An Inconvenience

The BEST and
most BEAUTIFUL things
in the WORLD cannot
be SEEN or even
TOUCHED. They
must be FELT with
the HEART.
Hellen Keller

Bah Humbug

My daughter wanted to be able to wear this oversized sweatshirt to work today.


So I cut it up...

And made her this....

Finished!

It is finally done and in the mail to my mom for Christmas! I am happy with it. I think the only thing I could of done better is the actual quilting. But practice will help me get closer to perfect.

On the Border

After taking advise from others, my quilt top now has a border. It does look so much better. Next is piecing the backing and then quilting it together. I do wish I had a helper to hold it up when I take pictures. It is a bit distorted and the color of the photo is bad.

Mom's chemo and quilt top

So today is my mom's 4th chemo. Thanks be to God that the chemo has been doing its job. So as I thought about the long day of chemo she is going through (she does a 6 hour drip to reduce her symptoms, versus a 3 hour drip), I sewed the t-shirt quilt squares I have been working on into a quilt top.

This quilt is evolving as I sew it. I started with a plan, but it changed slightly. I like to let the quilting happen as it goes for these t-shirt quilts. They are so hard to plan from start to finish. I started out thinking it would be a quilt like I made my daughter awhile back, with batting and quilting and all. I have started wondering though, how it would be as more of a blanket. With a soft minkee type fabric for the back. Ummm cozy. Just what my mom might need for comfort this winter. I will be taking a trip to the quilt store to get some advice as to whether they think this is a bad idea. I'm not sure about sewing with minkee. It is difficult. I probably won't listen though if they discourage me from doing it this way.

Sorry about the bad photo. My daughter has my camera at college and I had to use my i-phone with poor lighting. And I know the oriental rug is not the best background to film on but I was too lazy to get a neutral sheet to put under it.

Old t-shirt and a chemo turban

I finally found a serger on craigslist! Yea! So for my first project I decided to use this free pattern. Of course it came out a bit wonky since it was my very first serged pattern (it could be made without a serger). But it was quick and easy. I will be making more since I have lots of t-shirt backs from making t-shirt quilts.

Progress

I started working on the squares for the t-shirt quilt. It got me thinking that I haven't posted how my mom is doing. Her progress has been amazing. She has had 3 chemo treatments and her C125(?) count is normal now! She goes in for a chemo treatment next week. This time around has not been as hard as I thought it would be. She is familiar with what to expect so it makes it a bit easier on her. Plus they have all her meds figured out so she is not having so many side effects. Yea!
So I decided to get working on the t-shirt quilt I am making her. I had some time on Thanksgiving to sew. Pictures are of the progress I am making.
First I mark the square on the t-shirt that has been backed with interfacing. Then I line a border on the line with right sides facing. Sew that on and then trim the excess t-shirt to the seam allowance. This keeps the t-shirt from stretching.

I keep adding the borders to the squares and trimming the t-shirt until I have a quilt block.


I will be working on more today. I only finished 2 yesterday with all the Thanksgiving cooking. But I am excited to keep working on it to get it done for my mom's Christmas present!