Last Home Gopher Game of the Season!

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

Over Dad’s right shoulder is our older son with the team. Wow, it’s hard to believe the home season is over. Our son was a Red Shirt this year. He met with the head coach Wednesday and was told if he keeps up the good work he has a good chance at starting next year. It would be a dream come true for all of us. They could have used his S*P*I*R*I*T out on the field today because it was a tough game. Oh my we missed a lot of passes. The scoring on both sides was by field goals and a defensive interception by the gopher for a touch down. The offensive line did not score one touchdown. Ouch! It was cold out there. I could have used 3rd pair of socks!

We saw the game from a very different spot this week. We were up on the second floor behind the band area under the large screen. It gave us this great view of the city. Luckily I remembered my glasses this week. I didn’t have them last week but then we were a lot closer.

Last week we were given tickets at the 50 yard line in the front row….handicap section….but great seats! The weather was the best you could ever have for a football game! The pre-game had two parachuters drop onto the field just as we were finishing the Star Spangled Banner. Then during half time they swore in  4 women and 3 men as new recruits to the Army. We were right there in front watching the entire thing. It was so great! We lost and it was a tough loss for the team. It still was fun. We went over to our son’s apartment after the game the sat around and discussed the game and school. He is maturing every day.

Today at the game I called a niece that was there in the student section and we met up with her for hugs and to talk. She is a freshman this year. She said school is lot harder than she ever thought it would be. Wow, she was just a little girl hiding behind her Mommy not too long ago.

Someone had a really great time at the game. The highlight was the tatoos to the face. A quick second is the fact he got to bring his DS along. He played it constantly until the battery ran out!

Goldy the Gopher on one side and the Gopher helmet on the other.

We didn’t have the camera with us last week. I’m glad we brought it today!

I saw some pretty nice tied fleece blankets today. I would like to get some fabric and make some for Christmas gifts. We hope to have two more years of Gopher football. I already mapped out the 5 away games for next year. Three of them go through the Chicago area where my half sister lives and my niece. (The older sister to the one I saw today.)

If our older son get’s a starting spot or even second string he should get a scholarship for next year. It sure would be nice. He has worked really hard this season and has had such a positive attitude. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it has been to red shirt a year after playing two years. He has always wanted to be out there…..every play if possible. In high school he played….defense…offense…and special teams on the kicks and kick returns….he did it all!

Progress…

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

Slow and steady, steady and slow, that’s the way I always go! The Hare and the Tortoise!

It was August 29th when I took this photo!

Photo quote:

I just finished sewing row 6 together and now working on finishing row 7. The quilt was up from the floor since last post and went back down again this morning. Each time the blocks go to a different area. Many are sewn together I just don’t have the rows completed. Such a process…an enjoyable process at that!

Sunday Nov 8th….can it be it has been 9 weeks since I have laid this quilt out?!?! I had to take a block out of row 5 and cut it down to the correct size, I then had to take two blocks out of row 6. I did this 4 days ago while my son did his homework. He likes it if I sit at the table with him while he does his math and sentences. I spent the day today cleaning his room! I brought in a desk from the garage and cleaned it. I spent hours in his room!

Now a few minutes for me. I was able to sew the sixth row onto the quilt. Now I am looking over row 7 and of course have to rip out a few blocks before I can sew the row on. It never pays to try and hurry!

I guess I could get the little guy going on his homework and sit and rip while he studies!

Yesterday was a football day! It was great weather to be outside at the new stadium. I was exhausted though when I got home.

I took some quiet time to log the Daneille Steel books I have.  My Mom reads them and I like them as well. She gives them to me after she is done with them. I had so many that after awhile I challenged myself to see if I could collect and read them all.

String Diamonds

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

Once I find where I put this quilt I will be able to add these blocks to it.

Stayed home with my little one today. I called the school and asked to speak to the nurse. There were two confirmed cases of H1N1 in my son’s classroom on Friday. I would say with a fever of 104 degrees Sunday evening my little one has been fighting a big bug. The good thing is her is better today. He still is not moving as much but he is better. No medicine today at all and the fever stayed down. The nurse said he has to have a temp below 100 without medication for 24 hours before he can return to school. He just asked me if he can work on his homework so I think he is getting ready at least psychologically for school.

