LaVieEnRosie

AWOBL

Absent with out blogging leave.  I'm making a habit of this -- and it isn't a good habit to have.  I'm sorry about that but it seems that curve balls aren't just for playoff baseball.  

Everything here is fine, but it has definitely been an up-and-down sort of month and the only constant is that any plans or schedule I tried to make was bound to change before the ink had dried.  

So what have I missed in this past month?

Rosie had a birthday.  She turned a grand 12 years old.  We celebrated with her favorite birthday dinner.

 She was rather annoyed that I wouldn't share the Frosty that came with the Combo meal.  If I had known that Vanilla was an option ~ when did they start doing those? ~ I would have gotten it so she could have had it some.  

After lunch, she did what she does best these days...

Actually, I took this picture last night.  I have loved those eyelashes since she was a puppy.  And those feet still smell like hot-buttered popcorn.  She was sleeping so soundly that my taking pictures didn't wake her.  She's been a little stressed out lately with all the goings-on here so she's been trying to catch up on the sleep she missed.  

My Mom was in the hospital for about two weeks and just came home this past Sunday.  That was after being in the hospital for about a week in August, all related to the same issues.  The long and the short of it all is that she started having some small seizures related to little bits of plaque in her carotid artery breaking off and causing small, temporary clots.  No strokes, just a few small seizures and "episodes" that leave her unable to move or control her left arm or leg.  The first seizure came in the middle of the night and resulted in a call to 911.  While waiting in the Emergency Room, we lamented over how sad and pathetic we were... we had to call 911 to get some good-looking men in the bedroom at night.  Her fall was caused by the onset of more seizures -- they really were more like tremors and twitches than what most of us think of as seizures.  

She was scheduled for surgery -- a carotid endorectomy -- and the day before surgery, after finishing up pre-op appointments at the hospital and doctor's office, she fell.  I had run out to do a couple of quick errands so I could be around when she got home after surgery... yeah, great plan that.  And yes, major guilt about not being here when she fell.  To make it worse, she fell hard enough to put a hole in the wall.  I would show you a picture of it but then you wouldn't believe me when I told you that she's fine and didn't hurt herself.  After trying to call and not getting an answer, I raced home.  (For those "friends" who have thrown me under the bus about the way I drive... this is proof that my sort of driving skills can be useful!)  I got home to find her on the floor unable to get up, necessitating another call to 911 and another trip to the Emergency Room.  

On a side note... remember those French policemen I mentioned?  They've got nothing on Arizona paramedics and firemen.  Oy vey.  My Mom noticed that too.     

But back to my Mom... Fortunately for her, extremely hard heads have been in our gene pool since the ancestors climbed out of the primordial ooze.  It took an MRI to confirm that after two CT scans showed a spot that neurologists initially diagnosed as bleeding on her brain.  Surgery was rescheduled and performed, and everything went beautifully.  

Except that she just couldn't do things the easy way.  

During recovery, she was having some breathing problems, mostly not being able to get deep breaths and maintain the necessary oxygen level.  More tests, a couple of speculative diagnoses and... Valley Fever.  Coccidioidomycosis.  Valley Fever... it's easier.  It is a fungal disease that causes breathing difficulties and problems.  The good news is that it is treatable, the bad news is that it can be serious and the cure can be almost as bad as the disease itself.  So while my Mom gets tired easily, she's doing pretty well... though she's not drinking enough water or fluid.  On another side note, why is it that everybody I know who is looking after an elderly parent has the same problem ~ we can't get them to drink enough liquid.  

The best medicine was having the "Golden Child" come for a visit.  That always makes her happy.

And while he was here, Rosie ate his sunglasses.  

Thankfully, some things don't change.  

While my Mom was in the hospital and Rosie was eating sunglasses, a big box of books arrived.  Can you believe I missed that?  

As much as I loved the quilts in the first book, I think I like these even better.  As with Times Two, there are  twelve projects included in Another Bite, two of which are completely new.  Though I am wondering why there are 29 quilts in the book when there are only twelve projects.  Actually, it's kind of your fault as you gave me ideas for tweaking two of the designs to make a simple variation.  Before I forget, since I've already gotten a few e-mails asking me about what fabric collections were used for each of the quilts, here is the list.  

Another Bite of Schnibbles ~ Fabric Listing

All of the ups and downs of the past month have meant that I've changed my plans a bit for this Fall.  I had to cancel a couple of classes and I won't be going to Houston for Fall Market.  While there is still an outside chance that I'll be there on Friday to do a Schoolhouse for Martingale, I won't be at Market itself.  I'm a bit disappointed, but as before, that is mostly because it will mean not seeing some of the folks that I only see at Market.  Of course, with fewer and fewer folks exhibiting at every Market, I don't miss as many people as I once would have... if that makes sense.   

