Second Batch of Bow Ties and DH Update

I'm trying to get a little ahead, as my usual modus operandi is to be perpetually behind.  I tried to do a little fussy cutting on these, on the seals and polar bears, the army and the purple goldfish.  Now, to do some housework and then I hope to start working on RRCB number 2.   Just an update on my husband.  Yesterday we got up at 3:45 to be across town for his heart cath. at 7:00 am.  We got there at 6:45 and the nurse said she needed to check with the Dr. as his creatine levels were very high on his last bloodwork, indicating that his kidneys weren't doing well.  He has had kidney stones for probably 40 years, and we knew that his kidneys had damage, but they had gotten quite a bit worse since his last blood test in June.  The Dr. said that his heart cath. wasn't an emergency and he needs to go to a nephrologist  to see about getting his levels better and then reschedule.  Anyway, we were on our way home by 7:00.  He did say that we could go ahead if we wanted to, but that they use iodine which isn't very kidney friendly so he could end up on dialysis, not a very hard decision to make.

                               

Summer Bow Tie Quilt

DH had a sleepless night last night so has slept most of the day and I've been on my own.  I decided to try to catch up on the Summer Bow Tie Quilt Along.  As you can see mine is going to be scrappy and so far I have only raided my orange, yellow and purple scraps, the orange was rather lacking, lol.  I liked this setting when I saw it on Pleasant Home.   It looks like it has been going on since June 19th, and I made 20 blocks today, so I think that I'm almost caught up.  I just figured, and it looks like I am 1 block behind.   This isn't how the blocks will be in the quilt, I was just sticking them up there as I pressed them and I still need to square them up a bit.   I plan to use all scraps so I feel almost like it'll be a free quilt (I like to kid myself). 

July Finish On My Son's Birthday

I finished my RRCB last night and I'm on the whole pleased with it.  My MM (mediocre meandering) is in full force as usual, but the looks of it will improve when it's washed and crinkly.  There are a myriad of sins, but I am happy just the same.  My MIL always said that curls hid a myriad of sins, and I feel the same about washing, lol. 

Just another view.  It would have been better to wait for better light, but we may go shopping with my DGS and his fiance later today.

The back is just a very nice sheet on sale at Lands End, but I did a few more of the "dreaded" string blocks in the fabrics from the quilt and fancied it up a little.  Actually, this last batch wasn't so bad, so I'm starting not to dread them, lol.  I didn't want to make the back too fancy, as one of my pet peeves is when people like the back better than the front.  I do think that this one will live here with me though.

The label, of course.   I now have a paintbox to do, another RRCB to do, and the second half of Amy's BOM from 2010, not to mention quilting my over humongous Iowa (Carolina) Christmas.   It would be logical to get right on one of them, but I have two new projects luring me out of my chosen virtuous path.   Crazy Mom Quilt's 36 block quiltalong, and one that's already started, Summer Bow Tie Quilts quiltalong from Facebook.  I don't have a link to the blog right now, but if anyone's interested I'll do my best to find it.  

P.S.   The blog for the Summer Bow Tie quilt is:

http://annalenaland.com/2011/06/19/summer-bow-tie-quilt-blocks/

 

 

Happy Dance of Joy!

DH is sleeping in this morning, so I got up and started working on RRCB.   Now I have a flimsy approximately 56 by 86 inches, which is just about the size I like for couch quilts.  I've been thinking about my leftovers and I have a pack of batiks, mostly blues which I have had for about 5 years, and I was thinking maybe I'll use them with the leftover pinks, greens and browns for another version of the RRCB.   

I know a couple other bloggers had remarked on the possibility of making the smaller size.  The hardest part for me was figuring out the number of strips for the borders.  I ended up with 23 of the inside brown triangles on the ends and 37 on the sides.  Since the inside corner triangles take up 4 each of the brown triangles that would be 19 strips for the tops and 33 for the sides + the triangles.   I had to take a little deeper seam about 7 times on the tops and 2 times on the sides.  Hope that helps someone.   I must say that now that I'm this far (still have to baste and quilt) I love how the quilt has turned out.  Another wonderful Bonnie pattern.  I'm so grateful for her mysteries, otherwise I'd never have the nerve to get started. 

Happy Dance of Joy?

