A GIFT...for ME!!!

Quote for the Day:

“As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.” 

~Mary Anne Radmacher

Last week I received an email from another quilt blogger, Karen Griska of "Selvage Blog",  to let me know that I had won the give-away she had hosted on her website!  How exciting is that???

I've been following her blog for a few years now and LOVE that she posts pictures of quilts and other items made from selvages!  For those of you who don't know what a "selvage" is, it's the tightly-woven edge of fabric where the fabric is attached to the weaving machine.  

As a quilter, you cut those off because the weave is different and shrinks at a different rate than the rest of the quilt, and also because it usually has writing on it.  This is where the manufacturer's info, designer's info, and color dots are located.  Color dots indicate what dye lots were used in making that fabric.  

For the very frugalest of us quilters, we tend to shudder at the thought of throwing away ANY of our precious fabric, so many of us "keep" those edges with "plans" of putting them to good use one day.  Thanks to Karen, who has posted many links and pictures to fun and cute ways to use the selvages, people like myself have now started putting them to good use!

For example...a couple of years ago, I covered my ratty-looking sewing chair with selvages...

 from this...

to this...

But I digress....

Today when I arrived home from work, there was a little box sitting on the front porch addressed to little, ol' MOI!!!  

What could it be???  

OH....there it is!!!!!!!!!!!

An ADORABLE little hand-made pincushion made from a little ceramic baby shoe and TWO custom hatpins!!!

The shoe/pincushion is about 2.5-3" long and stands about 1.5-2" tall (not including the hatpins!)

Also included in the box was Karen's postcard...

...with a hand-written not on the back...

I've seen her post pictures of the pincushions that she makes and sells in her Etsy shop, but if this little one is any indication, they are even more beautiful in person!  :)  Be sure to go visit her shop and check out her items for sale!   https://www.etsy.com/shop/karengriskaquilts

Thanks so much, Karen!  I love the pincushion!  :)

Loretta

Happy Saturday...

This weekend the United States is celebrating Memorial Day weekend...the time that we celebrate and remember the brave soldiers that lost their lives in the service of our nation.

Memorial Day weekend traditionally signals the beginning of summer and vacation season here in the USA, too...cookouts, picnics, family gatherings, etc.  In celebration of the unofficial start of "summer", I decided to buy some new cushions for our porch furniture so we can enjoy the new, warmer weather!

I had power-washed the front of the house and the porch furniture on Mother's Day, but the old cushions were just too far gone to use again...they were 12 years old, so they needed to be retired.  I saw that Ollie's Bargain Outlet in Bridgeport had patio cushions on sale, so yesterday when I was out and about, I stopped in and bought some!

Doesn't it look like an inviting place to come sit and visit for a while?  And that's just what my neighbor, Kathy, and I did last evening.  We partook of some wine and caramel corn (don't judge us!) and enjoyed the evening on the front porch!  


I've been busy with working my two jobs these days, but am still trying to find a few moments now and then to sneak into the quilting room and work on the "Sherbet" quilt...

I'm also trying to get the machine quilting finished on the Choo-Choo train quilt for my grandson, Alex's first birthday coming up the beginning of July!  

Even though this quilt is a gift, I can still post about it because it is now a family tradition that all grandchildren receive their Choo-Choo train quilt for their first birthday!   They are all the same pattern and the tradition was begun when the original quilt was gifted by an aunt to my son when he was 15 months old.  Both of the children used and loved that quilt and they each wanted one for their children.  So...each grandchild now gets one for their first birthday!  :)

Now...I need to go outside and spray the weeds in the driveway and walkways.  Ah...the joys of home-ownership!  :)

Loretta

Baby Quilt Reveal!!!

Quote for the Day:

“Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give.” 

― Ben Carson

I've been working on some gift quilts lately, so haven't been able to post about them.  However, yesterday was the baby shower for my new grandson due in June, so now that the quilt has been gifted and received, I can reveal it to all of you!!

Unfortunately, the shower was in Tennessee on my short weekend, so I wasn't able to attend it myself.
Fortunately, the quilt arrived safely in time for the shower!  

This is the happy, soon-to-be parents of the baby...

They picked mint green and gray for the nursery colors and I used a free pattern I found online.

Close-up of the front...

The back!  

I decided it needed a "pop" of color so 
I added the orange stripe on the back!

