A little benefit of being sick...

While I wouldn't wish this crud on anyone...I've been forced to just sit as much as possible while I'm fighting this thing.  So...I've been doing the only thing I'm inspired to do these days...piecing flowers for my quilt.  Cutting more hexagons, too.  The cutting part is quite a challenge with 3 kittens who think the fabric & the end of the pencil are great toys.  I've even had to close the door to my studio to keep them out...but I don't do that too often.  They're just so cute...even when they're being ornery.

More flower centers.  I splurged on some new fabrics with a 1930s feel to them.  The green in front is from the Betty Dear collection...I got the charm pack & since there were 2 of each of most of the 5" squares, I was able to cut 6 hexagons to make the flower center.  The red hiding in the upper right corner is from the same collection.  You can also see some of the Story Book collection prints I got on eBay awhile back...Pinocchio in yellow & in blue...and The 3 Little Pigs with that Big Bad Wolf in green.  I have other juvenile 1930s reproductions to add to my quilt, too. 

 

Here's a completed flower...the inside round is a vintage 1930s print from Grandma...the outside is a reproduction.  I'm happy with how they go together...I love 1930s prints.

 

These are all reproduction prints from various sources.  I've been collecting them for so long I can't remember where they all came from.  I have a little red child's suitcase from the 1950s...I kept some of my dolls & their clothes in it...now it holds my 1930s fabrics.  Perfect!

 

One more for today...and one of my favorites so far.  I have always loved blue & yellow together...and these prints are awesome for that color combo. 

 

OK...the kittens SEEM to be occupied by the window I opened back here.  Maybe they'll stay there so I can go trace & cut more hexagons.  I ironed quite a few pieces of my fabric collection so I could have a big assortment of hexies to choose from.  Next I'll get tired of cutting & I'll get back to piecing more.  I am piecing a lot of the centers when I can't sleep at night...so more to come soon.

 

We're due for storms here...and the winds are kicking up.  It's nice getting a bit of fresh air in here before we have to close it up again.  After the next couple days of getting the tail end of the devastating storms that went through the center of the country...we'll be back into the 50s which is too cold for open windows.  Thanks heavens it's not looking like our storms will be as severe.  My heart is with all those people who have been hit by the tornados this weekend.  

 

 

 

 

A few flowers for another COLD Spring Day...

After a glorious Easter Sunday with SUN & temps approaching 80...then a Monday of still warm but very hazy sun...we're back into the 40s here in NE Ohio.  I really hate living here, but we're stuck for now.  They're saying it may be a couple WEEKS before we see such nice weather again...I give up.

 

While working to recover from the crud I caught...I've been piecing some more flowers...and buying some new 1930s reproduction fabrics, too.  Retail therapy seems to be some of the best medicine at times.  Thanks for Etsy as I sure couldn't get out to a quilting store. 

 

The pink leaves print here is some of the vintage 1930s fabric I found of my Grandma's...such a wonderful print...wish I had more.  I keep hoping there's some box of fabric hidden somewhere in this house that I haven't yet discovered...wouldn't that be a treat?

 

Vintage fabric for the first round...reproduction for the outside of the flower.  They play nicely together.

 

I really LOVE this one...all reproduction fabrics, but wonderful ones.  I must get more yellow prints.

 

And one last flower for today.  I have more done but not pressed or photographed...and I'm now piecing more of the center rounds then I need to cut more hexagons for the outer round.  It's working quite well to do just some of each task at a time.  I know me & if I had to sit & cut all the hexagons at once I'd go nuts & pack the whole thing away.  I get bored easily & need to mix it up.

 

By the way...I figured out I need around 120-130 of the flowers to make the quilt a slightly oversized Queen quilt...so I have lots & lots more flowers to create.  I haven't done a count yet...but will post a progress report when I get a bit farther along. 

 

I was feeling a bit better when I could sit outside in the sun over the weekend...but I think the infection is still in my lungs...and I feel worse with the cold weather.  I always feel bad during cold weather, but I think the crud might need another kick in the butt.  Guess I'll call the doc tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Out of Commision...

 

SO...I'm sicker than I can ever remember...and when I got in to see my Doc on Friday he said if I had waited a couple more days I'd be in the hospital.  I get a bad sinus thing going on during much of the year here in O-HELL-O...asthma sucks...but usually it will go away given time & some OTC meds...along with the Albuterol that keeps me breathing here.  Not this time...it feels like when I had pneumonia years ago.  I like my Doc, though...he's not doing tests to decide exactly what it is...but treating me for probable pneumonia.  I'm on an antibiotic & Prednisone...which I hate but he gave me a low dose...and a supplemental inhaler...& I can tell it's helping.  I'm not sleeping very well...and coughing so much that it hurts...but hopefully in a week or so this crud will be gone.

I have pix of more flowers to share but for now the one flower above will have to do.  I'll be back when I'm human again.  Wish me luck!

A Very Peachy Swap

The April Swap in A Swap For All Seasons had a Mother's Day theme & the color was peach.  I don't often work with peach, so it was a good challenge.  The beautiful card above was the one I received from my swap partner, Jayne.  It has just the right bit of sparkle to it...simply lovely.

 

This is my tag from Jayne.  I love how she enclosed it in a little coordinating sleeve...and those ladies look as if they're ready to go shopping at Selfridge's and hopefully run into Mr. Selfridge himself!

 

This is just part of the wonderful peach destash that Jayne sent my way. 

 

And this is the rest of the wonderful destash...I'll have fun with all these peachy goodies!  Everything was wrapped in a peach towel...but the kittens took that over right away & it was already in the laundry when I took these photos.

 

Thanks so much, Jayne...I love all my swap stuff!

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This is the package I sent out to Sherry in CA. 

 

Inside was this card...I love those little girls with their tea party.

 

This is the tag I created for Sherry.  The flowers are peach lily of the valley, but they remind me of the Coral Bells that my Mom & Grandma used to grow when I was a little girl...MANY moons ago!

 

The destash I sent to Sherry included some vintage lace...

 

...some of my hand dyed ribbon & tags...

 

...and some other peachy & vintage style destash.  Sherry said she loved it all...so that makes me very happy.  Sherry...it was fun to get to know you, too!

 

I'm taking a bit of a break from the next swap, but the theme is Weddings & Love & the colors are white & ivory.  It's too late to sign up, but Linda will have a giveaway on April 15th...and you can check the blog along the way for some ideas & vintage images, too.  Thanks to Linda for hosting yet another fun swap!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well that was better...but it's over...

Yesterday on April Fool's Day we actually had 71 degrees & SUN!  I was able to wrestle with the one back window to get the storm window pushed up & the screen pulled down.  This was the first fresh air in here since probably October...and the first time since the kittens came inside that they could smell what was on the other side of these walls.  Gracie was the first one up there...and she stayed there for hours.  The boys got bored after awhile...but they all seemed to enjoy it.

Of course...this being O-HELL-O...today is 41 & cloudy.  We lost 30 degrees overnight.  I've said it before & I'll say it again...Ohio SUCKS & I absolutely HATE living here!  Thank heavens I was able to escape & live in S CA for most of my adult life.  I have no idea how the people who have lived here all their lives endure it.  I guess they just don't know any better.

The forecasters are mentioning SNOW as a possibility through next week.  Just shoot me!