Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Another Day, Another Quilt to Repair

Log Cabin Quilt

This is the second quilt I ever made (the first one was a hexagon quilt using the English paper piecing method; I no longer have that quilt).  This quilt was sewn in 1977.  The top is hand pieced with strips of fabric that are one inch in width when finished and varying lengths; the smallest pieces in the center of each block are one inch square.  I mostly used fabric I had on hand including some of my blouses and two of my step-father's shirts!  The flowered fabric that appears grey was originally black; it was the only piece of fabric I bought specifically for this quilt - a blouse purchased for a dollar or two from a thrift shop.  We were in Florida at the time and money was very tight.

Some of the red patterned fabric has torn through much use:

Torn Pieces
I decided that I wanted to repair the quilt.  I started to cut out 1 1/2" by 3 1/2" strips to replace the torn pieces.  I will hand stitch them in place, on top of the torn pieces.  

**********************

M was here, today (Wednesday) and we planted some green beans under the plum tree and surrounded it with wire mesh to keep the cats away and to hopefully discourage the mourning doves from eating the bean sprouts.  M also planted some succulents cuttings he brought me (from his garden) and watered the garden for me.  

Speaking of birds, I haven't seen Chicken Little in a couple of weeks!  I wonder what happened!

In the afternoon, I cut out some strips of fabric for the log cabin quilt and started sewing them in place.

In the evening, I went for my walk.  This time, my hip hurt after about 10 minutes, but, I decided to continue to walk slowly and did my 25 minutes.  

Yesterday (Tuesday), after I posted, I cleaned the living room and dining area (dusted, vacuumed, brushed down cobwebs, etc.) and swept the kitchen.  Today, I started on the family room, but, didn't finish.  I cleaned the litter box and swept the bathroom, however.  This week is the "All House" branch of my 8-week cleaning schedule.  I want to finish the family room, tomorrow, and mop the kitchen floor.

Breakfast was sardines on toast again (it was a big can of sardines; I think I'll be having sardines on toast for several days, this week!)  Lunch was spaghetti with meat sauce.  Neighbor S provided me with dinner, last night, and I had some of it last night and finished the rest, today:

Dinner Compliments of Neighbor S

Rice pilaf, grilled meat, broccoli and green beans cooked together, and a couple of stems of fresh basil, plus watermelon for dessert.  I put the basil in a jar of water to see if they will root!   

Today, I am grateful for:

- A sunny and warm day (80F; my kind of weather!)
- M helping with the garden
- S providing me with dinner
- Being able to video chat with my daughter
- Being able to order medications online to be delivered to the house

Today's joyful activity was repairing my Log Cabin quilt.

Plans for tomorrow include more housework, quilt repairs, and starting the car!  

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?

20 comments:

  1. Repairing that quilt is a lovely idea, it clearly holds so many memories. The sun is shining this morning, and this afternoon. I'm going into Norwich with Bob. He will do his volunteer work at the Hospice and I have a list of little jobs (drop off at charity shop, collect library book etc etc) I'm grateful for sunshine, and for my summer dresses - just in the middle of swapping over winter/summer clothes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Angela; quilts made with old clothes or remnant fabric from sewing clothes have more meaning, I think, than quilts made with new fabric bought for the purpose, especially if made for personal use. If I am making a baby quilt or something like that; then, I prefer to buy new fabric.
      Sounds like you have a busy afternoon. I'm glad you are having sunshine and warmer weather. :)

      Delete
  2. Your quilt looks nice and deserves to be repaired as it has lasted so long and you have memories of when you made it way back then. I hope Chicken Little is OK but I guess not as he was your regular visitor. I have a grocery order booked for Saturday and I will add sardines to it. I asked husband which he prefers and he said in oil but I prefer mine in tomato sauce so two tins it is :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Eileen. I'm looking forward to being able to use the quilt again (I had it stored in the linen closet because it was torn). Not sure what happened to Chicken Little - I haven't seen it since Easter and I sincerely hope it didn't end up as their Easter dinner! :o It had got to the point where I was putting out extra cat food just for the chicken! LOL.
      I hope you receive the sardines with your grocery order and you'll enjoy having it on toast for a meal, one day. :)

