Red -- RSC21

 I made a few red 3.5" rail fence blocks.  Woohoo.   125/900 blocks completed.

I shared some of my issues during my Covid ordeal in my post yesterday.  I forgot about a kinda funny incident.

Two weeks ago I made chili.  I still don't have all of my senses of taste and smell back yet.  When I made the chili I knew that something was off but I couldn't tell what it was.  It was good to me.  My husband and son didn't have any because they had meatloaf.

Then this week I made baked oatmeal.  When I went to get the cinnamon in the cupboard I realized that the chili power was in the wrong spot.  That's it!  I used a bunch of cinnamon in my chili!  Some places like Skyline Chili use cinnamon in their chili.  I did not do it on purpose.  It did not have any chili powder in the chili I made.  I learned my lesson...  Put on your glasses and look at the container if you don't have any smell or taste.  Oh well... I hear ground cinnamon is good for you too.  I ate it all over the course of a week.  Thanks for following along on my Covid journey...

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy for the RSC21.  Angela announced that June is purple month.  Hopefully I will be motivated to work on the two eggplant blocks needed to finish the Veggie Patch quilt top.

Joy's Table Scraps Challenge

 I sewed something today.  It's a little mug rug.  I was testing out block piece sizes of this little basket.  The basket was inspired by Bonnie Hunter's new pattern called Basket Toss.   You can find her pattern here.  Here it is on the stand between our tv chairs.  It is next to the mini jelly roll rug mat.  The basket part is red.  The backing is red.  I wasn't motivated to do a binding, so I turned it and stitched.  My quality of sewing is off a little right now.  It will be fine...

Here's what it will look like most of the days.

I'm just not motivated to sew.  I went to the doctor last week for my Covid pneumonia stuff.  He finally gave me a round of antibiotics and steroids.  He gave me the option of trying the meds or just waiting 3-4 weeks for it to clear up.  I thought it was a no brainer.  I got the meds.  He told me to call him this week if I wasn't feeling better.

This week came and I was only feeling a smidgen better.  I called him.  My issues are still cough, phlegm, and being tired more than usual.  I'm still trying to do things with Owen like ride bikes and run him to his events.  (I'm no longer contagious.)  I'm sleeping with using any sleep meds (which is great now.)  I'm mowing the yard.  BUT, when I do these things I usually end up taking a 2 - 3 hour nap the next day.  My doctor gave me cough syrup.

I still find myself in a brain fog.  It's a really weird feeling.  I'm kinda embarrassed to explain it, but here it goes...

1.) When I read things it seems I have to read them numerous times.  If I am interrupted I have to start over again.

2.) Yesterday it took me over 10 minutes to figure out how to open the squeeze sour cream container.  Seriously!!!  I never purchased that before.  I thought I would use less if I bought it that way.  I almost cheated and googled how to open it.  I tried to pry it open with a knife.  I thought about cutting it inside the squeeze part.  Finally I realized that the square cap screwed off.

3.) When I make a quilt block like a star or basket.  I end up turning HSTs in the wrong direction or sewing the wrong side of the seam.  

4.) It took me a while to figure out the best way to rip out my Veggie blocks to fix the missing rows on the short carrots and the short squash.  I eventually figured it out.  Usually my brain jumps to math mode and I have it.  Not lately.

5.) Yesterday I couldn't figure out how to turn on the garden hose.  It has two valves.  I didn't realize that my husband secretly installed a third valve so that he only had to shut off that one when we went on vacation...  Duh.  Back in the day I would follow the line with a flashlight in the basement.  I never even thought of that.  The new valve was in the garage, but I didn't notice it.

6.) I have to be really, really careful when paying bills and writing things in the checkbook.  Whew.

My brain feels like this.  This is the computer area behind my sewing machine.  It's been like this on and off for a month.  That's some of my veggie blocks that need another row sewn on them.  I managed to sew SEVEN 2.5" squares together this week.  Wow... That's it.  It will come back to me.

