Update!!!

I've got to admit that when I update every few days it's a pleasant surprise for me to see what I've accomplished.  Although it really isn't much, it seems like I am beginning to see some rewards for my efforts.  Some days I feel like I'm getting nothing done but that is not really the case.  I can look back over the last few days and see that my projects are progressing.

I was supposed to start chemotherapy today but have cancelled.  Calm down - it's not forever!  While my friend Linda (V) was over on Friday visiting, (we had dinner from Mayfair Chinese on Royal York - delicious!) I had an epiphany!  I was reading through the pamphlet regarding the "medication" (Jonathan calls it poison) which Dr. O wants me to have and in going over the side effects and the risks involved, noted the high risk for patients with heart issues.  Since I had a heart attack in 2012 I became just a "wee bit" concerned and made the decision to have a few tests done by the cardiologist before I agree to undergo this chemo.  Just a precaution but personally I'm going with "better safe than dead!"  As much as I trust my oncologist, there are underlying factors that have to be addressed.

Unfortunately, due to this decision we are upping the pain meds in order to deal with that issue.  It seems to be a never ending game, but on the bright side, if the pain dulls it is worth it.  

Speaking of Friday - I managed to get the top done on my Yellow Brick Road and I am really happy the way it turned out.  First, I laid it out on the bed (while changing the sheets).....

Laid out and ready to piece

Then I marked it with small Post It notes.  Yes - I do make mistakes!  There was no way I was going to try to put this together without putting it in some semblance of order so I didn't mess it up.  After Bricks & Mortar I think I learned my lesson......

Marked with Post It notes - I even tried to use different colours for each row

It took most of Friday to get it pieced.  I take a lot of breaks!  In between piecing and pressing I'll sit for a few minutes and of course the TV was on so I admit I got distracted a few times and Linda was over for a few hours, and, and, and....excuses!!!!

Centre done and I'm pretty pleased with it - love the colours!

It was completed with everything put away by the time Jonathan came home from work about midnight.  Jonathan was off Saturday and Sunday so I retreated to my "hidey hole" in the bedroom to resume work on the "big" project!  The Farmer's Wife.  

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but The Farmer's Wife was started January 19th, 2010.  It is now officially 4 years in the making.  All things considered, 111 blocks with sashings and cornerstones, hand piecing which I was not always able to do, I'm pretty pleased with my progress.  Who am I kidding - I never really thought I'd get it done..... Okay, it's not exactly done yet but I have 10 blocks to go and 4 rows to complete - that's pretty close....

So - here are the additional blocks and rows that have been completed......

 Three of seven blocks on Row 12

 Block #95 - Temperance Tree - 42 pieces

 Four of seven Blocks on Row 12

 Block # 84 - Spool - 13 pieces

 Five of seven Blocks on Row 12

Block # 74 - Ribbon - 24 Pieces

  
It doesn't seem like much got done over two days but, there is the choosing of fabric for each block, the marking of the templates and the cutting along with the piecing.  (I have to keep telling myself that so that I realize it's good progress!)

Monday I had grand plans!  I had hoped to have the Yellow Brick Road completed including backing ready to take to Sandy.  Alas, this was not the case, however, Linda (H) and I had made plans to drop her quilts off to Sandy so I took some Show & Share and off we went. Linda had two quilts ready to be long armed, a gorgeous baby quilt, all bright colours with white background in a "coin" pattern and her Irish Chain beige on beige queen size quilt which I blogged a couple of weeks ago.  I brought along my Yellow Brick Road to show Sandy and we have chosen the pattern, leaves, and the thread, a variegated orange.  It's going to be gorgeous!  Sandy showed off a number of quilt tops she has ready to quilt as well - we had a great time and I even made it down the stairs to the studio this time.....

Back home and intentions to get the borders on the quilt and start working on that backing....then to head out with Liz to the Etobicoke Quilters Guild meeting.  Didn't happen....It appears I am only good for one outing a day....  I ended up resting (sleeping actually) the rest of the day....

Yesterday things were better and I had all kinds of doctors phone calls to make, etc. so I got myself moving and motivated.  I managed, although I think it took all day - to get the borders onto the Yellow Brick Road.....

