A Pictorial Guide of Recent Days

I'm back! I have been out of town and out of commission. Husband and I both have been sick (we're finally feeling better). My mother was back in the hospital, so I went to visit/help. She's doing better, also, with some lingering struggles. And then I attended a quilt retreat in a new-to-me location. Because I was still suffering from my lingering illness, I did not have the energy I usually have at retreats. Nevertheless I had fun and made some progress on a project.

Here is my photo guide of these recent activities:

On road to visit my mother, I captured these sunset shots.

Because I was sick, I was required to wear this mask while visiting my mom. (In my defense, I did delay my arrival there, in hopes that I was no longer contagious by the time I entered the hospital environment.) Notice that my 93-year-old mom looks better than I do! OTOH, please don't notice.

Then the quilt retreat:

This is my cousin who finished her lovely quilt top.

On the way home, some ice on a large lake:

Update on Inside Outside Upside-Down

This post is in response to comments I received on my Wed., January 7 post and my Inside Outside Upside-Down challenge quilt.

Thank you for the comments, Readers. This challenge is not one in which someone wins. Instead, the quilts are gathered up in a group and are displayed at various venues around the state for the next year. When the next challenge is done, it replaces the traveling display. This means that a bunch of people will see my quilt alongside the fabulous ones done by the true artists in my guild. (There is some REAL talent there. Wow.) And soon I'll get back my challenge quilt from last year. It has been traveling around for the last year.

Last year I made that challenge quilt about four times before I had one that I felt was presentable. This year I didn't want to do that. But I might make a second attempt...

I really appreciate your encouragements for me to show it and participate. I might. I'm still contemplating.

One person mentioned that she liked the "skirt." Thought I'd show you what I really had in mind. It's supposed to be a window. That's our view of a window from the inside, looking at a curtain. Then under the curtain you see there is a kid outside, looking in with his hands up beside his face to see better. Really, that's kind of what I had envisioned... just making a window quilt... and I might still do that. And I'll make it more clear that it's a window and not a skirt.



I also like this upside down part: Down Under aka Australia.

The challenge isn't due for a while, so I have time to think on this and perhaps make another one.

Courage to Resist: Hans Litten

Hans Litten was a lawyer in Germany in the 1930s. He was brave enough to challenge and attempt to stop Hitler's rise to power. Eventually he was arrested and sent to various prison camps. Hitler hated him because of the court case Litten had brought against Hitler. Therefore Litten was terribly abused and tortured. He eventually died at Dachau. A couple of years before his death, all the prisoners were supposed to prepare a gift to honor Hitler on his birthday. Litten recited this poem. I believe he wrote it himself, though I'm not positive. I saw this being recited in German (on a BBC special) by various of his survivors and supporters (his niece, a family friend, an author, etc.) Very moving.


Thoughts Are Free, by Hans Litten

Thoughts are free, who can guess them?
They flee by like nocturnal shadows.
No man can know them, no hunter can shoot them
with powder and lead: Thoughts are free!

I think what I want, and what delights me,
still always reticent, and as it is suitable.
My wish and desire, no one can deny me
and so it will always be: Thoughts are free!

And if I am thrown into the darkest dungeon,
all this would be futile work,
because my thoughts tear all gates
and walls apart: Thoughts are free!

So I will renounce my sorrows forever,
and never again will torture myself with some fancy ideas.
In one's heart, one can always laugh and joke
and think at the same time: Thoughts are free!

I love wine, and my girl even more,
Only I like her best of all.
I'm not alone with my glass of wine,
my girl is with me: Thoughts are free!

At the end of his life, when Litten was at Dachau with nothing.. no books, no visitors, no hope, no anything, imprisoned in solitary confinement, he recited by heart poetry and other literature which brought hope to other prisoners. Indeed, thoughts are free. Hitler can burn books and imprison intellectuals, but thoughts are free.

Never stop reading.

Determined... and Making Progress

I am determined to get some of these UFO tops quilted and out of my house! I'm doing pretty well so far. I got these two done, and I have a third that is nearly done. These are charity quilts.

I also quilted this. I showed the top to you a while back.. maybe a month ago? It's supposed to be for my guild challenge, Inside Outside Upside-Down. I didn't like it as I had it. I decided to cut off the top row and take off the borders. I like it a little better this way. Then I got it all quilted and with a hanging sleeve on the back. I used the cut-off top row to make the hanging sleeve! (So clever, I thought.)

So it's done, but I'm just not that happy with it. I think I won't turn it in with the other challenge quilts. I'm trying too hard to be an artist, or something. And I don't feel like I truly am an artist. Disappointing.

I tried to watch the People's Choice Awards tonight, but I kept falling asleep.