Here's the other side of my desk...  You can see a pile of 2.5" squares needed to finish the Veggie Patch rows.  There are 2.5" strips that should be put to good use.  Scrap Crystals is awaiting a back to be made under two bags of sorted scraps.  I just don't "have it" right now.

I don't want pitty.  I am recovering and getting a little better each day.  School is out for summer.  Things are looking up.  I just need time to get over the rest of it.  I have really adjusted my eating habits in a good way.  I lost a little weight -- WOOHOO!

I'm linking up at Joy's blog, The Joyful Quilter, for the Table Scraps Challenge.

I'm so excited to have a finish that I'm linking up at Alycia Quilts for Finished (or not) Friday.

I'm linking up at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

RSC21 -- Red Veggies

 All of the red veggies are now complete for the Veggie Patch quilt.  This is a Katie Mae design.

After I took this photo I realized that I still have a little sashing to correct.  The right two rows of veggies are two blocks shorter than the left side.  The two carrots are one row short (each)  Ugh...  Oh well.  I guess it will give me something to do this week.  I'm SEW happy they are at the top and bottom of the rows!  That will be a little less seam ripping.

The two blank spots are reserved for the purple eggplants.  I may wait until the purple month to make these.  I have plenty of ongoing projects to keep me busy.

Yesterday we finally went bike riding again!  It was a short, 4-mile ride.  I am happy to report that I didn't have any breathing problems.  On the way home in the truck I coughed a lot.  Coughing seems to be my biggest issues right now.  Getting better every day!

We found several bobbers, a cool grasshopper lure, and a fishing pole prop!

Of course, we had to take our biking selfie... (we do this to document every trip).

In interesting happy news here in Ohio, our governor is lifting our mask restrictions on June 2.  This should make some people happy.  You may have also seen it in the news that our governor is having a "lottery" to entice residents to get the vaccine.  There will be five weeks of drawings with one winner each week.  If a person gets at least one shot of the vaccine after 5/26 (or something like that) they will be entered into the weekly drawing for $1 million.  If the person is under 18 years of age he/she will win a four year full-ride scholarship to college.  The governor's logic was it would be better to offer $$$ to Ohioans to get the vaccine than to have vaccines go to waste.  I still haven't gotten the vaccine.  Heck, I already had Covid.  That's just my personal opinion.  It's a personal choice.  Good luck, fellow Ohioans.

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy, for the RSC21.  Angela is RED-y for summer.  Only nine more school days for us here.

WIP Wednesday 5.12.21

This week my sister-in-law sent me a photo of the table topper that I made for the April Table Scraps Challenge at The Joyful Quilter April, 2021, Table Scraps Challenge.  It looks much better on my SIL's table vs. the photo on my old wool carpet by my sewing machine.

I made a cute onion block for my Veggie Patch quilt (designed by Katie Mae Quilts.)

I only have two more blocks to go (the purple eggplant blocks) to have a finished flimsy.  I will probably add a border.  Here are the rest of the assembled blocks/rows that I worked on this week:

I finished my red letters for my ABC GO! quilt.

I finished the red row of my Stay Centered quilt.  I attached it to the other rows.

It's been a busy, productive week!

I now stand at 54 projects on my WIP list.  

Pieces Need to be Cut & Sewn

 1.  Cheddar Jack cat pattern from 

 2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)

 3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt

 4.  Picadilly Circle

 5.  ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)

