Sometimes it feels good just to be able to moan and groan and whine a little bit. Doesn't take the pain away, but it gets rid of the stress from nodding and smiling and telling everyone that "I'm just fine."
So now that I have gotten that out of my system, I think I will spend most of my day sewing on a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt top that I am determined to finish by spring. It is made up of hundreds of inch and three quarter sized hexagons, all sewn together by hand.
I'm adding another row of sage green hexagons around each of these blocks. The quilt has sort of an old fashioned look to it and I like that. If I remember right, the quilt is done in rows of seven blocks each, making it seven rows wide and seven rows long, equaling about a 75 inch square quilt. I'll post a picture of the finished quilt, if I ever get done with it.
Sewing on my quilt - listening to some audio murder mystery books I downloaded - might turn out to be a good day after all.
With that title, I thought maybe I was going to find a political commentary. - lol - Love the quilt; it reminds me of my beloved great aunt.
ReplyDeleteGorges...Naw - just me whining about not feeling up to par. I love the quilt, too, but it sure takes a long time to sew together. It reminds me of quilts I have seen that were made in the 1930's or so, when flour and chicken feed came in sacks that were made from printed material. The women took the sacks apart, washed them and made quilts, dresses, aprons, etc.
ReplyDeleteI have a quilt that my great aunt made using my mom's little girl clothes. I think the quilt was made in the mid-30s if I remember right. The flower petals are the fabric from my mom's clothes. I just love it.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have a nice project for the day.
It's storming here and I really have nothing I have to do. Think I'll just be taking the dog for a short walk later (he's currently sleeping and snoring under my recliner). It's nice to be able to stay out of the weather. Cheers, SJ in Vancouver BC
SJ...What a treasure you have in that quilt. To have a quilt made using fabric from your Mom's clothes is priceless. I wish I had learned to quilt earlier so I would have thought to save fabric from my kids clothes, but alas, that was not to be. Nobody in my family made quilts. Mother was a wonderful seamstress when it came to sewing clothes but she did not quilt.
ReplyDeleteYou sure have had more than your share of storms lately, haven't you! One of the things I like about retirement is that I don't need to go out in bad weather. Sounds like you are "letting sleeping (and snoring) dogs lie." :)
It seems just as soon as the weather gets colder outside, we all get sick. Just the way of life in the land of the Viking Frozen Tundra, Don't ya know... Oh sure..Yeah
ReplyDeleteRob...Ya, sure - you betcha! I figure I'm just getting all this crap out of the way at once. Should be good for the winter! :)
ReplyDeleteVicki - I'll take our rain storms and even wind storms over snow and ice any day. We'll usually get some snow but it's usually gone in two weeks or so.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes,I let the dog sleep until he was ready for a little walkabout. SJ
SJ...I'm with you. Every winter I question my sanity for living in this climate. I guess it is the fact that all my kids and grands live close by that keeps me here.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't resist teasing you about letting the dog sleep. When I had my two Yorkies, there were times when I would tip-toe around the apartment so they wouldn't wake up. Two well rested Yorkies almost guaranteed trouble on the horizon. :)
Vicki,
ReplyDeleteIf you need to get out in a hurry, get a sturdy cardboard box, flattened and ride it down.
I have a friend who moans as he gets out of the car or a chair. I think getting old is good with a friend who has pains, too.
Sometimes, a good moan does release tension...lol.
That quilt will be beautiful. I don't like to quilt and never have. Mama did not either. Those tiny pieces would certainly make it easier to use it all up! I suppose I can find that pattern online? When I have surgery and cannot walk, something like that might be good to pass the time when I don't want to read a book or go on the internet.
Linda...The stairs to the street are right outside my door. I figured I could just slide down if I have to.
ReplyDeleteI don't do well with being sick. It irritates me. I have so many things I want to do and I lose patience when I can't. :)
The quilt pattern is an old one. I'm sure if you Google "Grandmother's Flower GArden Quilt" you will find all sorts of picture and instructions. This one is really time consuming due to the small size of the hexagons and the fact that it is sewn entirely by hand. It will be quite some time before I finish the top, but will be worth it, I think.
Vicki,
ReplyDeleteThanks. I make crochet blankets for my granddaughters' dolls. It gets the urge out and gives them a cute quilt from memaw, something they can keep forever. I make a granny square about 18" square, just keep going round and round and change colors every second row. Around the outside, I use a shell stitch. For a real baby, I make it about 36" square. Small is good. I would probably never get anything bed or sofa-sized finished.
pparsimony
Oh, yesterday was the first day of being well after 7 weeks of uti. Then, I had sinus problems along with that for about two weeks. So, I do feel fine today except I made myself extremely tired and hurt now.
