Treasure Hunt OBW Progress

Treasure Hunt OBW has been on my design wall for over a month.  This afternoon I finally got the rows stitched together!  I'm celebrating!

The only thing left to do to get this top finished is to trim the top and bottom and put on the borders.  

I already have another OBW cut out.  I've also completed my Dawn's Early Light Blocks, so that top is almost ready for sashing. I wish I had another design wall, so I could work on them both at once.

Good Fortune

As usual we had a big Thanksgiving gathering,  36 people here for  this year.  I cooked the turkey, ham, and mashed potatoes.  Everyone else brought at least one dish. We had 3 kind of stuffing because different people have different favorites.  The rule is if you have to have a certain food on Thanksgiving, you bring it!  We had a lot of food, and so many desserts, I didn't get a chance to try them all.

 At our house, it is not about fancy china and the perfect table setting.  It is about family.  All of my brothers and sisters were here except for one brother who was sick and one brother who went to his in-law's house.  My husband's whole family was here too. My sister brought her Chinese neighbors who don't celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving on their own.   We set up folding tables in every room downstairs.  We used paper plates to make clean up easier.  The kids played outside.  Some people watched football on TV.  Some people helped cook, others cleaned up. My wonderful mother-in-law washed dishes.  She is one of 9 kids and enjoys big family gatherings.   This is our 12th year of hosting Thanksgiving.

 We were also celebrating my BIL's swearing in.  He is an US citizen now!

I didn't get a chance to start Good Fortune until Friday morning.  Both of my kids were home, though, so  it wasn't all I did.  We also went to an Escape Room, a movie and out to dinner one night.  The kids and my husband put up the tree and Christmas lights outside.  It was a busy, fun time!

So far, I have all of my 4 patches sewn.  I need to press them and spin the seams.  I should be able to get all of that done by Friday.  

Instead of the red Bonnie is using, my 4 patches are seafoam green.  I know some people spend a lot of time and energy searching for the perfect colors for these mystery quilts.  I just use the colors I have the most of.  My goal is not to make a beautiful quilt or to copy the Bonnie's;  my goal is to use up my scraps.  A quirky quilt will be ok with me. 

Linking up:  https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2018/11/mystery-monday-link-up-and-cyber-monday.html

Sleepy Hollow Framed

I have been working on the Cross Eyed Cricket's Sleepy Hollow for about 6 years.  Last week it came back from the framer, and I'm very happy with it!  I'm not sure why it took me so long to get it done.  I love the piece, just couldn't get very excited about working on it.  I've already passed the pattern on to someone else. 

It's so hard for me to get good pictures this time of year.  We have been having lots of gray days, and it gets dark very early, so the light isn't great.   

After Three Rounds of Chemo

I have gotten several emails from readers expressing concern about my cancer diagnosis.  I wish I had some good news for everyone. 

After three rounds of chemo, my tumor is stable.  Tumor markers are still elevated, but they don't always coincide with tumor shrinkage.  There is no evidence of new spread of disease.  My CT scan from last week looks exactly the same as my CT scan from August.  So we don't know yet if the chemo is working.  I have to have 2 more rounds of it and will get reevaluated in mid January.

I've been able to manage the side effects from this chemo, and I know now pretty much what to expect from it, so I am ok about staying on it a little while longer and giving it more of a chance to work.

Physical therapy wasn't addressing my hip pain, so I  have been seeing an acupuncturist.  I was very skeptical about whether or not this would help.  I have a degree in chemistry, and the scientist in me felt that acupuncture was akin to witch doctoring. My oncologist was not exactly supportive of it, but agreed it would not hurt me.  But it has been working not only for my hip pain, but when I told her that my white blood count was getting very low ( a side effect of the chemo which can delay treatment), she started treating me for that too.  Needles around my belly button!

The good news is that my white blood cell count is up  in the low normal range now.  It is the highest it has been since I started chemo. It actually went up during my last round!  Acupuncture is not covered by my insurance, and it is a little pricey, but it is so much better for my body than taking advil and tylenol around the clock.   I am going to keep on having acupuncture as long as it seems to be helping.  For those of you who haven't tried it, the needles are tiny, much smaller than your extra fine quilting pins, and I rarely feel them being inserted.  If they hurt a little, she removes the offending needle. 

Overall, I am feeling pretty well other than a sore throat that is probably a cold coming on and  not cancer related.  I am still working a few hours a week in the quilt shop. The biggest news is that  I have been able to walk my dog again! We  have  both missed our 2 mile a day walks, but with my hip pain I haven't really been able to walk him.  Just this week we have been out 3 times, and I love getting that part of my life back. 

I'll update you again when there is more news.  Thanks for all your concern, prayers and positive thoughts!

Tree Farm, Quilted and Bound

I finished this little lap quilt a couple of days ago.

This is Tree Farm by Keera Job.  It was a kit by Missouri star.

Debbie Cooper of Finish My Quilt did the longarming.  I told her I wanted something with snowflakes, not overtly Christmassy, and she found this pattern of snowflakes, waves and circles.  I love it!  The back is a gray minky.

Linking up:https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/2018/11/lets-bee-social-249.html



Used this week: 4.375 (binding for Tree Farm, scraps to Alison)
Used year to date: 159.625 yards
 Added this week:  0
Added year to date:174.875 yards
Net Added: 15.25 yards

Treasure Hunt, Continued

It took me almost three weeks to decide on a layout for this quilt. I could have probably done some more block moving, but enough is enough! I found a purple grunge that was perfect for the cubes, and I added a lot of them.

I've gotten my half hexagons sewed in rows.  The rows still have to be pressed so that the seam allowances will nest and when they are sewn together.  This is the part of a OBW that seem to take forever and is where I tend to get bogged down.

Used this week: 0
Used year to date: 155.25 yards
 Added this week: 7.375 (purple and black for OBW, sale FQs)
Added year to date:174.875 yards

Net Added: 19.625 yards

Linking up: http://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/2018/11/design-wall-monday-november-5-2018.html

Flower One Block Wonder, Quilted and Bound

Flower OBW surprised me.  It came out so much better than I thought it was going to.  I'm very happy with this one!

I like the back as much as the front.

The original fabric was just stripes of the big flowers and the row of green leaves, repeated in rows across the yardage.  I didn't have much of the fabric left, so I pieced the floral stripe for the back.  I always like to remember what the fabric looked like before the OBW process.  If I had had enough, I would have made this stripe a border on the front.

Vicki Johnson of Threads That Bind Us did the longarming.  She chose the pattern.  I chose black batting and the black thread. I like the way the quilting shows clearly on the back and then disappears into the print. 

One downside:  The black fabric means this quilt picks up lots of lint and stray hair.  I want to be sure to give it to someone who does not have furry pets.  Maybe I should give a lint roller along with the quilt!

Linking up:  https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/2018/10/lets-bee-social-248.html
http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2018/11/magnificent-maples-quilt-top-complete.html

Stash Report:
Used this week: 0.5 (flower OBW binding)
Used year to date: 155.25 yards
 Added this week: 0
Added year to date:167.5 yards
Net Added: 12.25 yards