Design Wall Monday-October 26, 2015

Very little sewing around here the past few months. My Dad has been in and out of the hospital and skilled nursing. He is in skilled nursing right now trying to get some strength back. In early Sept. he was in with pneumonia for 12 days, then back in the following week with too much fluid on his lungs. He is doing better, but each time he starts rehabbing he is starting from a lower point. We did celebrate his 98th birthday on the 17th with a small party there. 

Galen and I took off for a few days and went to South Padre Island. left on the 18th and got home ahead of the rain here on the 23rd. Did have some pretty miserable driving though on Friday. For once though it was raining enough that just about everyone wasn't trying to drive the speed limit which is 80 or 85 depending on where you are. It was pretty much slow and steady at 45-50!  

On my design wall are 64 of my Trifecta blocks. 66 are finished and the last 6 have been cut for a few weeks now. Hoping to get them sewn this week. Then I will head over to Cotton Cupboard and put them up on her wall to get a lay out!  It is definitely colorful. And yes, all batiks! Think I will keep this one.

Hopefully there will be more sewing getting done over the next few weeks.

Back to Patchworktimes for a little eye candy!

Stash Report - week 38, 2015

Yes, I have been sewing but have also been buying! Some of the fabric arrived for the pillow mats last week, the rest should arrive today. And since I wasn't sure about the race car one I ordered several-what isn't used for the mats will go for pillow cases for the Conn Kerr Center.

Yes, still in the red but haven't figured out what I have used yet in my finished projects! Maybe I'll get that totaled up this coming week!


Used this week:               0
Added this week:             9
Used to date:                 21.33
Added to date:               80
Net:                               58.67

Dad should be going to skilled nursing early this week. His lungs are clear from the pneumonia. That is a good sign. But he really needs to get his strength back up to go back to his apartment.

over to Patchworktimes!

Fabric Stash report-week 37, 2015

I have not done one of these since late May! Week 22 to be exact! 
It has not been a good summer between the remodel and my Dad. A lot of sleepless nights which equates to some on line fabric shopping!!!! What little sewing I have done has used some stash and some new stash!  I have no clue as to exactly how much fabric has come into the house with some more ordered for 2 Christmas gifts. Right now I will just say +50 and be done with it! As to what has been used, will figure that out for next week's report.

Used this week:               0
Added since week 22-  60
Used to date:                 21.33
Added to date:               71
Net:                               49.67




This remodel took longer than first planned for and not our contractors fault. Things not coming in on time or the wrong thing coming in. Hoping the replacement shutter arrives and is installed this week. The company sent the wrong one. We may hold off for a month or two before starting on the next phase.Between this and my Dad being in and out of the hospital several times ( in again now) there has been enough stress to deal with for Galen and I.

Over to Patchworktimes!

Design Wall Monday-August 10, 2015

It has been awhile since I have posted anything on my blog. Late June things went downhill for a while. Dad was in the hospital, we had our furniture delivered from storage as the wood floor was installed. We spent our time unpacking when not at the hospital and also still having work done in the house. Dad went to rehab to get his strength back. He was there for 2 weeks.  We got him out early. They weren't helping him and they were happy to get rid of my husband. He was asking to many questions. They were more interested in collecting the insurance money than getting Dad stronger so he could go back to his apartment. Once he was back to his home with Home healthcare PT people etc he improved rapidly and was walking to the dining room by himself with his walker. He did so well that on July 31 he and my husband left for the Final Muster of the 4th Division WWII Association Reunion at Camp LeJeune. With 10 days to myself I actually got to sew. First time in about 6 weeks!!!!


The first 2 quilts made using the tutorial from Missouri Star Chevron using layer cakes. I had made the blocks when we were staying at the motel. 

                                     
                                             

 The strip quilt I had the strips together but couldn't decide on a border. It doesn't have a name so I am calling it Dots and Dashes. That was suggested by a friend. It is made with a jelly roll . Strips are cut 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 inches and  4 patches

                      These quilts are ready to go to my quilter.

              I did make one other one but can not show a picture yet.                                                     It's a gift.

                    Play time is over. The guys get home today!

Linking up with Patchworktimes

Design Wall Monday-June 22, 2015

Not much to show this week. Too much happening around here, very little quilty.

This is block #7 for the Easy Does It block of the month on Quilters Who Care. Good thing they are true to their name-Easy Does It!

