1930-2015

I don't usually get very personal on this blog. I never really know how personal I should be. 

This post is going to be very personal. 

Today, I want to share with you about my grandma and the amazing woman she was. 

I made this quilt for my grandma about a year and a half ago, when she broke her toes from a fall. You can  read more about it here. After I gave this quilt to my grandma, she hung it on her front railing. It was the first thing anyone could see when walking through her front door. She passed it several times a day, as it lined the hallway to her bedroom. I'm not sure that she ever used it as a quilt. That's okay. She displayed it in her home, where it could be seen. I'm glad she did. I know she loved it.

Today, this quilt means more to me than I could ever express. 

The beginning of March marked my grandmother's descend. Though she has been suffering with minor ailments for quite some time, March is when it all changed. My grandmother was admitted to the CICU for a heart attack. However, she went to the hospital because of Bronchitis. The medications she was taking for it caused her to be nauseous and throw up. While she was in the emergency room, the doctor wanted a CT scan, and discovered she had had a heart attack in the near past. She has had several problems with congestive heart failure throughout the past 15 years. She had a double by-pass 10 or 12 years ago, along with 3 stints. The CT scan showed that the stints were starting to fail and one had been dislodged. She had another surgery, replacing the stints. When she was discharged, it was recommended she check in to a rehab facility to help get her strength back. Due to arthritis/bursitis in her hip, she has needed assistance while walking. It was hard for her to bare her full weight. Most days she preferred to simply sit at home in her big, comfy chair by the window. She was in a lot of pain. Rehab wore her out completely. She slept most the day. She stopped eating.

My grandmother at age 5

Each day was uncertain. Although she was worn, she showed progress. We wanted her to progress. We wanted to be hopeful. I visited her nearly every day. I brought her home-made smoothies, with protein and spinach, in the hopes she would at least drink those. Most the time she did, but with great pushing to just have a sip. She had good days and bad days. And scary days, days we thought we would lose her. She became incoherent, unaware of her surroundings, unresponsive to those talking to her. The next day, she would be sitting up, involved in conversation, even singing. She always sang. After 3 weeks of being in rehab, she was admitted back into the hospital for multiple heart attacks. Her heart now pumping at 35%, she would never survive another surgery. She was too weak. Hope for a recovery had been replaced with despair as the decision to bring her home was made. For the first time in my life, I saw my grandpa cry. As heartbreaking as it was, he knew he had to bring her home. He knew he would have to let her go. A few hours later, She was released into family care. The following days were harrowing. My kids were on Spring Break, we spent that time at her house; helping to administer pain medications, making her comfortable, and mostly holding her hand. My grandma passed away in the morning, on April 3, 2015, while surrounded by her family. I am so grateful I was able to be there with her. I am even more grateful that she is no longer in pain, suffering. The quilt I made her covered her, while comforting us.

My grandmother at age 15

My grandma was such an amazing woman. To put her life into a few words doesn't seem possible. To put my memories of her into a few words is the least I can do. She did everything: sew, quilt, crochet, knit, cook, can, bake, garden, paint, scrapbook, and on top of all that, she raised 5 children. She taught my dad to play piano, who in turn, taught me. I used to fall asleep on her kitchen floor while she cooked. When I was 9, I wanted to learn to knit. My grandma patiently taught me, sat with me, watched me. I didn't feel that confident with my knitting, and as a result, didn't do it long. I made a few hot pads and wash cloths, but don't think it went beyond that. When I was 5 or 6, she made me a doll. It was about half my size. I loved it. I took it everywhere with me. One night, I played a little too rough with it, and it ripped - beyond repair. I was devastated. My grandma made many dolls, she even replicated cabbage patch dolls. They used to line the walls in a spare bedroom. She has since moved from that house. I'm not sure what happened to many of those dolls. She now just has a few of them on display in the guest room.

I spent Easter Sunday with my grandpa. He showed me where a couple of the quilts my grandma made were and I was able to take a few pictures.

I tried to get a close up of her hand quilting. I hope you can see it okay. 

I love how my grandma labeled her quilts. 

I also used embroidery floss for the label on the quilt I made her.

Here's a better picture of her hand quilting. 

She was the driving force that made me want to be better at hand quilting.

