A Special Quilt I Had to Make, and Updates on Several Things

It's been a long time now, more than a month, since I've posted anything.  Like everyone else, I've had a case of the blahs I guess, but not so much because of the pandemic, but more because of my aggravating vertigo, actually now labeled Meniere's Disease.  I went to a new specialist about a month ago; he put a shot in my right ear, and I haven't been worth a plug nickel since!  But hey, I'm still alive, even if I can't hear or keep my balance!  He's sending me to a therapist in a couple of weeks, I think really just to get me out of his hair!  We'll see; I'm willing to try almost anything to be able to walk again!   Sorry to be so disgusted and write all this for you to read, so now I'll hush and try to be more positive about life.

I did get to go to the quilt retreat the last of July, and got to meet with the same gang that's been there the past four years now.  We had a ball, with lots of entertainment again from the twins and their older sister; they kept us laughing all the time.    I would not have been able to go if it had not been for my sweet daugher-in-law who was determined to go regardless of her health and job.  I wish you could see, in person, what she is working on.  It is a beautiful, huge quilt for her mother that she has been working on since the first year we got to go to retreat.  As you can see, the two rows on the right side of this picture are folded over to keep it on the table,   I don't know what the pattern is, but she said it was in an old magazine I gave her when she first started quilting.  I'll have to get that info from her.  As I said, she started it the first year we went to retreat, and this year was our fourth year to go!  I told her I hope her mother lives long enough for her to get it finished!  Of course, she works a full time job, her mother is in worse shape than I am, and she has had back surgery earlier this year.  It will be beautiful for sure; she is matching every point perfectly, and there are a lot of points!  I'm so proud of her!

I worked on two projects at retreat and got one top all together, and the second ready for borders, which I've been working on this week a bit.  The first on turned out to my satisfaction very well, and it is now totally finished.  I will be giving it to a lady in my church who has cancer; I think she will love it.  I have to tell you, as I'm telling her in a letter with the quilt, that I really didn't want to make another Cancer quilt, but the Lord just would not leave me alone  I wanted to change the label on the one I had made for the church Youth Auction which was postponed earlier this year because of all the health warnings.  However, He convinced me that I had promised that first one to that auction, and He wanted me to make another one especially for this lady.   

I dug in my stash for fabric, and the first thing I pulled out was a large piece (enough for the backing), and inside was a stack of other fabrics, all coordinating, but some as small as 17 inches!  But this seemed to be what He would have me use, and through every step, there was barely enough of each fabric, and when I say "barely", that's exactly what I mean!  I had to do a lot of figuring, measuring, and drawing, but We got it done!  My letter to her explains each step in the making of her quilt, and how I had to really be careful cutting each fabric to have enough.  

Never before have I experienced so much absolute direction from my Lord to make a quilt for anyone!  At first I hesitated, but every excuse I made was met with a direct instruction to make this quilt for this particular lady, whom I really don't know that well.  Really my only connection with her is very slight; when I played the piano at church, as I was returning to my seat, she would smile at me and motion for me to come to where she was sitting, and she would give me a nice compliment and another big smile.  I think maybe that's why the fabric with the music caught my attention.  I feel so sorry that she has cancer so bad, yet she is so dedicated to come with her husband to church each Sunday (before the pandemic, of course).  I just had to make the quilt especially for her! 

Because of first extreme heat, then rain, and my not feeling stable enough for my friend to take me to deliver the quilt, it is still at my house, ready for delivery, which I hope will be one day this week.  Neither I nor my friend who will drive me there have ever really been acquainted with her, so I'll have to call to get an appointment.  I'll be glad when she has the quilt. 

I'll wait to show the other quilt top I worked on at retreat.  I'm having trouble with quilting it; can't decide how to quilt it, and may have to rip out some of what I've done.  It's sort of an experiment anyway.  

Some have mentioned problems with the new Blogger.  So far today, it has gone well with me.  We'll see in a few minutes when I get finished here and start to publish it.  

Hope all of you have a happy and safe Labor Day holiday.  I'm hoping for a quiet day.  I don't think I'll even set my alarm clock!

---"Love"