Friday, April 13, 2018

Catching you all up.........

Sorry for a by gone week of no blogging.......

Perhaps the following photos will catch you all up to speed?

As I am sure with you all, life can sometimes be quite busy!


Antique Mall Find!
Isn't this fun?
How many of you have one of these?

I was able to spend Easter Sunday with my amazing family!
Easter Service, and then an amazing meal at my sister's home.

I was able to spend Easter night with my parents
and the next morning I woke to this........

My Dad's (almost) world famous Egg Sandwich!
My dad doesn't do a lot of cooking, but, he sure knows 
how to make an excellent egg sandwich!
Eggs compliments of my ladies.

Just ask my growing nephew Lil' Bubs
how good they are!
YUM! YUM!

I had a nice visit with the 
Piece Mill Quilters
in West St. Louis County.
This group is small and exclusive.
What major talents lie within this group!
It was so much fun sharing with them!
Thanks for the invite Candy!

Remember Barb's Churndash swap????

May I introduce to you.......


"The Virgin Churndash"

Named so because I have never before made
a Churndash Quilt, and also for the amount
of muslin used in this quilt!

I was able to use 65 of the 66 blocks received in this amazing
swap!  The 66th block will be used for my label on the back.
Thank to everyone who participated!
It is really great when you have a vision, and it follows through,
And thanks again to Barb for hosting this swap!

I was majorly outside my "comfort zone" using such
large pieces of muslin as the setting for this quilt.
However, it IS scrappy, as there are several different
shades of muslin used.  I know it is hard to tell in the photo.
There is a quilting design planned to use up all of those
open spaces!

And in honor of Barb and her swap.......
She had a wonderful idea in her reply on my last blog post....
A chicken pic in each of my blog posts to introduce the flocks to you!

This is Lex!
Lex is an Old English Blue Bantam rooster.
He is EVERYTHING you want in a good rooster.
He manages his hens and coop so well without
being aggressive toward me.
I love his slate gray coloring, along with his gorgeous
red wattles and comb....and that black beak is to die for!
I actually have a quilt in the works to
honor him and his coloration.

In other chicken news......

Here is a size comparison of two different chickens that
are essentially the same age.... 2-3 weeks old.
On the left is a breed that is new to me......"Sapphire Gem."
On the right is a "Cornish Cross" meat breed chicken.
Isn't it amazing the size comparison?
I stumbled upon 14 of the cornish cross on clearance
and bought them to try them out.  These meat birds will
be ready for harvest in a few short weeks.
I have long wanted to raise my own food, and here is
the chance I was given.
The Sapphire Gem is an Eastern European breed that 
is docile, and lays well.  She will be added to my
laying flock of hens.
Thanks to my friend Mike for modeling the chickens for me! LOL

Springtime is blooming here in Missouri.
It is coming upon a year since the loss of my Gracie Lu.
There are so many memories of her, but, I love this
yard plaque I have to honor her.
Thanks again for all of your support during my season of
loss this time last year.

And........it will soon be Lilly Mae's 1st Birthday!
Oh yes!  She will have a party!
I wish you call could come help celebrate!

I just have to share this picture taken a few days ago
when I was able to take my parents on a road trip
to Mark Twain Lake, here in Missouri.
We had a great day visiting with my Aunt and Uncle
who own a plot near the lake.
Always take time to cherish those you love.


In closing,.......I would like to share a warning with you all.
I was placed on the drug "Lisinopril" a couple of years ago for blood pressure.
My mother had been placed on this same drug, and suffered an allergic
reaction very early on.  Her lip swelled, and she was immediately
taken off of the drug.
While my parents were visiting me here at the Quilt Cave this past week,
I suffered an allergic reaction after 2 years of taking this same drug.
My throat began to swell shut.
All I can say, is I am so thankful my parents were here with me.
I was rushed to the ER and everything is fine now.
I am NOT seeking sympathy here, rather,
I share this for those of you who may be on this same
drug for blood pressure, or diabetes to beware.
I had no warning that this was going to happen.
Through my experience, I hope I am able to keep this
from happening to you.
Take care of yourselves!

I am off to share my "String Star" workshop with the
Happy Hearts Quilt Guild in Salem, Illinois tomorrow!



Thanks for all of the encouragement!
Keep on Quilting!
Kevin the Quilter









27 comments:

  1. I started HBP treatment with one of the "pril" drugs. Took it for a year only to discover the dry hacking cough I had developed was a side effect of the drug. I'm no expert, but I always warn anyone taking a "pril" to watch out for adverse effects. So glad your folks were there to take care of you!
    PS: cute chickens.

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  2. Oh Kevin, I am so thankful that you had your family with you and that you are o.k. I swear that some of these modern drugs are worse than the diseases they are meant to help. Your churn dash quilt is amazing! Now I would say "look at all that room for hand quilting", but I know you will choose a fabulous machine quilting design and do wonders with it. It is beautiful! Love the "chick flix". Just wondering how a softy like you is going to.., well you know. I hope you have a butcher nearby to do the honors. It is a wonderful feeling to raise your own food and even more wonderful to know that your animals are treated with love and respect while they are with you. It's a win, win! Stay healthy my friend!

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  3. Oh, I'm so glad you had your folks around when you were having the adverse reaction! How scary that must have been! Glad you're doing well now. Love the chicken pic-in's. :) Your virgin (ha-ha) churn dash turned out beautiful!

