Slow stitchin' football Sunday!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!  I have been slowly stitching on this little quilt, through the last couple of weeks. I improvised and using scraps of everything in the scrap box, made this quilt.  Flowers reaching for the sun!!  So now the thing is to quilt it.  There is a log jam, folks, in that department at my house...I have lots of quilts in the to-be-quilted phase...do you?

I am linking to Kathy's blog...go and check out all the slow stitching going on!  HERE!!


Have a fun football Sunday!!

Julie

Not at work today

 Reaching for the sun...don't you think that these flowers look like they are reaching for the sun? These flowers still need their leaves, and the applique on the flowers needs to be finished too.  But I am enjoying these bright colors, and have no idea about the border, as usual.  Borders stop me in my tracks!!

My friend Lori, of Humble quilts, is having a quilt along.  I cut out all the pieces and parts, and will work on this when I have a moment. The plaidish brown remnant will be sashing strips, eventually.  The quilt is called Midwinter Blues, and you can see all about making it right HERE!!  Come on, join in!!  It is a fun and fast doll quilt to chase all those winter blues away!



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

Warning!!  Not upbeat, but truthful!!  So skip this if quilting content is all you need today!!



I had one of the roughest days yesterday of my nursing career.  Physically hard, 'cause my feet are just killing me from running/walking, but emotionally hard too.  I taught, and taught, and taught, and instructed the patient and his family for two hours, and what did the patient do?  Just as soon as he got home, he did exactly what I had just finished teaching him not to do per the physician's instructions, and bled all over the place.  Back he came to the hospital, angry with me of course...sigh....some days are just not worth getting dressed up in scrubs for work!!!  He was fine, I was distraught, and just tired...so tired....



Sorry, sometimes it just gets to me.  I just need to get this out, so bear with me!!


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Anyhow, it is all good today, because I am home, and playing in the fabric, and have a big pot of hot chicken soup with noodles cooking!  Smells good around here!!


Julie

Quilt along complete!

 I added a border that completed the little star/square blocks...so I am done!!  I will add a colorful binding after it is quilted, and call it good.

I had to use two different cream colors in the border, because I ran out of the first print.  That is what makes it fun, is to just use what you have and not worry about it so much...I call it a design element, LOL!!


Thank you so much, Terry of Terry Treasures,  for your very fun quilt along!!  I used almost a whole box of two inch squares, all scraps, in this quilt, and so that is a good thing.  I really do use all my scraps, every one, saved and gifted to me...and love them all so much!!


So now what?  I would really like to finish my flowers and nine patch quilt, but cannot sit still long enough to work on the applique flower blocks.  So I guess I will end up piecing today, something...probably a UFO already cut out.  I have plenty of those!!  Do you???


Have a great day!

Julie

Progress on the quilt along

I worked all weekend...and I mean WORKED!!!  It was super busy at the hospital, and not only did we have lots of patients, they were super sick too.  I am glad for the hours, though, but not glad for the people being sick.  Such nice patients too!!!

Above is my quilt along from last post...the center is together!!  And the two inch strips and squares bin really should be empty...but has a few stragglers in there still...I know they will be multiplying like rabbits!  I do try to cut all my little pieces from quilting projects into usable sizes to feed the bins.

Hey...I think all my scrap quilt look somewhat alike.  Same fabrics, lots of variety, but same, same...

I am thinking I need to use more batics, or pastels, or something...any thoughts or words of wisdom??? Maybe I need to go SHOPPING!!!  snort!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great night, everyone!!!

Julie

Quilt along!!

 Good Monday morning!!!  I woke up raring to go...piecing, here I come!!  Terry, a very wonderful and sweet blog friend, is having a quilt along.  I had this quilt cut out for, ahem, some YEARS...so it was a natural thing that I quilt along and finish this UFO!!  My pieces are a little smaller, as I am using 2 inch squares to clean out the bin.  So anything goes!!  Even a little 1/2 square triangle wiggled it's way in there.  Please see her quilt along here!!  We are just starting, so you could join right in!!  Her quilt is called Good Night Irene, and I am linking to her blog.

 Rosie is seeing what she thinks of the quilt...actually, she was on top of the quilt pieces, napping, so I had to nudge her aside to get this picture of my design floor.

Everyone needs a little Valentine...right?  This was a 15 minute quilt top...fused hearts, and the border was already sewn together in a strip.  It will be fun to hand quilt in quiet moments...whenever those come, LOL!!

Many hugs to all, and happy Monday!!

Julie

Sloooooow Stitchin' Sunday!!

 Happy Sunday!!  Yesterday I had the opportunity to stitch for a couple hours with the DFW gang; a fun group of quilters in the DFW area.  I hand quilted this.

And another view...crooked of course!!  This is Bonnie Hunters pattern, in her free patterns section...of course a string pattern!!  I used some of the littlest pieces up.  Love this so much...it just makes me happy.

A lady recently told me, "I don't use "junk" to make my quilts...I buy all new fabric for each and every quilt, and throw away my leftovers!!  All this while looking at one of my scrappy quilts...so at first I was sort of put out by her statement...but then I thought, You know?  That is what makes all quilts, made by so many makers, lovely and unique.  So more power to you, dear lady!!  This "junk" just makes me smile!!  I think maybe she had not a lot of fabrics to work with when she was younger, so maybe now, she just buys everything new. So the put out feeling that I had just melted away and I was glad that she has her opinion and I am glad I get to have mine too, LOL!!


*****************************Nurse's notes  (warning, sad!)**************************

We recently had a patient in the hospital for over a month.  First cardiac surgery...then lung failure, then kidney failure, then liver failure, then ischemic bowel, then infections...poor guy!!  The only thing that did not fail is his brain!!  He was alert and oriented through it all. Really that is a bit strange...most patients fall into coma or just a far off place.  Always a attempted smile, always his best effort for everything we asked of him.

His family member drove over 1000 miles through the great ice and snow storm of this January to be with the patient...to quietly sit with him, to support him, to just be near. Afraid to sleep, just in case his Uncle needed something.  Stayed night and day...until the sweet patient slipped from this world to the next.  He is a true hero to me; this quiet, unassuming young man, whose patience and love was just shiny bright for all to see.


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ON my walk today, the birds suddenly quit chirping and singing...I saw a shadow overhead, and low and behold, a big hawk landed in the tree right in front of me!  I did get a picture...I will have to show you when I get it uploaded!!  An awesome big bird...who did not get any breakfast just then, 'cause all the little birdies skedaddled!!



Have a great day, all!!!

Julie

More applique flowers

 Wow, two posts today!!  I have 27 flower blocks appliqued so far...

I think maybe that little blue one is my favorite!!!

Off to clean the kitchen...


Julie