We did manage to take an afternoon away and went out to Marble Falls for lunch.

It was a beautiful day after "Bill"

Galen. We were having his 70th birthday lunch

On the way home we stopped at Shin Oak Wildlife area

We are usually there the wrong time of the day to see many birds. But a Spiny Lizard wanted his picture taken.

We got back to a phone call from Dad. He ended up in the ER from 5:30 to almost 10:30. His cancer of the bladder has returned and he's been having  a lot of bleeding from the tumor. The past few days have been a roller coaster with more down than up. Doctor appointments another trip to the ER on Sunday. Saturday he was at the hospital getting 2 units of blood. This afternoon he starts radiation once again. Hoping it will shrink the tumor like it did last Fall. It's one day at a time. On the upside, when I left the ER Wednesday night I was treated to a beautiful sunset after another band of rain came through.

Our trees are too big now to get a great view to the west.

If you are following the remodel. The shutters for every where but the bathroom get installed on Thursday. Furniture out of storage on Friday. Will be waiting for the glass for the shower and the mirrors but we are about done. Then it will be on to phase 3 in about a month or two. Wall board people will be here today to do a little touch up as well as the painter to do the final round of painting and any touch up that needs to be done before Thursday. Doesn't matter how careful they are there are always some spots that get a little marked up when putting in flooring.

The latest remodel link

Between Dad appointments and life here it will be a busy week. And it probably won't include much sewing time-my therapy!

Back to Patchworktimes

Remodel Update-June 20, 2015

Friday was a busy day. The electricians were here at 8 AM and the plumbers shortly there after.

Rainfall shower head plus hand held head. 

Finally decent lighting in the closets!

Missing the mirrors but lights and faucets are installed

A new ceiling fan with light in our bedroom.

We thought we were done for the day. About 5 I let the girls out to chase a squirrel out of the bird feeder. About the same time one of the tile guys was coming in the side gate. Everyone was surprised. He stayed outside the gate and we got the noisy girls back in the house! Everyone had a good laugh and the squirrel left the bird feeder! The guys did a little clean up work in the bathroom, grouted the shower floor and the T-moldings are now in place between the tile and wood.

Painter here on Monday. Decided he may have more than a day of work left so I moved the shutter installation to Thursday. Furniture in storage comes on Friday. 

June 18, 2015-remodel update

We are really making progress now-the kind that shows! The tile has been laid and really makes the difference.

The Shower

Shower seat

Shower floor

The Throne Room

One of the closet floors

View from the bedroom

Everything is grouted except for the shower floor and ready for the next step. The glass people were also here this morning to measure for the shower and  the mirrors over the vanities. that will take about 10 days to get here, but maybe sooner. Tomorrow, Friday, the plumber and the electricians will be here. Monday we're scheduled to have the painter back, Tuesday we should have the shutters installed in the bedroom, living room and dining room. Furniture delivered from storage on Friday.

We won't have the shutters in the bathroom right away. They wanted to get the measurements just right with the tile. Will put something up there until they arrive. My work starts when the furniture etc comes out of storage.

REMODEL UPDATE-JUNE 16, 2015

We had a set back after I wrote the last post.  Whenever the truck went to Houston to pick up the tile for the bathroom floor they couldn't find it.  So very little was accomplished until today. I think the only thing-a hole in each granite top for the faucets.  The tile guy was getting disgusted but fortunately he had another job he could work on while waiting for our stuff.  They found the tile on Saturday and it made it's way to Austin today.  Today started out with Danny and his helper. They got here in the rain and put the soft closures on all the drawers and hinges on the doors.  Now we have usable closet cabinets and vanities. He also put the lattice in the wine rack.

My closet. There are also shelves on the side you can't see and another hanging bar.I took the small one this time. Had a lot of "our" stuff in my old closet.

Galen's closet with wine rack. This closet does have duct work going to it. So it is good for wine

another view of Galen's closet

We didn't think there would be much else done today. This is the bedroom with all the bathroom fixtures and lights waiting to be installed

About 5 o'clock Greg showed up with a load of tile. The tile guys arrived too. They worked until almost 9 PM.

The bedroom was neater!

Close up of the travertine on the bathroom floor. This is also the same that we had put down last year in the kitchen and family room. Travertine-Philadelphia pattern.