That's all I can think of right now... I'm sure I've missed something, forgotten something, etc.  But now that things are settling down, there is a good chance I will remember what it is.  I will be back this coming week with a book or two to giveaway... and some of this fabric...

And maybe something else.  After all, it is sort of a Birthday week around these parts.  

Which reminds me...

Happy Birthday to Polly Minick and Miss Pink Pincushion ~ aka Sinta!

Happy Birthday to them both.  

I hope you have a terrific weekend.  I'm off to bake a birthday cake and some sewing.  

Maybe I'll just find Rosie and go take a nap.  

 

 

A tale of four houses...

Only three of which I have actually made.

I sort of had to wait for a couple more charm packs to make the last quilt... the one that is actually on the cover of the Full House pattern.

Oops. I haven't actually made that one yet. It is a computer generated image based on the one I did make.

I know. This is getting confusing... but it isn't like you haven't been there before with me, right?

This is the one I haven't made...

Two charm packs of Little Gatherings by Lisa Bongean of Primitive Gatherings. The red is from the La Petite Ecole collection by French General.

I used the same red to bind this quilt...

You'll notice that the houses in the two quilts are exactly the same ~ the same combinations and the same positions. Two charm packs of Little Gatherings and assorted Pie Crust prints for the sashings and borders.

This is what happened. When I make these little quilts, I try to use pieces from the collection. With this one, I liked the idea of the neutral border and sashing since it would mean that all the darker and really light pieces would still show.

But I like red. I thought about one red door. Maybe four or five. A couple of red squares? A single red roof? The quilt was finished before I could decide. As much as I liked it, I still kept thinking it needed red so I decided to use that for the binding ~ the one from La Petite Ecole. Since the binding was going to the photographer anyway ~ the printer would be adding the binding to the picture since the top hadn't been quilted or bound yet ~ I decided to ask for a little computer magic.

Thank you Cristen and Camille.

So there I was... anticipating making another house quilt. And not being the most patient of folks, I wanted to make it now. As in now. Right now. So I'm wanting to make another little house quilt but not having the two charm packs I needed just yet... it was time to start mulling over other options. Hometown? Love it. That would be very cute. Flurry? Just in time for Christmas. That's an option. Hmmm... I still have a little bit of Happy Holiday from last year... that would be really fun.

And then Nine Dots arrived.

Since the project quilt was already done and I wanted to make something now... now ... right now! This was it. It needs quilting and binding ~ a scrap-pieced narrow binding, of course. That is cut, pieced, pressed and ready to go. (I know... sometimes this sort of efficiency scares me too.)

I was seriously considering machine-quilting this one myself ~ yes, I do know how ~ but then I got side-tracked. I had this idea...

A small one.

Tiny Town?

Using a scrappy charm pack of Reproduction fabrics, I made another house quilt using smaller houses and squares. This quilt finishes at 22" x 25".

This will get a red binding, of course.

And since I didn't want you to have to take my word that these houses really were smaller, I took this picture to show the relative size of the two quilts.

If you have a Full House pattern, you just need these numbers to make a version of the little houses.

Full House ~ The One With the Little Houses

If I keep making house quilts, will I have to get a building permit? A contractor's license?

The only thing in my way is that I've been side-tracked again... this time by an interesting little block I've been playing with. It would normally need to be pieced using templates. Or a y-seam. Or after employing some really precise cutting. Ick. There has to be an easier way to make it. I think there is. And then there is the pile of Blueberry Crumb Cake... I've got an idea for what to do with that too.

Actually... that would be very cute in these little houses... I get side-tracked rather easily.

But you already knew that. We've been there before too.

 

Rosie in 2012?

Rosie sleeps at least 18 hours a day.    

She has her food prepared for her and she eats whenever she wants.  Most importantly, her meals are provided to her at no cost.  In fact, every where she goes, people feed her and she never has to pay for any of it.

Rosie visits the doctor at least once a year for her checkup, and whenever there is any kind of bump, lump or other issue that needs to be checked.  For these services, nothing is required of her and she never sees a bill. 

She lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is much larger than she needs, and she is not required to expend any effort or money for its upkeep.  If she makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.  When she travels, she sleeps on the best bed and others make room to accommodate her.  All of these accommodations are provided to her free of charge.

