It's Me...

This blog post is going to be more of a pictorial update of the past week than a word-filled one. I guess I have more time to snap pics than to compose. So, c'mon along while I fill you in on the happenings in and around Chez Goodneedle... and beyond!

Our oldest granddaughter represented North Carolina in the Southern Zone Championships in Orlando last week. 

We drove down to watch her compete; personally, she did incredibly well!  The thing that we're the most proud of is her sportsman-like character; she's such a great teammate and cheerleader for others, both in and out of the pool. 

What to do between events (back in the hotel room) and in the car to and fro? Hand finish bindings!

One of the sights from Orlando, near our parking deck. This INSANE ride (450' tower!) spins riders out and around as it ascends and descends; the number of similar attractions were mind-blowing. Thanks, but no thanks; not for me! 

Back home again: blueberries are abundant on the backyard bushes, we've enjoyed yummy, fruit-laden pancakes twice this week already. 

The Marathon Runner was quilted this week...

...under the watchful eye of my constant sewing room companion. 

Fruit Salad Quaker is fully stitched and awaiting assembly into a pinkeep. 

I tried this recipe for French Bread which is a winner; hands-down. I'll be making this again (and often)! 

Our youngest granddaughter came to spend the night before school begins again. We made this cute zipper pouch together yesterday afternoon. She loves to sew... and bake... and visit. 😊

 Dahlias are blooming like crazy right now!

This brings me back to the beginning... and the title of this post: "It's Me"~ do you remember the song: 

… It's me!
It's me oh, Lord, I'm standing in the need
I'm standin' in the need of prayer...

Right now I am asking for prayer for friends who are ill, friends who are hurting, friends who are facing health issues and uncertain futures as a result of recent diagnoses. Thank you, God knows their needs and your prayers on their behalf are deeply appreciated! 

Life is Good!

Quiet Time

So, this is a post about Quiet Time. As you can tell from this photo, there's lots of resting and quiet time going on here. This was taken at my parents' home in New Hampshire last week. It was Augie's first road trip and he did extremely well in the car; you would have thought that he was a seasoned road-tripper! He rested nicely on his back seat platform and did what he was supposed to do outside whenever we stopped for breaks. What a great travel companion! It was Mom and Dad's first meeting with Augie and they were thoroughly charmed, of course.  Unfortunately, the day after we arrived, my mother went to the hospital. She was feeling bad and really couldn't express what was wrong. She was subsequently admitted through the E.D. and treated for an electrolyte imbalance; of particular concern was her depleted sodium level. She stayed there the entire duration of our visit and is now getting stronger again in a rehab facility with the goal to return back home. It was a roller-coaster week. 

Both Mom and Dad contracted COVID a couple of months ago. While Mom was hospitalized at that time, Dad recovered at home, albeit s-l-o-w-l-y. The truth is that it really and truly knocked the stuffing out of both of them! My Dad has given the term "Quiet Time" to that period after lunch when he rests his eyes for an hour or so. We all know better than to call it a nap!😉 I took this low volume quilt, just off the longarm, along with me to whip down the binding. I decided to name it "Quiet Time", that just seemed right. There was lots and lots of *QT* while we rested and waited. The quilt was finished up in no time.

Here's Dad and Augie one day after breakfast; they became great friends during our stay. 

               

We're home again now and Quiet Time has been washed and tumbled dry. I love the soft, crinkled effect. Talking to Mom on the phone yesterday, she sounded good and much stronger. Her biggest heartbreak now is not being at home last week for QT with Augie in her lap, she's sad about that. I told her that we'd just have to make a return trip, now that we know what a great little traveler he is! Please remember my Mom in your prayers for her recovery and restored strength. I expect that she'll stay in the rehab for another week and a half to two weeks, at least. Time will tell. 

Augie is seven months old now, has already been to eleven states and completed Beginner 1 Obedience classes yesterday. He'll start Beginner 2 Obedience next month; that's quite the resume for this pint sized pup! You're right if you're thinking that there's no QT for him!

Life is Good!

From Here to There (and Back Again...)

No, we didn't travel by helicopter, but we have only just returned from a quick visit to New England with my Mom and Dad; this trip had been planned for months. It ended up being a different kind of visit this time, as my mother was in the hospital for the duration of our time there, she suffered a compression fracture a few days before our arrival. Due to a shortage of nurses, and hospital staff in general, half of her stay was in the Emergency Department. This was my view as I waited. My husband, Dad and I alternated visits which were limited to one person at a time. I found this helicopter landing pad really quite entertaining and scary at the same time; the pad itself is just behind the wooden fence, directly behind that is the street (2 lanes) which separates the landing surface from the houses in the background! During my "waiting" time I witnessed numerous landings and takeoffs, holding my breath each time! 😲 I couldn't believe how "tight" this space appeared. By the middle of last week Mom was finally transferred to a room on a floor, out of the E.D. One thing after another led to a symptom cascade which delayed her transfer to a rehab facility until yesterday. I spoke with her this morning and she sounded good, her attitude was positive; that's over half of the battle right there. I was fearful that she would get discouraged; she wasn't happy about a plethora of things (you name it) at the time that we had to leave her to come back home. But, as of today, she sounded ready and eager to put on the back brace and get to physical therapy, we'll see. Baby steps. 

