestonebridgequiltsnthings.blogspot.com/

Julie

Caps for Caregivers update

 I continue to make nurse's caps, along the way.  Thank you to all who have contributed nursing caps and hair covers for the nurses!  In this season of Covid infection, our physicians have strongly recommended that we cover our hair.  To date:   we, collectively,  have made 319 caps!  All have been given away to nurses, techs, lab techs, radiology personnel, doctors and housekeepers all over our hospital.  You cannot know the smiles and appreciation they express, but please know, your efforts have been amazing and made such a positive impact! They love your caps!

THANK YOU!!!  To everyone who has contributed from their heart and hands.  I cannot tell you how much this has helped us!

Julie

Crumb quilts

It is fun to make something, out of practically nothing.  All these little pieces were salvaged from impending garbage!  This is an older quilt I made, and alas, I did not put a label on it.  I do have a record of it the blog, so I will find that date and put a label on it!!

Blanket stitch applique...great fun!

This is my latest quilt, made from crumbs

The above quilt has a label!!  Hahaha...it is also a crumb quilt, but in a more formal setting. 

I just love those little scraps!  do you????

 I have been meal prepping.  The cafeteria at work is a sea of processed, overly salted and yucky fat food. I am just going to not go there, and take my own meals, instead.  A bit of chicken and some vegies will be just fine, thank you!  The veggies look kind of sad, but they taste good.  

**********************Talk with the cardiologist*******************

There is a very slim and trim cardiologist (66 years old) at work, who just happens to be my husband's doctor.  I had a moment to speak to him about what he eats. He shared that he was quite overweight in medical school, and said that he just would never do that again!   He has oatmeal for breakfast, lean chicken and vegies for lunch from home, and then a lean protein, vegies, and fruit for dessert at dinner.   I shared with him that I would like to lose a bit of weight, and he fixed me with those eyes and said, "Well, what are you doing about it?  What are you waiting for?" Well that kind of opened my eyes a bit!  

He is so right.  It is a personal responsibility, mine alone!   He said it is better to set a small goal, like to lose 5 pounds, than to try and lose 15 all at once.  Make the goal measurable and time limited.  Be accountable...no magical thinking of "OH, I deserve this sugary treat...I am tired, need some junk food."  NO!  That dopamine rush you get from sugar is so temporary, you know?  And then you are hungrier than in the first place, and more tired, due to the insulin release from all the sugar!  What we really deserve is health, feeling better, and more energy!

So, my goal is to lose 5 pounds by the end of November.  Strategies are adjusting my diet, cutting stress when I can, and maintain my activity level...I truly run around like crazy already!  So it is the diet, for sure.  It is hard at the hospital, because people are always bringing candy and cookies and cake, etc, for the nurses!  I love all of that stuff, so much so that I keep it forever on my tummy and hips.  Hahaha!  

I am not a huge person, but really, a stimulating thought is...if not now, when?  When I am 95 years old?  NOW is the answer!!!  

I see some very, very large, very young ladies in the hospital, with medical problems associated with it.  a 46 year old lady, yesterday, 400 pounds, with diabetes, heart disease, vascular insufficiency in her legs...the nicest lady in the world, and just desperate to regain her health. Like me, she loves sugary goodies.   We became good friends, and have talked a lot about our goals!

I think it starts with each individual person...and I am talking about ME!  So...that is my goal.  Keep me accountable, would you? Want to do it too???  

Just some musing from my mind this morning; self talk for me.

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Have a lovely day!

Julie

Northwest x Southwest!!

 

A finish!  Annie, my friend, has finished her quilt!!!  I very much love the diagonal movement she achieved, with her fabric choices. If you zoom in to the center of the blocks, you can see the Llama fabric that inspired the quilt.   Yahoo!  This quilt will be a gift to someone in need. Annie's blocks are 8 inches,  finished, and my blocks are 12 inches,  finished. 

Here is the center of my version.  I did not achieved the same diagonal movement, so I experimented with sashing.  It is OK to make something different, together, you know???

