tip #11 simple graces

My friend Lois, who's mother was recovering from surgery, said a friend came over and changed her mother's sheets so she had fresh linens to sleep in. I thought I'd post a list of things that I've seen be  simple graces that can have a lot of meaning for a person dealing with illness.

--fill the gas tank
--clean the fridge
--take out the trash
--bring over supper AND a sandwich for lunch
--write a card but keep it simple--even reading a long note can take too much effort
--bring over beverages. Medications can do a number on your taste buds. I like to head over to our neighborhood bodega and select a variety of Mexican sodas to bring. Sometimes you get weary of the 7-up and ginger ale and find the tamarind or pineapple soda is just right.
--JUST sit
--shovel the snow/rake the leaves/mow the lawn
--offer to make some insurance company calls 
--if you are visiting on the phone, offer to read the paper or a book--allows for companionship while limiting the amount of talking the sick person needs to do to keep up his/her end of the conversation.
--take the caregiver for a walk

AND, our family has benefited in our bereavement time from these supports:

--two extended family members brought campers and parked them on my parents' driveway to give us extra bedrooms and space.
--on our block here in Chicago it is a tradition for the neighbors to help the family prepare for the funeral; they come and take shirts and suits to the cleaners, shine shoes, do store runs for clothing items, wash the car. Anne Mette took Paul shopping for a suit and arrange tailoring. Sharon Johnson made sure Andy and Seth were ready with their clothes.

Please add more ideas in comments.

nine of the dozen Scholten klein meisjes

Here are nine of the dozen Scholten klein meisjes.
sitting:
Aunt Beanie, Aunt Henny, Lynn
standing:
Rachel, Beth, Gretchen, Janna, Helen, Lorelei, Mary Ann, Elaine
not pictured:
Kirsten, Yvonne, Nancy
(Note that Mary Ann did not get the memo on the regulation haircut.)

tip #10 roast a turkey

This hint was given to me by my mother-in-law, Lucille. Before I met her, I thought you only made turkey for holidays.
She taught me that when life is overwhelmingly busy, roast a turkey. Don't bother with the stuffing or traditional sides.
The turkey will yield a week's worth of meals and keep everyone in the house fed.
This one went into the oven at eight o'clock this morning.

dad

Leroy Dykstra 1930-2011

tip #9 sewing from a bobbin

Keeping with my bobbin theme and wisdom from my mother, when it is critical that you do not run out of bobbin thread, fill two bobbins. Sew from one, have the other in the bobbin race.  Both will have the same length of thread on them.This way you can keep an eye on what is on the spindle and when it is running short, you can get to a good stopping place before you run out.
My mother did a lot of garment sewing and this was good for topstitching. I find it helpful when machine quilting when I don't want to run out mid-section of quilting.

tip #8 keep busy while filling bobbins

Keeping on the Bobbin theme this week.
So, what do you do while you are filling those 3 or 4 bobbins? And why do you not fill 5 or 6 bobbins? Because you need to clean and oil your machine every 3 or 4 bobbins. While the machine is winding, open it up, take out the bobbin race, brush everything out really well, oil as indicated, and wipe down the machine. Should take you about 3 or 4 bobbins worth to get that done.

red witch

Seth aboard the Red Witch on Lake Michigan this evening.

around the block

Laree Bobo took my repurposing fabric class this past January and made a great Around the Block quilt like mine (below), which was inspired by Tazzie's original.
I LOVE the blue glow of Laree's quilt--measures about 85 inches square.

tip #7 zen and the art of bobbin winding

My mother told me she used to get so frustrated when she would run out of bobbin thread.
She decided to time how long it took to replace a bobbin--it was under 30 seconds.
She figured 30 seconds was nothing to get upset about, and from then on, when a bobbin would run out, she would tell herself, "It is just 30 seconds" and carry on.
She would always wind 3 or 4 bobbins at a time so there was one ready to go. When she saw there was just one bobbin in the queue, she would watch for a good stopping time and wind up 3 or 4 more--never caught with an empty bobbin.

bowties

Bonnie Hunter posted a bowtie pattern that many are making with cheddar background.
This project fit in well with my stash organizing and with my fall teaching schedule limiting my sewing time. I am enjoying using fabrics I purchased 30 years ago all the way through to fabric added this week. As you can tell, I've been cutting up the purples.
Over 90 blocks are made as of this evening and it will be a pleasant time adding to them over the next few months.
Cheddar fabric: two 2 inch cut squares
Bowtie fabric: two 2 inch cut squares and two 1 1/4 inch cut squares to sew on a diagonal.
Finished bowtie block 3 inches (unfinished 3 1/2 inches)

tip #6 count your pins

A corollary to last week's tip--count your pins.
If I am binding a quilt and taking it along with me, I use three pins. That is enough to securely pin a corner and enough to keep track of.
(I also use this counting in my work--whenever I enter a patient's room I know exactly how many needles/sharps are coming in with me so that they are all accounted for when I leave the bedside.)

tip #5 count your needles

I don't do a lot of hand quilting any more, but when my children were younger, I always worked with three needles. That way, when I would inevitably be bounced upon by a child, I knew exactly how many needles to look for when picking things up.

ahead of Irene

Eve, returning from Shanghai, got to her dorm last night at midnight, just ahead of all closing down for Irene.
Photograph is from her trip to Hong Kong.

graduation

The University of Chicago gets pomp and circumstance down well.
A beautiful day at Rockefeller Chapel with the Carillon, Bagpipes, Widor's Toccata on the Skinner organ, and Paul graduating. We are very proud of him.

tip #4 change your blade

Change your blade.
Right now.
You know you need to and have been putting it off.
You will thank me immediately.
You are welcome.

more plaids

Adapted from Bonnie Hunter's first book. I made the sashings a bit narrower.
I really like this quilt.
I love the little children in the Japanese fabric used on the back.

old quilt

My mother found this old quilt at an auction--washed it up and it now belongs to my newly-wed cousin Mark and his bride Shirlee.
Very thick cotton batt--may have some wool in it too.
Whisker guard on the top.
Tied--faded but in remarkably good shape.
I love the block. Sort of an inside-out Jacob's Ladder.

food pantry quilt

Our block party has a fundraiser each year--this year we raffled my Cowboy Crumbs quilt to raise money for the local food pantry.
Crumb blocks finish 6 inches. Made with larger sized crumbs from shirt pockets and cuffs. Quilted by Suzette Fisher.

luau on LeClaire! Block Party 2011

Hula Girls as the Block Heads throwing out candy, waterslide, frisbee golf, and the neighborhood pickup band. All went well once the lighting strike during the morning storm was over!