Monthly Archives: January 2011

Christmas 2010 in Our House

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I was not myself over Christmas, as I was dealing with this first MS episode … but, I did take some meaningful photos for our family!


WOW!  Santa had milk and cookies!


Santa came Christmas Morning!


Stockings were filled.


Even our big lab had his own stocking.


And even the smallest pet, our daughter’s six pound rescue received stocking gifts!

I hope all of you had a great Christmas!

2010 Book List

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I am going to remove my reading list from the far right sidebar, now that 2011 has arrived.  I did not really have a goal with keeping the list, except to be able to count how many actual books I read in 2010.  I knew I read a lot (usually after the kids go to bed) but was not sure how many books I actually read.  The official count is that I read 161 books in 2010.  That would be more than three a week.  Wow.  I have supported not just the local library but have taken advantage of the interlibrary loan that is available and used the free eBook downloads that our local library offers.

PLUS, I did win a Nook (r) in our library’s essay contest and have totally taken advantage of the ease and simplicity of the technology:

Although I enjoy reading…I’m thinking I need to be spending some of that free time quilting!

Countdown to Christmas Finale

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By now, you should have FOUR (4) of each of the SIX (6) blocks that were displayed and designed in December 2010.  Now, we finish the quilt!

Cutting Instructions for the Sashing, Borders & Binding:

  1. Cut FIFTEEN (15) Gold 2 1/2″ squares.
  2. Cut THIRTY EIGHT (38) Red 2 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ strips.
  3. Cut FOUR (4) Gold 5 1/2″ squares.
  4. Cut TWO (2) 5 1/2″ x 70 1/2″ strips.
  5. Cut TWO (2) 5 1/2″ x 46 1/2″ strips.
  6. Cut enough Red 2 1/2″ strips to sew together to make your binding that will go around your finished quilt top.

Putting Your Quilt Top Together:

  1. Start in the third row.  First, sew one of the red strips to one side of the block:
  2.  Then, sew the Gold 2 1/2″ squares to the ends of TWO (2) other Red strips:
  3. Sew TWO (2) of the Gold strips to the end of ONE (1) red strip:
  4. Now sew a Gold/Red strip to one side of the block you sewed the first Red strip to:
  5. Then sew the next strip to the next side of the same block:
  6. To finish this block, sew the final Gold/Red/Gold strip to the block:
  7. Continue sewing the rows of blocks as shown below, until you have a full row of each block:
  8. Repeat the same process until you have all SIX (6) rows sewn, then sew them together:
  9. Now, repeat the same process starting with #1 above, except with your border fabrics.   Here is an image of your final quilt top!  Just create your quilt sandwich, quilt it and bind it.  Be sure to give it to someone who will love the quilted love you’ve put into it!

And thank you for your quilted heart and patience!

Starting out 2011 with Apologies

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Please forgive me not getting the finsihing instructions up for the Quilt Therapy countdown to Christmas pattern up just yet. 

I spent Christmas night in the hospital (refused to go before that, was not going to ruin my childrens’ Christmas) with odd symptoms that scared us into believing that the family brain aneurysm genetics had finally reached a female in our family.

I was lucky, though.  CT scan, chest x-ray, ECG and blood work fine.

Unforunately, MRI not okay and I have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and am in the midst of a great big, fat flare up of myelin shredding from a nerve right in the left part of my cerebral hemisphere.  The right side of my face is numb, my talking is affected, my left brain tells my right hand and leg/foot what to do but they do what they want.  Typing difficult.  Balance impossible.  Fuzzy and dizzy most of the time.

I ask for your patience while I get through this flare up episode and get the pattern finished for you!  Thanks much!