I did what I could to help Dad while staying at the house; all those things that he wouldn't necessarily think of (or want to do): cleaning the house to within an inch of its life, laundry, stocking the fridge, cooking, etc. In the afternoons more waiting time was spent sitting out in the backyard with needle and thread, that helped to keep the mind and hands occupied. 

This little painted rock was discovered on a bench outside of the hospital near the parking lot. 

Thank you to whoever leaves these great surprises that put everything all into perspective! 

What a day brightener!

This sweet photo popped up in my photo memories yesterday from exactly eight years ago. What a coincidence. Back in 2014 Mom and I took an improvisational piecing class from Lynne Tyler at Quilted Threads in Henniker, NH. We had such a wonderful day and made such great memories there! If you're so inclined, would you please lift my mother in prayer for strength and healing in the days and weeks to come? She's got an uphill climb to gain back to where she was, but we know what the power of prayer can accomplish, the more the better, one can never have too many prayers! Her name is Harriett, God knows who she is; please know that I am deeply grateful. I'll keep you posted on her progress here. 💗

Lots of passenger seat time on the drive back home yielded much progress on this piece. I still have a blossom to finish and the bottom of the finial to complete, but it's coming right along. 

These followed us home in the trunk of the car. 

You can take the girl out of New England, 

but... (you know the rest!)😉

Again, heartfelt thanks for your prayers!

Life is Good!

 

Battening Down

This is what happens when snow is predicted in the south; naturally there's the insanity that occurs as everyone runs for bread and milk at the grocery stores but, then, the conversation turns to anticipated snowfall amounts and, ultimately, how long folks expect to be stranded. I'm not too worried: we have firewood enough to last and I have an adequate supply of books and stitching projects piled up to get me through at least several storms. Yes, finally the weather has cooled seasonably, and those of us lucky enough to live in the south are battening down the hatches in preparation for winter storm Izzy and whatever she brings! 

This tree ꜛ is a trial quilt block. Carrie Nelson is currently hosting a quilt-along for Moda called "Branching Out"; Quiltkeemosabe had tried the block and had difficulty with the directions given for the trunk. She asked me to try it out, as written. I did find it necessary to make an adjustment in the trimming of that pieced trunk unit. If any of you are doing this I might suggest dropping that diagonal cutting line to 1.25" instead of the 1". Once I changed that I had no difficulty at all in constructing this 8.5" block. The current weather forecast undoubtedly impacted my fabric choices for this one!

In other news: I managed to finish up the Wonder Flutters runner, learning to use the Wonder Curve ruler this week. 

I don't usually show customer quilts but I've fallen deeply in love with this scrappy beauty while it's been here under the needle this week. The pattern is Summer Wedding by Black Cat Creations. The quilting is Curls by Beany Girl Quilts. 

Something else that I'm enamored with is that Folded Corner Clipper by Creative Grids. I'm finishing up the outer borders on the Great Granny Squared quilt using it instead of the old stitch-cut-flip method. Those sweet little corner clippings could simply be discarded. Nope, I couldn't bear tossing them!

I trimmed these to 1.75" after stitching. I know, it's craziness; but aren't they adorable?

But, to top it all off: this happened today! We blinked!! Happy birthday, sweet girl. 💗

We can prepare for the onslaught of winter weather, 

but nothing's preparing me for time passing this swiftly!

Life is Good!

May Day ~ Memories

Happy May Day! A new month, reason to celebrate; we made it through April! I had an "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" moment this morning. When I spoke with my Dad on the phone today he told me that my grandparents' former home (I grew up living next door to my grandparents) is being remodeled and that a large addition is going on, as well as an in-ground swimming pool. He learned this from a friend of his who still lives in our old hometown. "Interesting", I thought, I filed that away. A few minutes after we spoke I decided to look at this house via Google Earth to see if I could see any changes. No, none yet; the satellite image of my grandparents home isn't that up to date but, as happens, one thing led to another and I was looking up satellite pictures of other homes that we've lived in. From July of 1996 through June 1999 we lived in Geneva, Switzerland. We lived in a fortress of an old house there, on a hillside in a lovely neighborhood with a commanding view of the lake and the Jura Mountains behind. Imagine my shock and surprise when the satellite image for that address revealed a vacant lot! I was dumb-founded. From there I had to do some sleuthing, not only was the home that we lived in gone but, also, the homes on either side. I was able to pull up the Swiss equivalent of a building permit online for that village and found that (using my very best translation skills from French to English) permission had been granted for the construction of four adjoining villas on those sites! Hmmmm. Sad. I have so many wonderful memories of living in that house, of my sewing room in the basement (also with a lake view) and the great adventures we had coming and going. Of course, this revelation sent me scrambling for photographs of our time together there! (One thing leads to another...) At that time our daughter was in college back in the U.S.; our son attended high school in Geneva, so, for the most part it was the three of us then. Sigh. Anyway-- May Day always reminds me of our time living there when bunches of Lilies of the Valley were sold on street corners: "Muguet Day", it's a lovely remembrance of a time long ago and far away.