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  4. Be still my heart! Churn Dash is one of my all time favorite blocks, and you have knocked this one out of the park! But how have you lived this long and NOT made a churn dash quilt before? Shame on you! LOL
    Looks like you have added some beautiful new birds to the flock. And I had the same question Wendy was trying to avoid coming right out and stating--you hiring out the "duties"?
    So glad you had family there to rush you for help! A few years back my Mom had had a dental procedure. I was talking with her on the phone afterward and she said her tongue and throat felt funny--like they were swelling. Needless to say I was at her house in record time, and she spent the night in the hospital. She was reacting to Amoxicillin, which she's had many times before, with no ill effects--but never again!
    Looking forward to hearing about the shindig you throw for Miss Lily Mae.

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  5. I'm so glad you are okay! It is so odd when a med you have been taking, or have taken before, suddenly causes a problem.

    I love your Churn Dash--it is quite white and "virginal." :)

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  6. Love the Churn Dash... Don't feel alone about it being your first CD... I made my first quilt 39 years ago and have made hundreds since - not one was a churn dash -- but seeing yours has me smiling and going 'hmmm' ... maybe it's time :)

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  7. My husband had a similar reaction with lisinopril ... swelling of lips, inside of his cheek, and moving towards his throat. Modern medicine ... a cure and sometimes not so much

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  8. It was great chatting with you and I'm so happy you made it through the horribly scary medical episode!
    What is that flag behind the chicken? And what a good lookin' rooster!
    Your churn dash is amazing!

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  9. My brother had been on lisinopril for several years. He was admitted to the hospital 3 times with anaphylactic shock before the doctors identified it as the cause. We nearly lost him. So glad your (experienced) parents were there with you.

    Love reading your blog!

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  10. What a relief family was with you when this happened. Love the churn quilt - classic heritage pattern and made special because it was a swap/group effort.

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  11. Love your quilt. Lisiniprol made me cough 24 hrs. A day.

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  12. Those 'pril' meds can do that, more so than any other I've seen in all my years in medicine. Weird, but true, and a hacking cough is a known side effect too. I like your Churn Dash, cannot wait to see how you quilt it. Happy Birthday to Lilly Mae, I am sure she will enjoy her party.

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  13. Thanks for the warning about Lisinopril. I’ve been on it a number of years with no problems, but this knowledge is still good to have just in case. happy Birthday to Lilly Mae! And I love that garden plaque - it’s so perfect!!

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  14. Love the chicken photos! Your Virgin Churn looks great and I can't wait to see how you quilt it. And I'm so glad that you were able to recover from your dangerous reaction. Thanks for sharing your experience!

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  15. Love the little scrappy churn dashes!

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  16. Thank you Kevin, for the update.
    I am so glad to know you.
    I wish I lived in Missouri.
    I love taking care of my 93 year old daddy. Your parents are blessed to have
    you.

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  17. Love the picture of Lex! He looks so patriotic with his red comb in front of the flag pallet! So glad you are okay after the bp meds scare! Thanks for the warning! I will let my mother-in-law know. She is on bp meds but not sure of the name.

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  18. So glad you weren't on your one when the symptoms struck. That is so scary! Love the chicken mug shots. The churn dash quilt turned out beautifully! Safe travels and happy stitching.

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  19. WHEW! So glad you were with your parents when you had the allergic reaction to that drug...
    And all those ladies!! They are adorable!!
    But, I've gotta tell you... you finished the quilt with the churn dash blocks that we JUST got back from Barb???
    WTH??? Give the rest of us something to strive for!!!
    NICE job. Who is going to quilt it? I'll bet it'll be fabulous, with all that empty space!!

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  20. Great churn dash quilt. Those chickens are making me hungry! I avoid any meds, if possible. Most of the time the side effects sound worse than the problems they are supposed to be treating. Glad your parents were there with you.

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  21. Oh my goodness so glad you are okay!
    LOVE your churn dash layout! What a great quilt!

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  22. Love the new quilt top!! And your feathered beauties are so cool...thanks for the intro and explanation about the breeds. I'm so sorry you and your mom had allergic reactions to your meds. I struggle with the same reaction to most antibiotics and all the low-level prescription pain meds. Weird how after years of using a medicine your body decides it just isn't having it any more! Glad you both came through your ordeals!

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  23. Your churn dash is amazing like that ! OMG ! I think you will have the best setting ... congratulations Kevin !
    I don't know what is this medicine but I understood you're OK ! Good news for me :))

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  24. I love catching up with you on your blog Kevin. You are always such an inspiration in how to live and enjoy such a busy life. Thank God you are well now and safe from that Rx. Love your quilt and chicks and Lilly Mae. Blessings Dear...<3

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  25. It's great to see you loving up your parents.
    The chick 🐥 pics are adorable
    Love the quilt lots of lovely quilting space
    Good food shared with family and friends nothing better
    Going from a live clucker to chicken is not for the faint of heart and it involves hard work
    Rx meds well those and over the counter pills I have a love hate relationship I love them for my husband (keeps his heart in normal rhythm) but me I HATE taking the handful I now have to take to help my new to me elevated B/P and diabetes and those issues related I went from zero to 9 a day it is not something I enjoy at all and blah blah blah they are supposed to help me live longer and better unless they don't

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  26. So thankful you are okay and that your parents were there to help you. Always love reading your blog, even if I am a couple weeks late when I get to it! :)

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