 6.  RSC16 Folk Art Birds

 7.  2016 Plus Blocks (from left over pieces of Soul Searching Blocks

 8.  Leah Day Building Blocks QA

 9.  Jelly Roll Rug

10.  Classic Meets Modern BOM

11.  Veggie Patch from Katie Mae Quilts

12.  Mod Mod QA (from Block Lotto, circles w/lines)

13.  Stay Centered started February, 2021

14.  Rail Fence Blocks 82/900 complete started during the pink month of RSC21, January 2021

15.  Gobble, Gobble, pattern by Lori Holt, started February 2021

16.  Kite Girl (RSC14)

17.  Amish Country BOM (from Lynn, Johnna's mom)

18.  Cabins at the Lake (from Fons  Porter Magazine) only one house block complete.)

19.  2.5" Scraps from Dani -- making "cracker" blocks

20.  Waffle Blocks (August 2019 -- RSC19)

21.  Little Houses (3.5" blocks)

22.  Pumpkins & the Beanstalk (a 2nd quilt)

23.  Dresser Scarf (My Grandma's WIP from the 1970's found 1/1/20

24.  Linen & Threads Mystery SAL, Started 1/1/20 for my sew-to-go-bag

25.  Slabs with White Rectangle (RSC14 started -- needs blocks each month)

26.  Bonnie Hunter Box Kite class from March 2017

27.  Unity Quilt Along with Bonnie Hunter (started 4/1/2020)

28.  Full Stop, started RSC21 (January,2021)

29.  Maroon Sampler Quilt--I found this on 2.6.21

30.  Gypsy Wife QA started in August 2017

31.  Kathleen Tracy's 2019 Mystery Quilt Facebook QA started in March, 2019

32.  GO! ABC Quilt started during the pink month of RSC21, January 2021

Blocks Still Need to be Made

 1.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt

 2.  Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt 

 3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

 4.  Drunkard's Path Variation quilt

Blocks Are Made But Need to be Sewn Together (and/or Some Sashing)

 1.  Tula Pink's City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks 5/17/17 QA

 2.  Cruise blocks won from Libby

 3.  Cathy's CRAZY BY DESIGN Dot Dot Dash Bag, Won April, 2018

 4.  Split Stars (blocks won from the Block Lotto, October, 2012)

 5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)

 6.  Tall Fly (blocks won from Block Lotto; October 2012)

 7.  Pre-printed cross stitch pillow sham (May 2018)

 8.  Sonja's Windows string quilt

 9.  Flower Baskets (blue and white with some applique) Block Lotto win 10/1/18

Quilt Back Needs to be Made (Tops are Done)

1.  Card Trick (pink and blue)

2.  Hunter Green Star Quilt

3.  Good Fortune -- A Bonnie Hunter Mystery started Thanksgiving weekend, 2018

4. Scrap Crystals (RSC15)

Ready to Longarm

1.  Bubble Gum Pink & Navy Quilt

2.  Bricks and Stepping Stones, Bonnie Hunter Free Pattern started 3.2.21

3.  9-Patch Scrap Quilt (CM) received 3/19/21 to quilt for a friend

4.  Owl's Well That Ends Well (RSC19 project started 1/26/19)

Needs Binding

I'm linking up withMidweek Makers.

To-Do Tuesday

  I really like making lists.  I like it so much I plan on linking up at ChrisKnits each Tuesday that I can.  The linky party for this week is here.

My Veggie Patch blocks are laying on top of my Ohio quilt.  It's easier to lay it out on the bed right now vs. on the floor.  I need to make all the brown sashing squares and pieces and put them together in rows.  I will probably wait until "purple" month for the RSC21 to make the two eggplant blocks since I have plenty of other projects happening right now.  I really like the bright veggie colors!  If I had to do this quilt again I would have probably picked one brown print vs. scrappy browns for the backgrounds.  BUT I am busting a lot of 2.5" squares this way.  I will probably go with a solid red inner border and then a print brown border.  

I made some progress on the list for last week.  I'm still recovering from Covid pneumonia.   Most of my big symptoms are gone.  I still have an unpleasant cough.  It is lessening though.

