Rita, your flying geese quilt sounds beautiful! I used the same color scheme for my niece's HS graduation quilt.

I bought 2 Grannie Suzannie kits at our quilt show so I plan to start on them this weekend. One is a small fusible applique of a sand dollar, so I may be able to get it completed today. I plan to display it in my new "office" (cubicle). The other is a PP miniature with a squillion pieces, so it will take longer LOL.

I've wondered about Linda, too...Hope she's okay and just busy with family and getting settled in the new home.

Donna

I'm here! Just been busy with family and working in my sewing room. I have the room all set up but am still organizing. I loaded a small quilt on the frame yesterday. This is the first one I put on the frame since the move. I'm hoping everything is put back together correctly. I plan to start quilting it today if I don't have too many interruptions.
Our granddaughter is walking now and keeps me running! My sewing room is upstairs in the bonus room and I don't want her to go up the steps. I don't get to spend any time there when she is here. I'm looking forward to when she is old enough to spend time up there with me.
Linda OH

I finished the baby quilt i started last week, so today i am trying to clean up the sewing area( the kitchen table).
Company on Monday so I have to keep it tidy til then.
This little quilt is all Flying Geese, Rita, very easy to put together. I know the block has another name but I found it on an Eleanor Burns site and she calls it Cyclone.
Theresa

No quilting for me. However, I did go into my sewing room and started looking through some of my fabric stash. I am participating in a play-it-forward gift giving initiative through Facebook. Ask for five friends to accept my offer to receive some kind of surprise gift during the next year and in return to agree to send a surprise gift to five of their friends.. I asked my six "giftees' some questions regarding favorites color, music, hobbies, goodies, animals, etc. --primarily to learn a bit more about them. I will send goodies to each and decided to make aprons for each in favorite color/colors. Would be nice if I didn't have to buy all the fabric. Haven't tunneled into stash too far yet and have found 3 pieces so far that should be good. I have 4 women and 2 men (accepted 6th because he's from Great Britain and didn't get to see my post offering early enough). Will give or make some other little things too. Got a cool Carhart stocking hat in orange (on sale)from the GB man (he said he likes strong primary colors and suggested blue or orange). I'd be really pleased to get a pattern made (saw a picture on-line of one with a curved look) and one apron done this weekend.

What a sweet quilt, Theresa! Do you have a recipient in mind?

Ginn, your gift swap sounds like fun!

My sand dollar is done except for binding, so I'm off to dig around in my stash. :)

Donna

The quilt is for the new granddaughter of a good friend. Baby's name is Charlotte, the same name of our great granddaughter. Interesting how "old"names are coming back.
Theresa

I haven't had much time for quilting, but do have a quilt loaded on the frame that I would like to keep working on. I have a flag quilt to do as a gift by the end of March, so need to get this out of the way.

In between time, I have been finishing a hand-pieced project while sitting in front of the tv. One more evening and the body should be done. Then to figure out background/borders. It's only been a 14 year project ;)

Jennifer, I can so relate to your 14-yr project! I have quite a few that are "aging nicely." One is over 30 years old--not a quilting project but a bed coverlet of crocheted granny squares. Maybe I should dig that out.

Theresa, I've noticed the resurrection of old names for babies too. I'll have to tell my sister-in-law about your friend's baby Charlotte. Her name is Charlotte and her son and daughter-in-law are having a baby girl in a couple weeks and are going to name her Charlotte Jean after her and DiL's great grandmother.

When DGS had their baby last Aug. and named her Charlotte, I had a good chuckle. My mother said she wanted to name me Charlotte but my father won out. So I thanked them for naming her after "almost me".
Theresa

Charlotte is the name DD has picked if they have another girl. I didn't know it was so popular!

January slipped by me without a single minute in the sewing room. Now we're into February and it's not looking much better. I've been playing around with the idea of getting back to painting, then quilting silk and that's occupied my thoughts. This weekend I tried some of the paints on an old canvas backpack just to see how the paint flowed on heavy fabric. Came out paler than I expected but I ended up liking the muted effect. Once I figure out how to build a frame for the silk I'll give that a try! I have some silk scarves, a couple ties and a few yards of silk broadcloth. I can't wait! The ties don't require a frame so I may start on those tonight.

Most of my non-work time lately has been tied up with famiiy issues. DH Jim's dad is finally being released from the hospital after a long stay for a chronic peripheral nerve condition. He's been told he can't go back to his apartment and live on his own, so he'll be moving from Fargo to Orlando so he can be close to us. We're looking for a nursing home that has an opening, but of course want to find something as close to our house as possible. This has all happened very suddenly so we're feeling kind of overwhelmed. If we could get home health care for him, he could move in with us, but because he can't walk and can't even get himself out of bed and into his wheelchair, his doctor won't approve home care or an Assisted Living facility. Has to have 24 hour skilled nursing care. Not sure how we would have done that at home, but we were willing to give it a try. I know lots of families go through this. I sure wish we could have convinced him to move here a few years ago when he was still more mobile but he always said he would never move to Florida!

Kate

Oh Kate, how sad, especially for your father- in -law.
I am sure he doesn't want to put anyone out, and sometimes the options aren't all that many or good.
Just today, I was having some weird thoughts. I will be 82 shortly, my legs are Not behaving, having some difficulty walking. So what are my options should I need some kind of care. Scary thinking about it.
I wish you and Jim the best in dealing with all this.
Theresa

That's a tough decision, Kate. I've gone through it and hope for the best. I'm sure he doesn't want to be a burden and moving close to you isn't what he had hoped to do for his last days.

Hubby had a heart ablation procedure Friday so having to keep him down and recovering has kept me home and in my sewing room. I carry food and drink in every so often but otherwise, can sew away. I have finished up the Bonnie Hunnter assembly and am getting the borders on. We drive right by the longarmer next weekend so can drop it off. My favorite place will even put the binding on if I give them the fabric. So, I'm getting spoiled.

With that quilt done, I can think about what to do next. It's fun to plan and shop for something new. No babies coming along but do know of a wedding.

Sorry to hear so many of us have family issues going on. We had a few things going on, too. Very stressful.

I hope things work out ok for Jim's dad, Kate. We were fortunate that my sister was able to have my mom live with them for as long as she did. Linda, Hope your DH will be ok. Theresa, If your legs give out on you, surely you'll have some kind of rehab that will show you how to care for yourself. We had a friend in a wheelchair living by himself (and drove) and he did very well. Had to have some changes made in the house, but well worth it to be able to live without a lot of outside help. My thoughts are with you.

I've been able to be at the sewing machine a little bit every day.....I have a 'few' tops I'm working on. I came across a Soul Searching quilt and it seems like it should be easy enough to figure out. I have so many on my bucket list, I really don't need another one, but it would use up strips.

Here is a link that might be useful: Soul Searching quilt blocks

Kate, I hope all works out well for you with FIL. We are facing the same thing with DH's dad. He's 93 and so stubborn, he'd rather die than to stay with either of his kids. He's now faced with being treated with melanoma. If he was to be forced out of his house it would probably kill him because of his loss of independence. And I can't say that I blame him, that's the last thing I would want to do is have to live with my son.