I'm so sad about the attack and massacre in Paris. We live in a sad, broken world. Let's follow advice from Ellen DeGeneres: be kind to one another.

Saturday Note About Books & Other Stuff

I meant to post yesterday in case some of you came to see my Friday Books post. I don't have a book report this week. I'm reading a good book but have not devoted much time to it, so I'm not done. Instead of reading I have been doing a lot of sewing.

I completed this quilt:

I made this quilt top, very similar to others I have made from scraps. I like this process:

I quilted another top late Friday night, but I couldn't find the fabric I want for the binding, so it's not 100% done yet. I'm hoping to get more quilting done as I always have a stack of tops waiting to be finished.

On Friday I had a fun lunch with BL and L who recently moved here from California. I have known them for years via online stuff and a few random in-person meets. Nice to have them in Minnesota now! Can you say "I love lefse??" After lunch we hit a new fabric shop. BL went nuts in the button bin.

Looking Back to Christmas 2014

We had a bittersweet Christmas this year, with some sad and some happy moments. My favorite uncle died, and his memorial service was on the same day as the other side of our family had its Christmas party. It was a lovely service, and I felt uplifted. Then on to the Christmas party which we arrived to late, but better late than never, eh?

We played a fun family trivia game, masterfully created by my BIL, and filled up on good food and cookies.

Christmas Eve morning we went to my niece's house to visit briefly and meet, for the first time, our great-niece who came up from Florida. Photos show my nephew and his daughter, and then her cousins, two of my other great-niece,great-nephews (she loved the puzzle we gave her).

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Emerging From Under the Scraps Pile

I'm still going through boxes and bags of scraps that were donated. I didn't realize these would never end. I keep thinking I've made progress, and then I find more to sort through. However, I think I'm finally making progress.

I have finished making NINE pet beds using scraps! (Scraps go inside, as stuffing.) That is a LOT of scraps. The person who donated these scraps said she still has lots more at home to bring to me. Eeek! (It's kind of a blessing and a curse all in one.)

This is the nine pet beds, and I was very happy that I moved them around to re-order them and photograph them, because behind them I found hiding my smaller, newer camera!!! I was sooo happy! I knew it was in the house somewhere, but had no idea where. Voila! It has been found.

This is what is currently on my design wall #1:

The brownish strips will eventually be a quilt top (the strips will be horizontal); it is also made from donated scraps. And the hearts are also donated; this will be a doll blanket.

This is currently on my design wall #2:

blocks made by members of my guild. I am working on getting this sewn together and hopefully will get it quilted in the next couple of days. I'm looking forward to working with our next block, for 2015, which is a 9.5" nine-patch. I'm tired of this slanty one. It's a cool block, but I'm ready for a change.

We had a quiet Christmas, which you know from my previous posts, but I do have a few photos to share with you in a future post. Watch for it! (Can you stand the excitement??)

My Last Book of 2014: Christmas Jars

I might even finish another book or two in 2014, but I'm counting this one as my last. Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright is not that great. It tells the story of a cute idea: save change in a jar all year long, then at Christmas time give it anonymously to someone who is in need either through poverty or some sort of disaster such as a fire.

I suppose I could say this was an entertaining book. It's very short and a quick read. But I felt like the author was trying too hard to come up with a cute-factor idea that everyone would grab onto and that it would become a national sensation. I think it did catch on in some ways; there are some follow-up books about further Christmas Jar incidents.

OK. That's fine. It just wasn't a fabulous book. Cutesy and OK but not fabulous. (I prefer to share my pennies in more effective ways such as to an established service agency that can do some real good, though an occasional fun surprise, like a jar of money, wouldn't be a bad thing.)

According to Goodreads(dot)com I read 48 books and 15,128 pages this year.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Picture is from 2012. This year we don't have this much snow (yet).

Getting Stuff Done

I'm still having fun! Still feeling low-to-zero stress! My uncle's memorial service was on Saturday. It was a lovely service; people told heart-warming stories about my dear uncle. Daughter and I made a sort of hasty departure so we could go celebrate Christmas with the other side of the family. That was fun, too, if somewhat chaotic. 24 humans in one space with lots of food and gifts tends toward chaos, I've discovered.

I gave the quilt to my BIL and SIL.. I had made it over time and finished it this summer, photographing it in a few zillion places around here: a park, under a tree, on my front lawn, etc. It is finally now in its true home.

I was given a boat-load of scraps recently, and got busy making blocks. Most recently I made about 30 crumb blocks, and today I got them made into a top. I'm hoping for the quilting bug to bite me soon.

Tomorrow is what I call "Christmas Adam," the day before Christmas Eve. May you be warm and dry and happy on Christmas Adam.

Having So Much Fun!

