This is the next installment of blocks for the Log Cabin Heart.

I wanted to get more than 3 pieces put together, but first assistant Happy had other ideas. On these blocks the wide (inch and a half) is the dark, and the narrow (one inch) is the light, except for the center square (A), which is light and one and a half inch. I didn't get any of the narrow, light strips sewn on, I hope to do that tomorrow. I'm not sure that I will have time though, because I have a doctor's appointment in the morning. David and I are not getting over this cough and Ambrosina think's it is bronchitis so we are going in.

Just to show that there is "nothing new under the sun" I started quilting this Drunkards Path quilt and as I was making up the quilting pattern as I went along I was surprised to find, when looking at the back, that the pattern is actually a pattern called Orange Peel, or sometimes Robbing Peter to Pay Paul. Go figure. I like it a lot though, I might even make a quilt of it sometime or another, I have a bit too many started right now though, but I will keep it in mind.

I hope the doctor can do something for me because I am just dragging right now. I slept all day yesterday and I would have much preferred to go the meeting in the morning and so some sewing in the afternoon. Timothy and Rosa came over and I didn't even feel well enough to go upstairs and visit with them.

I think I will try to do some more sewing this afternoon though, it's relaxing enough that I don't have to force myself when I'm nor feeling quilt well. I want to get a certain amount of Pinwheels done this week, it's nice that they are going so fast and easy.

We had a blizzard yesterday. Tuesday Ambrosina and David ate their lunch on the porch it was so warm. Such is a South Dakota winter.

The first 34 blocks of the Log Cabin Heart are almost done, they only need two more strips on each, I ran out of time and the boys are home from school.

This is the back of Drunkard's Path. I ran out of bobbin, so I decided it was time to quilt, I was getting tired too. I think that I a going to like it when I get the other diagonals quilted, then I will decided how much more quilting I want to do on it. All in all I got quite a bit done today, even though I overslept until about ten thirty. I don't often do that I prefer to get up and get going. I think the the remains of the flu that are lingering makes me want to sleep more.

So for the rest of the day I am going to do some hand sewing, but no napping, that makes me stay up too late and then I sleep too late and it becomes a cycle that it is hard to get out of. Especially now that our meeting is in the morning on Sunday, I find it too hard to get up, and I think it makes it easier if I keep to schedule.

I need to clean down here in the basement again, it got ahead of me when I was sick and I let stuff get too piled up again. That's a cycle too. Oh well. Time to get busy!

I like and enjoy almost everything about sewing and quilting. Almost that is. I still don't enjoy zippers, and I hate, hate, hate basting the 3 layers of a quilt together so that I can quilt it. I don't know why. I am trying to teach myself to like it, but I think it may be a losing battle. I decided since I hate it so much, and we have to change the dining room around and put all 3 leaves in the table that I would do two at once to get it over with and that is what I did this morning. One is large and the other is small. One is newer and the other is a very old UFO.

This is sort of a crazy Log Cabin. I made these blocks over ten years ago, and I made so many that this is the 3rd quilt I have made with them. Also the last. I put machine embroidery on everything in those days. It makes a very heavy quilt and hard for the needle to go through. I used corduroy and velvet and flannel. It's going to be a thick quilt and I will have to use a very simple pattern.

Also the purple and yellow Drunkard's Path. I am not calling this a UFO because even though I started the cutting and sewed the basic curved units several years ago I didn't start putting the blocks together until a couple of months ago. This is the quilt it as soon as it is finished policy that I am trying to stick to. I even got a little of the quilting done on it, but not a lot. This one is going to be a simple quilting pattern also. Sort of a lazy daisy on the diagonal. I am quilting it in gold; I think that will work the best.

I am still coughing a lot and am very tired, but it is nice to start getting back into my routine. It has been warm, but we are supposed to get a snowstorm this weekend. It's not long until Spring though, Ambrosina will soon be getting her starts in the pots. The last two days David has sat on the porch although it is not warm enough for me yet. I am the one who gets to cold with the central air on and has to go out onto the porch to warm up in the summertime.

I think it's time for a cup of coffee and some piecing at Ernestine, the quilts I am working on down here are coming along pretty fast, not too fast since I can't quilt them yet anyway. Something to look forward to.

This morning, upstairs, I started my Log Cabin Heart. This will be the 2nd one for me. I made the other top over ten years ago, but my notes seem complete so I am reworking them and going ahead on it. I love doing Log Cabins, I have several other in mind, but for right now I have got a good start on the Heart quilt.