      Delete
  3. I have the quilts that my grandmother made for me that I grew up with. It's fun looking at them and remembering the old clothing that many of the pieces came from. I bet you could earn extra money from repairing quilts for people. I know I have several that are pretty worn because we used them all of the time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Quilts made with old clothing (or the remnants of fabric leftover from sewing clothes) have the added bonus of memories and are more meaningful, I think, than quilts made with new fabric bought for the purpose. I don't consider myself good enough to repair quilts for money; my repairs are very obvious because I just applique new pieces over the the torn pieces, but, if you ever visit L.A., feel free to bring one of your worn quilts with you. :)

      Delete
    2. Don't be surprised if I show up some day. :)

      Delete
    3. You'd be most welcome, June. :)

      Delete
  4. I hope your hip pain has since eased. I would say to be careful, but I know you wouldn't push yourself if it was too uncomfortable.
    I hope Chicken Little is okay. Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The pain went away afterwards, Jules, although I needed to apply some heat to it before I went to bed. I might take a day off from walking today, although I might change my mind by evening.
      I, too, hope that Chicken Little is okay. I know I complained about it, but, I rather miss seeing it come running when I put out food for Mama Cat!

      Delete
  5. Glad you had a good Wednesday and you could continue walking through hip pain.
    You have some of the nicest friends and neighbors!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Anne. Yes, I do have some lovely friends and neighbors, don't I? :)

      Delete
  6. That is an attractive quilt and the black has mellowed quite nicely into grey. It is certainly worth repairing. How nice to have another dinner from your neighbour. I hope the basil will root for you.
    Our DDIL sent a photo of a small raccoon climbing down their cherry tree. I haven't seen one around here for some time but they sometimes forage in the composter in the night, leaving the lid askew.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Bushlady. :) It was very nice to have another dinner from S and I do hope the basil will root. I had bought a basil plant, last year, but, it didn't do well for me - got too hot for it, I think.
      Oh, I hope the raccoons don't eat all the cherries once the tree sets fruit! I haven't seen the ones that visit me in several weeks, either.

      Delete
  7. That quilt is lovely. I like the idea of using old clothes and fabric that means something to you. Take care walking.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Celie. I decided not to walk today; going to give myself a day of rest.

      Delete
  8. Oh, be careful with you hip. It sounds like osteoarthritis. Have you considered getting an x-ray? Hip pain is so difficult. Your meals look exquisite.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Stephenie. I had an x-ray done when I had that sciatica flare up a couple of years ago and then, an MRI as a follow-up, as well. I have bone spurs in some of my vertebrae and yes, osteoarthritis, too. Not to a point where surgery is needed. But, I'm supposed to walk for both exercise and general well being; it's just that it hurts to walk for any length of time. I'm trying to build up my stamina. But, I'm thinking that if I can't do 30 minutes at a time, then, maybe two 15 minutes sessions would be OK.

      Delete
  9. Your quilt is so pretty - I love the colors. I don't recall seeing this quilt before. You must've enjoyed repairing your other quilt to pick up this one as well so soon after. Hand sewing can be nice and relaxing.
    You got quite a bit of cleaning done on Tuesday. You do stick to your schedule well :)
    Reading through the comments, I see your hip pain went away. Putting heat on the area was probably a good idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Debra. I don't think I've shown this quilt before. It was in the linen closet, used only as a picnic blanket, etc. because it was torn. But, I decided I will repair it and use it this coming winter. :)
      I'm pleased with the amount of cleaning I got done on Tuesday, because I didn't do much on Wednesday or Thursday! I hope to catch up, today!
      Yes, the hip pain went away and I rested, yesterday.

      Delete

Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting. Your comments are much appreciated. Please comment in English. Thank you.