Fussy cut clowns. I never heard the term "fussy cut" at the time. Had it even been coined yet in 1990 the year after John was born, the year John was born? The blocks are coming together pretty fast, I don't  piece on it more than about 45 minutes a day, I tend to spend the larger amount of my sewing tine on quilting because I still have so many tops not yet quilted. Sooner or later I will catch up.

I am not the only member of the family who gets too much help with their sewing. 1st assistant Happy also helps Ambrosina. Ambrosina doesn't do as much sewing as I do, but she gets as much help.

Fabrics pulled for a new project. I hadn't been planning to start anything else, but I need a baby quilt. It won't take long, it's just going to be six inch squares. I will start it as soon as the current quilt on the sewing table is finished.

Which should be tomorrow morning. Unless I have to spend the morning in the dentist's chair. I have been having a toothache, and from past experience I think it's another abscess. It's the one I have been telling the dentist that there is something wrong with. As usual they took an x-ray and said they couldn't see anything wrong, he or she will have to do something now.

Anyway, as long as I can sew it helps to have something to concentrate on besides the pain, it's only sleeping that's the problem. We don't have dental insurance so I have to go to a low-income clinic and I have to take in a co-pay which I won't have until after payday on Friday. They aren't open over the weekend so I have to wait until Monday morning, first come first serve. With most dentists refusing to take people that don't have insurance I am thankful they have such a service. I sure hate getting up to be there at 7:00 am though.

Things could always be worse!

2nd Turtle quilt finished, this is for our youngest grandson Wyatt who is three going on four. I'm going to get both of the finished turtle quilts boxed up and ready to ship payday. It's a good thing I like this pattern, I have several more to go!

I will be doing fewer pieced backs as I use up the large pieces of fabric that I have, the ones that I don't really want to use on the fronts of quilts. I'm happy I had them, I wouldn't have been able to finish so many quilts last year if I hadn't had them, but I do have to say using a sheet is a lot faster.

 Two more of the Fancy Nine Patch blocks ready for the outside pieces. The pink is from a dress I made for myself when Ambrosina was a baby. I never got back into it after Timothy was born.

This blue is left over from a dress I made when David and I were dating, that would have been in 1973. I think this is the last of it. I loved that dress; Ambrosina wore it when she was a teenager, she loved it too. Making this quilt is like looking through a photograph album and I feel young again; memories are flooding back and it's like reliving those days. How sweet life was when the children were young, we had such good times. Well, we have good times now with the grandchildren and our adult children. Grown up children can be a lot of fun too.

And speaking of grandchildren, I hear from the thunder over my head that the boys are home, time to say hello and see how their day went.

Another of the blocks out of the UFO tub. The pink fabric is scraps left over when I made my bridesmaids gowns for my wedding. David and I will be married for 44 years this summer. The gray is from an outfit I had when Timothy was a baby, I never got back into it after John was born. I got a huge length of yardage at a thrift shop, I also made curtains for my neighbors kitchen cupboards out of it. I didn't mind matching her cupboard fronts, the cupboards and I never went anywhere together!

I finished quilting the Turtles quilt this morning, I ran out of thread and had to use a spool of cheap thread for the last four blocks, I didn't like doing it but I had it on hand and it was the right color. It took me twice as long to do those blocks as it did a whole row with good thread, due to breakage so I didn't get started on the binding. I will do that tomorrow.

These are the doll clothes I just finished. I don't seem to have a doll they fit, unless she is up in the attic. They are too big for a Barbie doll and too small for Stella. I know there are dolls in the cedar chest up in the attic, but it's too cold up there to go look and my family don't like me to go up there due to the stairs and the uneven floor. When the rest of the basement is finished I will be able to have my cedar chest back down here. That will be nice. The pictures don't show to advantage with the doll not in them.

The boys are home, nice, time to go up and say hello.