This one will have a totally different look although the same pattern.

This is the reworked diagram and the notes. In order to get the curves a mix of inch wide and inch and a half wide strips are used in dark and light tones. 34 of this block are made.

To start with the center of the block I use 2 one and a half inch squares and join them. Take time to test your seam the two joined units should measure exactly two and a half inches. If the seam is off fix it, A bit off here will make it a lot off later in the block and it's discouraging to be always trying to correct your seam. If you keep your cutting consistent and make sure your seam is always one quarter inch you will be pleased with your results, it makes a huge difference. I use a quarter inch seam gauge, not a quarter inch foot. The foot can sometimes be a couple of threads off and that will make a big difference too.

I got this tip from Bonnie Hunter's blog, and it's the best seam gauge I've ever used. Thanks Bonnie!

 The third piece is two and a half by one and a half inches. I call the one and a half inch strips wide and the inch strips narrow, it is easier for me to keep track. Piece A is the center, piece B is the 2nd piece and piece # is the 3rd. These are all "wide". Turn the block clockwise as you add the newest strip and press the seam to the strip you added last. Some people take the block to the iron after each addition, I don't, I finger press and it seems to work just fine. My ironing board is never up, Ambrosina doesn't like it sitting around.

 Piece D, the fourth piece is of the the "narrow" dark color, it also is two and a half inches long.

With piece E it becomes a little easier to remember which way to turn the block from this piece on you add the next piece to the side that has two seams.

In this block the narrow and dark is on one side and the wide and light is on the other.

And this is how far I got with all 34 blocks today. The next piece added will be narrow dark.

This is how I cut, I like to cut 4 layers at a time, if however, you have slippage or a slippery fabric you might want to cut fewer for accuracy's sake.

The four layers, I like using a square-up ruler that way I can line up the lines with the edge of the strips and get an accurate cut every time. Accuracy is the key for a good block. I don't think "that's good enough" works very well for consistence in patchwork.

The kids are home from school this week and the table was in use this morning. They were playing Spiderman Monopoly, and I am so glad I don't have to play it, I would go crazy so fast. After lunch they got to go to Grandma's, but it was too late for me to baste. I will have to grab a chance when they are doing something else either tomorrow or Wednesday. Any excuse is a good excuse to put off basting which I hate.

I'm slowly getting over this flu but I still tire very easily. It's been nice enough for David to go out and work in his shop, for which my gratitude knows no bounds. He is so much easier to get along with if he can go outside. Leon is planning to get electricity out there this summer and then they will get a heater so they can work out there in the winter. At this point that is even better than another bathroom!!!

Down here on my treadle Ernestine I a working with 3 sizes of half square triangles inch and a quarter, two and half inches and four inches. They've been sewn and cut for a long time, several years. I made the determination as I go through the tub they are stored in that I am not saving any for later; they are going to be gone!

The first size shown, inch and a quarter I am putting into blocks, for what I have in mind I need 4 of these blocks. Each block takes 400, but I've got plenty I am finger pressing them open and sewing them side by side, in 20 rows of 20.

I have two of them ready to sew the long rows together on. I don't have any more of that size handy, but there are some more ready in a different tub that I will dig out when I need some more of the other two sizes, the ones that I am making into Pinwheels. There is no hurry.

This morning I pieced a back for the the purple and yellow Drunkard's Path and I finished it in pretty good time so I pulled another top out of the tub and pieced a back for that while I was at it. I am going to get some more pins and baste them both on Monday, then I won't have to pin for a while, I hate it so much.

I am feeling better, but still coughing a lot and tire very easy, and I am going to have to take a short nap before I go on to anything else. It's a relief now that I am sleeping all night though. After my nap I should be able to do some piecing on Ernestine the treadle, that will be fun.

Well!! I finally am able to sit up enough to get a little something done. David was generous with his flu and I have been down in bed since Sunday, and this is Thursday. I would go up and spend a few minutes at the machine, but not make any progress on anything, it was just too exhausting and the coughing was terrible. David was feeling restless today and went outside for a while, so he's getting over it finally.

I had finished the quilting on this Saturday, but it took me several episodes of sitting and sewing to finish the binding because of my illness. I was finally able to get a picture of it today. It is the 3rd finished quilt of the year, being sick has put me behind, I haven't even got the back started for the next one, and it will be three weeks on Monday since I basted this and started the quilting. Hopefully I will get back into the swing of things again by next week. I had intended to start the Log Cabin Heart this week, but it won't be until next week at the earliest. Everything else came to a standstill, but I was able to do a little sewing on the treadle last night.

