Thursday, January 2, 2020

Catching up

     I am trying to surface after the Christmas season. The week before Christmas, I got the second part of the shingles shot. I was just as sick as the first time, bedridden again. I know so many people who said, "All I got was a headache." Well, good for you. It is not like I chose to get a reaction. 
     Also, I traveled to PA to babysit my grandson the week before Christmas so everyone else could go to the Pittsburgh Steelers-Buffalo Bills game. My grandson and granddaughter gave me a respiratory virus that struck me during the whole Christmas week. So, I have been trying to get done what needs to, but little else.
     The week before I got sick, I made all the flannel pillowcases that I make as presents for the family. I had washed and zig zagged the edges previously. I cut them all out assembly style and sewed them up. Everyone loved them and I got requests from a couple of others. Great.
They are all folded up here so I could get them all in the photo. I picked fabric for each person's interest. I buy the flannel in August on vacation in the Adirondacks in Inlet at the Crazy Moose.
      The other request I had was for t-shirt pillows. I do not like sewing with t-shirt material. I will never make a t-shirt quilt. There are plenty of other people that do that well.
      My son in law had some old Mario game t-shirts and asked me to turn them into pillow gifts for his nephew, my grandson. I bought some very lightweight stabilizer, ironed it on, layered batting and put a backing on, and then free motion quilted it on my newest 301. I enjoyed that part. Then I bought 18" pillow inserts with a coupon- Joanns, and hand stitched the closure with a ladder stitch. 
     When I showed them to my son-in-law, he claimed one of the pillows.
Doing the free motion
One side quilted and cut out
All pinned, ready for quilting
All the layers- t-shirt, stabilizer, batting, backing

One of the sides

Another one quilted
The happy recipients

9 comments:

Debbie said...

Oh, man what a season for you. Your immune system was in shock after the shot anyway, and then to get a virus. It may take you a good bit to recover your strength. Like you said, just do the necessary.
Love the pillowcases and I so agree about the T-shirt quilts. Awful to sew and quilt. But the pillows were special, a labor of love. They turned out great. Here is to a much better new year.

Joyce Carter said...

Oh My Goodness! What a horrible time you have had and especially at this time of year. I hope the New Year is so much better for you.
I really love the pillows. You did a beautiful job with them. I don't blame you for not wanting to make a Tshirt quilt. My grandson had a bunch of them from school and asked me if I would make them into a quilt. I read everything I could find, but it was much harder than I thought. Some of the shirts stretched more than the others and I had a hard time getting it quilted. But he loved it so that is all that matters. Never again though.
Hope you are feeling better!

The Joyful Quilter said...

Oh, geez!! It sounds like you get sick as easily as I do. NO FUN!!! Those pillow cases and T-Pillows turned out great. No wonder the recipients look so happy!

A Left-Handed Quilter said...

I'm so sorry to hear that you've been sick and hope you're feeling better soon. Your flannel pillowcases look GREAT! I agree with you on T-shirt quilts - but the pillows you made look terrific - and the smiles prove it - ;))

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Oh you poor thing! I have no immune system, so I try so hard to stay away from sickness... but it never seems to work - Hopefully you are fully recovered now, and raring to go! Those pillows are adorable!

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

Sorry about being sick. I'm hoping I don't get sick when I'm in Alaska, babysitting my granddaughter. The pillows are great.

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I'm glad you were able to get as much done as you did. Those grandkids love to share all kinds of bugs. I hope you are back on track soon. It's a bummer to not have any energy.

Mystic Quilter said...

Unbelievable Linda!! Sorry to hear what a rotten time you've had between the vaccine and the virus.
Lucky you had gotten around to making the pillowcases and I had never heard of t-shirt pillows or quilts until I began reading blogs. I don't think I'd be too happy sewing with them myself.

Quiltdivajulie said...

One day at a time . . . hoping things are improving! I know others who have been waylaid by the shingles vaccine. DH breezed through his but the pneumonia one set him back for almost a week. The flu shot didn't get me too badly - but I need to take care of pneumonia and shingles vaccines this year (sigh). I made one t-shirt quilt and it will be the last one. Ugh.