Friday, May 6, 2011

Blocks - Both Old and New


Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that suppose to mean? In my heart it don't mean a thing.
~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987

It's so hard to be miles and miles away from family.  Yesterday I found out that my DD#1 and her two young sons were in a car accident.  Nobody was injured but her car received a lot of damage.  It's a terrible feeling when you can't go and give your daughter a hug.  Or you can't give your grandsons a great big kiss.  Megan has a lot of stiffness and some bruising in her back.  The grandsons were safely tucked into their car seats and came through with not so much as a scratch.  In fact, they got to go sit up in the great big fire truck and wear the head phones while mom talked to the police officer - how cool for them.  I don't care how old your daughter or sons is, they will always be your child.  Being a mother doesn't end when they move out as adults, even if it's to another state.  The constant worry you had when they were small has diminished some but you still want to be there when something happens - good or bad.  Your children are still your babies no matter how old they get!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY


May is ALS Awareness Month.  ALS stands for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is commonly called Lou  Gehrig's Disease.  ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.  Based on U.S. population studies, a little over 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. (That's 15 new cases a day.) It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time.  Most people who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70, with an average age of 55 at the time of diagnosis. However, cases of the disease do occur in persons in their twenties and thirties.  There are several research studies – past and present – investigating possible risk factors that may be associated with ALS. More work is needed to conclusively determine what genetics and/or environment factors contribute to developing ALS. It is known, however, that military veterans, particularly those deployed during the Gulf War, are approximately twice as likely to develop ALS.  Half of all people affected with ALS live at least three or more years after diagnosis. Twenty percent live five years or more; up to ten percent will live more than ten years.  As some of you may know, I was diagnosed with ALS in 2001.  I am one of the lucky 10%!  If you should have any questions concerning ALS, please do not hesitate to ask either through a comment or by email.  Or you can click on the big red A on my sidebar.  I'm NOT looking for sympathy - so please don't tell me how sorry you are -  I just wanted you to be aware that May is ALS month.

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ANOTHER BEE BLOCK

Yesterday I made another block for one of the May hostesses of Let's Bee Together (we have two groups)...

Mollie sent some beautiful fabric to work with but the pieces were a bit small (3 pieces of 9 X 11 - half of a fat quarter) so it was difficult to find a block pattern that would work.  I used a block called Antique Tile but altered it just a bit so it would work with the fabric available.  I like how it turned out and hope Mollie does too.

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UFO FOUND - NOW A WIP

The other day when I was rearranging shelves I found this bag.....

What did it contain?  It contained some blocks, some bags and a few computer printed pictures.  Looking through I discovered it was a Thimbleberries BOM from 2005!  It's called Americana and was purchased from Quilters Quarter ( a company I think is no longer in business).  I vaguely remember working on it.  I also remember getting quite discouraged.

This is what the quilt will look like once I get everything made up. I had previously made up 12 of the blocks......
 
I think Weasley has found his favorite block - lol!  I think I know why I quit working on it.  Looking at the seams, these were obviously made before I bought my 1/4" foot for my sewing machine.  A lot of the seams measure 3/8" while others measure the correct 1/4".  No wonder I got frustrated if the blocks weren't coming out to the correct size.  I did do a fairly good job with matching seams and making nice points though.   I don't think there's a uniform size block in the whole bunch.  I really like the colors and the design of the blocks.  So today I decided I will start working on this quilt again.  Even if it's just one block a day or one block a week.  Heck, if I've waited this long I don't think I need to be in a rush to finish it.  It will be interesting to see what happens when I try assembling the entire top.  I may have to do some fudging here and there. I made a block yesterday.....

This block is called Spinner.  At first I tried sewing the seams a little larger than I normally would.  Do you know how hard it is to make the seams larger than 1/4" when you now always make 1/4" seams?  It was very frustrating so I just gave up and made the seams the right size.  I did have to substitute out the light blue fabric as the first cut I made was 1/8" off and there wasn't enough fabric to make two more blocks.  Oh well, the colors were almost identical to the original piece.  Only 13 more blocks and the center flag to make!!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will make two more Americana blocks.  And hopefully have time to work on the Birdie Stitches BOM.

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GIVEAWAYS

Quilter In The Gap is having a giveaway.  You could win the book Modern Basics by Amy Ellis and 10-1/2yd cuts of Sunkissed and 5/8 yd to use for the binding to make the 1,2,3 quilt in the book.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, May 10, at midnight.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway.  This week you could win a Dena Fishbein Kumari Garden fat quarter bundle in Morning.  The winner will be selected on May 11. 

I Have A Notion is having a giveaway.  Kelly is giving away a Beam and Read Light.  She will announce the winner on Sunday, May 8.

Green Fairy Quilts is having a giveaway.  Judi is giving away a fat quarter bundle of "Trick or Treat" by Doodlebug Design Inc for Riley Blake Designs.  The winner will be announced on Monday night, May 9.