Plans for the week of April 27th:

1.  Make a scrappy back for Owl's Well that Ends Well.

2.  Make a back for Scrap Crystals (I found yardage in my stash!) (Bonnie Hunter design.)

3.  Sew together two rows of turkeys for Goggle Gobble that I didn't sew together last week.  (Lori Holt design.)

4.  Load my friend's quilt on the longarm and start quilting it.

Since I only accomplished one thing on my list the past two weeks, it stays the same.  I'm adding:

1.  Make all the sashing for the Veggie Patch quilt (design by Katie Mae).

2.  Sew some rail fence blocks as leader/enders.

Happy Mother's Day

 Happy Mother's Day to those that are mothers and to those that are not.  Today I sewed an onion for my Veggie Patch quilt (design by Katie Mae quilts.)

I hope to work on cutting and sewing all the sashing for the rest of the quilt.  I only have two more veggies to make -- purple eggplants.  

RSC21 -- Red

What a difference a week or two makes.  I'm feeling much, much better.  I felt like sewing again this week.  First I cut a bunch of red 2.5" squares and HST pieces with my Accuquilt GO!  I made the letters D and P in red for the GO! ABCs Throw Quilt Pattern.  You can find the free pattern here.  It's fitting that Angela post this week is called RED LETTER DAY.

I finished the red log cabin blocks for the Stay Centered quilt.  Stay Centered is a design by Sheila Van Der Linden.  I found the free pattern on the APQS website here.

Four rows are now finished of the Stay Centered quilt.  There are only orange and purple rows remaining to be made.

I have a few red plans for May:

1.  I need to make a red Stay Centered row (7 red blocks).

2.  I will continue to make rail fence blocks.

3.  Full Stop blocks.

4.  GO! ABC letters.

5.  Veggie Patch blocks:  (2) radishes, (2) chili peppers, (2) bell peppers, (2) tomatoes

6.  Find my red basket blocks made about 10 years ago for my Table Scraps Challenge with Joy.

That should keep me busy in red.

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy, for the RSC21.

More Veggie Patch Blocks

 I finished the red Veggie Patch blocks today.  This is a quilt designed by Katie Mae Quilts.  I present two tomatoes and a red bell pepper:

And more good news...  my oxygen levels continue to improve!  It was 97.5 this morning.  I'm still coughing a lot to get this gunk out of my lungs, but it's getting better!  Praise God!

Love It!

 I made this baby quilt a while back and gave it to the neighbor's daughter.  I love it when out of the blue someone sends me a photo of the new baby using the quilt!

The blocks for this quilt were won in the Block Lotto.  Oh how I miss the Block Lotto!

WIP Wednesday 5.5.21

 This week I've been working in my "garden" of red scraps.  This quilt is called Veggie Patch and I found it at Katie Mae Quilts.  Here's two radishes, two chili peppers, and one bell pepper:

I've been cutting red scraps with my Accuquilt strip cutters so that I can work on my Stay Centered red row for the RSC21.  The desk by my computer is a great catch all area.

I've been taking it easy this week.  Thank you all for your get-well wishes for my recent bout with Covid..  I'm feeling better each day.  Right now I'm dealing with getting all the gunk out of my lungs -- cough, cough.  I can take deep breaths now.  My oxygen levels continue to improve.  I'm not as tired.  It's a process.

I finished the other "Gobble" block for my Gobble Gobble quilt design by Lori Holt.  I really want to assemble the quilt top soon instead of putting it back in a bag and waiting for a later date.  I am still playing with my scrappy bright blues.

I'm linking  up with Susan at Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers.

I now stand at 54 projects on my WIP list.  

