Cutting up quarantine!

 Did you see this quilt along from Laundry Basket quilts?  It is so, so pretty!  My friend is going it, and I just had to join in with her.  Please see her quilt in progress here, and please see the free pattern here!  All the patterns are on the right side of the page. 

 So....I am cutting, cutting, cutting!  I cut the next four sets of blocks for this quilt.  I recycled the tray from Mcdonald's pancakes.

 A bunch of blocks for this quilt.

And a whole, whole bunch of bowtie quilt blocks!  There are thirty of each color.


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

Fear is rampant at the hospital, especially among the youngsters (my baby nurses).  I just feel so badly for them; they are just terrified and furious at finding themselves in such a huge emergency situation. The hospital system is allowing no visitors whatsoever, and that is causing much anger and fury among family members, who call and are threatening us on the phone. It is not our policy, guys!! We have two more positives, and over 30 in the hospital, test results pending.  Our test results are now over a week out.  BAD NEWS, because we use PPE on potential negative patients.  Our supplies are dwindling, but hopefully we can get more masks soon.  Several of our staff are out with high fevers, and that is scary.  On we go...we try and stay as positive as we can, but there is no other conversation except about this virus.  It is all there is, right now that gets talked about.

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





Enjoy your day...surreal isn't it???  Stay well dear friends!





Julie

"My" Mary Brown update...which mean Mrs. Lincoln's sampler quilt!

 I am posting my monthly update on my Quilt along, "Mrs. Lincoln's Sampler Quilt".  I guess it is the pink that draws me in, but I really like this one!!

Here is my progress so far.  On we go!  Please see these quilters; they are working on Mary Brown!!! and wow!  The blocks are absolutely amazing!




  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 (Lead)

Cathy – Biglakequilter

Jennie  – Overthehillandrunning

Julie K –  Juliekquilts

Robin –   solsticestudio

Nanette – Doitrightquilter

Jan – Nanette will show her progress on her blog.  

Have a great day, everyone!!

Julie

A couple of finishes

 I have completed the hand quilting on this quilt.  Slow and meditative; it has just been such fun to work on!  It is kind of big stitch quilting, used perle cotton.  Such fun!

 I backed it with this flannel...because that is what I had. I did a couple of things differently with this quilt than my normal routine.

1.  There is no batting.  But, there are three layers, because the strings are pieced on muslin.

2.  I folded the backing to the front and made an old-fashioned self binding.  This is the first time I have used that technique, although my momma did it all the time.

3.  I used flannel for the backing

 Some of the stitches.  I stitched along each string.

 I stitched some wonky hearts in there, too.

 I am very glad I used the color catchers!  They caught a lot of pink, from the backing I presume.

I finished a little coaster for March; green for St Patrick's day.  Hand quilted.






Have a great day!  I am stitching at nights...keeping me calm and focused on fun things.




Julie

A house, for when I am at home!

 I made a little house, to make a little house quilt.  Many people are mandated to stay from work or play at this time of quarantine.  So I made a house, to kind of commemorate the events as they unfold!!!

 I also got the bindings made and attached to these quilt; now for the hand sewing.

 I am continuing to make garden party blocks, too. 

I have used these plastic bags over and over and over again, to put kits together for each garden party block.  They are getting pretty used, but I will continue to use them up until they are shreds. 


I have made a bunch of masks and put them in my locker...so that feels good.  Just in case....

I am sewing at night, and cutting out blocks at night time.  Quiet time for me!






Have a super day!

Julie

A string quilt!

 Rosie is so helpful, in assisting me to arrange these quilt panels.  Thank you, Rosie!

 I had enough strings to complete four panels.  I may have enough to complete one more.  If you imagine those panels to be crooked, they are.  Crooked as a hound dog's hing leg, they are!!!  LOL!  It will all be fine in the end product.

 I have continued of this afghan, in much the same color range, not planning for that,  but close!  The thread is tiny...about half the size of regular yarn.

I have begun to make some masks.  Our hospital is already telling us that we won't have enough, and we are already rationing what we have.  I figure that Something is better than nothing.  These will not filter a virus, but they will stop a blood splash or sputum droplets, and that will save the other kind of masks for caring for sicker patients.  I am making a dozen and putting them in my locker and other's lockers, just for in case.  If they don't get used...hurrah!