I was so scared though I slept in his bed with him last night. He lifted his head about 1am and said. “Mom I really need to get this right.” I asked him what and he said “I really need to get this right”. I asked him if he needed to go to the bathroom and he got up went into the bathroom and proceeded to get the wall wet. I can tell you he didn’t get something right. I had some cleaning to do!

I am so glad my son is feeling better today. My heart goes out to all the families who have lost little ones with the H1N1 virus. This little guy came home at 3lbs 6oz. I stayed at home that entire first year. If he was born right now and he was going through this I could have lost him. It is a serious matter.

My friend Carol gave me little little witch so today I made a diamond for my sting piece quilt in honor of the little kitchen witch. I just happen to have the same fabric that her hat is made out of in my stash!

I did quickly sew two rows onto my Patriotic table runner. The 4-patches were done they just needed to be sewn together and onto the piece. I didn’t get this done for the 4th of July so I hope to have a little patriotic Christmas display this year. Do you think it is possible?

Off to quilting tonight. My hope was to sew a few rows onto the Half Square Triangle quilt. I made it down one row and the squares no longer lined up. I have to do some ripping. I got the blocks from Susie. We are at her house tonight. He Mom, Jan, died 6 months ago and Susie back into the house and has renovated it. She is the sole survivor in the family. Tonight is dedicated to Jan. Six months have gone by already. How does that happen?

Jan’s Quilts 47

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

I’ll be busy today being Mommy to a very sick child as soon as he wakes up.

We need a little sunshine in the form of a quilt today because I have one little guy who is running a very high fever. He’s still sleeping in our bed after climbing in at 1a.
It was one of those nights were he tip toes in the room and his shirt is soaking wet from the fever breaking. We changed it and let him climb in with us. Sometimes it’s the only way you get any sleep.

Daddy and I had a cup of coffee this morning before he was off to work. I went to feel the little one’s head and it is hot again.  Oh yeah…I suppose I better go call the school. Good thing I remembered! You get so caught up in the moment.

10a

School was called and you know what she said “give us a call back if he get’s diagnosed with something”. I remember when my older son was in elementary school they sent a note home to advise us when someone had chickenpox in the classroom. I haven’t seen anything like that this year. An automated message did call before the school year started to let us know the children would be washing their hands when they came in the building each day and asked us to have them wash their hands immediately upon coming home. Our son does this each day without even being asked to. He immediately goes to the bathroom and washes his hands…..with soap. They apparently are getting the message across. At least to one child!

He has eaten a corner of toast and taken a spoonful of Ibuprofen. He is tucked in bed watching Ch 2.  We are going to do a crafting project today if he feels well enough. A load of dishes are soaking in the sink. One section of counter top is cleaned off! How is it things get so out of control? I have to plan the boy scouts night tonight. Dad may be staying home with a sick child while mom is out scouting! Off to finish the dishes!!!!

Of course I called Grandma too. To let her know her Grandson is sick. She is in the middle of a home perm. She said it saves her 50 bucks. She’s right!

Lunchtime of Campbells chicken noodle  soup and peanut butter crackers and then a game of Junior Monopoly. Mommy won and that didn’t go over too well.

A little pouting so off to bed to read a story.

The Last Of The Wizards by Rona Jaffe.

Here is the row I did on an exchange quilt

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

I am home and it feels good. I just spent two days with my family and I am familied out. When our oldest son was little  Daddy would come home from work and I would occassionally pass the child and say “I am so babied out!” Well tonight I am familied out and a bit stressed because my youngest spiked a fever at around 6pm tonight 99.8 and by 7p it was up to 104. Not good. He slept the 1 1/2hrs  it takes to get home laying down in the back seat of the car. He went straight to bed after a bit of children’s medicin.

My mother is just starting to feel better after two weeks with a bronchial infection. Now she was just in the same room as my son the past two evening.  Ahhhh. Drives me crazy to think she could get sick again.

My sister’s two younger ones are usually always sick and of course this weekend they were healthy. So now if they get sick it is my fault! And her two grandchildren were there….ahhhh two more who could also get sick….

I woke at 530a this morning and spent a few hours on the computer playing with Galleries on Flickr for the 1st time. I really enjoyed putting together clusters of interests I have.  I can now put photos in catagories of interest when I see something I really like.

But of course they all jumped on my case after a while for being on the computer. Even though everyone was watching the Viking beat the Packers in football. Yesterday the Gophers won too. We have had a great weekend of watching football. My Mr was at the game with his buddies and my older brother and wife were there too (up in one of the specialty rooms) If the Gophers win one of their next 3 games they’ll go to a bowl game.

