Chug, Chug, Chug....

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My 15 Year Old Quilt!

The quilting on this quilt reminds me of the many trips to the ocean, beaches, and TIDE POOLS we made for several years while we lived in Humboldt County. We had a wonderful time during those years, and I learned to piece quilts, too. When the tide at the ocean would form tide pools it would swirl around like this.

This is the first quilt top I've gotten back ( I picked out the quilting design, backing fabric, and batting) the store put it all together. I LOVE IT. The next one I'm having quilted is a 1930's reproduction quilt. It has Fan Blocks surrounded by different reproduction fabrics and white sashing.  More pictures to come.

The backing fabric.

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Blog Stats

As many know, this is a public blog, so if someone were looking, say, for a cross stitch pattern, my blog column about that pattern might come up in a Search - or anything else I might have posted they may be searching for like Springerle molds. I've actually had a blog response from a reader I don't know, who asked about a cross stitch pattern I had on the blog.

Aside from both sides of our family, who probably make up most of the audience,  other people, namely friends, read this blog. What I find interesting are the statistics regarding the readership, or "audience" of this blog. 

The blog averages about 750 page views a month! The readers are mainly from the USA, but about 500 over the last year were from Russia, 116 from Germany, and so on. Of course, I can't tell who is looking at the blog, just which Post is most watched and where the audience is watching from.

So, there you go! And send Spring pictures please - I would love to post some from other states!

xox

Another Update!

Now that it's clear that the treatments aren't curing my shoulder and hip, I am going to be scheduled for 2-3 MR Angiograms. They will be on on my left hip, right shoulder and hopefully, left shoulder, which also hurts. 

These will probably be done in April. If the inflammation we saw in the shoulder is a tear, I may need surgery. So, I'll keep you all posted, and I'm still begging prayers and good thoughts!

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On a more positive note, the wedding plans are taking shape, and the choices Frank and Theresa have made are so fun! Something to look forward to!

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I'm sewing - I've done some work on Mom's AH block, and I've been working, a little at a time, on my sewing room accessories.

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The weather has been warmer, but this is our rainy month and it is rainy off and on! We've had our share of colds/flus, but I think we're on the mend. 

Love the Spring birds and warmth. Enjoy!

XOX

Happy St. Joseph's Feast Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Saint Patrick is venerated by Catholics as well as many others, all over the world, and especially throughout the centuries on his feast day for bringing almost the entire island of Ireland to conversion to Christ and His Catholic Church.  The island of Ireland was previously a barbaric and violent group of kingdoms.

He produced many miracles, and his prayers, and some of his other writings are still extant. He lived in the last part of the Fourth Century.

One legend has St. Patrick using a shamrock to explain the Trinity  of God.

Lorica of Saint Patrick

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through confession of the Oneness 

Of the Creator of creation. 

I arise today 

Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism, 

Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial, 

Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,

Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today

Through the strength of the love of cherubim,

In obedience of angels,

In service of archangels,

In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In the prayers of patriarchs, 

In preachings of the apostles,

In faiths of confessors,

In innocence of virgins,

In deeds of righteous men. 

I arise today

Through the strength of heaven; 

Light of the sun,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of the wind,

Depth of the sea, 

Stability of the earth,

Firmness of the rock. 

I arise today

Through God's strength to pilot me;

God's might to uphold me, 

God's wisdom to guide me, 

God's eye to look before me, 

God's ear to hear me, 

God's word to speak for me, 

God's hand to guard me, 

God's way to lie before me, 

God's shield to protect me,

God's hosts to save me 

From snares of the devil, 

From temptations of vices, 

From every one who desires me ill, 

Afar and anear, 

Alone or in a mulitude. 

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,

Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul, 

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of pagandom,

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry, 

Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul. 

Christ shield me today 

Against poison, against burning, 

Against drowning, against wounding,

So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, 

Christ on my right, Christ on my left, 

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, 

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, 

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, 

Christ in the eye that sees me, 

Christ in the ear that hears me. 

