Friday, August 2, 2019

Monthly Mini for July--late again!

It has been a long time without posting, but I actually had this finished about the middle of July. I just couldn't  muster enough brain power, or stay awake long enough to write a post whenever I had any time.
This is my July Monthly Mini with Wendy over at The Constant Quilter blog, making its late appearance. I am calling it Deep Purple--and if that name makes you start singing the song, then your age is showing. :)






My very random scrap creation (described in my previous post) received mostly ditch-stitching with a little bit of free motion in the border. This photo gives you a little glimpse of it.










When I get a chance to spend time in my sewing room lately I find myself too mentally and/or emotionally drained or distracted to focus on a project and make progress. I end up shuffling a few things around and basically accomplishing nothing.

We took Mom to an oncologist this week. He was very fun and we laughed so much. That was a blessing, because my Mom likes to keep things lighthearted at the doctor's office, even when talking about terminal cancer. She is opting for no treatment, so we are having a hospice evaluation today.


When visiting with Mom I always take handwork with me, and if she is resting, or we are just watching TV together, I pull out my hexie flowers and stitch them to their backgrounds. I have doubled their numbers since my last post, and am currently working on #9.

One last quilty thing to share...have you heard of Quilters Select rulers (this link is just one of many sources for them)? A dear friend of mine has mentioned to me before that she happened upon them and has been so impressed that she is gradually replacing her Creative Grid rulers with the Quilters Select, as the CG rulers get too worn (for me that means I have chipped up the corners too much).
A few days ago I received a little ruler in the mail from my friend and I must say I completely understand her enthusiasm for these rulers--so much so that I have a couple of them ordered now. 
You can see it against the white paper--notice the slight yellow color. That is an amazing treatment on the surface of the back side that makes them practically slip-proof.

I trimmed up a few HST I had on hand (who am I kidding, I have hundreds of them on hand!!) and I couldn't have been more pleased. I wish the diagonal lines went in both directions, but I can work around that. If slipping rulers are an issue for you, even on those great Creative Grid rulers with the little gripper dots, you may want to check these out! No affiliation here, just a very pleased user!

So much family stuff going on this summer--especially regarding Mom. Thanks to those who have checked in with me, and apologies for when I haven't responded. I have fallen asleep many times at the computer when I sit down thinking I will catch up, so instead I give up.

Until next time--whenever that might be,
Janet O.
 

28 comments:

  1. Your mini turned out great and I love the name. The quilting is perfect, it doesn't need something really fancy. So sorry to hear of your Mother's decline. I'm so glad she can still find things to laugh about. That's the way I want to be when it's my turn. Isn't it interesting how sitting still and waiting can be so exhausting mentally. I'm glad you've got the little hexies to keep you company - looking good.

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  2. Lovely quilting on your beautiful Deep Purple. And interesting review of the Quilter's Select. I will check those out. I definitely understand the distraction you feel at times with your sewing. I was blessed to care for my mom through hospice. It was a time we couldn't have shared otherwise. God really guided and supported us intimately. I'm praying for that same support and comfort for you and your family.

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  3. Better late than not at all. e\Enjoy the time with your MOM. You are in my Prayers!

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  4. Your little purple mini is very sweet. Its hard to focus when news is not good and you have to make lots of tough decisions. Thinking of you and glad your Mothers able to make her own decisions with the help of a caring professional.

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  5. Janet, I hope the visit with the hospice people goes well. What a difficult situation. Your mom is quite the trooper and I love that she wants to laugh. Good for her.
    Hard to believe that you are still able to get anything done! I have tried one of those new rulers as well; I got a 4-1.2" one and have been very happy with it; the yellow line isn't along the edge of the ruler so it doesn't interfere with seeing the edge of the ruler. GREAT recommendation... THANKS.
    Take care, my friend...
    much love,

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  6. Sorry about your mom. Been there myself. I love the Quilters Select rulers too. They really don’t slip and I love the skinny lines. I am not a good cutter so I need all the help that I can get!

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  7. Prayers for you and your family, especially Mom. The quilting on your mimi is beautiful. Please take care of yourself sounds like you are mentally and physically drained.

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  8. Your mom is such an amazing positive force, even if her earthly days are numbered (and all our days are so) she knows she is heading toward a blessed reunion with her Savior and her family who have gone before. I'm glad you are able to spend so much time with her now, it is a comfort to both of you I'm sure. I love Deep Purple, had to look up the song on U-Tube before recalling it. Those little rulers sound wonderful, I may just have to put one on my Christmas wish list.

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  9. I love your deep purple Janet - even though purple is not necessarily one of my favourite colours, I do love that one. I have been thinking of you lots & wondering how your Mum was. I hope you get many more lighthearted moments amongst this worrying time my friend. xx

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  10. Your mini quilt turned out fabulous - and the beautiful colors and quilting really make it so. I will look into the ruler. It would be hard for me to focus on quilting if I were going through what you are going through. I know when I was recovering from surgery, even though I had time and energy, I didn't have any motivation to do much quilting or much of anything else.