I was able to hand sew on a few blocks for my diamond quilt. I’ll try to post photos this week. I did about 10 blocks last weekend. They are all hand sewn. It’s nice to have a hand project to work on.

Off to bed….may have to stay home with a sick child in the morning…….we’ll see.

Halloween at my sister’s.

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

This is a shot of inside the trailer behind the tractor.View the hayride here.

We are at my sister’s today to go trick or treating on a haywagon behind a tractor. My sister has been having this gathering for over 6 years now. It is a great time because so many friends and relatives come that we only see one time a year.

My GREATniece Elysia

On the drive here I stopped at a few two antique stores and two quilt shops. I picked up 4 fat quarters of white on white and one bundle of sunflower fabric. YES, for my sunflower quilt. I also purchased a Sun Bonnet Sue quilt that was $32.00 on sale for $20.00. There are 3 blocks that have mold spots on them. I could try replacing the muslin fabric on the blocks or I could reduce the quilt down to a crib quilt size and replace the 3 blocks with the mold. The quilt is currently 4 blocks across and 5 blocks down.

I love this. My nephew just took this photo on his cell phone. Sent it to my yahoo and then we downloaded onto this site. It’s amazing what you can do these days. The video of my GREATniece was done the same way.

This is my nephew. He is also my Godson and the oldest of 10 nieces and nephews. He has his 3rd child on the way. Tomorrow we will celebrate his son’s 9th birthday. His son is a year older than mine…..funny how that works. Pat made the link piece under the chestplate. He has been working on it for a few years and finished it today. It is made of thousands of metal links that he put together with a pliers.  It weighs over 30 lbs. It is really a cool piece.

Vintage Star Quilt

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

This is the before picture. It was just very mildly quilted with a loose stitch. It was not difficult to take it apart. My sister and I were at the cabin last week with our families and my Mommy!!!  Mom scared me with how frail she seemed. She is 81 years old and has slowed down so much these past few years. I get to see her again today at a family reunion on her side. It is near the cities and will be fun because we usually go UP NORTH for most events. This time everyone is coming to a suburb near the cities. We will be at a lake and have sooooooooooo much fun!

Last weekend was wonderful. The week before I met my sister half way between our homes and picked up mom for my son’s preseason football game with the Minnesota Gophers…….Mom had a blast. He played in about every 7th play. He mainly was special teams on the kick offs and kick returns….he is the runner who goes lightning fast down the field. The fourth quarter he played some defense. The next day at practice the head coach asked….. who’s this guy? while they were watching films. They called out my son’s name and he said. “This is what we want to see”. It was great praise because Kyle is a transfer student and walk on to the team. He took the risk to go from D2 to a D1 team. He has to redshirt this year so that game has to hold him over until next year.

Back to quilting! We met at an antique store and went in and looked around. I came upon this pink quilt. I am not much for pink but it fascinated me. It had lumps and bumps all over the inside! I was anxious to take it apart. I love to research old quilts!!!

This is what I found! The wool batting balled up inside. Some of it was stuck to the stitches. The quilt was just so very lighly quilted in loose stitch one time around the stars. My mind keeps saying to me “quilt this in red thread”!

I think red stitches just accent these stars so well! As you can see there is some work that has to be done on this quilt. There is even some sun damage on one side in the pink background……and emboidered poem in the area maybe………

I can’t explain to you how excited I get at these discoveries. At one time this was one big sheet of batting. Maybe it was even home made batting.

It seems there is always one fabric that causes problems in a quilt. This star is probably in the best shape and my favorite of all of them.

Note how this star used two different green fabrics. Ginghams, florals, polka dots …..I would say made in the 60s. What do you think?

The two layers are seperated now. I have loads and loads of batting. In fact I just purchased a roll of batting at the thrift….and more thread….and a small loom….and a bag of fabric with some finished yo yos inside….and another quilt top!!!

This one is very crudely made and I am in desperate need of some vintage fabric to repair some of my other quilts. This one will do the trick. I will post close ups in my next post and photograph it as best I can before I take it apart. The center block has baby fabrics….a definite baby theme going on and then all of a sudden shirtings, ginghams, vintage print fabrics….it’s off the chart!