 Borders on - ready to go - oops! wait - need to do a backing......

Houston, we have a problem!  I definitely do not have enough fabric to do a backing.  It is time to hit my stash......

 Fabric left after piecing the quilt - large piece will have to do for binding too!

I knew that I had in my stash yet one more flannel quilt - a panel quilt that I had purchased as a kit.  I found it quickly, on the bottom shelf of my "fabric" cabinet.  I also found yet another flannel kit I had purchased!  I'm not sure when I became so fond of flannel nor do I remember those days but they all have histories.....Luckily, in those days (B.C. - before Cock-A-Doodle) whenever I purchased fabrics for a project I tended to take into consideration the difficulty in finding backing down the line so I usually purchased fabric for backing as well.  It appears that in the case of panel, I purchased two backings?!?!  or close to it!  

 The Panel - Cub Lake Lodge by Holly Taylor for Moda

The fabrics for the Panel quilt - plus the two backing fabrics

One of the backing fabrics for the panel quilt is a "huge" piece of mottled green which will go nicely with the fabrics from the Yellow Brick Road.  That having been said, I will have to make up the panel quilt in order to determine if I have enough backing fabric left over to make the second backing.   I also found another "lone" piece of flannel that will go with the mottled green and if I'm really lucky, we can only hope, I may have enough to back Bricks & Mortar too!  I'm not sure if I'm progressing here or regressing!  At any rate - we all know what my next project is and it appears to be the panel quilt.....

A while back I gave my Scrappy Flannel to Sandy to baste so that I could start hand quilting it with a "big stitch".  Using Pearl Cotton #8 I am slowly progressing while watching TV in the living room when Jonathan is working....so many quilts, so little time!

For now I am going back to bed for awhile (been up since 4:30 when I had to take some pain meds) so I will up and at 'em to do my hand piecing later.  Jonathan is off today so I'm all ready to get some more Farmers Wife done.....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann 

Moving right along.....

There really is no stopping me at this point.  I dove back into the bag of projects I have been lugging around for a few months and came up with a project I had started a couple of years ago.  This project has a history which dates back to B.C. (before Cock-A-Doodle). 

I began quilting in late 1999 having found Quiltmakers on Avenue Road and I was, from the beginning, a very loyal customer, always purchasing my fabrics and classes there.  When my grandmother, at the age of 100, was moved from a seniors residence where she lived on her own to a resting home in the summer of 2000, I began travelling to New Jersey every three months to make sure things were going well for her.  It was at that time that I began visiting other quilt stores along the route.  Just off Highway 81 near Cortland there was a quilt store named Patchwork & Pies.  It was in an old firehouse on a corner off the main road and it became one of my favourite quilt stores.  It was there that I picked up this kit - Yellow Brick Road is the pattern (well known pattern from Atkinson Designs) and the fabrics were these luscious, earthy toned flannels. 

 Fabrics with pattern

This kit sat in my pile of kits for many years just waiting for the right time.  A couple of years ago I had a private student who was making her first quilt and she wanted to do this pattern.  She chose black and white and red and I pulled out my kit.  We worked together and I am happy to say she got hers done but I had only managed to make a few blocks so the project ended up in the UFO pile.  Since I don't have a lot of flannel projects, I had pulled this one out to complete along with my Bricks & Mortar and the Scrap Flannel I completed in the fall (which by the way has been basted - thank you Sandy - and is ready for my "big quilting" by hand).  On Sunday, with Jonathan away working, I completed all the blocks to make the lap size quilt.

   Completed blocks (sort of)

The pattern calls for 40 blocks for the lap size but you only use 35, however, I think I want to make it one row larger so I will add 2 more blocks to give it a bigger width (hopefully today).  That was about all I could do Sunday and Jonathan was off Monday and Tuesday so I was back to hand piecing.

Monday and Tuesday were extremely productive.  Getting so close to completion I have really been pushing towards the end.  Each block I complete is an accomplishment and I've noticed I left a lot of the really complicated blocks to the end, what a surprise.  I guess we all do that......

I have now changed my strategy for completion and am completing them in the order that I need them to complete the rows outstanding.  This block completes Row #13. 

