I think you know that my life has been very busy since the end of February - I mean, I’ve always been busy because I’m just that kind of person. I’m not the type to sit around, drink tea and wish someone would stop by. Nah. Not my style.

But in addition to the normal things I like to do - this process of helping Ukrainians in Ukraine and Ukrainians who are here in Poland - has been very time consuming and sort of overwhelming.

But I’m struggling to make time for me - for things I want to do. I did learn a few years back already that I can totally give my heart and soul to people who don’t even know I’m doing this and leave nothing for my family and in the end, all I’ve done is not do some of the things I should have been taking care of. That leaves me feeling frustrated and resentful.

I also learned to stop doing that and try to work out solutions to keep me from feeling that way while still trying to get the things done I want and need to get done.

There’s that balance.

So, this morning I spent several hours in my sewing room. Yes I did. I have several things I want to do, like quilting everything I have to quilt— but it’s turned hot here now and quilting isn’t the thing I want to do currently. So, I get the FUN part - the piecing!

Yesterday I spent a good part of the morning and afternoon on our back patio. It had been sorely neglected for a couple of years in fact - and the weeds still need to be pulled out from between the bricks, but at least we got it cleaned off and I got a bunch of flowers planted.

Nine years ago I had a beautiful floral collection in my back patio area. Since that time, however, we’ve put more trees around and they’ve grown taller and create more shade.

However, one of the maples we had creating the shade for some reason didn’t survive the winter, so Mike cut it off and now there’s a bit more sunshine on my patio again. I now have some pots and a variety of plants there now - shown above. I will probably try to add a few more.

Back in 2013 - 9 years ago now I had quite a few beautiful flowers on my back porch - that year was particularly good. I still have the blue chair but the table under the quilt shown no longer is any good.

At that time, I had been quilting earnestly for about 3 years - as in 2010 I had gotten my Janome Horizon 7700 - with a big throat. I had started quilting about 5 years before that, but when I got my Janome, I was able to make larger quilts much more easily. That was when I discovered quilting forums on the internet and my quilting jumped to a new level as I didn’t actually know anyone who quilted - all my info had come from the internet. I did have a good foundation with garment and household sewing, though.

Before that I had a Pfaff Hobby with a small throat and I would just move the machine all over the table as I was trying to quilt with it as I pushed the twin size quilt through the throat.

Between 2010 and 2013 I had gotten a second-hand Janome 12000 with embroidery and was able to make these wonderful embroidered pictures. I bought all the designs from emblibrary.com. I made this simple quilt for mom and I did the cross hatching on my Janome 7700 with just straight line quilting using the walking foot and my eyeballs. I’m too lazy (:)) to actually mark such things. Actually I used my eyes AND the width of the walking foot to try to make them even - sorta.

Anyway, mom always loved flowers, but when dad was alive, she couldn’t have them in the house as he was very allergic. As such I called this quilt Flowers for Mom.

Oh, and one thing I really never admitted before, and I didn’t realize why it happened then, but I know now. When I started my crosshatching seams, I didn’t pull the thread up or hold it tight and I had nests on the back after each start - and there were a LOT of them on this quilt. I wanted to cover all that up, so I embroidered yet MORE pictures and hand sewed them over the back of each of those other blocks - making this quilt reversible.

I never wanted to admit before WHY I did that. I really didn’t know why it had happened back in 2013 or how to fix it. Now I know - and I know how to not let that happen should I do something like this again.

I think to really appreciate all those hymns though, you should know that mom has been a church pianist all my life. She taught piano for 50+ years - including all three of her daughters how to play along with myriads of other church pianists who are playing in various places around the world.

At the time, of course, I didn’t know it, but dad would pass away within 2 years of this.

But here’s the label I put on there. And no, just in case you want to ask, I don’t make these labels for sale, or for anyone - except my own purposes. They are too time consuming and stressful. Between laying it out on the computer and embroidering it, I am sure it took at least two hours, if not three, to make it.

Anyway, that’s just a blast from the past - well before I started a blog.

Thanks for coming along on my journey with me.

Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store here! Here’s a pretty special fabric!

Feel free to browse the site. There are a lot of goodies there!