Rocky Road to Kansas

This has been in process for a while - I can't remember how I made the string-piece units - probably on phone book pages, then trimmed to correct size using a template.  During my renovations, and moving a lot of books, giving away stuff, replacing stuff and books, I dusted off Eleanor Burns quilt books, and perhaps used part of her wonderful methods.  This RRtoK was machine quilted on a Janome MC6500 that almost always works wonderfully.  My favorite thread is silk-finish cotton Metler.  I wanted to practice my ruler work .  One more thing - no one ever talks about the Pressure foot and this time I adjusted it a lot until a good "sweet spot"  was found when quilting backward using the ruler, previously a bug-a-boo.  

Size is approx. 65" x 78".

NQR - Finally, it appears my roofing job may start soon.  This is some of the hardware,  and the shingles arrived a few minutes ago.  It's been 11 years since our last new roof - also replaced after a July hailstorm.  We don't get much rain here in western Nebraska, but frequently rain is accompanied by damaging hail.  I document life-happenings via this blog.  

Log Cabin, on point, QOV?

 The second border brought this Log Cabin up to 65" x 75", a better size if I decide to donate it to QOV.  I think it's a little uhhhh "fussy" for a guy, and female QOV recipients are scarce.  I'm not even sure I want to donate it  - I'm liking it a lot!  So, what do you think??  Too "fussy" for a guy?

Log Cabin, on Point

 

Between  questions, investigating, not knowing how, getting a new roof due to hail damage, hiring tree trimmers, home insurance complications, health insurance, Air Link  (helicopter)  flight insurance, new heart-healthy diet, replacing a TV that was needed to help me "rest", redoing the studio to make it more usable, cardio P.T., and the usual home maintenance, I've been infrequently working on this Patriotic Log Cabin.  For whatever reason, I kept getting mixed up with "which row?" kind of slip-ups but today it's in order.   Sometimes, when making a row on point, the blocks don't appear to be in the right order until you lay it back out, and my eternal "too many jobs" got in the way of a calm approach.  But it's almost together, and I'll finish it at next All Day Sew.   For now, it's 56 " x 56".  May add a plain border.  I still need simple corners.  Yeaaaaaaaaa  !!!!!!!!!!!  

Recovery from my "event" is going along fine, and I'm dropping some needed weight on my new diet of "no fat, no sugar, no salt" and finding many suitable and tasty substitutes.  Mostly I'm not very hungry, totally unlike my previous self.   Cardio P.T is informative and an important factor for recovery.  My many years of exercising at the Wellness Center was for flexability and building body muscle but not heart muscle.  hmmm - be aware those are different.  I'm still learning.  

New floor DONE, a finished Quarter Log Cabin Quilt, Air Link flight.

 This is the last big project for the year.  Old carpet finally GONE, and new vinyl flooring installed.  This is the family room.

The is a small pass-thru area usually piled with "stuff".   I need to find 2 strong men to slide the heavy cabinets 16 inches the other way, but I'm close to the end of this project.  The plan is to add 1 area rug here, bright and graphic, to give the room color.   

Here is the larger part of family room, needing a 2nd area rug.  

A quilt photo ... this one is probably my favorite of many.  

News:  an experience, everything is gonna be OK.

Yes, this is my arm, totally black and blue after procedures following a catheter and stent, after the ER said was a heart attack.  I think the right name is a PCI.   I was whisked from the local ER to the Air Link Helicopter in the middle of the night, too dark to see a view, to a Cardiac Hospital 3 hours (by car) east of my home.  Local hospitals can only do so much.  We (me and crew) arrived in 55 minutes, squeezed into that amazing little beast.  Frankly, I was so interested in the flight, I had no fears about the reason.  By mid-morning Tuesday, I was in surgery, all of 45 minutes, and awake, and back home Thursday, thanks to a dear friend who  came all that way and then drove me home, weak, but alive and  feeling tolerable.  The catheter and stent into my heart to clear out blocked artery kinda messed up my sewing arm for a while, but I AM RECOVERING!  Drop me a line if you have other questions.  You might remember an earlier visit to ER said Anxiety, but they did recognize immediacy the second visit.  I am blessed to have had the foresight to get to ER in time.  

Washing Faux Brick Walls

 Before and after.  

Before and After

 This was my "ruined" block yesterday, (previous post) carefully removed from the quilt top. sad day, and even worse, there were 6-8 strips of the same fabric in other parts of my quilt top.  I couldn't take the chance of "will it come out after I finish the quilting?"  I figured total removal was my only option.  Happily, this happened! 

HAPPY, HAPPY DAYYYYYY!  Here it is today, after excellent advice from Chantal, and a few other kind quilters.

Just a generous squirt of "regular" Dawn, in a bowl of warm water, some sloshing around and then sitting for approx. 15 minutes.  VOILA - no trace.  I will replace this block with another, already started, but no longer am afraid of the other 6-8 strips of that same maroon fabric already used in blocks of the top.  Happy Day!!!!!!!!!!!   What a relief!  I would guess "copious amounts of water" and plenty of Dawn would be needed if washing the entire quilt."