A couple of years ago, my grandma gave me a few of her blocks. I think they were the start of a quilt, I'm not even sure if she has the fabric still, or which pattern she was following. It had been a while since she made them; and since she wasn't able to quilt the way she once did, she thought I could do something with them. I haven't dared do anything with them, yet. I've been thinking a lot about those blocks. I'm hoping to be able to go through her boxes of fabric to see if there is coordinating fabrics for these blocks, that I might be able to make a nice wall hanging, or something, in tribute of her.

She used to hand stitch blocks while she traveled during the summer. It was not paper piecing. She was able to stitch a quarter-inch seam with precision, no guide needed. She showed me a couple of those blocks when I first started quilting. I remember being so impressed by my grandma's skills. It made me want to hand stitch a quilt too. I have yet to stitch blocks the way she did, but I am working on an EPP hexagon quilt.

my grandmother's block. I have 1 more of the same, that is about 4x as big

flying geese from my grandmother

As I mentioned earlier, she also did knit and crochet. Here are a couple of the afghans she made:

She never missed a birthday, holiday or any other celebration. She had parties just for fun. Those were always the best parties, usually in the summertime with homemade pie and ice cream. There was a dinner or two (or four) where she made something to bring, but it wasn't until she arrived that she remembered she left it at home, in the fridge. She was always the first one to laugh about it.

That's me, asleep on the kitchen floor at my grandma's house

She was a huge support in my life. She encouraged learning, she did all she could to help, she gave advice - whether you wanted it or not, but it was always needed. When I started canning, she gave me quite a few of her jars, that she wouldn't be needing anymore. When I first started quilting, she let me borrow a couple of her quilting books. She also gave me a couple magazines. In one magazine, there was a mail-in card to get a book. It was the Better Homes And Gardens Complete Guide To Quilting. I sent the card in. It wasn't until after I sent it that I realized it was a pre-printed card with my grandma's address. I asked her to let me know when it arrived, and I was going to pay for it. My grandma never let me know it arrived. Instead, she held on to it for my birthday. 

My beautiful grandmother at age 65.

One of my most valued possessions is a quilt she made for my birth. Not knowing if I would be a girl or not, she made the quilt purely out of hope (and my mother's intuition I would be a girl). It was the only thing I wanted with me in the hospital when my girl was born, who now sleeps with it every night. There might be a few stains and stitches are coming out. Those are the marks that is loved and well used.

I am fortunate to have had this woman as my grandmother. I'm even more lucky to have had her in my life for as long as I did. I'm glad for the advice which she always gave. I'm glad for the lessons she taught me. I'm glad for the love she showed. The days leading up to her passing, she did not speak much, but maybe a 'yes' or 'no'. The day before she passed, it was the same. For most the day, she had not said a word, just laid with her eyes closed, perhaps she was sleeping, or maybe just quietly listening to the family commiserate. We pulled out her photo albums, laughed how she 'photo-shopped' pictures before photoshop was around, shared stories of her many travels, how she met my grandpa and the memories we had at their first home. I was leaving for the day and wanted to tell her goodbye. I held her hand, kissed her cheek and told her I love her. I thought she might be sleeping. Instead, she squeezed my hand and whispered 'I love you ... I love you'. That was always the greatest gift Grandma could give. I am blessed that she always shared it with me.

Grandma opening her new quilt

Heart+ {a delivery}

I visited my Grandmother a few days ago to take her new quilt to her.

I had hoped to get a picture of her with her quilt, but funny thing about my Grandma. She will take all the embarrassing pictures of the family as she can get, but when it comes to any sort of picture of her, she hides.

This time was no different. Out of respect, and all those embarrassing pictures she may have on me, I decided not to post it.

Although my Grandmother is a quilter herself, I did not learn the craft from her. In truth, though I knew she made quilts as I was growing up, I can't say that I knew she quilted them. We borrowed her frames frequently for tie-ing quilts, and that's kinda all I knew. 

She didn't just do the quilting by hand either, but much of the piecing too. My grandparents used to travel the road quite a bit, and during their road trips, Grandma would piece blocks or knit. 

She may not have been the one to teach me about quilting, but she has been the one who inspired me to be better at it. I started as a hand quilter. I'm glad I did. However, I went into it blindly. All I had ever done was tie a quilt. My stitches were horrible. I'm okay with that. In fact, I'm proud of that! That first quilt lays on my bed, falling apart. But the stitches are still there. It's pretty nostalgic to look back at where I started and see now where I am. I believe my art has became better, because I had that push from my Grandma to be better.

As with any, I could only hope that she would love this quilt. When I handed her the quilt, she could hardly believe the size of it (measuring 54"x72"), that it was a 'real' quilt.