 Block # 75 - Rosebud - 28 pieces

The next few blocks are the ones I need to complete Row # 12.  I alternate between prepping and piecing the blocks to adding the sashings and cornerstones and completing the rows.

 Block # 86 - Squash Blossom - 22 pieces

 Block # 93 - Swallow - 23 pieces

 Row #13 completed

 Row # 13 attached to Rows 14 and 15.

Having attached Rows 13, 14, and 15 together I now have 4 rows to complete.  Rows, 9, 10, 11, and 12.  I am currently working on Row 12 for which I need 7 blocks some of which are already completed.  The next blocks are still for Row #12. 

 Block # 89 - Steps to the Altar - 26 pieces

Row #12 - started

As you can see, I put quite a dent in the Farmer's Wife over the two days I had to work on it.

Wednesday was a busy day.  Liz picked me up and we headed for Gillian's to have a lovely lunch and a nice long visit.  I was scheduled to be at the Odette Centre to see Dr. O at 3:45 P.M. and we made it in the nick of time.  For the first time in 3 years we only had to wait half an hour until I was called in.

What can I say!  I'm not sure what I was expecting to hear.  The radiation, which I struggled through in October did not do much good.  The tumor has shrunk but not substantially.  Because of where it is located it is inoperable and they can't do a biopsy. So we are back to chemotherapy which, if I chose to do it, will start next Wednesday.  He seems to think that the pain I am experiencing is from the cancer and that the chemotherapy, if it works, will help alleviate the pain.  At the moment I just feel like a guinea pig....that didn't work, so let's try this!  I sort of get it but I can honestly say I'm not particularly happy about it.  Will I ever be cancer free?!?!  That's the million dollar question.....there comes a time when you have to say ENOUGH!  I am certainly not that person that gives up easily so chances are I'll be back in chemo next week but we are still weighing the pros and cons so I will stay positive and continue doing my thing.....

With all that went on Wednesday I got no quilting done!!!  ...and Jonathan was working so I wasn't pleased to have lost my quilting time.  When I got home and settled in I was extremely tired so I didn't get much of anything done and Thursday Jonathan was off again so it was a hand piecing day.....

I continued working on The Farmer's Wife and this will be the last block in Row 12, which is slowly coming together.

 Block #107 - Windblown Square - 32 pieces

 First two blocks of Row 12 attached.

Block # 79 - Silver Lane - 40 pieces

It is an understatement to say I would like to just keep on going but that is just not feasible.  By the time I chose my fabrics, cut the needed templates and marked and cut the fabric, then hand pieced the last block - I could barely see straight.  I've been checking ahead and I've got one block that has no less than 57 pieces coming up, can't wait for that one.  Like I said, left all the difficult blocks to the end.  

Some of you may still be wondering why I chose to do this quilt by hand.  At times I wonder the same thing, however, I can honestly say that the accuracy has really become evident.  I have yet to have to stretch or ease any of the blocks to the sashing size.  They all fit perfectly and that is such a rewarding feeling.  I know that when I machine piece, I sometimes don't get an accurate 1/4" seam and there are times when I will have to square up my blocks or ease them into my quilt top.  This quilt is coming together beautifully. Would I do another one like this?  Maybe.  Once the top for The Farmer's Wife is completed, I will have Sandy baste it and I will be hand-quilting it so I have plenty of time to decide whether I would make a quilt this large again by hand.....

Okay, I really have to get what's left of my day going and get to work on that Yellow Brick Road.....

Have a great day everyone, and I will keep you posted!

Jo-Ann 

Progress

I realize that I am no different than anyone else.  I tend to underestimate the time it takes to do something, whether it be cleaning the kitchen or piecing a quilt, so when I manage to get done what I've set out to do I call it PROGRESS!

Friday was Jonathan's day off and I had a very full day on Thursday working on my Bricks & Mortar and enjoying Liz's company so when I ended up in bed all afternoon I thought I would really get nothing done, however, I surprised myself.  Around 6:00 P.M. after having a quick snack, I decided to treat the day as I normally would.  I made coffee and settled down with my hand piecing....

