Turn, Turn, Turn

I am looking forward to getting back to quilting, including the BB Suffrage blocks and to my Judie Rothermel contest idea, which looks SO pretty.  My studio is so gorgeous and bright and I want to use it.  Every day, I think, am I up for it today?  

A few ornament favorites...Marcie and her daughter put the lights on this tree.  Then Muriel put on the ornaments the next day.  

I decided to stop taking chemo drugs.  What I didn't understand is that there was never any hope for a cure.  It wasn't until I went for a second opinion that the dear man explained this to me.  I wouldn't have put myself through so much misery later in this year had I understood this was not heading towards hope of any cure.   So I tried one more chemo drug, it poisoned me, and I decided to stop.  I got pain pills yesterday and am glad to have them.  I may have a few months left, really do not know.  I hope I surprisingly live on a few months longer.  

So, the daily routine is one of hoping the last chemo will clear out enough that I can quilt.  And of course I have other things to do.  I literally have angels around me helping me.  Timothy is being wonderful.  Still making me laugh.   

I don't plan to dwell on the sad part of this, in fact, this is probably the last mention of it, so I hope you don't drop me as a blog to read.  I won't be a drag, honest. 

For instance!  I had no idea The Waltons reruns were on TV.  

So I have been building a library of episodes with huge delight these past few days.  I forgot how much I loved that show.  I just love everything about it, including how they cope with being cash-poor during the Depression.

A dear friend sent me a copy of Jeanne d'arc Living Christmas, which is what my studio is like (just love the white shabby c**c like crazy):

Then what should happen but Jo Morton sent me a copy of her latest book and it is SO good.  Now I have the best inspirational books around for white with slight touches of red.  Thank you, Jo! 
 
Till next time (maybe a little piecing).

Gifts

Just look at this amazing small quilt gift from Marcie.  Isn't it darling?

Marcie came by to visit on Friday and Saturday because she was visiting her daughter, Jennifer.  I was in pretty bad shape and they cleaned my bathrooms for me!  They haven't been that clean since last January and I can't tell you, girls, how grateful I am.  I also need cleaning tips for that downstairs bathroom because I can't get it nearly as clean as you did.  Comet?  Steel wool?  Jennifer also put lots of lights on my tree  so I am extra-grateful for that, too.  I probably shouldn't have pulled out the Christmas stuff since I still am feeling fairly bad.  

While I was snoozing in bed, helpless, Rembrandt chose Kaaren of Painted Quilt and Quilt Hollow as the giveaway winners; congratulations to you and for finding favor with that crazy cat.  If you can get your mailing addresses to me today, my friend Muriel who is visiting to help with chores might be able to get these ready; otherwise, it might take me a  few days to be able to get to it.  

I'll do an update after awhile on my health.  It isn't good and I think I need to let you all know because so many of you have been so kind to ask and send good wishes and I can tell you are kind of wondering why I don't say anything much about it.  

So talk to you later!  Karen

Giveaway Results: I'm a little under the weather

For anybody who is awaiting the giveaway results, do not despair, but I have been sick these past two weeks and do not know how much longer it will go on since I am on a new chemo drug.  

BB Suffrage #12, Holiday Bliss, and Giveaway

Latest Barbara Brackman Grandmother's Choice, or as it is called in my little file, suffrageblock12:

This is the wonderful Victoria Classics Holiday Bliss that I recently won from Kimber at Heirlooms by Ashton House.  You know that Kimber is a very busy editor.  She edited many of the features in this magazine,  

including the Cranwell Resort hotel profile:

and Winter Symphony, just to mention a few.  The magazine is so beautiful; be sure to get your copy:

And thank you, Kimber, for doing your giveaway.  

Here is my giveaway: two copies of my book, A Bountiful Life.  Just mention in Comments what you treasure about the upcoming holidays:

Good Luck!  Rembrandt will choose the winners.  I will try to curb her hideous tendency to show favoritism. 

voting at mortonmasterpiece.com

The voting began today on mortonmasterpiece.com.  Of course you know which one is MY favorite it's KAREN'S version of A Bountiful Life that I have shown you.  