Poor Sammy came home from school with strep on Tuesday and Malachi came home from school sick last night so I suppose we have that in store for us as well. On the other hand Spring is only a little over a month away.

I've done enough now for a while, I am exhausted with what I have done, but it's better than what I could do yesterday. Hopefully tomorrow will be better still.

The good news is that my biopsy is benign! Because of significant changes however, I have to have my next mammogram in 6 months instead of a year. I can't argue with that.

This afternoon when I was looking for something else I found these two tubs of inch and a half and inch wide strips. I thought I had used up all those sizes, I was delighted to find them. There is enough pink for at least one more Log Cabin Heart, maybe two, so I will probably start on them early next week. I will have pictures of the process and diagrams of the blocks as I make them.

Poor David is really sick. He coughed all night long, he even kept me awake. He thought it was still Wednesday, poor guy. If he is not materially better tomorrow I will make him go to the doctor.

My little guy Malachi just came down to tell me dinner is ready so I've got to run.

Today I had my once a month class (support group) for BPD. I always feel better afterwards especially with such a difficult couple of weeks behind me. I haven't heard the results of my biopsy yet, but I don't expect it before tomorrow anyway. I did have some time to work at the machines this morning, but I can't do any quilting until tomorrow.

 These are called half-square triangles that I sewed and then cut to size, and stored in a tub. These particular ones are cut at 4 inches. I have determined that when I get through the tub of squares I will be done and there won't be any left to deal with, so the ones that I don't have four of for Pinwheels I am sewing into other blocks. These I am making into quarter-square triangles also known as Hourglass. For this block I need two that are the same. I fold back and finger press to the dark side at the center seam.

 Match the seams up so they look as shown.

 Use a ruler and rotary cutter to cut diagonally,

 I will have two units that look like this,

when sewn they will look like this.

 Opened and finger pressed they will look like this.

Then I am trimming them down to 3 inches. I haven't decided which setting I will use when making the blocks. I could make a four patch with them called broken dishes, or set them into a nine patch with a solid center square. As I said I haven't decided, but I will have a picture when I get to it. It's one of those that I am in no hurry about, I still have a lot of half-square triangles to get through and I plan to decide on how to finish it when I get through them. The plan is to enjoy myself making them.

Since I have so many of the presewn half-square triangles in two sizes I estimate that I'll be several months on these quilts. I wouldn't have time to quilt them for a while anyway, so there is no point in trying to hurry

Tomorrow I will be able to take the bandage off the biopsy site, the tape really itches, otherwise the pain isn't too bad. Poor David is sick today with what the kids had last week. I hope I don't get whatever it is, but I wouldn't be surprised if I did. I have a slight headache right now, but that could be just tiredness. It's probably nap time for me, in fact there is no "probably" about it. It is nap time. Until tomorrow then.

My biopsy went smoothly this morning, but I am tired. It was very early for me and I came home and slept. Now I am prevented from lifting. She told me no lifting heavy quilts around, now how did she know? I am supposed to take it easy, and keep ice on it, it hurts. I am supposed to hear tomorrow or the next day the results.

My thumb hurts too, but I don't think it's infected, not yet anyway. Another thing to keep an eye on.

I tried sewing for a while on the treadle and the bobbin went empty. I guess it must be time for another nap.

I have learned today that I can no longer multitask with any great success. I sewed my thumb while I was quilting. This was not any little nick. When I looked at my thumb the needle had gone through my thumbnail and out the back. David was going to rush me to the clinic because it looked like the needle was bent inside my thumb, but I told him to wait a minute and I took my tweezers and tugged a little on the point enough to be able to tell it was broken off, so I pulled it out and he pulled out the other piece and the thread that was all the way through. What happened was 1st assistant Happy went prowling through the sewing area over the machines and instead of watching her to make sure she didn't pull on the thread with her tail or catch it around herself I tried to keep sewing and watch her at the same time. Silly me. If it doesn't get infected I will be all right. So, evidently, I can't do two things at once anymore.

After Ambrosina got home from her shopping we went to Jo-Ann's and I got some more pinks for the heart quilt. I think I have enough and I will start cutting pretty soon.

Working my way through all the presewn half square for the pinwheels quilt I am working on I decided that I wasn't going to have any left to sit around in a tub somewhere so I am making them all into tops. I have a lot, and I am working on about 6 tops at once. They are all pretty similar so it won't be too confusing. I am not calling it multitasking because of them being so similar, it won't take me long to figure out which is for which top and they will be out of my way. They might as well be stored as tops to quilts as scraps, and they aren't such a mess that way. I will be on these quilts for a while, but that is no big deal as I am working on them on the treadle Ernestine, purely for my own entertainment and exercise. They will eventually get done and I am in no hurry.