This is what came out of the UFO tub next. I still have a little bit to do on the last batch of doll clothes, but that won't be a mornings sewing, Then there is the hand sewing on them, don't know how long that will take. I am excited to be doing this quilt. The blue patches were from a dress I made for Ambrosina when she was about 3. It had a smocked pinafore over it. My goodness she was cute! Some of the other blocks have scraps from clothes I made when Timothy was a baby (nee 1984) and some of the scraps are from the bridesmaid's gowns from my wedding over 43 years ago. These blocks have a lot of memories tied up in them. There are only a few of them that reached this stage, just as well, because I see where some improvements need to be made. They are entirely scrappy, even the whites aren't all the same shade. With 6 small children at the time I started these, the budget was even tighter than it is now. Yet, somehow I managed, it seems amazing to me now.

And that's about it for today, I hear the boys are home, and after that I will do some of the hand sewing on the latest batch of doll clothes. I am still plugging away at the hexagons too. There is no shortage of things to be done, that is for sure!

Another idea that didn't work out so good! I had read about using these inexpensive (so called $10.00 is a lot of money for me) oven sheets to substitute for a slider (I can't remember the exact name). I taped it down with double sided tape and it still moved over under the needle. It didn't break the needle but there was this awful thumping as it went in. It took me a few seconds to realized what was going on and naturally I had to do some ripping out. It lasted just 24 hours. Back to the drawing board! I've heard turtle wax on the bed of the machine helps, so that is next.

The good news is the next baggie of UFOs is a quilt! It will be nice to have a change from doll clothes, they all have to be done, but a change is nice. A couple more days on the current bag of doll clothes and then a quilt, yay!

We had a busy weekend, John came and went; he didn't stay long, there was a winter storm brewing and we were supposed to get between ten and fourteen inches of snow. We didn't, it's very cold though with forty mile an hour winds. I also think he got bored just sitting around talking to us. He and Timothy went and played pool Saturday evening so we didn't actually see that much of him. Sigh. Rosa and Timothy were here so I couldn't get any pictures since the flash of the camera brings on her seizures. Another sigh. Then they all left, and Sunday morning naturally I forgot.

I didn't get much quilting done, but I made up for it this morning, I reached the halfway point on my Turtles.

Maybe I'll get it finished by this weekend. It hasn't been a good month for quilting, first I got ill and then with the furnace broken it was too cold to sit at the machine.

Ambrosina did her shopping today so I had her pick up an oven liner to put on the bed of my machine. It helps some, I don't think my upper arms and shoulders got so tired this morning. I'll eventually get on the the slider things (can't remember the actual name) but I don't have the money right now. As I said it does help some, I noticed the machine isn't quite as loud either.

This is the latest pattern out of the UFO tub. For a sixteen inch doll. I can't help but think how good I would have looked in clothes like these when I was young. Shall I put another sigh in here? Anyway it's good fun, although I have a long way to go. I've enjoyed seeing some of the patterns and fabrics I had forgotten about. I know they were all from scraps and things people used to give me. I can't remember where I got most of it, but it's nice to think about the ones I do remember.

I am doing really well without coffee now that I am allowing myself a morning cup. It's too cold not to have something hot in the morning. I think I am feeling better too. Anything that helps is a benefit, although I really hated to give up my coffee. All my sons are in shock that I could do it.

The boys are home, early, they must be expecting some more really bad weather. Time to go up and say hi.

Fourth day no heat, the good news is the parts came today. Leon was going to try to get home from work early but it did't work out. He and David are over in the dungeon part of the basement working on it now.

I had to quit sewing early because I was so cold. Down here in the basement I brought a space heater into the bed room and shut the door. I am still wrapped up in a coat and under the covers but it's bearable.

I did get all of these sewn today. Emily has new clothes!

They all seem pretty summery, but the last one is a warm nighty which I left on her.

Anyway, it's a lot of fun, almost as much fun as quilting!

Tomorrow John is coming to say goodbye, thankfully the heat will be on, we hope.

Tomorrow I will be able to quilt again, if, thankfully the heat will be on, at least in the morning before John gets here, I don't imagine he will come very early. The Turtles aren't coming along very fast due to the cold. It could be worse though, the furnace could have cut out during the cold spell we had a couple of weeks ago, forty below and no heat wouldn't have been bearable. I bet Leon would have gotten it fixed faster!