So here I am!!  The grass is very green right now, liking the cooler fall temperatures.  The flowers are putting on their best autumnal show.  The temperatures are more moderate, and we received a lovely thunderstorm and rain today.  Love it!!

I chose a red inner border...and now I must go and purchase an outer border fabric.  Poor me, having to shop for fabric.  Maybe I will order online instead??

******************************Nurse's Notes*************************

We are hovering right around 20-30 positive covid cases at any one time in our hospital.  So on we go...I hope for an effective, widely used vaccine soon. One man on our floor is suspected to have acquired it in the hospital.   Wonder if I will have to wear a mask for the rest of my nursing career?  Two more physicians are ill this week.  

We have a 104 year old man on our floor.  He is very frightened and totally confused.  He kicked my co-worker in the tummy, and was surprising strong.  I tried to reason with him, but he bit me...poor man.  No harm done, just a bruise...no broken skin.  He has good teeth, I must say!  He lives at home with his daughter, who just dropped him and left, saying she just could not do it anymore...she is 85 years old, and quite ill herself.  So here we are...now what?  We have a constant sitter with him, for his safety and care.

Lots of drama in the hospital this week...hope we get back to regularly scheduled programming soon!!

******************************************************************

Julie

Pineapple blossom quilt! A Bonnie pattern!

Bonnie Hunter's Pineapple Blossom pattern is a lovely one that goes together quickly!  This has been my insomnia quilt for a few days now, LOL! I made 30, 9 inch blocks...this will be a great size for a hospital bed or wheelchair.   Please see the link here:

https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/pineapple-blossom.html

Bonnie is kind enough to provide many free patterns for all.  Thank you, Bonnie!  

Yesterday was almost a normal day...I mean pre-covid!  I just could not stand it a minute more, and went out and went to the library, which was open!  They had me mask, wash my hands with antibiotic wipes before entering, and there was only self check out...but I got to go!  I only saw 5 people in the library.  I got scrappy quilt books, civil war quilt books, and some modern ones, just for my perusal fun!

Is the library open where you are?  We are having a bit of a surge of Corona virus here in Texas.

 A blurry picture of some violas...some of my favorite flowers!  I think all flowers are my favorite...I just think they are jewels!

Julie

Slow stitching day, and fast stitching too!

My darling friend Lyn, sent me a whole quilt, already cut out, in the designer's original fabrics!!  OH wow...wow!!!  I have been savoring these...scarcely daring to make the blocks!  Just enjoying each block.  Here are today's blocks, 16 of them.  I love them!  

Rosie loves them too!  Isn't that the best thing to do...a gift of time?  It really is!

More hand applique going on for this block...it was great fun!! Of course I need to trim and finish the block. So glad it is supposed to be a primitive quilt, LOL!

Among the leaves drifting down from our oak trees, are zillions of acorns, but these little flowers are there too.  I just love them...no larger than a dime, but a carpet of them.  So pretty!

The grocery store had some flowers that somehow jumped into my basket. Strange how that happened...anything like that happen to you?  Haha!  The pumpkins are from the farmer's market in town.  

I did this!  There was good social distancing, people were respectful and kind, and everyone wore their masks. I spied a mask that I had made, for the community! That really made my day.  Voting only took ten minutes.

Hugs and have a great day, each of you!

Julie K
 

Scraps have feelings too! LOL!

You can see that the leaves are starting to fall.  I will be raking and raking very soon.  In the mean time, this quilt demanded to be photographed and given due credit, for going from the pretzel bin/crumb storage, to this quilt!  It was lots of fun for me to just choose another piece, sew it on, trim off the edges, then use the little pieces trimmed off to repeat the process.  So there you go! A whole quilt top straight from the crumb bin!  By the way?  If you want some crumbs to add to your quilting endeavors, don't hesitate to speak up!

Please see the Crazy Mom Quilts blog, here...she has a quilt along for a crumb quilt (my mom's word for this scrap quilt.), but Amanda Jean calls it the "Scrap Vortex!"    Just super fun sewing and not a lot of stressing!!

