Mrs. Mary Lee's next finish

Before the flu came for a long visit, I worked on another of Mrs. Mary Lee's quilts. (My parents' neighbor. I wrote about one of her quilts here and about another finish quilt here.) I've had three quilt tops for, uhm, four months already. Anna brought them when she picked up the last ones, but we discussed my getting to them after the holidays. It's after the holidays, so...

For the most part, Anna gives me carte blanche on the quilting. That is the most fun! Stress-free play! And while I do enjoy piecing my own quilts, I really enjoy playing on the longarm. 

Here are a few pictures of the back where, hopefully you can see the quilting.

Thanks for visiting!

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Coral

I was at a total loss for this week's SQI. So I decided to let the fates and Pinterest help me out. I chose the number five. Then I opened my Pinterest app and looked at the fifth item on my feed. I got lucky! It's this pretty building. I immediately focused on that coral. So, coral it is. Yes, life can be that easy.

Pin It Weekly (sometimes) #306

Hahaha, how do you like that honest title? First there was that depressive episode, then Rich and I took my sister to Houston to a doctor's appointment, and now we have what must be the flu. I'm not sure. But before you ask--yes, we both got the flu shots this year. Have you? Let's Pinterest, shall we? We'll start with A Touch of Hippy, who has only one board, called "boho" which is full of the cutest ideas. 

Here's Emily Taylor. I don't know if she follows Fleur de Lis Quilts, but I do follow her. Here are a few reasons why:

You know someone willing to use up fabric scraps is a girl I'm gonna like! Last one is BuzzinBumble. 

Have a great weekend. Here's praying you don't have the flu (or whatever this crud is).

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Tee Shirts

I've had several friends ask me about the tee shirt quilts that I've made. That got me thinking about layouts, so I thought I'd share a few with you. This first one is probably the easiest one to use because you can cut all the tees the same size.

As you can see, making a tee-shirt can be quite creative. If the goal is to get as many tees as possible into the quilt, this last one is a good way to go--cut the designs as small as you can and play with placement to get everything to fit. It's difficult until you get the hang of it. I like to work in chunks and keep a few designs out that I can use as fillers. (I don't cut them until I see what size I'll need.)

Some people create a grid before cutting. If you decide to use this sort of aide, remember to add the seam allowance when cutting and know that you can't deviate from the plan, so measure your shirt designs carefully. 

And finally, while you're cutting out designs, keep in mind that it's possible to use any design on a shirt. Pockets, logos, appliques and embroidery can be used in the small areas. To get to a sleeve design, simply cut the sleeve off the shirt and cut seams open from wrist to armpit. You'll be able to lay the sleeve flat. 

Of pills, blood pressure and bags

I have sisters. Lots of sisters. Seven, as a matter of fact. 

We all grew up in very close proximity: three bedrooms and one bathroom--for a family of 10. 

Nothing special, all utilitarian.

There are no brothers. That seems to make us unusual: eight girls and no boys. If I had a nickel for every time...

The orange paper is the size
of a medical card or ID.

We are all adults now. Growing old together, it turns out. Most of us are grandmothers. I said just a couple of days ago that it was wonderful to grow up with many sisters close in age, because we always had friends. But as we grow older, we realize that we are experiencing aches and pains at about the same rate. Hmm, I hope we take care of each other like we did when we played together. 

Lots of space for pill bottles

Our families call us "the sisters." And they aren't always being nice about it.  "The sisters" text each other.  "The sisters" have secrets.  "The sisters." It's almost as though we're an anomaly or a rock band. 

Anyway, two of the sisters are experiencing medical issues. One is taking quite a bit of medicine and must carry a blood pressure cuff. Hence these two small bags. The smaller one for her cuff; the larger one for her meds. If there aren't many medicines, the cuff bag can fit into the larger bag. Convenient, no? Do you think they'll work? I didn't take time to quilt them, because hopefully, these are a temporary necessity. I'll be happier when she doesn't need them.

On Friday I brought her a small sampler quilt that I made years ago to cheer her up a bit. It fits nicely in their living room decor, so if it gets tossed on the sofa, it may look like a planned thing. Before we left I held it up to get a picture since I lost the ones I'd taken before.  Can you tell that I'm not tall enough to do this? My arms don't reach to the edges and I was stretched with all I had. There has to be a better way of taking quilt pictures on the fly. Do you see the house in the background? Won't this work?