Tomorrow if the creeks don't rise and the guys can get here they should finish laying the tile.

Probably good we have a back porch. I think the HOA would complain!!!!!

Design Wall Monday-June 15, 2015

A little to show this week. First off is a better picture of the Jelly Roll quilt. Still have not decided if I will border it or not. At this point I am thinking not. But then you never know!

It doesn't have a name. It was designed by Sue who works at Honey Bee in Austin for one of their strip clubs. It's a combination of a 4 patch, 2", 4" up to 20" strips.

While in the motel I also worked on quilt blocks using the MSQC Chevron u-tube video. 

Here's 32 of them. Had to do a little frogging on several . there will be 40 total. Think I will make 2 small quilts-4 x 5 with a narrow border of white, then a 4 inch wide print border. One layout I am thinking of using from her video has some half blocks, so I'm not rushing to finish the last few until I get it all laid out.

I used a layer cake I had on hand. It's a floral. Forget the name but probably still have the particulars some where!

Have several more projects started - the motel was good for that, but not for laying out blocks. More to follow after I get things organized again. Not sure how much sewing I will get done over the next few weeks. Remodel should be about finished this week. They misplaced our tile in the Houston warehouse but it has not been located. So the flooring should get done by Wednesday. Tomorrow Tuesday we have a lot of people here. And my Dad is having some problems, so this may be it for a little while.

Over to Patchworktimes!

QUICK REMODEL UPDATE- June 11, 2015

                                                      The guys got quite a bit done today.

BEDROOM FLOOR

Most of the tile around the vanity

Shower is about done as well

They plan on finishing al the tile work tomorrow. Saturday they will get the sealer on. Another couple of weeks and we should be able to move back in and use the shower etc.

We are moving back into the house tomorrow. The stain is dry on the bottom step and railings.

Remodel Update-June 9, 2015

We're back on track with our new painter. He has sanded, dusted, primed, sanded and dusted again. Then put on the color!  Just about all the bathroom is finished now as far as the enamel work. One more small area to do. Then to finish up the bedroom baseboards and window sills. That will be tomorrow. Thursday they can start laying the tile again in the bathroom and the wood floor in the bedroom. Since Jose also stained the bottom step and railings going up stairs today we should be back in the house come Friday. Looking forward to that.

The Trellis type woodwork is for the wine rack in the one closet

Another picture showing more of the drawers and doors-vanities and cloaets

Doors primed again and ready to be painted

Drawers done and ready to be put in the closets

Step and railings to blend with the new flooring

Should be more to show over the weekend.

Design Wall Monday-June 8, 2015

Still in the motel and will be until Friday, ( maybe Thursday of the stain is dry). The painter we had has been fired and the one who did such a good job last year started last Friday. All the enamel work has been sanded down to smooth it out, primed and sanded again. He has to get this finished so the tile guys can get back in and get back to work. They got some up last Thursday. If it weren't for that we would have the painter get the staining done on the steps to the upstairs. That is what is keeping us out of the house as we were living in the upstairs until this job is done. Oh well, enough of the remodel, on to sewing!

One thing about all this, I am sewing in the room. I did manage to complete 2 months of Trifecta Blocks- 7 & 8. The pictures could be better, had to lay the out on the bed. Remember this BOM uses 3 fat quarters and you make 6- 9.5 inch blocks each month.

Trifecta #7

Trifecta #8

Also finished the quilt I showed a picture of last week. But it is at the house and so is my camera!

I think if Dad is doing okay this morning Galen and I may take off for a little while-head to the Hill Country for a few hour get a way. But first will stop by and check on the house, At least we don't have to be there the whole time while the workmen are there. We did get to see our baby wrens learning to fly this past Friday. 

Over to Patchworktimes

Thursday Night update-June 4, 2015

Quite a bit was accomplished today-the wood is down everywhere except the bedroom.

This is a close up of the hand scraped floor

Living Room

Dining Room

Cutting the tile for an outlet. You could tell this wasn't the first time he had done this!

Part way up the shower wall

Inside the shower

Across from the shower-will be a small sitting area

The tile guys get a break over the next few days.The painter

will be here tomorrow and probably all weekend. Unfortunately  they were storing the travertine in the closet. The painter will need access to the closet so they had to move the tile to the porch. It is not light!

Another look of the flooring.

Our time in the motel will soon be coming to an end!