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  11. I read the stress in your post. Since many of us have sat in that chair before, we feel the tiredness and emotional state your body is in. Hopefully, hospice will ease your family and Mom thru this time. Sew when you can, even if it is random, and sleep when you can too. Hugs.

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  12. Yes, the song did pop into my head! I love the splashes of orange in your mini! So cute and different. Your GFG blocks are lovely. It is very hard to come to terms with family illness - especially for a mother. I have a friend whose DH stopped the cancer treatment as well and they are working on enjoying the time they have together. I pray God will give you peace at this time.

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  13. Your mini is adorable and I love the little box in the background full of quilts. I am so sorry your mom is having to go through this (you too) and I pray for peace and comfort for all of you. I only recently bought the creative grid ruler and like it very much. I will check out this new one when I decide to purchase another. Great to hear from you again!

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  14. Well, first of all, I love this mini!! I had linked up your June mini so as not to leave you out, so I will now change it to this post. Thanks for doing one in all this mayhem that summer brings. I feel exactly as you do when I enter my sewing room these days. Soooo many things to do and yet no focusing ability. It will get better. I am so happy that your Mom can laugh about her situation. It makes all the difference in the lives of those who are caring for her. What a trooper! We have had such wonderful luck with Hospice people. I wish the same journey for you. And many of my friends have told me of the wonders of the Quilters Select rulers. I have ignored them until now. If Janet says they are great, well... I will look into them. I have been using the same ruler for nearly 40 years. I have replaced it twice as the numbers rubbed off after 10 years or so. Guess it is time for a change.

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  15. Your little mini is adorable--and that's coming from someone that has an aversion to purple--lol! I do remember that song--now it's running through my head--thank you very much! I will have to give one of those rulers a try. I hate chipped corners and my favorite Creative Grids is so worn it has a curve to it. Take care--hugs to you and your mom.

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  16. I love your deep purple mini. I have a bunch of hexie flowers made but never thought to sew them onto fabric squares. I'll have to try it.

    I will keep you and your mother in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs

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  17. Yes. I completely understand...I've been so tired I simply did not want to sit up? lol! And yes....blogging takes up quite a bit of time too. Love your Deep Purple mini...that little bit of orange adds a nice surprise! Going to check out those quilter's select rulers....there might be one size I might "need"....;-) Blessings to you and your Mom.

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  18. Your mom and you too are an example to us all. Keeping priorities straight and leaning in each other and staying positive during hard and challenging times. Wish I was closer to leaned a helping hand.

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  19. Deep Purple is another great min and I love the scrappy nature of it.
    I respect your mom's decision and I'm glad she has a doctor that she connects with. Hope the meeting went well. Its nice that you have a ready project to stitch a bit when you're with her.
    it was great to see a post. Take care xo

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  20. Janet, I happened on your blog today and what fun it was to see what you have been up to. Sorry to hear that your mom is struggling with health issues. Your mini quilts are amazing and so are you. Curtis and I moved to Kansas about 2 years ago and we are loving living in the center of the United States.
    Mary Meats

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  21. What a perfect July mini! Love the colors and the name. So nice that you're making some progress with your hexie flowers. Both you and your mom are an inspiration during this difficult time. My thoughts are with you :)

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  22. I fell asleep at a Deep Purple concert DH and I attended in Los Angeles... He's the one into that sort of music, as you can imagine I wasn't impressed. Got the giggles when you mentioned it. My friend Kerry has also started to replace her rulers with Quilters Select brand. I haven't jumped in yet to do it, but having used her rulers I completely understand why you like them. Thinking of you and your Mom. Sandi

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  23. Deep Purple is a beautiful, little quilt, Janet. Congratulations for making and finishing it considering all you have going on in your life. So sorry about your mom and hospice. That program is wonderful but knowing your mom will be leaving sooner than later is so sad. Don't worry about responding to this comment. You have really important things to do!

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  24. I admire your minis always! I have not seen these rulers as yet. Sorry your mom is needing such care, glad you are able to be with her often. My mom has Alzheimer's and things are getting more difficult for her.

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  25. I love you, dear friend!!

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  26. The flower garden blocks are so pretty. Oh, you are really in the thick of it with your Mom, caregiving. What a blessing for her that she has you nearby. Hospice is a wonderful philosophy and I've only ever experienced good with it. Don't worry about your lack of focus in the sewing room. Puttering and just thinking counts too as therapeutic quilting time! I will have to remember about the rulers when it is time to replace/buy more. They look really good.

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  27. I keep you, your mom and your family in my prayers. ♥ I looked all over for the rulers when we shop-hopped this weekend, but no one here is carrying them! Your mini is lovely, as per usual! :)

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  28. Sometimes just puttering around is enough...anything to help the mind float. This hobby of ours is good for that. So sorry to hear about your mom and do hope things go well from here on. My mom has just been moved to long term care, another stage in her life’s journey. Take care now.

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