She barely unwrapped it all the way before she was cuddling up underneath.

I'll take that as the biggest compliment that could received.

Heart+

I have had this idea for a quilt for a few months now. I am both happy and sad that I was able to make it. I made it for my Grandmother, who has been hospitalized a number of times for heart complications. Most recently was just last year, with multiple visits to the hospital and the threat of another surgery. It was after that time that I thought I should make her a 'hospital' quilt, for the next time she might find herself there. Of course the only pattern that came to mind is the plus sign.

But it's not just the plus sign. It's the symbol of hope. Imprinted throughout medical history as the place to go for help, nurturing, comfort and care. So, this is my contribution to the plus quilt, the red plus with a white heart and a healthy e.c.g. running through.

I made this for my Grandmother.

Luckily not because of her heart.

Unfortunately because she did have an unexpected surgery this past weekend,

to pin and screw 4 broken toes.  

It's a quilt I secretly hoped I would never have to make.

Now that it is made, I love it.

I didn't want to take away from the simplicity or cuddle-ablity of the quilt. I echoed the blocks, 1/4" from the edge. Except for the red ones. If you look closely, you can see the texture in the picture below.

I used 4 colors of thread, wanting to match the grays, tans and whites of the blocks, and the one red block. Giving the heart applique a little something extra. I love how it turned out. I love that it stands out on the back.

I don't usually label my quilts. In fact, my first label ever was for the quilt I made my Grandpa for his birthday. Here is the label I made for this quilt.

And a few extra shots of the quilt .... 

I am linking up to the Bloggers Quilt Festival.

This is my first year joining the festival, and really, it was all by chance.

I was browsing through the catergories today, and there are some amazing quilts entered. If you haven't already, take a few minutes (or an hour or two) to check out what some other seriously talented quilters have put together. You won't be disappointed.

Chevron Accent Quilt

My Chevron Accent Quilt is done! This pattern was so simple, and sew up fast & easy! It's a great pattern to have on hand. It's especially great for a beginner. Cindy has clear instructions with photos of each step. This pattern is available only as a PDF, and will be emailed to you upon receipt of payment. No waiting in the mail to get started on this beauty!

It took a day, or so, to cut and sew, and I was able to quilt it in 2 days. I am so happy with the quilting. Not just happy, but maybe overly proud. I had a little debate with myself on how to quilt it, and took a few suggestions. After thinking everything over, I still didn't know what to do. I decided I better just start by stitching in the ditch and hope the rest would come to me. I did step outside my comfort zone. I really am not too expierenced quilting on the machine yet, but I think this quilt totally changed that. I found myself not thinking about what I was doing, and just did it.

I took the stripes as an opportunity to do different designs. I quilted 6 different designs, 3 in each the grey and pink. It was my first time doing 4 of these designs. Maybe that's why I'm so proud. Personally, I think they turned out pretty darn good for a first time :)

Warning: Picture overload ahead.

I especially like the back.

I love the design strip of grey.

Cindy has also created a Flickr group to add your versions of her quilt.

You can find it here.

And lastly, If you don't already follow Hopeful Threads, you really should. Kristy is such an amazing seamstress. She posts great tips, notions you should have, and does a monthly sewing project.

Plus, she is hosting an awesome giveaway over there right now. Check it out here.

Quilt Back Done!

I had a little dilema the other day. I didn't know what I should do with a too short backing for the Chevron Accent Quilt top I made.

After mulling over some ideas and getting suggestions from a few people, I decided not to rip out a row from the top and side, but rather do a pieced backing.

This quilt is a gift for my husband's grandmother, who is turing 80. She has always made me feel like her own grand-daughter, and actually calls to talk to me more than she calls my hubby. She has the biggest collection of scrapbooking materials I have ever seen, and makes the most amazing cards for our birthdays. Just this year she made Paisley a 3-dimensional butterfly filled with mini m&ms.

I am both excited and nervous to give this to her. She has been so wonderul to us, and we really wanted to show how much we love her. So, what better way to piece the back then that of giant gift with ribbon (minus the big bow).