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/06/scrap-vortex-qal-week-one.html

The fall time zinnias, intertwined now with the tomatoes,  are growing and growing!  I think they enjoy the cooler weather.

 My poor tomatoes are just about gone, yet these little babies are still trying to produce.  I found a tomato horn worm yesterday that could have swallowed Dallas, it was so big, yesterday!  Not really...but it was all of 3 inches long and FAT!!

Hope you are having a lovely day!

Julie

Farmhouse Sampler update

Karen, of Log Cabin Quilts, and I are sewing this quilt!!  All applique and then a pieced border.  It is great fun!! We are posting on the 15th of each month.   I have a day off today, so will work on the applique of my block.

 Here is where I am...I have the other six skinny leaves cut out, just not ready to applique down.  

Please see Karen's blog here:  She is an expert!!  Karen has lots of applique inspiration for all of us!

https://karen-logcabinquilter.blogspot.com/2020/10/farm-house-sampler-gathering-garden.html

I hope each of you has an amazing day today!

Julie

Call of the wild! (scraps...wild scraps, that is!)

 

I have been working on this quilt, Northwest x Southwest, Annie's brainchild!!  It is fast going now...and will be off to the quilter's home very soon.  

That crumb bin!  Do you have one?  I have just been drawn to mine lately!  Here is where I am now, in my progress...just sewing, sewing sewing.  The colors are so much brighter than the picture portrays.  FUN!!!

These are the cantaloupe plants  that were transplanted by the raccoons outside the fence. They have blooms!!  How fun is that!!??

OK...now I just HAVE  to vacuum and mop!

Julie

Slow stitching and hand quilting

Good morning, everyone!!  I have had a recent opportunity to indulge in hand quilting and hand binding...this quilt is now bound, and ready for giving!!!  

I think this is right size for a hospital bed, so it will be a patient quilt, for one of those thoracic surgery/cancer patients we see so much of on my floor. These patients come for tumor removal, usually lung cancer, then go on for chemo.  Smaller quilts make good chemo quilts.  

I finished the border quilting through each string, so I could bind this quilt.  I found a scrap in the scrap bin that was a great binding for this quilt!!!

I finished the hand quilting on this little one...word to the wise for me is to NOT USE that very puffy poly batting any  more!  It is just  very, very puffy.  VERY.   very.  Haha!!  Just trying to use things up, but this was difficult to sew through and is yucky.

I am binding this quilt, and hand quilting is ongoing.

 Making progress on Northwest x Southwest!!!  

Have a great day, each of you...I am linking to Kathy, HERE.  Did you know she is a social worker and does so much good for people, every single day, as well as being a lovely, skilled quilter?

Julie

Northwest by Southwest quilt progress

 Well, I am playing with these sashings, and here is where I am.  I will dream on this a bit tonight and see where to go!!  I often do this when it comes to quilts...head off in my own direction, like a wandering brook out of it's banks.

Have a great night! Where are you wandering these days??

Julie

Nurse's Notes: A tale!

 So here I go:

The scene:  Driving 70 MPH east on I-20!

It was late in the evening, and we were just concentrating on getting home, having been out for a bit.  Lots of big trucks and semis were all around, hauling their loads.  In front of us, in the left lane,  was a little car, a gray Nissan, passing around the big trucks going down the road in the right lane.  We were just following after this car.  All of the sudden, the driver  hit some loose gravel on the left side of the highway.  I-20 is a huge highway, and traffic is thick and very fast.  The back tires of the little car starting squirreling back and forth, and the driver overcorrected several times, going back and forth wildly, ending up going off the road at full speed, backwards and sideways!!  Very narrowly avoided the semi being passed!  This happened incredibly fast, as we watched in absolute horror.   The little car slammed full speed into the steep ditch between the east bound and west bound lanes of traffic, coming to rest facing the opposite way of traffic.  