ReplyDeletepparsimony
That is a real beauty! I never could quilt, my mom tried teaching me as a teen, but then she'd feel under the quilt in the frame and tell me I had knots, and to take it out. I come from a family of great quilters. I just embroider. I do have a few quilts handmade..one is a log cabin king sized in blue, another a cousin made called a borghello heart in pinks and light blues, and I have an unusual one called sunflowers and spiderwebs.
ReplyDeleteTake care, Vicki....
Amish Heart from New Mexico
Linda...What a nice gift for your granddaughters. I like to crochet, too. Mostly I make afghans using the granny square. I tend to mess up on counting stitches and rows using other patterns. It is pretty tough to mess up a granny square. :)
ReplyDeleteHope you are having more good days than bad. It is easy to get worn down if we aren't careful.
Amish Heart...Thank you. That Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt is one of those that I'm not too sure I will live long enough to finish. :) I do love the old patterns and tend to use them rather than some of the more modern patterns. Nothing fancy here. Mine are quilts made to use on a bed for warmth - not to hang in a quilt show. I will never be one of those who can do the fancy quilting with tiny stitches. I use what is called "big stitch quilting" with pearl cotton or two strands of embroidery floss, or sometimes I just tie them. Nobody in my family made quilts so I have just stumbled along, learning as I go. I can picture your log cabin quilt and the other borghello heart one. They must be beautiful! I have never seen a quilt called sunflowers and spiderwebs, but it sure sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteMother did teach me to embroider, too. I don't know if you are old enough to remember using Aunt Martha's embroidery transfers for embroidery on flour sack dishtowels or on pillowcases. That's how I learned - making those "days of the week" designs on dishtowels. I haven't done that in a long time, but now that you have reminded me, it would be fun to do something like that again.
Thanks for stopping by. I really enjoy hearing about what others are doing.
Yeah - getting older is a b*tch! Slow down, you move to fast seems to be the theme of advancing years...
ReplyDeleteWow - that quilt looks like a lot of work. But t'will be stunning once finished.
Dani...Whoever said "Old age ain't for sissies" was spot on! I don't mind the advancing years. At 70 on the outside, I still feel 40 on the inside. It is the physical limitations that irritate me. But then when I consider the alternative, I guess I shouldn't complain. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this quilt. I have wanted to make one for years since I really like the old fashioned look of the pattern. It is a lot of work and more than that, is very time consuming. I had put it away for a while but decided I would never finish it if it lived in the back of my closet. I hope to at least get the top finished over the winter.
I still use Martha's patterns on flour sack dish cloths! Too funny. Sams sells big packs of flour sack dishcloths at a good price, and most sewing places still sell Martha's patterns. Had to laugh at my granddaughter, she wanted to learn to embroider and so I bought one of those premade white aprons for her to stitch on and we used a Martha iron on pattern and she was amazed how it transferred. She did a pretty decent job of it. I was self taught for embroidery after looking at some pillowcases I was given by a grandma who passed away when I was little. She did some roses on the edging and I thought it was beautiful...still have them. I've been wanting to try making a tie quilt. I think I could handle that with some thicker thread. Good idea!
ReplyDeleteAmish Heart
Sounds like you've really been through it! I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteAmish Heart...I didn't know about Sam's selling the packs of flour sacks. I like those dishtowels so much better than the terry cloth ones. There is a Joann Fabrics store close by that carries Aunt Martha's transfers. I might have to do some embroidery over the winter. I have always enjoyed needlework. I remember Mother had crocheted a lacy edging on some pillowcases I had embroidered and they were beautiful. Kind of like your Grandmother's roses, I suppose. A couple of my Grands like to do crafty things, but nobody has expressed an interest in needlework. I wonder if that isn't another one of those things that is becoming a lost art.
ReplyDeleteI like to tie the quilts I make that are just the utility type of quilts. I have a couple of flannel quilt tops ready for the batting and backing, and those I will tie. Regular quilting doesn't work well for them. And I am impatient and don't want to take the time to quilt unless I am making one for pretty and not for warmth. Some use pearl cotton to tie a quilt, but I have always used 4-ply yarn because that is what I have had on hand. This conversation has created a monster!! Now I want to get back to doing needlework again. :)
Lisa...It hasn't been as bad as it sounds! I just get cranky when I don't feel well. I am a really lousy patient.