I was feeling stressed about getting ready for Christmas. We were due to have about two dozen people at our house for a family Christmas party. We always have fun, but I was stressed about prep work: cleaning and trying to make room for that many people. We don't really have space for that big a crowd.

Well, then my favorite uncle died. He'd had dementia and was failing.. couldn't really carry on a conversation, though he still recognized many people and would always say "peachy keen." They called him Mr. Peachy Keen at the nursing home. He was such a great guy, and was well-loved. He was kind, intelligent, caring, funny, gentle, faithful and peachy keen. He was a school counselor during his career days and a very active person in his church. A friend to all and a wonderful uncle. He was among the first American soldiers to arrive at and help liberate Dachau at the end of WWII. Even though a funeral is a sad thing, it will be a celebration of a great life, well-lived.

Anyway, the memorial service for this wonderful man is on the same day that our family Christmas party is happening. (The other side of our family, so they are not related to my uncle.) Our nephew offered to host instead of us, as the service is smack dab in the middle of the scheduled activities.... one huge weight off my shoulders!

Then we were planning to do our usual small family gathering here on Christmas Eve, but daughter, who just bought a house, invited us to her house instead! Wow! I have a total of ZERO gatherings to prepare for at my house.. another weight off my shoulders!

I'm so relieved. I've been having fun sewing and reading instead of cleaning and trying to move furniture around. And guess what we decided -- we are not decorating our tree! We're just leaving it with only lights on. I think that's pretty enough.

Here are some blocks I've made, some using scraps from what I was recently given:

I'll be making more blocks, as I'm having so much fun just playing.

My cousin and I went on a fun road trip. We stopped at four different quilt shops and bought lots of fabric! And then we went to visit my mom (and sister).

My mom played Mary in a Christmas pageant that happened yesterday. She was telling someone at her residence that as a kid she always wanted to be Mary, but she never got to, because she was a daughter of the preacher, and her mother, who was in charge of the pageant, didn't want to give her any special favors due to her position as Preacher's Kid. So at age 93 Mom finally got to be Mary. I just love that story! It makes me smile. By the way, I never got to be Mary, either, and for the same reason! LOL

I hope you will be able to drop the weights off your shoulders and enjoy a lovely and relaxed Christmas, too!

Friday Books: War

This week I read The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. This is a profound and poignant book. O'Brien writes about being a soldier in Viet Nam in the 1970s. The things they carried were not just the ammunition, canteens, guns, etc etc. They mostly carried their fears, hopes, strategies to survive a cruel situation, memories, and imagination.

It's fictionalized truth. He tells stories, which is his way of dealing with his memories and sorting out the truth and the humanity of himself and of everyone else involved in the war. He'll tell a story, then will talk about how much of it is true and how much is fiction, then will tell more about the same story. The reader never knows exactly how much is actual fact. It doesn't matter.. in the act of story telling, the war becomes manageable and real for O'Brien, and certainly for the reader.

It is a war story; however, even the gory parts are so well crafted that I didn't feel turned off; it's very touching and well-told.

Attention Scrap Lovers!

Recently I received a whole bunch of fabrics and scraps that were donated to our guild. I'm now in charge of figuring out what to do with it all. I have been sorting through tons of scraps!

If you're a scrap lover, wouldn't you love to have a few more? I know you're needing some new scraps so you don't have duplicates in your postage stamp quilt, or you're making a big Legos (skinny strips) quilt, or you want more scraps for some "made fabric?!"

The big pieces will be put into our store which we run every year during our show. Therefore I am offering the scraps for sale as well. If you want any of my scraps, please let me know. For a mere $5 you can have a nice pile like this:

Scraps vary from about 3.5-inch wide to 1.5-inch wide. Some are pieces, some are strips. Some are probably vintage, most are cotton, but there are some cotton-poly blends here and there.

$5 will cover the purchase of the scraps (to benefit my local guild) and postage. Just let me know. You could pay me through Pay Pal, or write a check. If you're interested, I can tell you how to proceed.

By purchasing these scraps you'll be helping my guild AND helping clear out my living room!

Friday Books: Christmas Blizzard

This week's book is A Christmas Blizzard by Garrison Keillor. This is a short novel, somewhat on the Christmas Carol theme. A guy who hates Christmas ends up being stuck in a blizzard. Various things happen, and he has a change of heart.

Reading this book was like listening to Keillor do his Lake Wobegon monologues. He wanders off the topic into surprising and varied territory, but always comes back and ties it up nicely. I love how his mind wanders and creates. Very imaginative.

I enjoyed this book a lot. If you're a total realist you might not; then again.. why not open your mind and let creativity in for a nice day's read.

This picture reminds me of the saying, "there is no bad weather, just bad clothes." What was she thinking??