We were right behind the car, and slammed on our brakes, trying desperately to avoid the inevitable accident.   We slowed, moved immediately to the right side of the road and stopped, and I barreled out of our vehicle, sprinting back to the car about 1/4 of a mile.  It was terrifying, the big trucks whistling by me at 70-80 MPH, and me needing to cross all the lanes of traffic to see if the driver was injured or alive, or what!  I got across safely, and a UPS driver also stopped, having witnessed the wreck as well.  He called 911, as I ran to the driver.  I was a bit afraid of snakes, being the cool of the evening, and me running along the grass in the median, and the rattlers and other snakes out and about ( I am glad I did not encounter one of these).  It was a weird thought, that while I was running, I thought to myself "don't step on a snake, silly girl!" 

I got to the car, expecting the absolute worst, thinking probably trauma and CPR needed, and a lady, was hanging out of the window...not injured!  Now here is where the miracle comes in.  She slammed into the fence between the east and west bound lanes, and was heading right toward the west bound traffic full of semis...and the fence, made out of small posts and three strands of cable, caught her. Full speed, and this little fence caught her!  In fact, she was pinned in the car, because somehow, a miracle had happened.  One cable was on the right side of her car  at the door, and another cable of the fence was on the left side of her car, at the door.  Stretched about as tight as anything I have ever seen...an embrace. The only thing that saved her car from barreling backwards and sideways into the oncoming truck traffic was this little fence.  It was like an embrace, seriously...I touched the cable, and it was a taut as could possible be. The little four foot fence posts held...the cable stood strong on either side of her car, cradling her.  This was a miracle.  I have no idea how the little 1/2 inch cable came to be protecting her on both sides of her car, but really I do...I know she was being protected, somehow.  She said she knew she was going to die and just prayed...and a miracle happened.  

Her care was absolutely battered, and I am sure a total loss.  Tires turned sideways and just awful looking.

No injuries to speak of...seatbelt pain, and a scrap on her left arm.  NOTHING else. She was calling her son when I sprinted up.  Turns out she is a certified nursing assistant in a nursing home, 60 years old...M. S. are her initials.  She had been called into work, where she worked. 

I waited with her until the ambulance and police came, and she had a good cry, and I cried too because no one cries alone in my presence,  and she wanted me to lift her out the window of the little car, but we waited until the ambulance came, so they could assess for any other spinal or neck injuries...there were NONE!  The UPS guy was stellar...he came too, just to try and help.

I am having a little bit of PTSD from this, honestly...grateful that she is OK, sad that it happened, and just a hard time.  I am glad I don't work in trauma nursing...I just could not take it!!!

So that is my tale, and I feel better for the writing of it!

Every moment is a gift, you know? One moment she was passing a truck, the next she was in an awful life-threatening wreck. I have really no idea how a full speed wreck happened with no injuries whatsoever, but I am going to enjoy my moments as gifts to me,  and I hope you do too!!!

Thanks for listening, 

Julie

End of the month applique, and my mini of the month!

I am absolutely loving sewing along with Cathy, focusing on this quilt!  The quilt is called Mrs. Lincoln's Sampler quilt, and can be found HERE.

This is my applique block for the quilt.  I am focusing on making smooth curves and small stitches.  I love the hand applique process!!!

Please see the below quilters...many are making a much more arduous quilt, (Mary Brown) and it is  lots of fun to see their progress!  

 The following quilters are participating.  We will be showing completed blocks on the 30th of each month!  Take the time to visit them to see their completed monthly blocks!

Karen – Log Cabin Quilter

Cathy – Biglakequilter

Jennie  – Overthehillandrunning

Julie K –  Juliekquilts

Robin –   solsticestudio

Nanette – Doitrightquilter

Jan – Nanette will show her progress on her blog.  \\

So here is my mini quilt of the month.  I had these leftover pieces, and just sewed this quilt right up!  Very fun....it is machine quilted.  Hand sewn binding, though.  Please see Wendy's blog, our fearless mini quilt leader!  HERE

 I made this little table runner 18 years ago, or so, and the sunflowers here are waving in the wind, being late summer/fall, so I put this runner out on the dining room table.  The quilt shop I bought the kit from is now closed, which makes me quite sad.  How are the shops in your area faring?  Any closures...or openings???

