or proof read this last post. I didn't sign it either. Old age is creeping in, not much I can do about that! I will say, as I write I'm thinking of all of you that mean the most to me:
Michael
Mike, Josh, Ben, Dan, Jen
Meg, Jenn, Gayla, Michelle, Mark
Bryson, Ashley, Anna, Nora, Jonny, Jessie, Adia, Riley
Counting my blessings,
Love,
Dianne, Mom, Grams
I can't believe it is almost the end of 2022. It all just feels long. Always a threat of COVID and someone that wants you to worry about it. I'm not much for worrying; it drains me. But there has always been someone to tell me that I should be worried. "Worried" keeps me in. I don't want to be worried. Even now there is someone telling me that COVID is out and about and groups are catching it.
COVID changed the things I was doing. In the beginning I chose to do things differently. I chose to put aside my quilting a little concerned that I might just get bored with it. I want to settle my Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) choices and prepare for my final days. That got done and it was an incredible journey. I'm so glad I did that. It took almost a year to complete, but I wasn't going anywhere any way.
Come 2022 I needed to find something to do. The obvious answer was Quilting, but I just wasn't drawn back to it. I eventually picked up embroidery. My first piece was a pincushion; I've always enjoyed making pin cushions. I chose a pattern that caught my eye. What would we do if we couldn't search the internet! I chose to use a neutral linen and black embroidery floss. This is a Kathy Schmitz pattern from her website; you can search for her online. My pin cushi0n is sitting on Rachel, my 1924 Singer Red Eye. This is a working treadle machine. I learned to sew on an electrified machine just like this back in the 1960s. I was 14 years old. I had been hand stitching for 9 years along with knitting.
My eye also catch Sue Spargo Embroidery and enjoyed that as well. This is one of her patterns that I altered a little, then made it into a pin cushion also. It was a Christmas gift I gave a friend. You can also find Sue Spargo on line.
Sue Spargo pattern.
My next show and tell took almost 30 years to complete. I purchased this pattern in 1985-86. I completed half of the counted cross stitch back then. I put it away carefully back then and pulled it out about 8 years ago so that I would remember that I needed to finish it. I really enjoyed finishing it off. I haven't worked on a counted cross stitch in years.
look up
This is what I'm working on presently. It's a block of the month project that I found in the back of a quilting magazine from a couple of years ago. e years. The robin was the first that I did and the is the second bird I received was . This Bom has 36 different birds over 3 years of which I have completed 8 birds. I started in the spring about a year ago with the goal of 20 birds to make a quilt 72" x 72" or just abit under. My quilt frame is only 8'. As I work I will decide whether or not to make it bigger. I chose to do all of the piecing by hand rather than by machine. It is so relaxing to work on it. I expect I will finish of the quilt top with the machine though.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Joan Ford's Hummingbird-Highway.com
I first saw this quilt in a Better Homes and Gardens quilt publication in 1985; I no long own that book so I cant give you information about it, but it was red work with green sashing, tied with no hand quilting. I can't remember when I started working on it, but it was years later. I had the little top finished for years. My grandson's and his girl friend decided to get a cat, that was when I knew what I would finally do with it. I put it on my frame and the quilt was complete in 2 weeks! She received it for Christmas 2022.
This has been a crazy year! I love quilting, but I found last year (2020), I needed to move away from quilting. I cannot quite explain why, but I just felt if I continued to quilt, a part of me would get lost. I began to work on my End of Life documents. I simply don't want to be left indefinitely on a life support system. It is that simple. I truly enjoyed a Bible Study on this subject. I found it greatly uplifting in a difficult season of lock down. It was freeing to me. That document came together very well. In January of this year, we purchased our burial place. All of this gave me such a sense of freedom. I know this all sounds crazy, but it was a great way to spend 2020. No, I'm not ready to die yet, but death will come one day and I just feel at peace about it. This was an awesome project.
Early this year, 2021, I returned to quilting. I needed something to keep my hands busy. I own an Electric Quilt 8 program. I began to design a scrappy quilt and decided to piece it by hand. I still spend a lot of time in the house and it simply felt like I would be more productive and not just sitting. The inspiration for this quilt was some lessons on Civil War Fabrics by Barbara Brackman. As she taught on fabric, we were suppose to be working on Sawtooth Star blocks with the goal of learning about fabrics while finishing a quilt. I never started, but it seemed like the perfect project. So I began in March sometime. This is my design from EQ8...
I'm so excited to be this far along. It may be a while before I get back to the borders, I have some clothes I need to work on. But I do need to get back to this soon. The first border will be hand pieced, the others will be done by machine. I know that seems like a cop out, but the fact is, this quilt will be machine quilted. I love machine quilting!! And my hands are not as strong as they used to be.
My plan for the next year is to finish up this quilt first, maybe second or third. Then I have a stock pile of quilt tops to be quilted, at least ten. That's my plan for 2022. If I get part of this list accomplished, I think I will actually have really accomplished something!