Third day no heat. The furnace needed two parts that the repairman had to order. It's an old furnace and Leon has been talking about replacement. He was thinking of in the floor hot water heat. It sounds lovely, but it's not happening yet. Despite the cold I did manage to do a little sewing.

The pattern is really old, probably mid seventies. I got it used. I am hoping they will fit Emily.

My sweet little old doll which I have had since I was a little girl. She was old when I got her and is not in the best of shape now, I still love her though and have fun putting her in new clothes when I run across a pattern that will fit her. I guess there has to be some compensation for all of my kids having grown up and all the grand children but one in school.

Our youngest son John is moving to Delaware. We never some him much when he lived only 3 hours away by car, only about every other year. I wonder if we will ever see him again. I wonder if he will have children that I will never see. We used to be close but he has been drawing away ever since he left school. He says he will be down this weekend to say good bye, I'll just have to make the most of that. Oh well.

I have two rows of the Turtle quilt quilted, which makes that about one fifth. Not real fast, however, better than if I was still ill and not working on it, so I musn't complain.

And now it's time to get busy on my afternoon's hand work. I sure miss the hot cup of coffee I used to have while I was doing that, that's another "oh well".

Every body is back to school today, happily. I am on the mend, David is feeling better. Ambrosina has taken the opportunity to spend most of the morning in bed so she can get over hers, something as all mothers know doesn't happen very often. A good day for it too, the furnace has started acting up and we are wrapped up in coats and waiting for the repairman.

I spent most of the morning quilting on this, the second of the Turtles quilts, it is destined for our youngest grandson Wyatt. I am trying to make the quilting look like currents of water. David says he thinks that it looks like water but he is always eager to please.

I got my usual help, I think she was cold too, she was very Happy to be there!

The morning was not without it's difficulties though, in my eagerness to start quilting again I neglected to trim off the bulk of the sheet I am using on the back and I got it turned under and quilted for quite a way. I had to break my rule of never ripping out. That will teach me!

The last of this particular package of Barbie clothes are done. (I don't know how many more bags I have cut out, since I am taking them one bag at a time) the next package I've started on is baby doll clothes. I sure hope I get down to one of the quilts pretty soon.

Leon brought David home a computer from work. It is Windows 10 but they are replacing the computers there so we got it for $20.00 used. The only problem is it is a desktop so we have been rearranging our bed room to get it in. Looks like spring cleaning came early. Where does all this stuff come from? So, it's back to work for me.

Illness has going through our house like a tornado through a trailer park. I was able to sit up and sew for a while this morning, the first in about five days. The two little boys were home from school yesterday, but only Sammy this morning. I saw a sight I thought I would never see:

Gramps playing video games with Sammy. Gramps yet. Gramps has always been so anti video games he swore he would never consider playing one and for a long time would never allow one in our house. It just goes to show that he is like melted butter in his Grandson's hands.

I did try to sit at the sewing machine and I worked a little on my bags of UFOs.

Barbie doll clothes don't take very long to sew but even then I could only do about one garment a day before having to go back to bed. The hand sewing is yet to be done on some of them.

Not really exciting but at least it's something.

So I would sit up and sew a few hexagons and then have to lay back down, I think mine was exacerbated by going cold turkey off coffee. I had such severe headaches that I had to take Excedrin, something I am not supposed to do and then I realized that Excedrin has caffeine so I might just as well have a cup of coffee. That may sound like rationalization but a cup of coffee made all the difference to my headache. I didn't have any problem stopping drinking, but the headaches were terrible, I was a lot more addicted than I thought. I still plan on going off it altogether only maybe a little slower.

I was able to quilt for about an hour and half today, thank heaven, I am on the mend!

Ambrosina took me to my favorite thrift shop this morning, and then on to Joann's. I got some nice stuff both places. Fat quarters were 99 cents so I got quite a few. I am working on getting together a large variety of yellows and blues for a quilt I have in mind. I don't have enough yet. Since Hancock closed we only have Joann's and Walmart for fabric. There are a couple of quilting shops but they are expensive. I prefer to go in the afternoon after I have done my sewing but Ambrosina is a busy lady and we can when she has time. I want my car back!