Bonnie says when we finish we can do our "happy dance of joy".

I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting close.  I have 3 sides done, now only 1 more side then the corners and happy dance will be done.

I'm Back

DH was in the hospital for a week, first they tried to get his heart back to normal beat with medication (IV's mostly) and then when that wasn't working they did a TEE and shocked his heart.  The Dr. said that that could work for a day or for a week or 6 months etc., and so far so good.  He goes in for a heart cath. on July 11th, and then will take his documentation to a surgeon to see about fixing a leaky valve.   His original Dr's. we think were milking his insurance's (had the advice of another Dr.) and so in midstream we changed from one group to another.  Hopefully, this group is good.  After he got out of the hospital it was running around from one appointment to another, and it was only the last couple of days when I have done any sewing.  These are the parts to the border for my Roll Roll Cotton Boll.   There are a good many hours represented here, lol.  I'm making a half sized quilt, but since I had enough of the 3 patches for the entire quilt I went ahead and made them all.  I was going to do a strip down the middle of the back, but I got to thinking, I have enough of these for another lap quilt sized border with just a little more sewing to make more corners, and I have enough 1/2 square triangles to do 15 more blocks.   I think that since the colors are pink, brown and green with no reds that I may just do another version, with blue as the fourth color perhaps.  It won't be the same, as I may or may not do the tiny half square triangles around the blocks, I may do just strips instead, and the string blocks will be replaced with a modification.  On the Quiltvillechat site, there are a few different varieties.   Is this why I haven't run out of UFO's yet?  Everytime I think I'm getting somewhere I create another, lol.   Thank you for all the good wishes for my husband, we are hoping for the best.

A Set Back

No Bonnie, no quilting.  Wednesday DH went for an endoscopy and they said his heart was beating incorrectly and way too fast.  Instead we went to see our regular doctor and then to the hospital. His heart was fluttering and so they are using IV's to bring it back how it is supposed to be beating.  He has 2 IV's in his arm, and his blown out 2 IV's.  He has felt fine, although with all the needles it seems like he came in feeling ok and now is a semi invalid.   Hopefully, according to the cardiologist he may be able to go home tomorrow.  Anyway, Bonnie was a nice idea, but it just wasn't to be to go see her.  Maybe, next time.

RRCB Rolling Along

I have rows sewn, now just to sew the rows together, and then I'll be ready for borders.  As you can see the small size is going to make a nice lap quilt or courch throw, it is almost covering the top of the queen sized bed.  Wish I could get the top complete by Thursday, I'd be tempted to take it with me to Lakeland for Bonnie's lecture, although I'm sure she's seen dozens of quilts and tops by now.  I really have admiration for those who have finished the full sized quilts, and some have even done a couple of them.  

RRCB Whining

Those who love to make string blocks are probably thinking what a whiner, and those who find them to be a challenge probably have a little more sympathy.  I was going along so well, finished the first blocks, and then finished the string blocks.  I was all proud of myself, as I'm not the best at squaring blocks, and I had a feeling that these would probably need squaring more than most, and I had sent DH to a glass place and had an !!" square piece of plexiglass cut.  The cost was only $8.00, I think a pretty good price for such a stress saver.  My blocks are looking pretty good, however, I need to make at least six more string blocks, thus the whining.  I had enough for the blocks, but not enough for the side triangles.  Just kidding, it's not a big deal, although I would have liked to start putting blocks together to get an idea of what it will 'look' like.   Have a nice weekend.

 

Nine Down Six to Go

....sounds so much easier than nine down and 21 to go.  I know that it would be wonderful to have a new bed quilt, but number one, lots of string blocks, number two, I'm scared of quilting the large quilts, I still haven't finished my Iowa (Carolina) Christmas.  For now, lap sized will be for me.  After these next six blocks are done, it's on to slicing and dicing string blocks.  I received the fabrics from Connecting Threads yesterday, and I'm anxious to get started on my other Paintbox quilt, but I don't know if I'll be able to stop my RRCB blocks now.   By the way, my extra scrappy oops blocks are mixed in with the other six blocks, and I think that they'll work just fine, as was suggested in the previous comments.   I'm raring to go and do more blocks, but alas, housecleaning and errands are demanding attention.  Hope you have a nice day.