Rosie is living like a Queen and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever.  All of her costs are paid by others who go out and work to pay for her pampered lifestyle.

And that’s when it hit me…

Rosie is a member of Congress!

:

:

This was fashioned from an e-mail sent to me by a good friend.  That e-mail was accompanied by this picture...

 

The Senator and I hope you have a lovely day.  

It's like this...

I'm heading off in one direction and then without notice, something changes and I'm off in another direction.  I know that's what life is all about but really, sometimes I've got other plans.

It's been a busy couple of weeks... okay, three weeks.  But I wasn't counting... or I was trying not to.  I just know there are about three weeks worth of "stuff" to tell you about.  

This arrived a few weeks ago, an advance copy of the new book.  

 

It still seems strange that I've actually published a book.  A real book.  My family can't believe it either.  Carrie?  Our Carrie?  Writing books is for serious people... serious students... experts.  As with the first book, I still find it a little hard to believe that the lovely folks at Martingale didn't hire a ghost-writer or edit like crazy.  Maybe I should put that on my "bucket list"... some day I would like to write a book where readers don't start wondering if I'm nuts.  

While you'll have to wait a little less than three weeks to see the rest of it, I did want to show you something that is included in the acknowledgements...

I really do wish it were possible to thank each of you personally but this will have to do.  For now.  

In Schnibble-related arrivals, I also received boxes and boxes of Schnibbles pattern covers ~ Doc, Full House, Bibelot, Summer Day, Spot and ISTH.  Those were packed and have been going out the door..

As always, each of these quilts was made with two charm packs and some yardage.  The amount of yardage varies but it is never more than 1 1/2 yards total.  The sizes of the quilts vary as well

Never play cards with a someone named Doc.  This is the wonderful Hometown collection by Sweetwater ~ love, love this collection.  (Pssst... Reunion is pretty terrific too.)

I've been trying to figure out how to make a house quilt using charm packs since Schnibble No. 1.  But I could never make the roof work.  It was either going to have to be pieced or be really small.  And then while piecing a whole gaggle of flying geese, I got an idea on how I could adapt Monique's method to make flying geese to get the roof I wanted.  

This is the Little Gatherings collection by Lisa Bongean of Primitive Gatherings.  The red is from French General's La Petite Ecole.  (Pssst... Rouenneries Deux is gorgeous.  Kaari is doing a giveaway of some pre-cuts so make sure you enter!)  

A "bibelot" is small object of curiosity, a trinket.  The fabric is Curio by Basic Grey and this is one of those little quilts that sort of evolved.  It was part engineering ~ how to get all the pieces for one "T" from a single charm square.  It was also part "organic", in so far as how the quilt and blocks "felt".  Did it need more of this?  Or less of that?  The only problem I have now is that I want to make another quilt with this block... a bigger quilt.  Scrappy.  Maybe even really, really scrappy for the prints and the backgrounds.  

Seriously.  You didn't think I could make a couple new Schnibbles quilts and not have at least one with lots and lots of flying geese.  Seriously?  This is Strawberry Fields by Miss Joanna ~ Fig Tree Quilts.  

This is one of those funny fabric collections ~ as much as you might like it when you first see it, you'll like it even more when you start sewing with it.  It's that pretty.

 

"X" marks the spot.  Terrain by Kate Spain.  This is one of those quilts where I loved the fabric and set out to make something that I thought suited the fabric.  Meaning, how to cut up the fabric and sew it back together so that you can see how fabulous it is and still manage to keep it from all mooshing together.

American Banner Rose by Polly and Laurie.  Laurie and Polly.  (Pssst... PP2 is terrific.  You're going to need some.) 

ISTH?  Yes, ISTH.  Maybe it makes more sense if you see it as it looks on the front cover of the pattern.  

i.s.t.h.

Maybe it would make more sense if you put it in parentheses...

(i.s.t.h.)

For... (insert snappy title here)

After 64 little quilts, I seriously couldn't think of a name for this quilt.  Not just a name... how about any name?  

If you're wondering why there are only 64 quilts and this one is numbered #465... that's a story for another day.  And another quilt.  

.... I'm back.  I had to go answer the door, the mailman was here.  Boxes and envelopes going out and some interesting-looking mail coming in.  Have I ever told you how much I love Quilts Japan magazine?  And it looks like some fabric I ordered arrived... though I sort of hope not as it would likely distract me from the sewing I was planning to do this afternoon.  Yes, I've actually gotten some sewing done the past week or so... two variations of Full House that I'll share with you next time...

See you September 23rd.  

Hopefully sooner.