My 2nd day without coffee hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, I miss it, maybe it will get harder later on. I find that I am sleepier than usual, I don't know if it's no coffee or the cold makes me want to get under the covers.

Anyway I hope tomorrow will be a better sewing day than today!

We basted quilts today. I say we because I was teaching David how it is done.

He's slow, but it is his first time. He doesn't like using the little pins I have, I told him that we have to use them until they aren't usable any more, I prefer the curved kind myself. I notice that he threw a few of them away that he said aren't usable anymore. Probably ones that I ran over with my rolling sewing chair.

We did five. The Drunkard's Path variation that he's pinning there. I made this at least 25 years ago, probably longer. It's lost in the mists of time.

 The second Turtles.

 Another hexagon quilt and the last one I have pieced at this time although I am working on another.

 "Joy" pattern by Jaqueline de Jonge.

And the Victorian girls quilt, which is a new/old quilt. I don't know how old the kit was, very old, I had it a long time, I just didn't get around to making up the quilt until this fall. The applique and embroidery is by hand. I put it together by machine.

This means I am getting back into a routine again.

In other news, I decided to go off coffee to see if it wouldn't clear up some health problems I am having. I don't think it is going to be easy. I had a cup of herbal tea this morning instead. Yuck! I don't know how long it will take to give it a fair trial. If it helps I will be off coffee permanently. How depressing is that? I love my coffee! It seems getting old is giving up one thing after another. No wonder the elderly have trouble coping. I suppose there are worse things I could have to go without, I just can't think of one right this minute.

Well here is the next installment of doll clothes. Never mind the mess behind her, I am sorting out my fabric shelf and things sort of got piled. That's the problem with it being so cold down here, I hate coming out from under the covers to put things away. We are promised a heating system when they finish out the other part of the basement.

David got a new (to him) computer, it is a desktop so I have to rearrange the basement for him to set it up. I'll get rid of some more junk and put stuff away.

Tomorrow I baste; it will be a long day, but worth it. Today I had my monthly BPD class, big chunk out of the day, also worth it.

Dinner is ready, time to go eat, I'm hungry.

It's been quite a while since I had anything to talk about. The kids were off school, lots of fun. They guys were all home from work, they worked on the house, no vacation for them!

Lots of holes in the living room ceiling, I keep forgetting to take pictures of the new lights and fans. They look wonderful and Ambrosina is getting ready to paint that room.

While the living room was torn up the boys were very creative at finding places to sit and do their things.

Meanwhile Sammy had to help.

Sammy and Gramps replaced old outlet boxes. And before anybody starts worrying about little boys and electricity, all care was taken. The power was turned off, the wires were tested, all safety precautions were taken, we can't risk Gramps either! There was total supervison, after all David used to do it for a living. Sammy learned a lot, he can now explain to me how they are supposed to be .hooked up. The power was not turned back on until everything was double checked. He wanted to help, as long as he could do some of the work. Watching bores him. It took about three times as long as it usually takes, but they both enjoyed themselves tremendously.

This is my most recent finish.

Not real impressive, I know, but fun! I'm sort of marking time until I can get batting to start quilting these:

There are five of them ready to be basted for quilting which I hope to do Thursday morning. We don't have a car right now so I have to depend on Ambrosina to take me everywhere, she is a busy lady and can't always find the time, so I have to wait until it is convenient for her. We went to one Walmart this morning but they didn't have what I need so I have to wait until Wednesday for her to run me over to one of the other ones.

And about the car. I think it's the water pump, Leon thinks it's the water pump. David isn't sure and it's way too cold for him to be outside working on it. Ambrosina and Leon want us to sell it and rely on them for transportation, I don't want to lose what little independence we have left. The point is moot, it can't be worked on right now so we wait. Sigh.

Only just over 3 months until Spring, I can live with that. It's pretty warm today, another winter storm is supposed to come through starting Wednesday. It's winter, we get winter storms, at least we haven't been hammered with snow. About 4 inches is all we have had so far, not enough for the farmers.

I hear that the boys are home, time to go ups and see how their day went.