*******************Corona Virus at the hospital***********************

We have our first confirmed Corona virus death in our ICU.  More are sequestered in our isolation rooms.  It is taking a very long time to get testing back, and tests are limited. I think they are getting more available, but the labs are having a hard time keeping up.  Staff is nervous, but nurses are coming out of retirement and desk jobs, back to the bedside, to help.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCJcE-r7kcg&fbclid=IwAR1IeDiV9HzatVCosBRwrob9qMh4JO_ylC8gPpcSmnd2Z3Ork-qjaO22ehE


I like this one.  Especially the twist tie...I am using craft wire, so I can fit the mask closely to my nose. 

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




Enjoy your sewing!

Julie

Nocturnal quilting

 I finished this little quilt.  I put it on the wall, although it is just a quilt top.  Hurrah!!!  These are cut off half square triangles from star blocks.  Waste not, want not!

 I have been making Bonnie Hunter's leaders and enders project for this year.  I was just having fun with layouts!  How about this?

 Or this?  Just playing, here!!!

 I received this quilt back from the quilters!!!  I am looking forward to binding it and gifting it!!

 And at long last...at least 10-12 years old...this quilt was received back as well!  Hurrah!!!!Rosie is inspecting it.

This is a pitiful picture, but super fun.  This is a new string quilt!!  My friend Pam, who passed away this last year, long ago gifted me with a bag of scraps and strings.  These are the very last bit of that bag.  It will be a Chinese coin quilt, with a twist! 





Hope you are having a great day today!


Julie

Quilting and Corona

I made this little middle of a quilt in the middle of the night.    It is from cut off 1/2 square triangles.  Now for borders, which I am stuck on, always!!














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









Corona Virus:






It is not my intent to frighten anyone.  This is just my experience of what is happening here, as I am going through my nursing career.







I have worked at the hospital the last three days, 14 hour shifts, and work today too.  I work in the heart hospital, not the emergency room, thank goodness...my heart goes out to those nurses!  and I anticipate not being off work for some weeks to months.   We have one person isolated on our floor for presumptive virus, and nine more scattered through the remainder of reverse isolation rooms, throughout our hospital, as of last night.  The virus is testing positive in all our sister hospitals around the metroplex.    We are working hard, and short.  People are calling in like crazy, especially those nurses who are pregnant and older.  Yet us stalwarts remain running on, through the halls. 




I have never seen anything like this is my 30 plus years of nursing.  We are getting people in droves through the ER, yet have very limited testing capability, as of yet.   I have been waiting 6 days for one test to come back!!!!  We need better testing!





I have nursed people through bubonic plague (seriously!), ESBL, MRSA, VRE, TB, C DIFF, EBOLA  so I have seen some stuff in my career.   Yes it still exists. 





This is going to hit like a tsunami, folks.  Please see Italy as an example.  I hope I am dead wrong, (Please God let me be dead wrong) and that we can flatten out the curve of the huge wave of cases coming our way, but please do your best to be prepared.  The vast majority of people will have a mild illness and recover, but the elderly, immunocompromized in any way, and chronic illness patients need to be extra vigilant, and all the rest of us need to PROTECT this vulnerable population by not spreading it to them.  This is not just about you, but everyone. 


Don't panic.  Be smart, but be cautious.





1.  Isolate as much as possible.  I would avoid crowds, gatherings, etc...please! 




2.  Be clean. If you must go out, wash your hands and use your sanitizer.  Change your clothes and wash them immediately.   I have been changing clothing as SOON as I get home from the hospital, and showering in hot, hot water.




3.  I have been using a nasal decolonization kit for my nose, that kills everything in my nose, as far as bugs I mean! 




4.  Keep healthy.  Eat as well as you can, stay hydrated, take your vitamins.  There is an article that vitamin C does well in helping (not a scientific or nursing article), but hey, it cannot hurt.




5.  Don't travel.  Seriously, don't.  Please stay away from older or vulnerable people who might catch it from you...call, don't go over unless you need to.  Don't take it to them.   Take care of them and their needs, but be careful!