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Nurse's Notes%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Wow!  It has been busier lately.  In a good, non covid way!  Hearts, hearts, hearts!  In our hospital, yesterday, we had 31 covid patients and 4 persons of interest.  (we get stats in email every day)  Much better than previously in the year.  On our floor, we have had lots of heart patients.  My current patient is a very tall man...almost 80 years old...but he drives a PORSCHE!  Haha...he has had it for 35 years.  He had two heart surgeries in 24 hours, and was on the ventilator for 5 days, and is the nicest man, ever. Soft spoken and so nice.  No visitors, all by himself in this world.  Just so kind...I always like to ask what people do for a living, and turns out he has an MBA and another Master's degree in economics.  He is in charge of e-commerce for a large company, and his business is exploding, with the covid pandemic!!

Yesterday, we had a code blue (heart and breathing stopped). We went running to the room, when we heard that insistent, loud cannot mistake it bell! It went like clockwork...CPR started immediately, me on the IV meds, another doing compressions, a time keeper, a team lead, a respiratory therapist who intubated right away.  After 6 minutes, we got him back.  The poor little nurse(a travel nurse, and this was only her second day in our hospital!!) who had him was absolutely overwhelmed...bless her.  So I just quietly took over her other patient and did all the necessary stuff...at the end of the shift, she circled back around to her patient and it was all done, meds given, pt. fluffed and puffed and loved on, and all the charting done!. HURRAH!  We are all "sisters of the cloth", I mean the scrubs...I loved the team work and the busy-ness and the success and being able to help her.  We all have our own "sisters" we look after...even if we don't know them, you know?  She was startled that I jumped in and did her work, but that is how we are, quilters....nurses....people....we help!!!!!!!  She will now pass this on someday, doing the same for another nursing sister.  That is what makes the dream work, TEAM work!!  It was very busy, but very rewarding, too.  

*********************************************************************

Discipline, or the hard slog.  You know that point where you say....wow! I am sewing and sewing and sewing and just seems to take forever in the middle of a quilt, and you see a new quilt, and you say "WOW!"  I love it!!!  I want to start that!  Discipline is keeping to the task at hand...keeping the end in mind, during the hard slog.  

This applies to so many things!  I see our nurses at work who start a diet or exercise program, and in a couple days, stop...because of the hard slog!!  Keeping in sight of the goal is so important in the slog, in the middle.  Just musing here....something for me to work on and be cognizant of.  

**********************************************************************

And another thing.  The debate last night was awful, to me.  Why can we not be kind to one another, even if disagreement?  They did not shake hands at first (maybe covid) I just don't get politics, much...I thought it was kind of awful!  30 years ago, people did not treat each other this way...where is the decorum and respect?  yuck!  Any thoughts??  Either side of the aisle!

*****************************************************

And one more thing...but I forgot what it was, and this is going on so long now!!  Have a lovely, wonderful day, each of you...you are a blessing to me!

OH yes...here it is. I HAVE AN INSTANT POT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  A GIFT!!!  I AM DELIGHTED...so please, what is your favorite recipe or go to thing you do with it??

Thank you!

Whoopsie!

Wheww!  It has been a barn burner at work...the last two days, I have been a telemetry nurse.  Floated from my normal unit, which is CVICU.  Each day, I have had 5-6 patients.  Just a lot of work, but fun in it's own way.  Lots of steps!!  I met some very nice patients.   The previous day, my patient was terminally weaned from the vent.  So....it is time for some quilting fun!

Above is my Northwest by Southwest quilt.  I am playing with making some sashings, instead of the blocks side by side.  My quilt does not have the movement that Annie's does...the jury is still out.  Just over-thinking things, I think!!

I have been sewing random crumbs together!  Crumbs...the smallest pieces of fabric.  I have a pretzel tin of these crumb of fabric, saved...and thought I would not use them, but then...why  not?  So I started just sewing one piece to another, then those pieces to other pieces....and here we are.  My mom used to make quilts like this one, tied quilts,  out of the "grumpsies" (leftovers).  Have you ever heard that word used before?  It is probably colloquial and probably archaic too!  We needed quilts for warmth in Colorado, (no heat), and quilts were utilitarian and useful things, so were finished as soon as possible and put into use!!