I did very little quilting this past year. I think I finished three quilts. I made one for Elsie and one for my Pastor and his wife...mostly for Rene. Hmmm...that makes only two. When we first went into COVID-19 mode lockdown, I simply thought I needed something different from Quilting. I spent a lot of time at my desk in Bible Study projects. I got a lot accomplished and felt that I had actually accomplished a lot by doing so.
I was piecing this last quilt as C-19 began to spread. I put it aside and thought in December I needed to finish it for Christmas. I love the way it came out. I feel like I finished off a beautiful quilt. This is a kit from Craftsy.com. I purchased it on sale and put it away for a while. It is called "Paris Texas". For me, I simply loved the large star and the colors of this quilt.
This is quilted with ruler work. The cross hatch is barely visible. In the upper right hand corner you can see the lines in the corner block with cross hatching in it. The outer boarder is done in "piano keys", straight lines.
This is a better view of the lines and cross hatching. I also quilted in the ditch around all the triangles of the star.
I love the sunlight coming through quilts on the line. It was very cold out the day I took these pictures. I wish I had take more so that I had good choices. The back is a floral print, Jacobean style. All the fabrics were feminine in nature, but the quilting was all straight lines for a masculine touch.
This quilt has a cotton/polyester 80/20 blend batting, but I thought it was too thin for our New England cold winters, so I added a layer of flannel to the inside. I have one on my bed that has and extra layer of cotton in it. I love the weight and the warmth.
Still counting my blessings!
d
11.16.20 Forgot to Post This Then
I haven't added any new posts since back in June, I believe. This has been a long year. I know that not a whole lot will change come the new year, so I'm not going to say, "I can hardly wait for January." But January does bring longer days. By about the 10th, the lengthening days become visible. That means Spring is not too far behind. It has been a gloomy fall, although the fall foliage was incredibly brilliant. Michael and I spent a lot of time in the Saab convertible just driving through the countryside enjoying the display.
This is the year of COVID 19. Massachusetts has been under strict restrictions, although we, out here in this north, borderline community, have been able to relax far more than in the cities. We are required to wear masks when we go into stores. Here in Massachusetts, though, they want to make sure we wear masks whenever outside out homes. Winter is coming. The real question is, how much are we going to be outside our homes. Churches are still limited in the numbers that can actually attend. My family is afraid that we are going to catch it, so we won't be seeing them for a while. We've spent a lot of time wearing masks with family because of their activity. We are not celebrating Thanksgiving together and I expect Christmas is off the list as well. I haven't hugged or kissed my family since last March. I don't know when that will happen again. Today a second vaccine was announced, but I have no idea when this will be made available to me. I'm not sure I really care other than touching my family again. I am not given to depression, but I sure am feeling down.
I haven't done much quilting this year. I do have a quilt I'm trying to put on the frame, but my interest level is really down. I've prepared "My Gift to My Circle of Care" documents. This is an end of life plan for an at home, if possible, simple death. This sounds like why I should be depressed, but it is not. This was a practical endeavor while intertwined in the process was this wonderful series of verses on what death is like for a believer. I'm going home to be with the LORD. That works for me, but it isn't yet time to dwell on dying. There is still yet living to do.
I have also spent time in Bible Study. That is the one thing that picks me up. My Father and Savior are so faithful to me, even now. They are my one Hope. I spent time in Romans this summer sure hoping that my pastor would teach this book and he has. I am so grateful. I studied this book out on my own. It is the premier book written on the gospel. The apostle after many years of sharing the gospel wrote a letter to the Roman church of believers. This book is a culmination of all Paul had learned. I wanted Pastor Dave to teach this so that I was sure with confirmation that what I saw was accurate. Yes, I learned it right. I never know when someone will challenge me just because I'm me. But now I know that my study accomplished exactly what Jesus wanted it to accomplish. I know He was the one teaching me, but I wasn't sure I was reading it right although it is how I live. Dave, a pastor for many years has been teaching through this book; I now have full confidence that I have not misunderstood. Thank You, my LORD and Savior!! My Christian walk has not been an easy one in the churches. Who am I that I should know anything. Well, I don't apart from Jesus, but He has been faithful to satisfy my thirst even when no one was willing to hear me out. Thank You LORD Jesus!!
For today, I have to finish preparing my "Circle of Care" documents to that I can mail them out to my proxy as soon as I can. I've got to get her address. So for now, I'm done writing. Hopefully next year will be a little more productive as far as quilting is concerned. I have a lot of equipment and a lot of fabric. I don't even need to buy anything for a while.😊
So, to my beloved family, I miss you all and will all this winter long, but I'm hoping for a very blessed winter for you. Enjoy!
Counting all my blessings, all fifteen of you,
Love, Mom, Dianne, Grams
