Quilting is my therapy!

If anyone who reads this can say a little prayer for my cousin and her family right now, I'd really appreciate it. About 2 weeks ago, she was in a terrible car accident and her head injuries were so severe they are giving very little hope of coming out of the coma she is in now. Her one and only daughter, age 4 months is doing okay now, only a minor head injury and some cuts and scrapes from flying glass. It was my cousin that bore the impact the passenger side of the car crushed into her, and by some miracle her baby behind her was okay. My cousin's husband who came upon the scene of the accident is still distraught.

The teddy bear quilt top that I am finishing up now is for my cousin's baby Shae. Many thanks to Barbara for most of the teddy bear blocks (I only did one!) and to Hanne for 4 of the 4 patches. I am embroidering eyes and noses for the bears, then will do some simple quilting. I am also going to do a scrappy top for my cousin using the diamond square block seen around blogland lately. My aunt told me my cousin's favorite color is peach and since I only found 2 scraps big enough for my block's center I've actually broken down and bought some peach fabric for the quilt border and some of the block centers. I hope to get this done in the next few weeks.

The alphabet quilt for my daughter might not be done by her 2nd birthday on June 19, but I want to work on these quilts first right now.

I finished up my other baby quilt...now to get about a zillion tops quilted!!

DJ is up to Row J now, three more to go...

Our pink house is gone...we had to take back our deposit...too many legal entanglements we didn't want to take on ourselves. We are back to looking in a nicer village along the Shannon River that has everything within walking distance, including a PATCHWORK CLUB! This is quite amazing as quilting is not popular here...once I heard about this club, it was decided, buying or renting for short term, Ballina, Co. Tipperary here we come!

If you made it this far, thanks for reading!!! And keep a good thought for my cousin's family!


 

A lot going on...not all of it nice...

First, something happy...here are my helpers...helping me spread out my DJ to celebrate one more row done. Just 4 more to go, then onto the borders!

The teddy bear block will join with some blocks Barbara and Hanne are sending over as a comfort quilt to my cousin's little baby. Both of them were involved in an accident. The baby is faring well, but mommy is still in a coma from her injuries. I'm starting to get worried now, she should recover, but it could take a long long time, as her entire right side of her body seems to have been crushed...lots of broken bones. I will be making her a scrappy quilt using peach as a focus color (my aunt tells me it is her favorite...) I will be using a pattern a lot of bloggers have been discussing lately...the diamond square block... I don't have much yardage, so this should work well for me!!!

The "A" is the start of a free pieced alphabet sampler for Aisling's birthday next month...will work on this and my cousin's quilt as much as I can these days...

But tonight has been a busy one. More bad news this weekend. One of my best friends here, and the ever-present on my blog, Conor's mom, well her mom passed away this Saturday...so I whipped up a name pillow for Conor to match with his "magic quilt" that I made him. It is the wake tonight, so I am looking after them so parents can have a bit of space with all the visitors coming to pay respects (and the Irish trip to the pub afterwards!) He and his sister are having a sleepover tonight. I didn't think I'd make it, but they finally fell asleep around 9:45...

Anyway...I haven't read blogs as much as I should, but between kids, work, and quilts...it has been busy!!!

Still trying to buy that pink house...but some technical issues have arisen, not monetary, but house and permits etc related...keep those fingers crossed, as we really would love that house, pink or not!!!
 

Just Another Manic Sunday!

For some reason I keep using song titles lately... well I guess the song is Manic Monday...can you tell I was a teen in the 80s??

I did nothing all week quilting related except maybe one or two seams on my DJ quilt...but went a little crazy today! I finished sewing Row H of my Dear Jane together and got it sewn onto the quilt. Have Row I sashing prepped for sewing...

Then, I finished one complete baby quilt top with scrappy border and got the middle of one other done. Kitty is helping to model them...very simple quilt, but nice...have to figure out what to put in the white spaces...charm tacks probably, but haven't totally figured out yet...

I think I've finally decided to stop doing baby quilts for all my friends...some just don't appreciate them. And since my time for quilting is limited with 2 young kids, I'm tired of giving away most of my work!! I need to make a list of projects I want to do for myself this year and work on those. A few more gifts here and there to finish, but I think I'll be a slightly selfish quilter for a while!

Thanks for all the lovely comments about the house! I'm so excited about it...lovely house and gardens! Will be planning lots of little quilts for it!

If you are interested in seeing any more photos of the house, I've put them on my website for my family and friends to see a few more... 

This News Just In!

Isn't this fun? You can get one for yourself here.

Little Pink Houses for You and Me

Wasn't that a John Cougar Mellencamp song way back in the dawn of time, okay...in the 80s :0) !!!

We just bought this house today, about 10 miles away from where my husband works in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary! For a very nice price, with lovely contents included...have to keep pinching myself. We will finally be together again sometime in June in a beautiful house!

My daughter Aine, age 3, LOVES this house...it is pink, what is not to like!! It has been decorated by a professional decorator and was owned as a second house by a single man in Dublin who wants to move on.

I have been working on my DJ blocks, but have been overwhelmed with work, visitors and daily life, and house buying this week!!! Just wanted to share my good news and show you some of the house!

There is an unfinished 4th bedroom and a storage closet next to it...DH says that can be fabric/office closet, hee hee and bedroom can be an office/sewing studio!! Woo hoo!!

We also hope to add a conservatory (greenhouse) to it as well...and a herb garden and more berries again...and....

This house is perfect for displaying quilts, so will have to start making some wallhangings this year...can you tell I'm excited!!


 

History Tag and a Finish!

Thanks everyone for the great welcome back messages... Glad to be back online again...it is a definite addiction for me, in addition to my kids and my quilting!

Barbara tagged me with the History thingie, so here goes!

20 years ago:

I was 16 years old, and I worked summers in a fabric shop, but hadn't discovered quilting yet. I liked to sew my own clothes though...

10 years ago:

I was married just under a year and my husband and I had moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he was working as an Operations Manager in a Concrete Block manufacturing company and I was a volunteer coordinator and office manager (I was volunteer as well...) for our local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. I remember visiting fabric stores in Atlanta, but I was on a break from quilting, having taught myself at 18 while in university...made one quilt and didn't make any more till I moved to Ireland!

5 years ago:

We were living here in our house in Carrigeen, Co. Kilkenny, just outside of Waterford. I had started back quiting again as the friends and family started having babies!!! I had left full-time employment at this point and was doing graphic design from home. This is they year I lost 70 lbs on Weight Watchers going from 190 to 120!!! I'm back between those numbers now, so time to get on the bandwagon again...

1 year ago:

Uh....I had recently come back from a trip to the States, and was still doing lots of baby quilts for friends and family...can't remember much exciting to tell you!!

1 month ago:

Working on my Dear Jane quilt, no doubt, as I worked on it everyday in April as part of a challenge!

Yesterday:

Finished sewing the last bit of binding on this quilt, I used variegated thread to machine quilt it...first time doing that...had good fun with it, though I'm not happy entirely with the quilting...It was a bit sparse at first following the lines I had drawn...when I started doing it free-hand it looked much better and denser... I guess I do better going outside the lines, LOL!! I used fun pieced flannel backing with kiddie prints. This will go to a friends new baby...her name is quilted into the quilt!

















Today:

Will work on my Dear Jane, of course, and start quilting on my star sampler quilt...if I get the chance!!

I went and checked out her site, and don't see it there yet, so I tag Evelyn for this history thing!