ReplyDeleteI figure I am just getting all of this out of the way at once and can then move on to spending the winter doing those things I love to do. :)
Oh, this brings back so many memories. My grandmother lived with my family for all my years at home. She was a country woman stuck in town. Most of the year she had a truck garden in all the neighborhood yards, in return for part of the crop. In the winter, she quilted. I have trunks full of her quilts. I use them for coverlets on my beds. As she was born in the 1880's, her quilts would not fit the larger modern beds. Its hard to believe how much bigger we are than past generations. Her "Flower Garden" won 1st prize at our county fair in the 40's. It was a proud moment for her. Thank you for triggering 80 year old memories. Love your blog. Julia
ReplyDeleteOK Vicki..you get some flour sack towels and embroider them and post. We have a Joanne's near us, too. The last set of the days of the week ones I did were adorable..they had a lady doing a task each day, like Monday wash day. Our family farm is in Yoder, Kansas and we go there every few months. There's a lady there who runs "Anna's Variety Store". She is Amish and carries Amish goods and other household goods. She has a section devoted to embroidery. Some of Martha's patterns, and some prestamped, and I always load up. I don't know who to crochet the edging of things, but the biggest project I did was a large tablecloth and I just handstitched lace around the edging. I will be brave and try the quilt, probably with the ties, and I'll look for the four strand yarn, thanks! I did pick up a huge stamped project...embroidered quilt squares, and then they need to be put together. It's such a big project, I haven't started it yet. My next project is a Bonnie Sue (with a parasol) table scarf in pinks and yellows for my little granddaughter in California. Take care! Amish Heart
ReplyDeleteSorry you aren't feeling well. It does drag a person down, I know. Hope things pick up for you soon.
ReplyDeleteJulia...How nice that you have such wonderful memories of your Grandmother. I understand the part about being a country woman stuck in town. I feel the same way. She must have been an industrious lady, what with the gardening and quilting. I love the way she managed to raise a garden, doing it on shares with the neighbors.
ReplyDeleteWhat an absolute treasure you have in her quilts. I am glad you use them. So many just pack them away. Quilts are made to be used - at least mine are. I am impressed with her 1st prize for the Flower Garden quilt. That is quite an accomplishment. My Flower Garden quilt is nowhere near that kind of quality. It is more of a challenge to see if I could make one. She should have been proud. She earned it.
It does my heart good to see there are those who value the old crafts - quilting, embroidery, etc. So many of the old ways have been lost. Buying a quilt at Target doesn't even come close to having a quilt made by Grandma, that was probably sewn with love in every stitch. That's important.
Amish Heart...I think I might like to do a set of the towels. Probably won't get to it until after the first of the year as I still have some major canning to do (mostly hamburger) and some other thing going on. I often have three or four projects going at once - get tired of working on one and switch to another, just for variety. I have not heard of an Amish store in my area, but the one you spoke of sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteI crochet, but never learned to crochet using the thread for lace and such. My mother was a wonder at that sort of thing. She made fancy doilies and could do the lacy edging on pillowcases, but I never could get the hang of it. I am more comfortable with making afghans using standard yarn.
I have seen the quilts with the embroidered blocks and they are just beautiful. Go for it! It is a big project, but well worth the time and effort. And what a nice thing to do - making the table scarf for your granddaughter. It is something she will cherish in years to come.
Harry...It is nothing serious - just a series of minor irritations. I tend to get crabby when I can't do the things I need to do. I have had to go to a series of appointments concerning my legs. One of my daughters took me to the last one last week. She was laughing at me because she knows how much I detest going to a doctor at all. We decided that I must have done something really bad in the past because Karma has come along making it necessary for me to do the one thing I hate to do the most. Go to the doctor. :)
ReplyDeleteHope all is well with you, my friend. This aging thing just isn't much fun at all, is it. Whoever coined the phrase "Golden Age" obviously was a 20 year old who thinks they will live forever.
the quilt patterns can always be enlarged for ease of sewing and fewer squares per quilt.
ReplyDeletedeborah...The quilts I make are nothing fancy - just basic pieced patterns. I kind of do things the old fashioned way. I find a pattern I like and then draw it out on graph paper. Then I figure out what size I want the quilt to be and adjust the sizes of the pieces accordingly. I suppose I could just use my computer to enlarge patterns, but there is something satisfying about drawing them out by hand.
ReplyDeleteLove the quilt work. It reminds me of the work my grandmother did.
ReplyDeleteThank you, BW...I like the quilts that have an old-timey look to them, like the ones our grandmothers made. They make me think of times that were more simple and less hectic than today.
ReplyDelete