Red Pepper Quilts is having a sponsored giveaway.  Canton Village Quilt Works is giving away a half yard bundle of Robert Kaufman Kona Solid quilting cottons in a range of lovely Spring colors to one lucky reader.  This giveaway ends Saturday, May 7, at 2:00 pm EDT.

A Latte Quilts is having a giveaway.  Paula is giving away four different kits to four lucky winners.  This giveaway ends tonight at midnight CST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Sunday is Mother's Day.  Do you have big plans?  Will you be celebrating with your Mother or with family?  We will be having my mother and sister over for dinner on Sunday.  Probably barbecue of some sort but beyond that I'm not sure what will be on the menu.  My DD#2 and her husband will not be coming up since they were just here two weeks ago and will be returning in two weeks for my birthday.  Actually, that was my choice - having them here for my b-day instead of this Sunday.  I will honor my mother as I should by allowing her to do absolutely nothing while she is here.  It will be a time for her to stay out of the kitchen, away from the cooking chores and the clean up.  A day to celebrate her.  After all, she has been a mother for 55 years and at 83 years old I think she deserves a day of rest.  And to all of you mothers out there....HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

36 comments:

Donna said...

So glad daughter and grandchildren were okay after the accident. Happy quilting.

Barbara said...

Oh my goodness, that quilt made up looks daunting! It will be awesome!
Giving thanks and Happy Mother's Day to you too. Love the cartoon!

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Oh, I can relate - my daughter had an accident (driven off the road) and 6 mos. preg. Yes, always your child.

I love your old UFO! and that you are sticking to slowly and hopefully enjoying a finish with it.

My Mother's Day is all weekend - Finishing my 2nd Hands2Help quilt while listening to my opera. The church has a pancake supper Sat. and the fire dept has BBQ chicken dinner Sun - I;m not cooking (or cleaning up).

Enjoy your weekend.

rosie said...

A beautiful post Linda. Hope everyone is okay. Couldn't bear it if this happened to my daughter. We are so lucky she is not very far away. Thankyou for all your information you provided, will go back and read it properly. Take care..

Melissa Corry said...

what a cool WIP you found. It will be stunning when it is done and the blocks you have done already look fantastic!!

Cheryl said...

So sorry to hear about your DD's accident, but I am glad everyone is ok. Hooray, I am glad such a nice lady is in that 10%. Blow their stats away with another 10 years! Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Vesuviusmama said...

Glad to hear your family is OK. I know that knot of concern will never go away for me, so when my boys tell me they are never moving out, or then say, well, maybe we'll move out and live next door, I don't mind one bit! I've spent quite a bit of time far away from my family, and I really prefer for us all to be close together. Thanks for that cute Mother's Day comic - I had to share that with others.

And if you are one of the lucky 10%, what does that make us, the lucky 500 who have been blessed with your positive, creative, generous presence in our "virtual" lives?

Average Quilter said...

I agree - it's so hard that my daughter and 4 grandbabies live so far away. A one day drive wouldn't be so bad but not 2. At least I don't have to babysit

Joanna said...

Love that cartoon:) I'm not a mom but yesterday was speaking with my sister who has two grown sons. She was telling me how she was helping her 40 year old with some life problem that came up, so your opening paragraph reminded me of it. Hope you have a wonderful day with your mom.

Jocelyn said...

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter's accident. Glad to hear they are all okay. Love the cartoon :-)

Peach Rainbow said...

Sorry to hear about your daughter and the kids, Glad they are o.k.

No, I am not going to say sorry, I am so proud of you, for all that you do to inspire people.

Wishing you lots more healthy years to continue to be an inspiration to all of us!

Bailey said...

Glad your daughter and family were safe. Love the block for Mollie, it's very sharp looking! Have a great day!

Lynette said...

I'm so glad your daughter and grandsons are OK! love the fabrics in the bee block you made, and the flag quilt will be wonderful.

Rhonda the Rambler said...

I think the instinct to be "mom" only deepens when you become grandma. I really liked that portion of you post today. Thank you for confirming I am not nuts or obsessive just a mom.

Staci said...

So Glad your daughter and grandchildren are okay--those are words to chill your heart, when your child calls and says, "Mom, there's been an accident. . ." I hope we never hear them again!

Have a lovely weekend!

Needled Mom said...

I'm so glad that your daughter and grandsons are okay. Yes, they are always our children no matter how old they get.

I know that the National ALS day is important for you, but also for so many others that suffer from ALS. It is nice to have a special day where attention is brought and for us to read the progress being made in it.

Your Thimbleberries blocks look great, but I know what you mean about that inaccurate 1/4 inch seam. Grrr. It will be interesting to see how it works out and what magic you come up with for solving the problem!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Maria said...

Sorry to hear of your daughter's accident but pleased to hear she and your grandsons are okay.
Thank you for making me aware of ALS. Had not heard of it so clicked on your big A and read about it.
Your UFO looks interesting good luck getting it completed.

Megan Harmeyer said...

