death · family · losing dad · quilting

Two Blocks Shy…


I started cutting squares for baby Z’s quilt tonight. I somehow cut my piece of fabric one 10″ strip short of what it needed to be. Therefore, I am short two 10″ blocks to make up my home cut “layer cake”.  But, at least I have 40 of them cut. I will have to cut more off the yardage I purchased and get it washed and pressed before I can cut the last two.

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On August 20th, the day after my last post, all normal routine came to an abrupt halt when it became clear that it was time to call in hospice care for my father. Some of you will remember that I have mentioned his struggle with Alzheimer’s here before. His battle is over. He passed peacefully just before 4 a.m. on Monday morning, August 22, 2016, laying beneath this quilt that I made him several years ago. It was one of his most treasured possessions. He was so proud of it. It seems surreal to have it back here in my home, where I presented it to him what does not feel like so very long ago. Soon, when I can collect my thoughts on this, and have ample time to devote to sitting down and writing it, there will be much longer, very personal post about our experience with this disease, and my dad’s death. For now, I leave you with a snippet of Daddy’s quilt. Goodnight.

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Blended family · Casa de Ortega · grief · Life after loss · quilting · Widow · Wife

Oh Boy! Good Mail Day!


The rest of the fabrics I ordered to go with the ones I pulled from my stash for soon to be Baby Z’s quilt arrived today! I have to get these washed and pressed so I can get started cutting my squares! I’m so excited to see how this comes together! 


If you’ve read the previous post, you know I’m planning to make a chevron quilt. The light gray print on bottom will be the background for the zig zags in the other colors. Then there may or may not be an appliqué added on top in the darker gray in this next photo. 


Either way, I can’t wait to work on it! I absolutely adore this next piece of fabric. I only ordered one yard to use  in the  light blue zig zag, but now I think I must get more because this fabric just needs to be the backing also!! I was going to make the backing from the light gray print, but I’m just too in love with this blue and all the sweet sayings in it. 


I needed a dose of  pretty fabric “medicine”. A dear friend passed away yesterday. He was like a brother to my late husband, who passed away five years ago this past May. I think a wonderful reunion is happening on the other side. 

And, my new Prince and I took his young prince back to the  airport today to fly home to his mom and stepdad. We really enjoyed the past two weeks with this sweet young man. I’ve only known him for two years, but our relationship has come very easily. We seem to have bonded well. I already miss having him here. I know Efren does! I wish he didn’t live ten hours away from us, so we could be together much more often. I snapped some pics of him and his dad before we left. Love these guys and I’m thankful to have them in my life now. 

family · quilting

Wrapping Them in Love


Isn’t that one of the best things about being a quilter? Being able to literally wrap your loved ones in something you made with love!? These photos from my daughter-in-law of my sweet grand baby C snuggled in the quilt I made him made my heart melt. 

His big brother C sleeps under this quilt I made for him and I love how it looks on his bed. 

I now have a plan for Baby Z’s quilt, and am anxiously waiting on an order of fabrics to arrive to go with the pieces I have pulled from my stash so I can get started on the piecing. This is the bedding his mom bought for his crib. 

It looks like it was made to go with C’s quilt! What a coincidence! So, I decided that baby Z’s quilt will  be a chevron quilt, and after perusing different ways to put them together, I ran across another tutorial video from Missouri Star Quilt Co. that uses 10″ squares and finishes out at just the size I was wanting to make. They use layer cakes for their tutorial, but I couldn’t find one with the colors I want, so I will cut my own 10″ squares from yardage I have chosen. I also plan to embellish it with some appliqué that goes with the theme my daugter-in-law has chosen for his baby decor. Can’t wait to see how it turns out! 

Blended family · nature · quilting

Sunday Stitching with a View


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This was my view this evening as I sat in my lawn chair and worked on hand stitching the binding on this one. I made the binding Wednesday, and I’m proud to say I’ve made good progress in the snippets of time I could find to spare for it. My goal is to have it finished before this week ends.

Last night, my 5 yr old grandson joined my husband, my 16 yr old stepson, and me for a sleepover at Casa de Ortega, aka Mammy’s house. I had chosen “Grammy” as my grandmother name, but it came out of his mouth as mammy, and it stuck. He has a Mimi, a Memaw, and a Meemaw, all on my daughter -in-law’s side, so it was really no surprise when he pronounced Grammy as Mammy. I had always heard that basically you can choose whatever you think you want to be, but your first grandbaby will call you what they call you and that’s that, lol.