I didn't expect to get a whole lot done but I was excited because I was now working from the left hand corner bottom up and I knew I would be able to get some rows done because a lot of the blocks that are going into those rows are already pieced....

The first thing I had to do was a lone block for my Row # 14....

Block # 85 - Square Dance - 17 pieces

Luckily it was a block with only 17 pieces so it went together pretty quickly.  Once it was done I was able to start work on Row #14.

            One  block ready                                      Two blocks ready

The row is ready to go on

Row 14 is now attached to Row 15

I was on a roll and I literally couldn't stop.  My mind was racing ahead to the next row and the balance of the blocks I still had to piece.  I had to sit back and take a breath here, I am almost there....with these two rows together I have 5 rows to go, of course because the quilt is on point, they get bigger as you go.  The next row is 5 blocks, then 7, then 9, then 11 and finally 13.  Of those 45 blocks I still have to piece about 20 so I really needed to rethink my strategy.  I decided to start piecing Row #13 and then do a random block.

 First block in Row #13

Block # 73 - Rainbow Flowers - 10 pieces

I probably would have kept going but I couldn't see anymore!  I definitely got far more done than I had anticipated for one evening's work.  Gee, if I had done this when I started this quilt, nearly 4 years ago, it would have been done in a month....never look back!

I started this quilt January 19th, 2010.  Honestly, I am pleased as to my progress, there was a time when I thought I would never be able to finish it.  During my first chemotherapy I had developed neuropathy in both my feet and my hands and was unable to do any hand piecing at all.  My feet have really never come back to normal but luckily my hands did not betray me.....

I went to bed Friday night quite pleased with myself and hoping that Saturday would be as productive.  Unfortunately, I was so pleased with myself that I couldn't sleep so I started reading and read until around 5:00 A.M..  Of course I did sleep most of the day on Friday so that was definitely a factor.  I was woken at 6:00 A.M. by what I call the - CAA RANT!!!  

When Jonathan works, he is on call from 6:00 A.M. until 11:00 P.M..  He doesn't usually get his first call until 7:00 or 8:00 A.M. and on weekends it's sometimes later.  He wakes at 5:57 A.M., signs in, then rolls over and goes back to sleep until he gets his first call. Needless to say, he got his first call at exactly 6:00 A.M.!!!  Hence the CAA RANT - for about 15 minutes, until he left the house, all I could hear was the banging and swearing and carrying on about "the idiot" who had the nerve to call at 6:00 A.M. to have his/her battery recharged....etc.... and how he's quitting this job and getting a real job, etc....

I have learned over the past 9 months to just lay quietly pretending to be asleep during these rants.  They don't happen often but it definitely sets his tone for the day.  Basically, stay the hell out of his way....

I rolled over and went back to sleep when he left.  I heard him come back around 8:00 A.M. and decided to continue my feigned sleep rather than try to interact.  Once he left again - I got busy.

This was going to be a math day!  I have to say I really hate math days!  I needed to figure out if I had enough fabric to do the outside border on my Bricks & Mortar.  This is the fabric I had left over after I made the quilt top and the first border.  Remember, I only had one block - 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" left of the beige fabric once I finished my first border.

 Fabrics left after the quilt top was completed.

I had made some cutting mistakes when I made the top so I had a number of strips which were a little too short for a 4-1/2" keyboard border.  My first decision after measuring the mis-cuts was to cut the border pieces at 4".  Having said that I had to now make sure I had enough fabric to make the 4" x 2-1/2" blocks.  Luckily I had the large piece of blue flannel which would probably stretch but I really wanted to use that for the binding so I really wasn't sure.  After about an hour of figuring, I began to cut.....this is what was left over....

Left over fabric after cutting my strips

For those of you who save scraps, forget it, look in my garbage!!!!  I was thrilled to just be able to get enough strips to do the border....

My strips cut and ready to go (I had to cut 4 more blue because I miscalculated - so much for my math skills!)

Then came the fun part - seriously!  I had to lay each side out so that the same colour did not butt up against the same colour and that the ends were not blue because I was using the blue for the cornerstones of the border.  That took forever and ever!  Jonathan came home in the middle of this process for a break.  When I work, I take over the living room and dining room and there's barely a place to sit down.  In his state of mind, having had such a "good" start to his day, I was very surprised when his only comment was - "at least you are being productive!"  The "creative" process took quite awhile as I had to have many breaks, but, I was determined to get this quilt top done....  