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through a confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation

St. Patrick (ca. 377)

One of the traditions of St. Patrick's Day has been the wearing of the green - by wearing a little of the green color either hidden or as a badge or pin. 

Here are some traditional St. Patrick Day badges from Ireland:

Here's my badge - I added a button this year.

There are many traditions, and many of the secular traditions come from versions of them or are based on those from Ireland- like the Leprechaun and the pot of - ahem- gold. 

Since this is a favorite holyday (holiday) celebrated by many people around the world, the traditions keep being added to this day.

  Erin Go Bragh!

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Today Warm & Sunny!

It's normal for us here to have about two weeks of warm summer like weather in March - we used to do yard work. 

 Rain and ice and snow usually shows up until April. Today was lovely! Here are some pictures.

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A Sample of Spring!

Liz took this picture near the PD - Spring is near!

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Sewing Changes in My Life

For years I've primarily sewn quilts or quilted projects. I've sewn some garments every now and then, and curtains, pillowcases, some runners or pillows, placemats - easy things that I use quilting skills for.

There is a lot to learn about garment sewing as opposed to quilting. I love quilting, but because there is a lot of cutting and squaring up it requires more bent over time, which is hard on my back. Plus large quilts and batting are big and heavy!

So, I am studying garment construction and house decor techniques. Of course, most of my books, sewing supplies - even my sewing machine- is geared towards quilting! I never learned how to garment sew when I was growing up, all of my learning has been 'on the fly'- 'as needed' over the years, as opposed to my having taken a few really good classes on quilt techniques. Many of the techniques and shortcuts I have picked up over the years can be applied to sewing in general - which is great, but there is a whole lot to learn - starting with what my machine can and cannot do!

I'm also making more kits that have the pattern, fabric and embellishments all together in one 'kit'. That usually cuts out searching for all the parts, sometimes the fabric comes pre cut and the kits are smaller projects.

As I learn more and experiment with garment sewing and home decor I'll post pictures!

In the meantime, finally finally, I have found a good, affordable long arm quilting business - that's where a quilter takes the quilt top she's PIECED and has it quilted to backing with batting sandwiched in the middle. She then puts on binding and it is finished. She has to pick out thread color, the quilting design and of course, the batting. 

Over the next few months I'm going to have my quilt tops done, one at a time starting with the oldest - the first one I made to symbolize the ocean, redwoods, homeschooling and my fledgling quilting skills. When Bob and I brought in the quilt, I was almost overwhelmed with strong good memories of those years. I can't wait to get it back al quilted - it'll go in the family room as a lap quilt.

X O X

Blessed Mardi Gras!

Drunken orgies and gaudy, sexual, out of control paraders are not 'Fat Tuesday' or 'Shrove Tuesday' traditions. (I couldn't even find a typical 'Mardi Gras' image clean enough to put on this blog!) It has always been a day for using up the rich and decadent foods given up during Lent, which starts with Ash Wednesday (tomorrow).

On Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, Catholics have parties, rich foods like pancakes, and cakes in general. They might have a pancake or cake party with dancing, but everything ends at midnight when they pray an Our Father for a Holy Lent, then call it a night.

Liz made a really delicious King Cake and took it to work today - it was devoured!

It looked like this.

We eat really well during Lent, lots of healthy soups and breads, very little fattening or unhealthy food. Meat usually once a day. Very good for cleaning out the system. 

During Lent you also give up an item that you love or an item of convenience you've grown too attached to - you might carpool instead of drive to work, give up Lattes or cigarettes or sodas. And you work hard to practice a virtue - see right hand column above. 

In fact, many Catholics take the time during Lent for daily spiritual reading - like the Church's history or a life of a saint,  a virtue, etc. 

Catholics love Lent - everyone thinks we suffer, but it helps harden our ability to control ourselves, and for 40 days at least, we hopefully improve in many ways. Besides that, every Sunday is a Feast Day, and you can't fast/abstain on a Feast Day!

The spiritual preparation of Lent makes the Resurrection, or Easter, much more meaningful.

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