Trying to get ahead

I decided to make some baby quilts ahead of having a need for them. I’m a worrier, and I’m concerned that I won’t be able to make them at the time they’ll be needed.

I have to take a certain biologic drug for my cancer for the rest of my life. One major side effect happened when my feet began to go numb. My feet are now numb and I have partial numbness up to my knees, fading like ombre.

Recently my fingers began to tingle. Now they are beginning to go numb just at the tips. It is to the point that I don’t rely on the sense of touch only, I supplement with sight. My fingers almost can’t tell me the difference between flannel and cotton.

With this in mind, I decided to make some baby quilts ahead. My son and his wife plan one or two more babies, to be born well into the future. My youngest stepdaughter is getting married in the fall and there may be babies in that house in the future. I don’t want to be frustrated to the point that sewing isn’t fun, with several baby quilts on my mind, so I’ll begin making them now and set them aside.

I have done a string quilt (see it here) and I’ve done a brick quilt (here). The plus sign quilt and the maze quilt used up some fabric scraps. Lea’s chevron with small blocks was fun and also scrappy. I’d love to do at least a couple more scrappy quilts to see if I can use up some of my scraps. Being sentimental, I’ll reminisce as I sew, about what dress/toy/quilt I made that the fabric was leftover from. You may or may not have noticed that I almost never do a second quilt of the same design. I’d say never, but then I would immediately find the exception.

I liked the “quilt as you go” design of the string quilt and I looked for online photos or drawings that would work for that. I’m considering several ideas and if you’d like to make a suggestion, please comment! These have caught my eye:

If you could be my decision-maker, what would you choose?

Credits:

#1 Instagram post “Everyday hearts” by Mary Engelbreit @homecompanion

#2 I’ve heard it called “wonky stars”, this from https://thelittleredhen.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/04/doll-quilt-fini.html

#3 Trash to treasure at https://www.kellifanninquilts.com/2015/11/tutorial-trash-to-treasure-block.html?spref=pi&m=1

#4 Fading Charms at https://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/tutorial-fading-charms-quilt/

#5 Attic stairs from https://selvageblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/attic-stairs-scrap-buster.html

Back to quilting again

I haven’t explained my spotty quilting and posting lately. I was diagnosed in July, 2013 with Multiple Myeloma, an incurable cancer of the blood. The initial treatments (biologic – pills and injections) caused several side effects including fatigue. I wanted to work as long as I was able to, but that meant I mostly dozed in the evenings and rested on the weekends. I didn’t do much sewing or quilting. In January, 2014 I had a stem cell transplant. My own stem cells were harvested from my blood and returned after high-dose chemotherapy. I’ve recovered stamina and energy since then, so I am back to sewing. As I said, it’s incurable for now, but I am in complete remission for a while.

My niece lived near the major hospital where I had the transplant, 4 hours’ drive from my home. There were a few times I needed to stay in the area for appointments and she graciously allowed my husband and me to stay several nights. She stocked up on foods and drinks we preferred and I enjoyed the energy of her household of 6. As a thank you gift, my first quilting project post-transplant was to make her a wall hanging she would enjoy.

I’ve made a couple of bookshelf quilts and it’s still a favorite of mine. I am able to use scraps from my bins and personalize it for the recipient. For hers, I included a birdhouse as a bookend, a shelf lamp, a framed photo in which I embroidered an image of her cat, and a coffee mug with Detroit Tigers’ logo.

When I make this quilt, I always try to make the leaning or stacked or upright books look as natural as possible. I’ve seen some finished quilts with nothing keeping the upright books in place and that always bothers me! The edges on this one seem wavy because I had just finished the binding and hadn’t pressed it.

(Close-up photos of the wall hanging)

My niece loved it and quickly posted a picture of it hanging near her reading chair. I hope each time she looks at it she sees how much I love and appreciate her and her family.

My husband’s oldest daughter and daughter-in-law both announced they were expecting their next babies, so I have new projects to begin!