My dad is doing great.  Thanks for all the support.  100+ stitches but he'll heal up just fine.  He's lucky he didn't take off half his head being so stupid.  I know everyone is laughing at him and I can see the humor in it, but I'm pissed off that he was even using a chain saw.

After talking with my sister, I found out he had no protection (brain bucket and other stuff), was alone across the street in the field and didn't have a cell phone on him.  He headed home bleeding all over and if it wasn't for a passing stranger who stopped and called 911, he may not have made it home.

If you are going to play with big boy toys, you better have the safety gear to go with it.  You better have a buddy with you in case something goes wrong (and it usually does) and a cell phone to call 911.

When cycling I make sure I have a cell phone, let someone know where I'm headed, all the crap you need in case your bike falls apart, a helmet, and basic food/water supply.  I have a few dollars and medical info for emergencies.

Enough ranting.  I love my dad and I don't want to lose him.

Please keep my dad in your thoughts.  He was cutting wood when the chainsaw he was using backfired and cut up part of his forehead.  He has at least 100 stitches and the doc said he'd be okay, but I still worry.

If you are using power tools, please take care.  It only takes a second for something bad to happen.

Cardinal Quilt Picture From LQS

I cycled 23 miles on Saturday with DH.  Woo Hoo!  He wanted to see the flooding and we followed the newly opened trail all the way to the start.  Sadly, it doesn't go near the river but we had a great time going up and then back.  Surprisingly I'm not a walking zombie so I must be in better shape than I thought.  Does cycling up grueling hills in 95 degree temps for 5-6 miles over the summer equate to 23 miles on flat terrain and 65 degree weather?



I was able to get a picture of the "Northern Cardinals" quilt that one of my LQS has on display.  I love how she did this:

 
I'll put some blocks up soon.  I have to redo a couple and keep sewing them.

Harlequin Wrapped Bar Tape

I saw a harlequin bar taping design online and thought I'd try the same thing on my bike.  I've never wrapped bar tape but know it's a tension deal.  If your tape isn't tight enough, it will fall off while cycling.  I must have weak hands because I spent 3 hours trying to get this design to work by wrapping the tape under/over and keeping the tension the same but it's still not right.   It's still not bad for a first attempt.  Well, try about 6 times on each side to make them equal but the finished look is pretty sweet.

I didn't know how to finish the bar ends and to make it all nice and pretty so I called up my LBS to see if they had time.  The guy said yes and to bring it up.  He loved the harlequin design but said it wasn't tight enough and that this kind of tape makes the design nearly impossible to stay on correctly.  Darn.  I really wanted this, but he very sweetly wrapped it up in the red bar tape.  It was previously wrapped in white so nice burst of red color makes it fun.

Go figure.  I felt totally in the way the past few visits but today we talked shop and how to wrap tape.  Maybe I'm far more paranoid than I realize even though I try hard not to be that way.

Dear Moda

Dear Moda,

I would think by now you would know what a square is.  You know, the one we all learned about in in geometry and every quilter knows how to make perfectly. Your individual "Northern Cardinal" blocks are NOT square which made for some fudging to make them a 9 inch square.  See picture at the 9 inch lines if you don't believe me.  (Top right hand corner).  The bottom left corner is where the ruler starts.

In future panels, please check that they are geometrically correct or print a label letting people know that they are not.

Sincerely,

A Blockhead

 

Cardinal Quilt Kit

Well, if the bike gods hate me today, the quilting gods do not (sticks tongue out at the sky).  While at my LQS looking for thread I found this gorgeous quilt kit using these cardinal panels from the "Northern Cardinal" line from Moda Fabrics.  The coordinating fabrics are to die for and I rarely say that phrase.  LQS said the fabric was getting hard to find as it's so popular and she only had one kit left after I picked up mine.

Here are the panels (cat is not part of the panel nor is included with the kit):

As soon as I get the rest of the fabrics pressed I'll put a pic up.  Bandit and Buttons are not helping as they attack the fabric as I'm gushing over it making pictures impossible.

I'm using Terry Atkinson Design pattern "All About Me" that came with the kit.  Terry's patterns are usually KISS simple to cut out.  Maybe I might get some real work done today.

Design Wall Monday

I am one block short of caught up with the "My Tweets" blocks!  I've been working on satin stitching this weekend with my Ruby as well until I ran low on several thread colors.

I went to my LQS to get them and realized my Mettler silk finish 0900 didn't exist in her store which of course is the one I'm really out of.  I would have to go to Papillion to another store as she has all of the threads Mettler makes.  The last thing I want to do is travel 60 miles for a 3 dollar spool of thread.  If I needed other stuff I could justify the trip.  I figured I'd order online but the shipping for one/two spools of thread is more than the thread.  I guess it's cheaper than using up all that gas though.  I really despise Mettler thread but it's local and easy to get except for 0900.  If I can, I get Aurifil.  I love my white cone of thread from them.  I think it's something like 5500 yards.  Those are hard to find as well.

Here are the blocks:

This one needed redone as I messed up the first.

Block Nine:

My LQS mentioned the bike trail is now open as the flooding has gone down.  Guess who's going after this post?  If you hear wheezing, a loud crash and some moaning, that'll be me down the ravine or tossed into the cornfields.  Don't worry too much.  I have my cell phone, emergency contact info, and my brain bucket.

edited:  NOOOOO.......  They open the trail for the first time today and as I loaded up everything I realized it was dark out where I was heading.  It's RAINING over by the trail.  The bike gods must truly hate me right now to do this to me.  It's been fine all morning until I decide to load up everything and head out.  Frickety Frack...

Make sure to check out Judy's blog for other Design Wall Mondays