Tomorrow is my biopsy, it would be no lie to say I am somewhat stressed about it, and that could have contributed to my sewing accident. There is though, no doubt I should be more careful.

I am still looking for blue polka dots for my dear Daughter in law Tina's quilt. I have other dear D-I-Ls that I will want to make quilts for too. No one is so blessed as I am with family. I love them all, with all my heart.

It's time that I was working on my treadle if I want to get any sewing there done, and I do, I enjoy it so much, I may be hampered with the large bandage on my thumb, but I can work around it. It's better to stay busy anyway, so until tomorrow.

I have nearly all the basic units of Dirty Attic Windows and some of the blocks put together, so it is time to start pinning the basic units of the next one together, to use in between rows on the blocks.

 I made a block just to see what it is going to look like and I think these little turtles are adorable. I won't put this one together block to block the way I do the others, I think I will use lattice and cornerstones to set them out. It will be a very fun quilt.

 I used Steam A Seam 2 on the green for the head and tail, it will fuse them so they won't fray and I will sew them down when I quilt the quilt. It's quite a way down the pipe line though and I will focus on other things as the main sewing for a while

My biopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning, that's not so very long to wait.

We had two little boys home from school sick today, I hope nobody else gets sick, although it doesn't usually stop at the boys, when they get sick everybody tends to get sick. It's the weekend coming up, we are having company to watch the Superbowl, I don't watch it, but I will go up and visit a while when they get here. As a matter of fact I think I will go up and get a cup of coffee right now.

Six weeks until Spring, I will make it!!

I finally finished this basket today, I was four days on it, you can see by the machine it is sitting next to it is really big. I found it very tiring on my shoulders and arms, I don't think I will make any more that big. I will have to charge quite a bit more for it than I usually do and it took a long time as well as a lot of cord and fabric strips. I like the way it turned out though, so no complaints there. The pictures don't really give it justice; Ambrosina liked it so that's something, usually anything with pink in it is an anathema to her.

I got around three sides of the quilt I am quilting today. I haven't been spending a lot of time quilting because I have been trying to finish the basket, but tomorrow I'll just make some coasters and those won't take long so I will begin the quilting earlier and my arms won't be so tired to start with. I'm not sure how many more baskets I will make before the spring sales start, I am almost out of clothesline anyway.

The car started today, let's hope that it will start tomorrow too, since it will be payday and there will be a lot of errands, including, I hope, a trip to Jo-Ann's, I am still trying to get enough pinks for the Log Cabin heart I want to make.

Poor little Sammy was home with a cold and fever today. He fell asleep on the couch, but when he woke up he made it clear he wasn't taking a nap, only "resting", because he is too big to take naps. Poor little guy. Whatever it is will probably go like wildfire through the family, we have to resign ourselves to that, but hope he feels better soon. Tomorrow being Friday it is their day to go to Grandma's and he would be devastated if he couldn't go. She wouldn't be too happy either. Ah! I hear another little boy upstairs, time to go up and say hello.

Before I could start quilting on the latest top to go under the needle I had one full bobbin and two partial bobbins to empty so that I wouldn't have to stop and wind bobbins so often. I don't know why that task is so annoying, but almost every person who sews feel that way about winding bobbins. That is the pile of pieces I was able to get through in about a bobbin and a half. Now I know people who would just pull the thread off the bobbins and throw them away, but my thrifty soul won't allow me to do that, and look at how much closer my postage stamp quilt is to being done. Grant you, it will still be a while, this is after all teensy tiny pieces. When I started sewing this top I had gotten carried away with cutting, I love cutting, and I had 6 bags of squares the size of the bags shown, now I am down to two and they aren't even full. The ones that are sewn together are cut apart and put in a tub and I will sew them into four patches when I get the first step that I am working on now done.

So, I finished off the bobbins and got one edge of En Provence quilted. I really like quilting the bubbles which I am using now. I don't consider the butterflies I did on Blue Rose a success and I think that simpler is better. I got about 6 inches on one full edge done and started down the second side. I took two bobbins, the thread I am using is just a little bit heavier than most sewing thread, but I like the way it looks. The thread is a large cone that was given to us and there is no point in wasting it.

I hear that our little boys are home, time to go upstairs and say hello, the afternoon's noise has begun!