36 Quilts in 12 Months

The Story...

There are 2 sides to a book, the front cover and the back cover, but what's important is the pages those covers protect. The story.

I hope everyone has a safe and very blessed Christmas. 

T-Dogs

Figuring out 1...

I've spend a few days now thinking and wondering why I'm always figuring out numbers to equal 1. 

This is why...

.

His entire world changed in 1 second. For 7 years he was unable to move, eat, talk... His life changed in 1 second. 1 second. Everything starts with 1 and ends with 1... it's the only way anything makes sense to me. 1 second. 

T-Dogs.

 

2 sides to a coin, 3 sides to a story...

x+y=z... 

Only 3 numbers from 2-9 can divide themselves in half and = 1. You're life can change in one second. Everything, every life begins at 1 and ends at 1. Maybe, just maybe, that why I was born on 1-1. I know now why I'm a quilter... I calculate. x's story + y's story = z the truth. I only told my sister about my calculating everything, my counting. I was diagnosed with OCD. Believe me, that's not possible. So, in turn, I'm in therapy. My therapist told me he was jealous of my ability to calculate and ask me why I do it. I told him the truth, numbers don't lie, people and words do. 

My dearest Linda, my forever blog follower, we will meet one day. I promise. 

I'm flying out to Colorado tonight. I got this. 

Mom, was this blog post short enough? Love you!

Maybe I forgot to mention... I crack myself up. 

T-Dogs

 

Perhaps, just perhaps, I can really make pigs fly...

Am I back? Am I still the same person? With the right music, the right books, the right friends - and with the amazing love of my family... I'm back. 

Well hello...

"I will not be commanded. I will be controlled and I will not let my future go on without the help of my soul."

"It's not simple to say, that most days I don't recognize me. It's not easy to know, I'm not anything like I used to be. Although it's true I was never attention's sweet center. I still remember that girl. She's imperfect but she tries. She is hard on herself. She is broken and won't ask for help. She is messy but she's kind. She is lonely most of the time. She is all of this mixed up and baked into a beautiful pie. She is gone but she used to be mine. It's not what I asked for, sometimes life just slips in through the back door and carves a person who makes you believe it's all true. You're not what I asked for. If I'm honest I know I would give it all back for a chance to start over and rewrite an ending or two. For the girl that I knew. Who'll be reckless just enough. Who'll get hurt but who learns how to toughen up when she is bruised and gets used by a man who can't love. Then she'll get stuck and be scare of the fire that's inside her, growing stronger each day. 'Til it finally reminds her to fight just a little, to move the fire back into her eyes. That's been gone, but it used to be mine. USED TO BE MINE."

"I know it's all you've got to just be strong and it's just a fight to keep it together. I know you think you are too far gone, but hope is never lost. Hold on, don't let go. Just take one step closer, put one foot in front of the other. You'll get through this, just follow the light in the darkness, you're going to be ok. I know your heart is heavy from those nights, but just remember that you are a fighter. You never know what tomorrow holds and you're stronger then you know. Hold on, don't let go. When the night is closing in don't give up and don't give in. This won't last, it's not the end. You're going to be ok."

hymn seven. all of my mistakes were people who were never what they promised to be. r.h. Sin.

"Dear me, this a letter to the girl I used to be. There are some things that you should know. It's not my intention to embarrass or to shame you. What's inside the rear view mirror is closer than it appears. We do the best that we know how, with what we have be given, and the difference between you and I is that I have been given time. In time you'll see, somethings are not as simple as we said. Remember when we thought there were a handful of some magic words to pray a guarantee and a down payment on a mansion? Remember all the rules we made about the Body and the Blood, the hoops we made them jump through though He offers it to everyone? I'm so sorry. Do you remember now the things I said I thought that I deserved? My flag and safety, a place to learn, the things I know I didn't earn. You'll see you're going to take the long way. There is nothing you can do or say to separate you from the love of God who made you just exactly as He meant to. You cannot imagine all the places you'll see Jesus. You'll find him everywhere you thought He wasn't suppose to go. SO GO.... GO. Hold all the mothers, as babies bleed from bullet holes. Feel all the hunger the bellies and the bones. Shout for the prisoner, cry for justice loud and long. March with the victims as Jesus marches on. Sit at all the tables because Jesus eats with everyone. Dance to the music if you can't sing it's native tongue. Cry for the wounds the mothers and the empty arms and hole hearted warriors fighting now for freedom's song. And love, love, love, love, love, like it's your own blood. And love, love, love, love... LOVE how you have been loved. It's all about love. His name is love. Dear me, you did not learn this in a day or two or three, so ask a lot of questions. Jesus loves us this I know - and there are no exceptions."