I am off to get ready for a family reunion today. Our cam-recorder is in the shop getting repaired before the warranty expires. The side view screen hasn’t worked for a long time! I know there will be plenty of cameras. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Comment if you stop by. Love to hear from you. T

Kevin

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

It was my brother’s birthday yesterday…and I miss him. He would be 46 years old now. My Mom just had to put her dog RJ to sleep on Tuesday. He was filled with cancer. He was at least 12 years old and the son of Ginger and Rascals. RJ is for Rascals Junior. The family of dogs has been with us my whole life. I was thinking on Tuesday after talking to my mom and wondering if it was so hard for her because of her being 81 years old and coming to terms with death. Now I realize it was because she had to make the decision to put RJ to sleep. My brother was in a coma after a motorcycle accident and after 3 days my mom and dad had to make the decision to take him off of the life support machines….. no wonder she is so sad.

I talked to her yesterday and usually on Kevin’s birthday we talk about him a bit. Yesterday we didn’t. My aunt Kay that lives with my mom said mom was having a hard day. I think she has been having a hard week.

On Monday we celebrated the quilting life of my friend Jan who died of cancer recently at the quilt guild that many of the women in my small group belong to. 8 of the woman went up on stage to present Jan’s quilts. I stayed back sitting next to Jan’s daughter Susie. The tears came down so lovingly from Susie. I rubbed her back and we watched as Jan’s first quilt she ever made was presented and then others with the stories… The presentation was lovely. I would say close to 150 women were in attendance.

The next night – Tuesday – our Quiltin’ Babes meeting was scheduledto be at Jan’s house. We went out to Jan’s favorite restaurant in honor of her with Susie and had a wonderful time.  Susie showed us pictures of renovations she is doing to the house.  At the end of the evening we went up to the rooftop of the restaurant and looked out over the skyline of the city. It felt like we were just that little bit closer to Jan up in heaven.

I hope souls reunite after death. I hope I get to be with my brother again. I hope my Mr gets to be with his mom and sister and brother who all died way too early in life.  His aunt who we are all very close to is battling alzheimers. A retired school teacher. What a horrible  fate for a teacher. We will go see her today and spend  some time together. I hope she remembers us.

Aging and death is so hard. My youngest son just spent 5 days with his auntie and grandma. He came home and that night he asked me. “Mom did it hurt when they cut  me out of you?” I told him I had medicine during the time that made me sleep so I didn’t feel it. Afterward they gave me pain medication to reduce the pain. He then asked if they cut me when his big brother was born. I didn’t want to get into natural childbirth with him so I said no I was only cut once. He then said “Did they take Kyle and I out at the same time?’ The boys are 12 years apart in age. My heart was so filled with love at that moment for my little one trying so hard to work through the questions of life. I told him no and just said Kyle was born naturally.  I rubbed his back as he slowly started to relax and fall asleep tucked undercovers. He had been away from his mommy for a few days and then thought about pain he may have caused me.

It’s good for him to be away for some time to build that independence.

His older brother was about his age when grandma Susan died of cancer. Kyle had all kinds of questions about death and started to worry that his dad and I were going to die. We had to reassure him we were young and healthy.

The finality of death is the hardest thing. There is no changing it. The person is physically gone. You hold onto memories and move forward slowly. Susie’s pain on Monday night was so powerful. I am certain she had a major cry on the way home. It was nice to spend the next evening with her and to laugh and talk and eat and see a smile on her face. It was nice to know we reassured her she is not alone.

Family Reunion Today

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My Dad’s brothers and sisters have great names. Each family had a different color shirt. My dad is Wilfred(red). His brothers are Sylvester, Roman (blue), Victor, Alphonse(orange) and sisters are Josphine (yellow), Marie(white), Carol(green), Delores and Valeria.
It was such a fun day. I tried really hard to get around and talk to every family. Of course I don’t know the younger children. Fun things about the family. The best t-shirts “The Roman Empire” Roman comes from a family of 10 children, Roman had 10 children and his 10 children had ,,,,well not 10 children but 3-8 children each.
All of Josie’s children have red hair and her grandchildren….almost all have….red hair! We rotate who hosts the reunion. It is nice because the host family usually has a majority of the family present. So each year or two we get to see different folks. The book towards the top is getting updated! Believe me we are a growing family. I will be a great auntie again twice before March.

Jan’s Quilts 065

Jean in our quilt group photographed Jan’s quilts and put them on a DVD for us.