I love it - the outside border really makes the quilt!

I wish I had that fabulous design wall to hang the quilt on so you could really see it but suffice it to say, even without the design wall I LOVE THIS QUILT!!!!  All the mistakes, all the hours to figure out the borders, all of it was worth the final product.  I even have the binding strips cut and ready to go.  Not only that, I've already decided on the quilting design so I'm set.  All I need now is backing and batting.  I have chosen the quilting thread and used a Zip-Loc bag to store the thread, extra fabric (blue only) and binding strips and it is all now in my "shopping bag".

My "shopping bag"

What is my "shopping bag"?  It's where I store the projects which require something to move from UFO to complete.  Currently it holds Bricks & Mortar for which I need batting and backing and it also holds Island Chain which needs batting.  Once I have these items then the quilts can be completed.  Looking forward to a shopping spree some time soon.

Since I'm writing this blog on Sunday - today I can start completing my next project which has been waiting quietly in my project bag.  I also have a "secret project" which I need to start working on using those fabulous Kaffe Fassett fabrics and Shot Cottons I have so I may even start on that today....we'll see how things go...

My current plan is to have another "productive" day, the only problem is that if I don't clean the kitchen it is going to implode.  Oh well - I will somehow work it out.....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Patience!

Yesterday was Jonathan's day off so I spent a little time playing computer games and then decided to get out of his way and headed for my private haven and my hand quilting.  Wasn't sure I'd get anything done but I surprised myself -

Block 72 - Railroad - 28 pieces

I also managed to complete Row # 15, the lower left hand corner of the quilt top.  I will now work up from that point - I'm getting excited here, I have 6 more rows to complete the quilt top and only about 20 blocks that haven't been pieced....getting there....

Bottom left hand corner - Row # 15

Today started out very early, around 5:55 A.M. when I had to wake Jonathan for work because he couldn't charge his phone last night.  Worked out well because it's about the time I need to take a pill.  Back to bed until around 10:30 and then realized today is the day I get to machine quilt!!!  YEAH!

As soon as I did my crossword and had my brunch I set everything up, including the big ironing board.  I pulled out Bricks and Mortar and saw another mistake.  No problem, I can fix it - so I start unsewing.  Well, I only managed to totally mess it up and spent the first hour just fixing what I messed up......patience, another new "buzz" word for 2014!  Don't think I didn't contemplate, yet again, giving up on this quilt but determination is the name of the game.....

By 2:00 P.M. I had put on two more rows -

2 rows on - up to 4 rows, only two more to go

Liz called to say she was going to come over with some hand sewing.  Now, I have to say I was more than excited.....  I know that's weird, but you have to understand - First, I am home alone most of the time and I really do love company, but more importantly, Second - When Liz and I get together it's usually to go to a doctor's appointment, or chemo or out to run errands, we don't often get to just sit & sew and enjoy each others company.  I was really looking forward to this visit.  She came around 3:15 P.M. and stayed for about 3 hours while I got the last two rows together and added them to the quilt....

 Quilt center done - now the borders......

Liz was all packed up and just getting ready to leave so I got a quick pic

Liz had just been so supportive the past 7 months (longer when you include the store hours she put in), always there to take me to appointments and sit with me through the tough stuff....good news, bad news, all of it.  It was so nice to sit like two normal girlfriends and just chat and sew....what a treat!  I hope we do it more often- I really enjoyed this afternoon.

Now, back to the quilt!  She left me at an extremely crucial (appropriate) moment.  Here's the problem.  This is what happens when you return to those U.F.O.'s, the "oops" moment. I know I am not the only one who has this problem.  

The first border is pieced in 2-1/2" squares of which I needed 114.  I wasn't sure I had enough fabric!?!?!  Sure didn't look like it!  Turns out, after I worked it out mathematically (took 20 minutes) I would be able to squeak out 115 squares.  Of course I had to do quite a bit of fudging the blocks to make it work properly and the darker squares met up at the corners but by 8:00 P.M. I had the top and bottom border on.