Pieces Need to be Cut & Sewn

 1.  Cheddar Jack cat pattern from 

 2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)

 3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt

 4.  Picadilly Circle

 5.  ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)

 6.  RSC16 Folk Art Birds

 7.  2016 Plus Blocks (from left over pieces of Soul Searching Blocks

 8.  Leah Day Building Blocks QA

 9.  Jelly Roll Rug

10.  Classic Meets Modern BOM

11.  Veggie Patch from Katie Mae Quilts

12.  Mod Mod QA (from Block Lotto, circles w/lines)

13.  Stay Centered started February, 2021

14.  Rail Fence Blocks 82/900 complete started during the pink month of RSC21, January 2021

15.  Gobble, Gobble, pattern by Lori Holt, started February 2021

16.  Kite Girl (RSC14)

17.  Amish Country BOM (from Lynn, Johnna's mom)

18.  Cabins at the Lake (from Fons  Porter Magazine) only one house block complete.)

19.  2.5" Scraps from Dani -- making "cracker" blocks

20.  Waffle Blocks (August 2019 -- RSC19)

21.  Little Houses (3.5" blocks)

22.  Pumpkins & the Beanstalk (a 2nd quilt)

23.  Dresser Scarf (My Grandma's WIP from the 1970's found 1/1/20

24.  Linen & Threads Mystery SAL, Started 1/1/20 for my sew-to-go-bag

25.  Slabs with White Rectangle (RSC14 started -- needs blocks each month)

26.  Bonnie Hunter Box Kite class from March 2017

27.  Unity Quilt Along with Bonnie Hunter (started 4/1/2020)

28.  Full Stop, started RSC21 (January,2021)

29.  Maroon Sampler Quilt--I found this on 2.6.21

30.  Gypsy Wife QA started in August 2017

31.  Kathleen Tracy's 2019 Mystery Quilt Facebook QA started in March, 2019

32.  GO! ABC Quilt started during the pink month of RSC21, January 2021

Blocks Still Need to be Made

 1.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt

 2.  Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt 

 3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

 4.  Drunkard's Path Variation quilt

Blocks Are Made But Need to be Sewn Together (and/or Some Sashing)

 1.  Tula Pink's City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks 5/17/17 QA

 2.  Cruise blocks won from Libby

 3.  Cathy's CRAZY BY DESIGN Dot Dot Dash Bag, Won April, 2018

 4.  Split Stars (blocks won from the Block Lotto, October, 2012)

 5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)

 6.  Tall Fly (blocks won from Block Lotto; October 2012)

 7.  Pre-printed cross stitch pillow sham (May 2018)

 8.  Sonja's Windows string quilt

 9.  Flower Baskets (blue and white with some applique) Block Lotto win 10/1/18

Quilt Back Needs to be Made (Tops are Done)

1.  Card Trick (pink and blue)

2.  Hunter Green Star Quilt

3.  Good Fortune -- A Bonnie Hunter Mystery started Thanksgiving weekend, 2018

4. Scrap Crystals (RSC15)

Ready to Longarm

1.  Bubble Gum Pink & Navy Quilt

2.  Bricks and Stepping Stones, Bonnie Hunter Free Pattern started 3.2.21

3.  9-Patch Scrap Quilt (CM) received 3/19/21 to quilt for a friend

4.  Owl's Well That Ends Well (RSC19 project started 1/26/19)

Needs Binding

Can you believe I'm down to 54 projects?  My list used to be up in the 90's!  This is serious progress.

I'm linking up with Midweek Makers.  

One Main Goal (OMG) for May at Elm Street Quilts

I am setting the bar low this month.  I am doing well today recovering from Covid pneumonia, but I don't want to overdo it.   My OMG for May is to finish the quilt, Owl's Well That Ends Well.

The top is done.  A pieced back in blue scraps has been made.  It needs to be quilted, trimmed, and bound.  I re-sized the blocks and made them smaller to make the pattern more compatible with my Accuquilt dies.  The original pattern is by Judy Gauthier in her book, Quilts for Scrap Lovers.  I also changed positions of some of the wings to mix it up.  

I'm linking up at Elm Street Quilts for the May OMG goal setting party.

RSC21 The One With Covid-19

 Well, I think I'm through the worst of it.  I didn't get started on any red sewing this week due to Covid-19.  I did manage to work on some blue odds and ends yesterday:

These are blocks for the Gobble Gobble quilt design by Lori Holt.  I really like the orange dot fabric.  I hope the green fabric has enough contrast for the quilt.  I really don't want to make another block...