I'm doing much better today - physically and mentally. Still with the aches and pains but better than it was. Yay chiropractors! Anyway...I like your UFO/WIP. Weasley looks like he's about to pounce on something. No plans for Mother's Day, though Wendi and I will be hanging out tomorrow (sans kids of all ages). I wish I could be there to celebrate Mother's Day with you!

PolkaDotClassic said...

Happy to hear they are OK :)
You'r UFO is very pretty!
Hopefully we get so see the whole thing soon.
Have a Happy Mother's Day
My mom is in another country visiting my grandmother but I will be be right home with my two babies, three if you count my husband LOL
PS
I totaly love your cartoon
it is to true :)

Kathy H said...

Have a happy mother's day. I like the blocks you have done for your thimbleberries quilt. I have found projects that I had started and stopped when cleaning up the stash piles. I am always wondering why I didn't finish them.

Anonymous said...

Glad your daughter and kids are alright...what you said is so true. I still pray (instead of worrying!) about my kids, and my youngest is 23 now. I love your Thimbleberries BOM. Isn't it funny to bring out something that we did years ago, and see how we've progressed? At least I hope I'm progressing! LOL
Jacque in SC
quiltnsrep(at)yahoo(dot)com

quiltzyx said...

I'm glad to hear that your daughter & grandies are OK after the accident. My Dad once told me that he didn't mind dented cars so much, but dented DAUGHTERS were NOT allowed!

Happy Mother's Day to you!!!

Christine M said...

I'm glad to hear your daughter and grandsons are okay. I hope you and your mother have a lovely Mother's Day. I'll be spending mine at the football (Australian Rules) as the 3 boys play! Hugs, Christine

Talin's Corner said...

First, I am glad to hear that your family is okay.

Second, what a great find...UFO that needs finishing.

And lastly, Happy Mother's Day!

Char said...

Glad to here your daughter and the Grands are okay.
Have a wonderful Mother's day!

Cheryll said...

10% eh?.... I always knew YoU were special! Take care! :)

Catskill Quilter said...

Linda, as usual you perked up my day - starting with your great choice of quotes! I really related to your comments on grown children being distant. I live in Florida, near my companion's children, but far from mine! I have a daughter in Brooklyn, a daughter in Sweden (and she has the grandchildren - sigh...) and a son in St.Louis. I miss them every day - but with the internet we are at least always connected. Please keep being in that 10% -- I have already grown to look forward to reading your comments every day, and I appreciate you!

joe tulips said...

Glad to hear everyone came out of the car accident okay! (I saw her comment and went over to her blog and saw the car...YIKES)
The thimble berries quilt will be so happy when it is done and...
Happy Mother's Day! and many MANY more!

Lucky Duck Dreams said...

This was a timely post as just yesterday a wonderfully lady and close family friend, Pat, passed away from ALS. She was diagnosed about a year ago. Hers was top down and she deteriorated so fast, yet was stubborn and hung on a couple of months longer then expected. She was as independant as someone who could barely move or breathe could be and could no longer eat or speak. She leaves her husband Ed, who was her best friend and childhood sweetheart behind. She was only 59. I will add you to my prayer list and I am blessed to read your blog and am in awe of your strength.

Barbara said...

I've always said that it's more worrisome to parent adult children than it s to arent little ones. They make their own decisions. All I can do is watch, hope, and worry. It's hard to keep my mouth shut sometimes, but they are great kids.

Your positive attitude is very inspirational. I can only hope that I would greet ALS with as much grace as you have.

yorkie mom said...

I truely enjoy your blog! great info and beautiful visually! glad your family is well! And about the other... You go girl! I have MS and also not looking for sympathy! Every day is a gift and lots more life to live!

Belinda said...

I'm in love with your Let's Bee Together block. IN LOVE!
Tomorrow, my daughter, my mother-in-law and I are all attending our church's annual Mother's Day Breakfast. After church, the hubs is taking me out to eat. I am a happy girl. :)

Nancy said...

Linda,

Happy Mother's Day to you. I hope you have a wonderful day with your mom. You are indeed lucky to still have her with you.

Brita said...

We celebrated yesterday, and had the best time! I blogged about all the fun things we did. Have a great day, everyone. Wish I had my Mom with me, but I'll be remembering her all day.

Raewyn said...

Pleased your daughter and family are ok - what a fright though and it is hard being away from family at times like that. Mollies blockis lovely - the little bird in the corner is a neat touch. It's not till we pull out an old project like your one that we see how much how skills have developed - have fun with your WIP. Love the cartoon!!!

Anne said...

Happy Mother's Day to you, Linda! Love the "Let's Bee" block! Another with an Asian-inspired look that I adore.

Relieved to hear that your daughter and grandsons weren't injured!

Loved your Toni Morrison quote! I so enjoyed "Beloved." My mother used to say, "I have worried about you since the day you were born, and I will continue to worry until the day I die." Bless her heart. She worried about me for 34 years.

So thankful that you fall into the 10% of ALS patients who survive more than 10 years. You are an inspiration!

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