I didn't want to start quilting on it, and not be finished in time, so I decided to present the top and back at her birthday and finish it up next week. I am still trying to decide exactly how I want it to be quilted. I really want the design to stick out in the gray, but nothing too complicated, since I am still mastering my machine quilting skills. any ideas would be helpful.

sadly happy

I received a call today. It was a call I had been expecting, and at the same time, hoping it wouldn't happen; at least not today. Maybe not even tomorrow. But, still expecting. A few short months ago, my husband's grandmother fell outside her home. That fall seemed to be the tipping domino in her downfall. Her condition quickly worsened. And, Today was her final day. It's heartbreaking watching someone slowly pass, knowing every second that passes could be their last. Knowing that there is nothing you can do to help. Knowing that you are about to lose someone who you love. I had hoped we would not get this call today, so that my husband could see his grandmother alive one more time. It's been a hard few months, with enough drama to fill a soap opera. Now we can solice in the fact that she is no longer suffering; and can finally embrace her dear husband once again.

~:~:~:~:~

Although I will be taking some time to be with family, I will do my best to get orders out the same day as placed.  In the meantime, I received a huge shipment of February/March precuts today.

I will share all the pretty pictures in another post. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the day after.

If you can't wait, go here. 

My Baby Quilt

Today, I thought I'd share with you my baby quilt. My grandmother made this quilt for me before I was born. Ultrasounds weren't common then, and my mother didn't know what she was having. She just had an inkling I would be a girl. My grandmother made this quilt purely off of instinct.

If you have ever been with child, you may know that same inkling. I can't speak for anyone but myself; and for me, during my pregnancies, I opted not to know the sex before hand. I genuinely did not want to know what I was having. It didn't matter to me. However, deep down inside, I knew that my first born was going to be a boy. I don't remember a lot about what was said when he was born. I was too busy screaming bloody murder (I also went unmedicated). I just remember the most important words, "It's a boy!"

With my second, I again, knew she would be a girl. I don't know that there was reasoning for either of these feelings. It was just something I knew.

Okay, now back to the quilt. I absolutely loved this quilt growing up. It has always been a favorite. In fact, when my brother was visiting with his little girl, he would try to take my quilt for her. Of course, I would not allow it. As selfish as this sounds, I was even weary about nap times.

The first thing I said to my mom when I called her about Paisley, was to bring me my quilt. It has been with Paisley since the hospital. And now she carries it with her everywhere! I have never seen a little child carry a blanket around like she does. She is constantly snuggling it. If perhaps she does leave it her crib or just out of reach and sees that it is not already in her tiny arms, she gets antsy and a little whiny for it. If stuck between the bars in her crib, she cries until I can get it for her. As much as I love watching her I do hope she will grow out of carrying it everywhere. I keep thinking about Linus from Peanuts and can see her doing the same thing.

I am so glad to have had this quilt when I was young. I am even happier to have been able to pass it down to my own baby girl.

Thank you Grandma for making me such a special quilt!

Grandma's Quilt

I took Grandma's finshed quilt top to her the other day. I'm happy to say she LOVES it!

And so do I! I'm already getting ready to make another one. This time, for me. There are a couple things I decided I need to do differently, so I will be making some slight modifications.

I also took it to my Block Of the Month as my 'show and tell'. The first thing everyone asked is if I am going to publish the pattern. And, Yes! I am.

Because I am publishing the pattern, Please forgive me for not showing the entire quilt right now. I promise, as soon as I have the pattern tested and printed, I will do a big reveal of Grandma's quilt and mine with the modifications. In the meantime, Here is a little tease to peak your interest.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog. Have a great weekend!

Lone Star : Take Two

I made a mini lone star as part of my latest quilt. I got all the other sections sewn and was ready to sew everything together. Except... I made the lone star TOO BIG! OH, I couldn't believe it! I didn't know how it ended up so big. I drew it out more than once; did my math more than once. I have never done a lone star before. Something definitely went wrong. I looked at my drawing. I drew it out the right size, mostly. I use draft paper with itty bitty squares. So, to help with the star points, I drew it twice as big as needed. When I did my math, I forgot to account for the double squares.

I had to redo the star.

Luckily I had enough fabric leftover to be able to get what I needed.

Here is my new Mini Lone Star

I still need to square it off. Looks like I may have messed up on the setting triangles and squares. I'm gonna be pretty close to the star points. AND, I think it might be a smidgen too big, again! Not too much, maybe 1/2"-3/4" inch. I'll wait till it's squared to panic!

Here it is with the first one. You can see how much bigger it was.

I'm not gonna let it go to waste.

Grandma really likes the Lone Star, so I will sew it into the backing.

It might be waaaay too big for a matching pillow.