I only made five more rail fence blocks.  Now I have 87/900 complete.

I have a few red plans for May:

1.  I need to make a red Stay Centered row.

2.  I will continue to make rail fence blocks.

3.  Full Stop blocks.

4.  GO! ABC letters.

5.  Veggie Patch blocks:  (2) radishes, (2) chili peppers, (2) bell peppers, (2) tomatoes

6.  Find my red basket blocks make about 10 years ago for my Table Scraps Challenge with Joy.

That should keep me busy in red.

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy, for the RSC21.

And now my Covid-19 update.  I have been taken care of really good.  Here is Owen giving me fruit snacks and crackers in a bag on a stick...  He is quite creative.  This was the day after he informed the school  during every virtual meeting that I was sick.  That led him to then give everybody a tour of everything including taking his computer to the bedroom and showing me sleeping to them!

I started feeling tired after delivering 45 boxes of groceries from our church to neighbors and friends in need.  Some people I knew, some were random.  That was Saturday, April 17.  I was fine, but thought I was just tired after all the delivering.

Sunday I went to church and came home and slept all day.  That is not like me at all.

The next three days were followed with chills and more sleeping.  I just needed sleep.

I thought it was either the flu or Covid.  I almost knew for certain on Wednesday, 4/21, when my husband was telling me how good the macaroni salad was this time.  Hmmm.  I thought it was sort of bland.  That was when I realized after eating an orange that I had no taste or smell.  I had been staying away from others (including my household) as much as possible.  I was managing my symptoms at home.

Finally on Tuesday, 4/27, I was getting short of breath while trying to walk up hill to care for my chickens.  I was still tired all the time.  The previous night I had a session of a minute or two that someone put Bengay all over my chest because I was having a warm sensation.  That was weird.  I told Owen I has to run an errand and went to the ER.

It was freezing in the "special" waiting room.  I was glad I had an extra t-shirt in my bag to use as a blanket.  Brrr.  No pretty sewn masks here.  This was the only mask allowed.

I sat in the waiting room for about 30 minutes until I was called back to have vitals checked.  As the nosy observant person that I am, I could hear other patients explain the same symptoms that I had.  No biggie.  They would explain symptoms, and get vitals checked, given an ID bracelet, and sent back to the main waiting room area before going on to the ER.

No me!  For some reason after taken my vitals and listening to the same things that others seemed to be saying I was moved to a special isolation waiting room.  It could have been because my oxygen level was 85.  I know that room was monitored by cameras.  I saw them when I checked in.  No one but the nurse that told me to sit here never entered this room for the three hour wait.  I got to watch tv all by myself.  I had my pick of chairs.  I texted my husband and told him.  He said, "Good--you won't get infected by anybody else."  I told him I think they are afraid of me infecting others...

Finally, my turn with the ER staff.  They basically looked at me and took my vitals three times.  Chest x-rays were taken.  It showed evidence of Covid pneumonia in both lungs.  The last thing they did before the left me go was a Covid test.  That was unpleasant.  The nurse said that if my test comes back negative that it is probably wrong.  There was no treatment given.  They told me to get a monitor to check my oxygen levels at home.  If my oxygen dropped below 90 percent I should come back in.  If my symptoms worsen or I develop a fever to come back in.  Follow up with my doctor...That's it.

On Friday I got a follow-up call confirming that my test results were positive.  They told me that because I had the symptoms for more than ten days that I was no longer considered courageous.  My husband and son showed NO signs of illness or symptoms.  They said that if they don't show them by this weekend that there's a good chance they won't develop any.

The good news is I feel I am on the mend.  Now that I have my strength back I will try to follow up with my doctor on Monday.  When I felt good enough yesterday to call his office was already closed for the weekend...