Bricks and Stepping Stones

I got some more done on my Bricks and Stepping Stones quilt.  This is what it looked like last week:

I've gotten all of the rows sewn together now:

I'm still not thrilled with how this quilt looks, so I'm having a hard time making myself work on it.  I hope to get the center of the quilt put together this week.  

Linking up:  UFO Challenge

Jo's Pre-Mystery UFO Challenge

Each year before Bonnie Hunter releases her new mystery, Jo of Jo's Country Junction challenges us to complete a BH quilt we've already started.  Since I just finished two BH quilt tops this summer (Wild and Goosey and Scrappy Mountains Majesties), I only had two to chose from.  I started Talkin' Turkey last year, but I don't think I have enough variety in my red scraps to continue that one.  My other BH quilt is Bricks and Stepping Stones.  I had all the rectangles cut already:

This week I made the four patches and have gotten this far:

I have to admit that I'm not loving it so far.  I think my rectangles are too disparate. I've decided I like scrappy quilts better if they are more color controlled or if the pieces are so small they just read as color, not pattern.  I may change some of the colors in this, or I may just finish it as it is, consider it a lesson learned and donate it to charity.  Maybe the right border will help.  

Linking up:  /http://www.joscountryjunction.com/pre-mystery-ufo-challenge-2/

Let's Bee Social

Drew Yo-Yoing

Indulge me.  I'm missing my son.

Stash Report

Net used continues to look good!

Used this week:  10.25 yards (Wild and Goosey and pillowcases)
Used Year to Date:  78.125 yards
Added this week:  6.0 (Halloween pillow cases)
Added Year to Date:  72.0 yards
Net USED:  6.125

I made 4 pillowcases this week for the college kids, so that helped my numbers.

Wild and Goosey

The last two weeks have been challenging for our whole family.  Thank goodness for mindless sewing! This morning I got Wild and Goosey put together.

This is a big scrap quilt ( 91"x 91") with lots of little pieces.  I started it back in December of last year.  

Every bit of the fabric came from my stash, a lot of it came from bags I call my scrap trash:  scraps that are too small and ugly to bother sorting.  There is a piece of a maternity dress I made 26 years ago, scraps from the bandanas my dogs got at the groomers, scraps given to me by my mother and a quilting friend.  I estimate 6.5 yards of scraps are in this quilt.

http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2015/10/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-for-tommy.html

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/10/finish-it-up-friday-101615.html

Drew

Andrew Jordan White (Drew), 23, of Richmond died on October 7, 2015 after losing a hard fought battle with addiction. He is survived by his parents, Jeff and Laura White, his brothers Ben and Mark White. Also surviving Drew are his grandparents, Carl and Louie Plante and Jo White. He had seven aunts, nine uncles, and seventeen cousins. He was predeceased by his grandfather, Jeryl White. Drew was a 2010 graduate of Deep Run High School and received a BA in psychology from George Mason University in 2014. He was active in Kappa Sigma fraternity where he participated on the soccer team and served as Assistant Pledge Educator for a semester. Drew was a talented yo-yo player and yo-yo designer for HSpin and GSquared. The BioHazard was Drew's signature yo-yo. He enjoyed going to yo-yo competitions and meeting other enthusiasts from around the world. Drew also enjoyed music and online gaming. He spent the last 10 months living in southern Florida where he helped set up a support group for those suffering with depression. During this time he also concentrated on writing, which he wanted to develop and ultimately publish. The family will receive friends 2-4 PM Sunday at Bliley's-Central 3801 Augusta Ave. where a celebration of Drew's life will be held at 4 PM. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407 (website for forms and online donation: https://hpbcf.org/donation#.VhaggflViko)or Fisher House Foundation, a Kappa Sigma nationally supported charity helping families of military members receiving treatment (online at https://donate.fisherhouse.org/default.aspx?tsid=3147)

Not Quilting

I'm not really sure how to write this, so here are the facts.   My husband and I are sitting in a hospice room waiting for our 23 year old son to die.  He overdosed last Tuesday in a hotel room  and had been on life support, unresponsive since then.  Late Saturday night we took him off the ventilator. His body is young and strong and struggling to stay alive.

We are with him in hospice now waiting. 

I am angry with everyone who says they know how I am feeling because they don't.  I don't even know how I am feeling.  I am angry with his friends who post how much he means to them on his facebook wall.  Why didn't they let him know that weeks ago?  I am angry with God who is in control of this whole sad situation.  I am angry and sad and tired and a hundred other things.

All our friends and family keep texting for updates, but there is nothing to update.  They all want to do something, but there is nothing to do. 

Two things I know for sure:  good parenting can't fix a mentally ill child, and  even a  good therapist cannot help a mentally ill person who does not want to be helped.