6.  Check your temperature every day.  If you develop a cough, fever or shortness of breath, Call your doctor!  Don't crowd into the emergency just wanting to be tested...you most likely will not be.  Tests are hard to come by and take a long time to get results, and you are exposing yourself when you come to the ER. If you are really quite ill, please come to the ER, but be judicious. 


7.  Please don't come to the hospital and visit patients.  We are strictly limiting all visitors now at our hospital  We have nurses and guards at all entrances, screening all people who step on our floor.  Call or text...they know you love them. This is not just for you, but to not spread this stuff all over creation.


8.  If you do wear a mask, take it off, pulling away from you, and immediately wash your hands!  It does no good if you wear a mask, then pull it off, put  it in your pocket and don't wash. 


9.  We are cancelling all nonemergency surgeries.


10.  Take this seriously.  This is not just like the flu. It is hyped by the press for sure, but still,  Don't poo-poo this, please.  This is not to make anyone scared, but if I can save a life by this little information, I  will be happy.   It could be very mild, but if you are vulnerable, it can kill you.


11..Be conservative about supplies.  Don't be a hoarder, though, please...our grocery looks like a war zone as of yesterday.








Sorry folks, I am a nurse, so this is a huge part of my life. A quilter too...wish I were doing that right now!








I would love to hear from medical/nursing people if you have some experiences to share.






Just a few things I am thinking about...be safe and well.  Hugs to all,








Julie

And a little more progress

I got this trimmed and added borders to this little quilt.  The original 1930's block is quilt fragile, to I will be glad when quilting and backing will protect this a little.  Interesting to think that these original fabrics in the star are 80 years old!  I am linking to Kathy, here and to Cynthia, here!

Please click on the links and go see that everyone is up to!!!

Have a super day, 

Julie

A little progress

In the middle of the night, I put the rick-rack around this vintage block.  It kind of makes it a bit modern, I think, not that rick-rack is modern.  I will hand quilt this one.

 I made four of these blocks, too.

 Here are all the rest of the blocks for that quilt, and the cut out ones as well.  I am ready to make some real headway on this quilt, already, LOL!

I truly love this book!  I borrowed from the guild library, but it is so good, I think I will purchase a copy for me.  Such a variety of fun quilts!!!





Have a great day, everyone!!!


Julie

Exciting news...the very best news!!

 I was going through quilts to donate to patients, and came across this one.  It was a mystery quilt, made over 20 years ago, through my local quilt shop...which the shop no longer exists.  Isn't it funny how I had no idea how to construct this quilt, and picked such odd colors?  I think I just picked three fabrics and away I went!!  I like the quilt much better in the picture, rather than in real life!!

 A close up of the fabrics. A blue, a tone on tone brownish color, and a red/maroon Christmas fabric.  I don't think I will inflict this quilt on any poor patient, LOL!!

 So I am caught up on Blockheads 3, a free quilt along from Moda, and with fun blocks from lots of designers.  You can find all the blocks  HERE!
https://bearcreekquiltingcompany.com/moda-blockheads-iii-2020/

I had a tie ( the ruler fabric), from a bunch of strings I was gifted.  I dug it out, and made two pincushions from it.  Using it all up, folks!!!


I am such a product of the depression.  I did not live it, but my parents did, and they taught me "waste not, want not"...and I learned it well.  I often used things until they are just worn out!!  I feel that it is a good thing, in this throw away society in which we live.






**************************Are you ready for the news?  THE HUGE NEWS??********



I AM A GRANDMOTHER!  After many years of trying, my son and daughter in law have welcomed their baby boy into this world!!  Lara is totally the BOSS!!!  She labored 38 hours with this baby...38 HOURS!!  My son was with her all the way, every moment.  They are truly the perfect couple, and I am so grateful for them, and they have had many fun adventures and trips through the years, but now!  This is the biggest adventure of their lives.  We all adore our darling baby boy!




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


I have really been a nervous wreck about the pregnancy, so please forgive me for not posting when I should on our group projects...I will get back to it.  Just enjoying these precious moments while I can!!




Please go see these blogs to see how these quilters are progressing!!


  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 (Lead)

Cathy – Biglakequilter

Jennie  – Overthehillandrunning

Julie K –  Juliekquilts

Robin –   solsticestudio

Nanette – Doitrightquilter

Jan – Nanette will show her progress on her blog.  

Julie












Have a great day, all!!!



Julie