Sunday, April 24, 2016

You Need a Rita!

You Need a Rita ~ pattern by Linda Ballard

This is a quilt I started one year ago in a Linda Ballard workshop, finished to a flimsy earlier this month during Goldie's Good Times Weekend. Now it's up on my design wall waiting it's turn to be quilted ;0) Donna L and I took the workshop together. Her blue and green top is also waiting to get quilted! 

The remainder of this post is NQR ~ not quilt related. It is personal and is as much for me to blog or journal about as anything else. Up to you if you wish to read on. Just one piece of advice, I've blogged about it before, however if you haven't already, look into setting up a Trust. At the very least, granting Durable Power of Attorney to someone you trust.   

It meant allot to me to get this top completed. While I was caring for my mom it was difficult for me to get away for workshops and I spent what little time I had, quilting alone at home. Thank goodness for the internet and blogging, that helped. It was during one of those rare occasions that I signed up for a workshop, the Linda Ballard workshop, it was close to home (at HRQ, walking distance from my house!) that day I got a phone call that Mom was not doing well and left the workshop early. Within a week Hospice was set up and Mom passed away in my home 6 weeks later, the end of May.  

Almost a year later, the journey continues. Without going into the whole family history, just going to say that my father was a stubborn and proud Dutch man. True to his nature he took care of mom and was determined to out live her. He didn't.

I moved to their home in early Spring of 2008 after my father fell and broke his hip. Dad finally granted me Durable Power of Attorney but it was too late to get one for my mom due to her advanced state of dementia. I took care of both of them until he passed away that summer. The Durable Power of Attorney stopped the moment he died and there was no Trust. Without one for Mom my only option was going thru the process to become her Conservator. (In some states it's a Guardianship). As her Conservator I was able to set up a Trust thru the court. I don't recommend doing that, it's been a nightmare...  

Eight years and now one month shy of one year since Mom passed away, I am still going thru the process of being released from that responsibility. In March of this year my attorney finally completed and filed the petition to the court to approve the close of the Conservatorship and release me as Conservator. My attorney told me the judge approved the petition and was waiting for the final written order from the judge. This week I received a copy of that order and surprise, the judge did not release me and has set yet another hearing for September, in addition to a hearing that is set for the Trust. I am so disappointed!!! So now I still have all of the responsibilities as Conservator and Trustee. Going thru the process for a court appointed trust is a nightmare in and of itself! The process, the money this has cost and that attorney. Needless to say, I hired a new attorney. Worst of all, no closure. 

Long story short... I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have the right tools in place. Not just that our parents have them in place but that we have them too. 

I am struggling this weekend. Frustrated and just plain tiered, both physically and especially mentally. My business is important to me and I am trying very hard to do a good job but I have to confess that I am having a terrible time concentrating. Added that Michael had surgery a week ago (and thankfully is doing fine) didn't help make for a great week.

Thank goodness that I am a quilter! Having that outlet helps and I know it will help me get out of the hole I am in right now. The best part is the incredible circle of friends I have developed over the years. The majority, of course are quilting friends made thru my quilting business, my quilt guild and the internet. 

Finally this year I gave myself permission to spend more time working on my own quilt projects in place of only quilting for others. I accepting an invitation to join a quilt group and having what Karen calls our girl time, simply getting together as a group just to sit and sew on whatever project we have going. I joined a BOM workshop, Toes in the Sand. It's made a world of difference and I am grateful. Plus I am actually making progress getting my UFOs finished! Yea! A big thank you to my friends, for helping me get thru this.

Enjoy your Sunday
Maybe enjoy a Rita! 
Tot ziens, Jo

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Good Times Weekend April 2016

Pix taken at Goldie's Good Time Weekend 

Starting off with quilts made by our wonderful host, Goldie!

These are but 2, Goldie worked on two more beauties, 
a baby quilt plus a second she is making for Community Service for our guild

Bev A. quilted a cutwork runner doing FMQ on her machine
 Absolutely gorgeous work! The pic does not do it justice :0(
I don't know how Bev and Beth are able to concentrate on their FMQing during the weekend and do such a beautiful job,
I tried and failed miserably!!! Way too many distractions!

Bev also worked on piecing a red and floral quilt, however,
I was not fast enough to get a picture

Jan started and finished this flimsy over the weekend. 
Great batiks and color choices, a group favorite!

Judy R. made this fun quilt from star fabrics her husband purchased for her!
He's a keeper!!! Judy sewed on the binding on Friday.

Then she pieced this star over the weekend along with other projects.
Sorry Judy, the pic of the Hunter's Star did not come out. It's a beauty!

Nancy made this table runner, from start to quilting.
 Gorgeous!

Carol's scrappy creations #1

and #2... busy bee was she!

Suzanne with her paper pieced blocks started in one of our guild's workshops.
She had a great story about how the colors symbolize the colors of a bird's wing in flight.
Very kewl!

Sandy had a couple of projects going, this is the first one she started
and finished to a flimsy using her Australian aboriginal fabrics , love!
A second flimsy finished! Well done Sandy!

Barbara's One Block Wonder

Phoebe, our prolific quilter working on blocks for one quilt

and a second

plus flimsy #1

and flimsy #2 made with blocks she won at our guild. 
You will see these again on my longarm blog as they
came home with me to be quilted in April :o) Thank you Phoebe! 

One more, this one quilted by Connie. WOW
Connie does FMQ on a domestic... Beautifully quilted!!!

One of Leslie's quilts

and a second. Loved how Leslie fussy cut the borders! Well done!
Plus she worked on a big pile of HSTs and cut for a new project
with vintage fabrics, looking forward to seeing the progress on both :0)

Modern Quilting Blocks by Karen in Kaffe prints! Well done Karen
 and this one is a challenge to piece with so many different sized blocks.
This one came home with me too! Yipee!!!
Karen's cup started in last month's guild's workshop
finished now! Yea, this one is a challenge!
 And then there were the bag ladies! Terry led a workshop in the classroom
 for Honey Run Quilter's last week making Skinny Fat Bags. By the weekend, 
they were multiplying like rabbits! Above is Karen's

and this is Barb's made in the workshop. And a second one,
 a great Beachie Bag ;o) using Beachie prints Barb made over the weekend!


Barbara's Sexy Hexie quilt. 
Barb just started this quilt a week ago Saturday. I watched her cut out all of the hexies with the Hex and More ruler from JayBird. Machine pieced, YES! by machine with Y seams, lots of them, this woman is fearless!!! not to mention really good!

There were a few I missed, the new to me camera is not fond of fast action photography!
Plus there were quilters that didn't stay for the whole weekend & Sunday's show and tell.
For example Kathy who made at lease 3 Skinny Fat Bags!
Sandy made one too and Ronda made at least 2 

Hope ya'll had a wonderful weekend. We did!!!
Off to watch the new shows tonight on PBS 
Tot ziens, Jo

UPDATE with a few more pix that Carol took
and posted on the guild's Facebook

Judy R's Hunter Star 

 Judy J and the blocks that she worked on

Another pic of Karen with her Cuppa
using the 10 foot rule
This gives a better perspective of size as well :0)

Last, pix of my own tops
Thank you Carol for taking pix!
Calypso, almost finished, two more borders for the sides and it's officially a flimsy


and a flimsy finish!!! of You Need a Rita
(which we were thinking was a good idea about now ;0)

Thanks for looking!