The label...

Fondling the quilt...

you know you like to do it, too!  LOL

I know the "greens" look like they are quite different in the pictures, but in person they go well togehter.  I just have a crappy camera that takes crappy pictures!  :(

Erin and Dale seem pleased with the quilt and that makes me very happy!!!

I also made some receiving blankets and burp cloths...

The burp cloths...

Loretta

I Am Very Blessed...

To day I am feeling VERY, VERY blessed!  

This week I have gone through my first two days at my new job with Enliven Chiropractic in Bridgeport, WV, and have come out the other side still alive and kicking!  :)   

The first day and a half, I was beginning to feel like a fish that had been washed up on the shore, gasping for air...hoping someone would throw me back into the waters in which I am "comfortable".  I  kept repeating to myself that "it's good to get out of your comfort zone...you've settled for your comfort zone way too long."  

Then, on the afternoon of the second day, some things started to "click" for me as there were some cases where I was able to integrate my nursing knowledge and skills over into the work I was doing.  At the end of the day, I felt stronger and less stressed because I actually felt like I was "helping" instead of being in the way.  I came home exhausted, but a healthy exhaustion.  The act of starting a new job out of my comfort zone has caused me a lot of mental stress this week, but I'm glad I took this career step and believe that I am really, really going to like this job with Dr. Leonette and his very kind, helpful, and EXTREMELY PATIENT staff.  

Did I mention they were PATIENT???? 

By the end of tomorrow (Saturday), I will have worked 36 hours at my hospital job and 15-16 hours at the chiropractors office this week!  NOT TOO SHABBY for someone who a mere 7 months ago was being told she needed to think about going onto disability soon!!!  

So, yes...I am feeling VERY BLESSED and GRATEFUL to have my HEALTH and be able to WORK! 

Loretta

Career Changes Coming Up...

This past week brought a part-time job offer my way that I was pleased to get and I readily accepted!

My chiropractor, Dr. Leonette at Enliven Chiropractic, has asked me to join his practice as his "medical liaison".   How cool is that???  A few months ago, I was on the brink of disability, but thanks to Dr. Leonette's excellent care/treatments, I am now going to be working TWO part-time jobs....my 2 - 12 hours shifts per week at the hospital, and 8-10 hours per week in his office!!  

I'm not going to go into all the details of this new position, but basically I will be bringing my 31 years of nursing experience and knowledge to his office and helping him integrate the chiropractic with the traditional medical care the patient may be receiving.

I am excited beyond belief to be taking this step with my nursing career even though it is WAY outside of my "comfort zone".   

I have Dr. L. to thank for the fact that I am even able to continue working my hospital job, much less have the health and strength to take on this new position.  I believe in chiropractic and I believe in him.  I guess you could say that after he was able to do so much for decreasing my pain and improving my quality of life, I "drank the Kool-Aid" and am now one of his most fervent ambassadors.  Since the beginning, I've carried his business cards in my purse and recommend him to anyone that confides to me that they suffer from pain.

I start my training this week!!!!!!  I hope that I am as smart as he thinks I am!  ;)  I also hope that I can be of assistance to him as his practice continues to grow by leaps and bounds!  I'm truly excited to be involved in this adventure and we'll see where it leads!


On the quilting front, I wasn't completely pleased with a couple of areas on the baby quilt I made for my grandson that is due in June, so I added some extra quilting to a few places.  I'm much happier with it now, especially after I washed and dried it.  

I also made the label yesterday after several false starts...I kept making mistakes and have you ever tried to rip out machine embroidery???  It was just easier to just start over.  Finally, on my third attempt I got through most of it till the last line that contains the date...AND...I ran out of the color of thread I was using...

Look at that thread spool...not enough left to do the date.  **very sad face here**  

I was so frustrated that I finally just grabbed another shade of the green from my thread stash and finished it off...

Hopefully the little baby...or his parents...won't mind that the date is in a different color!  I had to cover up the name in both pictures because my daughter and son-in-law are not announcing the name till the baby is born.

Now I need to get the quilt wrapped up and packaged up with all the other baby gifts and get them in the mail.  The baby shower is scheduled for May 17 and unfortunately I will not be able to attend.  **more sad faces here**  Once the quilt and gifts have been received and opened at the shower, I will post pictures!!

Loretta