After we dropped him back home to his mom and dad this morning, we spent the whole afternoon into the early evening out at a local lake, with one of my brother-in-laws and part of his family, and my mother-in-law. It was an absolutely beautiful day for some fishing, kayaking, and just sitting enjoying the beauty around us.


We don’t get my stepson nearly as often as we would like, because he lives 10 hours away and so we have to make the most of the too short visits we get. It warms my heart to see him and his dad having a great day together.


I hope your Sunday was blessed and have a marvelous Monday tomorrow.

quilting

WIP Wednesday 


Since it’s Wednesday, I’m happy to say I  actually pulled another WIP out if the closet today. All it needs is binding. I now have the binding made, pressed and ready to attach. 

A simple jelly roll 1600 quilt, but I really love the fabrics in this one and the quilting on it with the red thread. Looking forward to having it finished! 

I’ll leave you with some random photos I took on a little outing to a local lake. Just because they made me smile when I saw them tucked in this tree. Mushrooms. 😊


Essential oils · favorite things · Sugar scrubs · wild rose quilter

Some of My Favorite Things


Last night, while the men in the house were watching UFC fights, I stepped in the kitchen and whipped up some sugar scrubs. I absolutely love them and it’s  so quick and easy to whip up a few batches. There are lots of recipes on the internet, Pinterest, etc. for inspiration. I use organic coconut oil and Young Living essential oils to make mine. For my base, I use 2 cups of sugar, white granulated, brown sugar, mix of both, whatever mood strikes me, and 1/2 cup of organic coconut oil. My favorite I have found so far is Bountiful Baskets organic expeller pressed coconut oil. I’m going to be sad when my big jar is empty if I haven’t been able to get my hands on another. I love this stuff!! 


Then I add 10 to 12 drops of the essential oil or oils of my choice. For example, if I use one I would put 12 drops of it, or if I use two oils I add 6 drops of each and so on and so forth. Sometimes I throw in a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Blend it all together til  well blended. I use my Kitchenaid stand mixer. 

White sugar mix:


A brown sugar mix:


Some recipes call for melting your coconut oil first. I haven’t found that step to be necessary.  It might depend on the brand of coconut oil and/or the temperature of the oil when you start. 

I find  with that amount of sugar and oil that I can fill four 4 oz. mason jars with one batch. Sometimes five, depending on whether I pack it down in the jar or just loosely spoon it in. Great for pampering yourself in the bath or shower, and for gifting. A note of caution, they can make your tub or shower floor a bit slippery. So take care when using. 

In no time at all last night, I whipped up a batch of coconut lime, orange with vanilla, and a brown sugar blend with lemon, lavender, peppermint, and vanilla. Mmmmm….


There are so many more combinations to try!  I also want to try some salt scrubs. Do you make your own scrubs? What are your favorites? If you haven’t tried them yet, maybe this will inspire you to treat yourself. Have a splendid Sunday, y’all!

quilting

Absolutely Ridiculous…


…that it took me so long to put the final stitches in the binding of this one. 


At least it’s finally finished. I love the way it looks on my pine log bed. We will enjoy using it. The pattern is Quarter Log Cabin from Eleanor Burns’ Still Stripping book. Two finishes in a week! That hasn’t happened in so long that I can’t remember when it happened last. 

quilting

Peaches!!


It’s Cunningham peach truck day here and I have already made it out to get some. I look forward to their arrival every year. So good! I love to just eat them fresh, but a few of these will find their way into some cobbler. 😋


I leave shortly to make the two hour drive to the nearest airport to pick up my stepson for his summer visit. He lives in Texas, also, but the opposite end. The distance between us is a 10 hour drive. We could drive to Canada and across a few other states to get there about as quickly as to him, in the same state. Seems crazy, huh? That’s Lone Star life. I better get going! 

Blended family · family · freehand quilting · longarm quilting · quilting · quilts · Wedding · Widow

I Have a Finish!


Oh it feels so good! I finished Baby C’s quilt tonight. I can’t wait to get it washed and take it to him. ❤️


I love the 10 Minute Block pattern and tutorial. Such a fun, fast and easy pattern. 

I have so many WIP’s waiting in line to be finished, but first, I must start a new quilt! Because somewhere near the end of October, there will be another sweet baby boy for this Mammy to love! I’ve been looking over patterns the past couple of days, trying to settle on one. It definitely needs to be another fast and easy! 

The wedding, by the way, was just lovely. My new husband and I sat on the front row with my step-daughter and her husband and the other two sets of grandparents, with one chair  left empty for the grandfather that was there in spirit and in hearts. It was sweet. It was beautiful. It was perfect. 💙