She made this list of the quilts on the DVD. I will slowly add these photos to my flickr site.

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

The Quilts of Jan Szulczewski – Plymouth, MN

(made between the 1980’s and 2009)

Photographed Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Large/Bed

1)      16 patch 30’s repros – Kit from Edyies

2)      9 Patch Babes exchange – With a Little Help from my Friends

3)      9 Patch With a Little Help from my Friends  1998 Babes block exchange

4)      Around the Twist – early 90’s?

5)      Black Ties – block exchange

6)      Block-of-the-Month

7)      Bow Ties and shirting – Block exchange?

8)      Buck-A-Block of the Month –

9)      Cabin Tracks – Babes Block exchange

10)  Campfire Memories IV – plaids

11)  Campfire memories -Signature Stars– (blocks won at Green Lake 1996)

12)  Charming ( Isn’t it?) 1999 ½ sq triangle charms

13)  Chimney   Sweep – Babes Exchange

14)  Christmas Braid – Green Lake Challenge with Jelly Roll or Charm Pack

15)  Christmas Stars – table topper 1996

16)  Churn Dash – Green Lake – with Pink

17)  Churn Dash Variation – tans  Buggy Barn

18)  Dad’s Cozy – flannels for Jan’s Dad

19)  Double 9 patch

20)  Drunkard’s Path- Bullseye  setting

21)  Evening Star – JJ Stitches

22)  Farmer’s Daughter – won blocks at WOW BOM 2002

23)  Fireside Cozy

24)  Flags – Block exchange

25)  Flannel and Chennile –

26)  For Heaven’s Sake – 1997

27)  Grandmother’s Flowers

28)  Green Work – 30’s repros  (9 patches)

29)  Indigo blue – Terrie Atkinson pattern – Green Lake block exchange

30)  Irish Chain red (w/toile)

31)  Jelly Belly – Babes exchange 2008

32)  Kaliedescope – Green Lake block exchange 2006

33)  Kansas Troubles – sampler

34)  LeMoyne  -plaids with rust/red

35)  Lost Socks

36)  Maple Leaves – Green Lake exchange

37)  Men at Work – Green Lake exchange

38)  Ocean Waves – With a Little Help from my Friends – Babes (pink)

39)  Old Glory –Flag on point

40)  One Patch King Sized 4” squares (red/toile back)

41)  Peter Paul and Jan – 2005 (Quiltsmart technique)

42)  Pineapple

43)  Prairie Stars – JJ Stitches – 2005

44)  Purchased in Rogers, MN

45)  Rail Fence  1  browns  c. 1980

46)  Rail Fence  2   Large – blue/red

47)  Red Squares  with Rick Rack Printed Border – Cabbage Patch Rose pattern

48)  Red, White and Blue and Bowties Too – 1992

49)  Row-by-Row 1999 Amish – Babes (Simple Gifts)

50)  Sew Many Santa’s Dec 1995 – Paper pieced Santa

51)  Slowest Turkey in Town – 2008

52)  Spools –  Green Lake block exchange

53)  Square in Square Red/white/blue

54)  Squares and  Plaids

55)  Strippy –pink 4 patch

56)  Strippy Repros -Kaye England

57)  Strippy Stars – red border – wall

58)  Sunday Best -  Tin Man – Houston

Wall Sized and Small Projects

1)      Bittersweet Basket

2)      Fall leaves – table topper

3)      Fall printed panel – wall

4)      Patches and Posies – 1996

5)      Patriotic Table Runner Red/white/blue

6)      Pine Trees – table topper Thimbleberries

7)      Raggedy Hearts  -Babes exchange

8)      Stars around floral focus – table top

9)      Tennessee Waltz

10)  Tisket  A Tasket

11)  Twilight – made for son Brian

12)  Wavy flags – table or wall

Vintage Quilts

1)      Log Cabin c. 1900 found in father’s home linen closet. She was going to use what she thought was a mattress pad to wrap a mirror. It turned out to be this quilt!

2)      Carolina Lily – Wedding Quilt (family)  – purple applique, c 1930

3)      Dresden Plate c. 1930 w/ Prairie Points – poor condition

4)      Dresden Plate Coverlet

5)      Grandmother’s Flower Garden  Navy with red

6)      Baskets Yellow – Susie’s  Made by G’ma Frieda

7)       Comforter – purple medallion Tied  -No history