Here is the whoopsie!  I needed a ten inch block, so blithely cut out and sewed together this eight inch one!  Hahaha!  I am glad to have enough of the fabric scraps to make the right sized block!  Is that called fuzzy math???

I have made soup!  Vegetable soup...and froze a lot of it, so I can take it to work with me at the hospital.  Much more healthy than the hospital cafeteria (the covid cafe!)  That is what the nurses call our cafeteria...are we not ornery??

 Another kind of soup...zuppa tuscana, a sausage soup.  Mostly vegetable, just a wee bit of sausage for flavor.  It was good!  (past tense)

Hope this finds everyone well and having a lovely day!  Laundry, dishes, straightening up, changing linens...on we go!

Julie

Scraps!

 A string quilt is in the works!  I have so many things going on...but these blocks are easy and fun to concentrate on.  They are already layered with batting and backing, so I will just sew them together and have a quilt, when I have enough blocks!  I sorted through the scrap bins ( which is mostly what I have, LOL!) and found more blue strings. The yellow is just for fun! Hurrah!!

Linking to Cynthia, HERE:

http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/2020/09/oh-scrap-bit-by-bit.html

Julie

Slow stitching...and fast stitching!!

 

Good morning!  I have been working the past three days, so I am glad for a catch up day for laundry, cooking, resting a bit, and cleaning.  AND QUILTING!!!

Above are my latest blocks from Lyn, my dear friend.  These are all going into the California quilt, by Laundry Basket quilts. It was a mystery quilt from this year.  All the quilt pieces were cut out by Lyn, and I am savoring sewing these blocks so much!! 

https://www.laundrybasketquilts.com/blog/mystery-quilt-2020-final/

 

I finished all the blocks for the donation quilt, with Annie!  She has her whole quilt done, done, done!  I am thinking of modifying this just a little bit...my diagonals don't show up too well, close up, due to my fabric choices...I am thinking, thinking!  Watch out world, LOL!  She is thinking again!  When mine is done, I will picture both quilts together...so fun!

These little blocks have been lots of fun for years.  I play with them, make some more stars (4 inches finished, just perfect for using 2.5 inch square centers and using eight 1.5 inch squares.  I have used them in lots of projects!!  Just great fun to make them and play with them, in all kinds of ideas.  

My slow stitching for the day is the binding on this quilt.  I get it out to bind, them something or someone else calls for immediate action.  Today is the day!!  It was made at least 8 years ago.

Strings are so much fun!  I layered a backing fabric, a batting scrap, and then sewed the strings on top.  Using up those little pieces...I love strings just tons, as you probably have guessed over the years!!

************************Nurse's notes*************************

I had a lovely couple as my patients, this last week! From Amarillo, they are farmers, farming 3000 acres of dry land farming.  They grow sorghum and wheat.  Anyway, she was very tired...more tired...just too tired! (her only symptoms) Turns out she had heart valve problems, and traveled the 6 hours to us, to get her heart surgery.  Tricuspid and mitral valves were both repaired!  HURRAH!  She is such a darling beautiful girl...he is such a big strapping Marlboro man type guy, wearing his Stetson and boots all the time.  I just loved caring for them!!!  I called her the Prairie Princess!!

In other nursing news, I stupidly fell totally backwards yesterday, trying to sit down on a rolling stool in my patient room.   I was in a hurry, and flung myself backward, and the stool flew backward and hit the rolling table, which also fell, and I fell hard backwards, hitting a lot of very tender parts of me!  So  loud and crazy, all the staff and docs on the floor came running in the room....oh Lordie.  

I am fine...tender, but fine.  Bruised! So that was my very graceful nursing story of the day...so glad the patient was sedated on the ventilator!!  Just call me Grace...

**********************************************************************

Julie