And, right here, right now: this precious little basket that Lynnleigh brought us two years ago. 💗

Yes, today's May Day, I hope yours is a happy one. 

Will you dance around the Maypole?

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Life is Good!

It's A FAD

It's a Flag A Day (not a passing fad) for me, this has been a habit that I began last week and it's fun to watch the flags slowly stacking up on the design wall. At a time when it seems like our personal freedoms are being revoked it helps to remember that we are Americans and this won't last for us forever. Our country is blessed to be founded on freedoms and we need to remember that now more than ever. The inconveniences that we're experiencing now are temporary, thanks be to God; we have freedoms and rights unique to us under the Constitution and as Americans with those rights we, as citizens, have a heavy, serious and solemn responsibility to one another right now-- to stay at home and help to slow the spread of this deadly virus!

Quiltkeemosabe gave me this panel a few months ago, I plan to quilt it up and turn it into a sofa pillow for the porch. I had already planned to make some American flag quilts for out there and, suddenly, there's no time like the present! The first one that I've tackled is "Stars and Stripes by Thimble Blossoms.  I'm going to sash mine with a neutral gingham-y fabric from the stash. 

As you can see, I'm doing slightly scrappy version. I've also made another 24" -"Which Way Now?" quilt block. As it is so aptly named, I'm not sure where I'm going with that one-- time will tell, I'm not in any danger of running out of scrappy triangles yet. 

Adapting to an upside down world🙃: A grocery run yesterday was hit or miss; the items missing from the shelves is random (or it appears that way to me). It reminded me of a time in my life (mid 90's) when we lived in Puerto Rico. I was never exactly sure what the grocery store would have, or not have; so, I carried my recipe files with me and would make menu planning adjustments as I shopped! 

Entertainment: We're watching old episodes of "Coach" in the evenings, the sitcom starring Craig T. Nelson from years ago; we have a set of DVDs. It feels good to laugh. 

Prayer request: Please continue to pray for Quiltkeemosabe and her family; her husband remains hospitalized and they cannot be with him. Thank you so much. 

Remember to take care, be kind to yourself, listen to the directives

and wash your hands🧼; this won't last forever.

"For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth."  Psalm 71:5

Life is Good!

Up next: "On The Plus Side"

Home Again, Home Again

I'm back! You may not have noticed the absence, I have been slow to post lately and got too busy to load any posts ahead of time before being in New England for the last week and a half. As you can see, I was lucky enough to visit Keepsake Quilting in Center Harbor, NH on Saturday last week, it was a rainy day and where better to spend time? And, yes, I found some goodies! 😁

Right around the corner of the porch on which I am standing is the site of the new Pineapple Fabrics store. It is featured as one of the top ten quilt shops in the current BH&G Quilt Sampler magazine; it does not disappoint, either! This space is filled with precuts; colorful displays, a wonderful room in which to relax (for quilter's spouses or those waiting on shoppers) equipped with a television, comfy chairs and complimentary beverages-- take a peek at the one minute video hyper-linked above-- you'll see!

A quick stop for Cider Bellies, donuts freshly made and hot out of the fryer, at a farm stand on the way to Keepsake made for a perfect day's outing! These may have been consumed in the car before even leaving the parking lot! Ah, fall in New England-- I wish you could have smelled this place, the donuts are positively irresistible!

Time spent in New England was precious family time. I carried a stack of quilt labels to document my Mother's quilts for her. Last time I visited we photographed and jotted pertinent data for each one.

This trip I sat and added the labels to the backs of each one. Don't ever neglect to document your quilts and include your quilt's name, your name, the year and where you were living when you made it; that's pretty much the bare minimum of what should goes on your label; naturally, if you can add more information it doesn't hurt (pattern name and/or source, quilter's name if different than piecer, etc.); you may think that you'll always remember and a label isn't necessary. Believe me, it really, truly is!!

My sister gave me this precious antique child's iron and ironing board during the visit. I still can't believe it; it reminds me so much of the ironing board that I had when I was three years old. I love it!

There's more to share and I know that I need to get back to the "little houses" teaser from the last post. I will, I promise. In the meantime: the pattern winner from that same post is Pat, she will be receiving a Lemoyne Trails pattern in the mail in the next few days; thanks to all of you for playing along! For the rest of the day I will be finishing laundry and settling back in. Dorothy knew best, even though it's wonderful to travel there really is no place like home! 

Life is Good!