I'm back - a little different, a little older... but I do believe, sooner then later, pigs will fly and my story will be read. See, that's a funny.  

Still need to add border. Going to have it quilted before sewing on eyes, nostrils, ears and tails. I'm not loving how this turned out so I don't want to pay for custom quilting. 

I made my baby Tod a new fleece blanket, it has foxes on it - because he's my fox and if you remember named after the fox in The Fox and Hound, not my brother Todd. So now when we all gather as a family, it's Tod the dog and Todd the human. I wonder if my brother will ever get over it? Listen Todd, you're the one that doesn't like dogs and that makes YOU crazy, not me. Love ya bro.

Tod and I now live in Iowa, the weather here is quite different, but we're adjusting, barely adjusting, but adjusting. 

 

 

Perhaps tomorrow, I'm going to go stitch... yet another hand stitched quilt I've started and often wonder why? Why? Perhaps it's because hand stitching reminds me of those great summer in Missouri where I'd watch my Grandma being happy stitching and watching baseball. 

As always, as will always be,

t-dogs

 

The last post...

This is the last post for 36 quilts in 12 months.

Learning to sew...

I'm learning to sew...

1) With shoes on.

2) In clothes other then my pajamas.

3) With no need of a pedal.

4) With no need of a pedal only if the pedal is unplugged.

5) With using the pedal on the table and using my hand instead of my foot.

6) On a Serger... actually I'm just starting to learn how to thread the darn machines. I started with the easiest so I would not get discouraged.

This list could probably go on to at least 1,277,543.77. Write that check out. One million, two hundred seventy seven thousand, five hundred forty three dollars and 77 over 100. I'm laughing because you really do need a life size check to write that and a very nice Sharpie pen. Did I write that out right?

People that read my blog know I'm all about numbers... first person to answer this question, gets a prize. I'm not joking.

70?

The question is 70...

GO!

A post for Amy...

I accept your challenge Amy, however, I won't post my answer on Facebook because I like my blog way better! Yes, my dear sweet, crazy Amy I will make you a quilt. You will need to be patient - my quilts are sought after by many of rich men. BAHAHAHAHAHA! This I know this makes you jealous even though you know I'm joking. Please remember, my disclaimer still stands - I'm always here for you with the exception of rodents. Sorry love, not my problem.

It's not really a challenge, just questions to answer.

Favorite smells: Freshly mowed grass. Smoked chicken. Lavender. A quilt washed and hung outside to dry.

First job: I delivered papers, with the help of my parents and brother... my first job on my own, Brown's Pastries.

Current Job: Door to door vacuum saleswoman. That's a goof. Working with amazing people, learning and selling sewing machines and vacuums. NO, I do not go door to door.

Astrological Sign: Don't know, don't really care

Favorite pizza: What? Better question... what don't you like on your pizza - black olives.

Birthdate: January 1

Favorite dog: Anaheim, Louis, snosno, Lilli, Tod, and JayJay

Favorite cat: Dexter

Favorite foot attire: Barefoot

Roller Coaster: Not anymore

Favorite candy: Peanut Butter Twix

Favorite ice cream: Mint Chocolate Chip. (We agree Miss Amy!)

Pet peeves: Other people's pet peeves.

What are you listening to right now: My A/C unit - I was sewing and it gets hot with the iron on.

Color of eyes: Cow brown?

Favorite Holiday: Christmas and Easter - celebrating Christ.

Night owl, morning or day person: Neither. Am I menopausal, am I not?

Favorite day of week: Any day I get to spend with RyGuy

Tattoos: 2

Like to cook: Nope, I don't like to cook - I LOVE IT!

Beer or wine or neither: Well that's silly question!

Can you drive a manual transmission: Would drive nothing other then.

Favorite color: Does Reading Rainbow count?

Do you like vegetables: So far in my entire lifetime the only vegetable I don't like are peas.