Top and bottom borders

It was the side borders I really had to fudge, that took awhile, a little unsewing and resewing and voila - sides were on......

All four borders on - Yahoo!

Tomorrow Jonathan is off so I can relax and forget the mathematics because the outside border is also pieced and I really think that I am going to be short for sure.  However, after all is said in done, I really love this quilt!  I really like the pattern and did not expect it to turn out this nicely.....I even have a quilting plan!  I love it when that happens.  This will all have to wait until Saturday when I go back to figuring out if I have enough fabric to do the outside border....we can only hope....I can't wait to complete this quilt because I have another one waiting in the wings (my project bag) that I am really antsy to get to.

Tomorrow I will get to work on the Farmer's Wife and hopefully get a few more blocks done as well as a couple of rows.  I am definitely on a roll here and am extremely excited about the progress.  It's been such a long time since I've been able to say that....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Determination....

I'm thinking that is going to be my "buzz" word for 2014!  Yesterday I was expecting my friend Linda to drop by so I persevered all morning getting the living room back into a living space.  Just clearing the top of the coffee table when Jonathan takes over the house on his days off is a challenge in itself.  I refuse to take photos of this as it is more than embarrassing, however I totally managed to do it.....

Linda called to say that a dental emergency had waylaid her and she wouldn't be coming but we made plans for another day.  Today my other friend Linda came by to raid the thread baskets - now I only have a few thousand spools left!  She also brought some Show & Share, her beige on beige quilt which is absolutely stunning.....

Linda's Beige on Beige

She also brought her picture album of all the quilts and other quilted stuff she's made and it was fabulous to see!  Sandy (Lindal - Scrappy Gal Quilt Company) will be more than happy to get this quilt to quilt.

We had a great visit and I was able to set up my little hand quilting station so I began stitching Row 8 to my Farmer's Wife.

Everything all there and ready to go

While we chatted, I stitched.  Linda is Dana's mom, Dana is one of Jonathan's best friends and that's initially how we met.  Dana and Fiona (his girlfriend) came by the store last spring and I showed them the quilt I was working on.  They really liked it and I decided that it would be theirs.  Today I gave it to Linda to take to them.  It's one of my favourites and Sandy Lindal quilted it for me so it's been on the Cock A Doodle blog for sure, but here it is again.  My basket of quilts seems to be receding.....

Urban Pods - with the Quick Curve Ruler

Dana is a talent on his own.  Linda had me check out his phenomenal Facebook Page - Dana TheJeweler. You really need to check this page out - it has all of his jewelry designs (well I'm sure not all, but a lot).  He is extremely talented and if you ever need a custom jewelry piece made, you need to see this guy.  At the very least you need to check out his Facebook Page.

   

After Linda left I made lunch, a real meal - tuna fish sandwich and pickles on the side.  Sat down at the computer, played some computer games and ate lunch.

Looking good enough to eat...and I did!

Then I really got down to it!  I finally set up my machine for stitching.  Had to change the light bulb in the dining room too!  That took a bit of energy but well worth it.

Sonia - ready and raring to go....

I have also lost my pressing space in the process of storing boxes (soon I hope to have my storage locker?!?!) so I set up a temporary cutting/pressing space - I knew I bought that
cutting/pressing mat for a reason.....

 Cutting space

Pressing space

Now I have resewn all of my blocks, found another mistake on the other set of blocks, fixed that one and we were on our way.  After all is said and done I got the first two rows together.....YEAH!!!!

 First two rows together and I love it....

This is the pattern so you can see why I couldn't compromise

Tomorrow will not be a sewing day (machine) as it's Jonathan's day off.  I may get something done in the morning before he gets up but that would require me getting up early so we'll see how that goes.

Jonathan worked both today and yesterday in this cold and actually came home at one point today to say - he was getting his paycheck and getting on a bus to Florida to live on the street!!!!  Should I remind him he has a cousin living down there who would be more than happy to give him shelter????  Maybe not, because that would leave me out in the cold - not at all what I really want.  I'm selfish that way.....Chances are he'll enjoy his day off and go back to work on Thursday.

Hope to get loads done tomorrow too - I appear to be on a roll!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann