my.sewingroom's blog : placemat, pillowcases

Psalm 116

Linda — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:05:00 GMT

Good morning, Heavenly Father! Actually I've been up all night again coughing and here it is 5:00 am, no sleep for a second night, and I'm saying "good morning". Well, at least it's positive. God, I haven't been too positive for many months now. I'm overwhelmed with health issues again and it's been so long since I've had a "good" day. The Bible says "ask and ye shall receive". God I'm asking for good days so I can have a positive outlook again. I need that positive outlook. I need to have my strong faith again....I don't know where it went. Help me, Lord Jesus. I'm out in left field somewhere. Where am I?? What happened? Why am I always turning left instead of right?

Psalm 116

¹ I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
² Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

"I love you Lord. And I lift my voice to worship you O my soul Rejoice....." Amen.

I feel I must apologize to everyone because I've have had a very negative outlook in recent months about my health. Sometimes I become overwhelmed and I can't deal with the pain any more. What I need to do is turn to my God and my faith in my God and try to remain positive. Afterall, I'm still on this side of the grass, aren't I? I have survived 4 years. So why give up now? We Kollers are fighters and survivors. As Grandma Koller used to say "Linda, you are bullheaded!" Ok, so why be different now? I'm not after people's pity, prayers yes. So.....Onward Christian soldier!

Nothing and I do mean nothing has kept me from the sewing machine! I've made 2 pillowcases and 2 placemats for my little Indy. I'm looking forward to getting home. Indy will come home on March 3. I'll have a week to get everything ready for him. I just picked up some more fabric so I can make him a traveling mat to lay on. He will be a spoiled service dog. I also have fabric to make a quilt for the living room sofa for him to lay on.

I just finished another block that our alzheimer's qulter had started. I made it into a pillow that will go to her daugher who is in 4th stage breast cancer. Please keep the daughter in your prayers as she is not doing well I'm told. Our alzheimer's quilter was in church last Sunday and had a beautiful smile on her face. She was so precious. I'm taking the 2 quilt tops home to quilt. The only project left is the wall hanging. I hope to finish before I leave, but I have a pretty full schedule these last 3 weeks.

The Renaissance Festival is rapidly approaching. Jim has started working on a new reversible coat. Not as flashy as last year's coat, but classier. This week I made the pants...just have to make buttonholes yet. Today we are having some friends over for a sew-in...probably more visiting than sewing. I believe we are suppose to start on Sheila's costume. Actually we are just embellishing last year's costume. But what an embellishment!! A corset and overskirt in one. Oooolala! My costume gets no changes. I'm the fair maiden who has been captured by pirates. In a half hearted soft voice says "Help, help! I've been captured by pirates!" We have a lot of fun for the day. Wish I could find the photo of the gang to post. We're quite a motley looking group.

Several women at church have given me fabrics and asked me to please make quilts to be auctioned. The proceeds to be used to purchase items needed for the church. One lady gave me some red, white, blue fabrics and I told her they would make a nice valor quilt. She mentioned that she had a grandson in Afghanistan. So I'm now making a quilt for his family. I'm so priviledged that these women trust me to take on these tasks. I truly have my work cut out for me this year. Not to mention a few of my own quilts to finish up and my UFO pile.

Many thank yous for the birthday wishes yesterday. I belong to 2 birthday clubs and I am going home with a handsome stash of 30/40's, blues, greens, and purple fabrics. I believe I now have enough 30/40's with what I've managed to collect to make the Eleanor Burns sampler quilt from the "Egg Money" book. With the greens and purples I can now make both the pansy table topper and table runner for my bedroom.

I have enough to keep me busy. Plus, I'll be busy training Indy. I hope to meet some of you quilty friends in Ohio this year. Happy quilting!

PS. Don't forget the QCA/RWYS Luncheon on Feb. 17! Bring Show n Tell.

Another Day, Another 50 Cents!

Linda — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:17:00 GMT

Good morning, God. I am trusting in You that this will be a good day. I have to go to the dentist, my feet are already swollen (again), and my body hurts as always. But thank you Lord Jesus...my massage therapist comes this afternoon! Praises for all the blessings You give me! My caregiver Barb, spent the afternoon with me yesterday to start working out a diet plan. Barb has been a great friend to me. What a treasure and blessing! Yesterday we also lost a good friend, Linda S. Please wrap Your comforting arms around her family during this difficult time. Now Linda is no longer in distress and is glorifying in Your Kingdom. I thank You for the wonderful visit I had with her last winter and that I will have that final happy memory of her. Lord God, thank you for the many undeserved blessings and grace that you give me. Amen.

Good morning to all my quilty friends! The other day I finished the quilt for my granddaughter Hanna's 6th birthday. Even got it to the longarm quilter the same evening. I'm really ahead of the game as her birthday isn't till March 25. Normally I would quilt it myself, but my machine is in Ohio and I'm not. Besides this way I can work on other things. While Marlene and I were on our little (did I really say little?) shopping spree, I picked up some fabrics to make my little Indy some placemats for his doggie dishes and some pillowcases. His foster mom says he sleeps on a bed pillow. I also recently found some more doggie fabric and I'm going to make a little quilt for my sofa for him to lay on. Like my brother said the other day, Indy will be spoiled before I even get him home!! I can't spoil him too much, because once we've spent some time together and he is comfortable with me, we will be going into training for Indy to become my service dog. Yes, I said we will be going into training. I have to learn all the commands, etc. Once Indy is in training, he will be able to go everywhere with me.

I'm also, after taking a little break, back to work on my Reap What You Sew project. I'm almost finished with another pillow. We are giving this to the daughter of the alzheimer quilter, who has 4th stage breast cancer. I've posted the 2nd quilt top if you haven't seen it. I will be taking it back home to quilt along with the first one. Once the pillow is done, all I have left is the wall hanging. I really need a lot of prayer about this one. It is so beautiful and I want to do it justice.

Looking forward to the Sewing/Quilt Expo coming up here in Phoenix and meeting Maggie, who is taking me. Maybe, we can meet up with Marlene and her friend. Oh what damage we could do!! Eh, Marlene? I'm on the lookout for wide backing for the quilt I'll be making this summer for my guest room. Always have to look at patterns. Why? Who knows....I have more patterns than I know what to do with. I'll never have enough time to make them all. I could probably start a pattern store along with a fabric store. Hey maybe if I buy enough notions, I could have a business. I could call it....JoAnn Fabrics!!! Oh yeah, someone already thought of that one!

My friend just left for work saying, "Another day, another 50 cents." Cracked me up! Have a wonderful day!

PRAISES!

Linda — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:13:00 GMT

I'm a bit lax and I think we all do once we receive what we've asked God to give us. But I want to sing praises and thank yous to God for giving me Indy! I can't wait to get back to Ohio so I can meet him and bring him home! Has everyone seen his photo? Been showing it to everyone...at church, at my quilt group here in AZ, when I'm shopping, the neighbors. Emailed it to everyone back home. Posted it on Facebook. It's posted on QCA and Quilt with Us. Have I missed anyone? Don't think I mailed it to my brothers and mom...they don't do internet. Guess I better print copies and mail it to them. Don't want them to find out I've added to my family from the family grapevine gets to them before snail mail... That is if it hasn't beat me! I just ordered Indy's id tags, collar, and leash. I'm going shop hopping this afternoon, so I'm looking for doggie fabric to make him a couple placemats for his doggie dishes. I also want to get some fleece to make him a sleeping mat for the bed and sofa. Praise God! I finally have my puppy! Well, I will have him when I get home. So I'm cutting my winter short and leaving AZ the end of February. Mommy's coming home Indy!!!

Meanwhile, I finished my first UFO for 2012. It's my 2006 retreat quilt made from Civil War reproduction fabrics. My friends took it to the longarm quilter as my Christmas present. Two days ago I finished putting the binding on. Perhaps today I'll get photos taken and get it posted. If not today, sometime tomorrow. It turned out great and will look wonderful on the foot of my bed. I'm sure Indy will make good use of it!

Well I need to get going before my friend Marlene shows up so we can go shop hopping. I've never done this before so I'm really excited! Happy quilting! And praise God today for whatever blessings He has given you!

Hugs, Linda

PS. I talked to Indy's foster mom before going shop hopping and found out he sleeps on a pillow. Marlene and I just got back about 45 minutes ago. I found fabrics for 2 pillowcases for Indy. Now I have to find placemat fabric. Thank you, Marlene, for a wonderful afternoon! Hope we can do it again before I return to Ohio. Hi Nana!