Do you wear glasses: Of course... I use to think it was because I was on the computer all day, then I started hand piecing a quilt and oh my golly gee - the eye of a needle is very small. Makes me think of the song... "Eye of the tiger..." Not a very small eye, not quite sure I care to get close enough to see how not small the eye of a tiger is. Just sayin'

Favorite season: This is like asking if you have a favorite kid. Not possible.

My dear blog readers - it's now in turn your turn, please play along. I am looking forward to learning more about you!

With all this amazing must need to know information about me... A new list of quilt recipients are...

Of course my Mom

Ronda

Harmony

JoLynn

Amy

Molly

Becky

Uncle Don

Aunt Jennifer

Aunt Jane

Trista

Susan

Charlene

Linda

and several others... here we go again! Question is, will these beautiful, wonderful people accept my roses. (That one's for you Molly! Don't tell my brother! Facial profiling! I'll get in trouble! Shhhhhhhhhh!)

 

To another day!

Tracee.

 

 

Boxes...

You can't unopen a box. You can't undo what has been done. So what's next? We have thumbs so we need to figure it out. I'd say 80% of the people in my life don't know Jesus. And out of that 80% 79.9% think I'm crazy for believing in a man I've never met. How do I respond to that? A) Jesus was a pacifist. Believe it or not - "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." That is about the biggest pile of larky I've ever read. This is how I respond. I love the message Jesus spoke and because of Him I am able to forgive and say, I think you're crazy for not at least looking into a message that is beautiful. LOVE is the greatest of all these virtues. B) There is no B - A sums it up.

Don't ever open a box, even if you know what is in it, that you aren't willing to see whatever that box contains through, because you can't unopen it. Can of worms? Pandora's box? Whatever you want to call it.

In turn, the day starts.

As always, cheers,

T-Dogs.

Dear Grandma...

Disclaimer... that poem is copyrighted. Bahahahahahahah!

Today... pigs will fly!

The last time I wrote, I wrote about how amazing new sewing machines are... Thread, push a button and your needle is threaded, push another button for your foot to be down and push the go button. Wait, wait, watch, wait... ding - change thread and repeat. You can do laundry, dishes while your machine sews. All in all - pardon my french, that's pretty bad ass. However, I am constantly reminded of people in my past. The unbelievable, amazing creations they were able to do with a pair of scissors, thread, needle and fabric they could get. Have you ever tried to make a quilt from a pattern from the early 20th century? Have you ever watched someone quilt on a wooden quilt frame? Have you ever sewn on a treadle?

Talked to my sister yesterday and she thinks I'm crazy. Well crap sticks, that's a new one! "You're crazy for wanting to learn everything about sewing machines." I do want to learn everything I can about sewing machines. I want to take them apart and put them back together so I understand them. I did it with my old computers. I'm not quite sure what the difference is.

I will always, always piece quilts. I love to calculate. I love to look at a quilt that has been pieced and figure out how many pieces of fabric are in that quilt. I get it right at 73% of the time. This is what I love. Does it make any sense? NO! Does it serve a purpose? NO. It serves a purpose to my aging brain. As long as I'm breathing, I'm counting. What was that song, was it on Sesame Street? Reading Rainbow... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 eleven twelve.

In turn we have this...

Yes, what can be done with the press of a button, can be done with patience. My Great Aunt Dora started this beautiful piece. She was an unique person. I think of marbles, cats, an old phone, the homestead, hair as black as the night, widows peak, Uncle Gus and Aunt Louise. But mostly cats. Lots and lots of cats. Anyways, my sister finished it for me and it's one of my treasured pieces.

Then's there is this... I often tell people this right here was the most amazing gift my boy, RyGuy ever gave me - other then my dogs. Guess where he found it? In the trash. Works perfect. Greatest thing about loving to piece quilts, straight stitch baby, straight stitch!

I'

I'll post my other sewing machine that belonged to my beautiful Grandma when my computer and phone decide to be friends. I do believe I have mentioned she was a little crazy as well. I use to venture out in the woods behind their farm house and Grandma would insist on checking me for ticks. She was always right, and the next step was fingernail polish from Dollar General to suffocate it. Gross. I don't think it was the Dollar General then. So pigs were suppose to fly today. Or maybe sewing machines from the past will be live again. Who knows what the day holds.

Cheers!

Tea