Isn't it adorable!!!  I am truly in shock over this quilt, the bright Jo fabrics, Karen's divine applique technique, those dear, dear bird/fruit/animal motifs, oh what could be better. 

Anyway, go vote (no ulterior motive there of course bwahhhhaaaahaa)!  

Here is a screenshot of Karen's description, etc.:

Oh....what else was I going to say.....oh yes, a very nice lady named Diann asked me how I am printing the photos on fabric for the BB Suffrage blocks, which I think you all know, but she probably doesn't realize she has her email set on the infamous "no-reply" so Diann, first I print the templates for the block using EQ7.  I measure the template(s) that will be printed on Printable Treasures fabric (which you print on your inkjet printer), then I go into Photoimpact (in my case; any photo editing software) and that's when I start fiddling with what I'm going to print, i.e., get the size right, pour in some color that I might be trying to match to some real fabric that will be in the block, add some text, and things like that.  It can get detailed and sometimes I drive myself crazy with it and have to print a few times and that printable fabric isn't cheap.  Sigh.  But you all are familiar with Quilt Addiction.

I am just so very grateful that today begins my holiday from work until a week from Monday.  Thankful, thankful.

BB Suffrage #11

This week's BB Suffrage block is a schoolhouse and has to do with the shocking lack of education available to women in the first few centuries of America's colonial and early republic life, i.e., how when Lucy Stone wanted to go to college, the only option was Oberlin.  I have always been so proud of the fact that Oberlin is in Ohio, my birth state.  The background areas in the block are sections of an old map of the Oberlin College area.

BB Suffrage #10

BB Suffrage #10.  Took a while to figure out how to summarize the content of BB's post; so much more could have gone in but where lol?

Much to Show

I have about a zillion photos to show you.  The reason is that there are Show and Tell photos, photos from the recent Quilt Expo in Atlanta, photos from the Country Living Fair that I attended yesterday with a good friend, and even a photo or two of my own doings :-).

I probably won't say too much about all of this because this is my only day at home and I have about a hundred things I would like to get done, including the ongoing painting of the sewing room (white and cream) and seemingly every piece of furniture that can't get away (gray).

Oh, first is a shot that's on my drive from work; kind of nice, eh?  I love railroad tracks:

Also, must show you these darling Halloween cupcakes made by LQ teacher BB; notice the hideous human bones on top :-):

Here is the latest BB Suffrage block.  The center square is too small for the image (shown below).  I'm trying to figure out how to redo this one (oh, just thought of a way):

Show and Tell:

This next set of blocks are from a very old pattern; Mary Ellen brought these to demonstrate how our tastes have changed in quilt fabric (well, really, there wasn't much available then, either), not to mention how casually quilt patterns were prepared back at the beginning of the current quilting craze (the pattern is all hand-written and in black and white).  Personally, I really like this pattern AND the bright primary colors; they certainly do evoke the 50s, don't they (not sure of the actual date of the pattern; Mary Ellen isn't old enough to have been quilting in the 50s, let me quickly interject)!

 This hexagon group below on the mottled neutral background is by Linda W., but it looks like something I would have done.  She needs to turn this project over to MOI maintenant (now):

Next are some quilts that were at Quilt Expo:

And to finish, a few photos from the Country Living Fair, which was very enjoyable.  The weather was beyond heavenly, not hot thank goodness, and people were really enjoying themselves.  Saw lots of famous crafters, such as the Earth Angel folks, and Magnolia Pearl.  There were antiques, crafts, and demos.  The place I hit the heaviest was the Amish bakery from Arthur IL :-).  The snickerdoodles, chocolate cookies, and dill bread are delicious, although in Indiana we like to call it dilly bread and we make it with cottage cheese, which is primo:

Oh my, I was so drawn to the quilt on top: