Another missive on Joanna

a portion below posted ot stashbusters on thursday, may 17

Hi alllast night was the first evening when I was not working until 8 pm,or going to a department dinner, or getting massage therapy, or ableto visit my dear friend Joanna in a very long time.I sewed up a pillowcase that Joanna got the fabric for when we sewedher quilt top a two saturdays ago. now I need to remember whichfriend she intended it for when she got the fabric. it is santassurfing and relaxing at the beach. and it is really cute! but mostimportantly, now done!I hemmed (by machine, Life is too short to have done it by hand) a 6tier skirt I started on nearly a month ago. and i put the elasticwaist band on it. thank you to the Mary that sent my elastic awhile back when I first mentioned using stash up by making someskirts. i am wearing it today in hopes that Joanna will want tosee me briefly tonight after work. As it is all yellow fabric withflowers all over them she will have a huge smile on her face whenshe sees it. I plan to make more of these from my stash. it used,hmmm how much fabric did it use? pardon for calculations.....it used 6 1/2 yards cuts and one 1/4 yard cut and several FQ's andanother 1/4 yard cut for the waistband. so that is , drumrollplease.......4 1/2 yards! woohooowhat else did I do. I thought I did something else in the sewingroom last night. Oh well, today dh leaves to spend a couple of dayswith his dad (83) as his mom travels to accept a roller skatingaward for them. She is (82) and if you roller skate(or did) youwill know of them as George and Gladys Werner who inventedthe "Werner Tango". The were pro's and actually coached a Canadianroller skating team years ago too. They are in some skating hall offame type place in Ohio (ithink it is Ohio) too. so... if you eversee their name on a plaque or in a newspaper know that I am theirdaughter-in-law. They are the ones that treat me like a princesswhen i go to visit. anyway, mom (mil) was too worried about dadbeing alone after all of his back and hip surgeries that she was notgoing to go. but with my dh going over for a couple of days to keephim company, she is now off to wherever it is to receive the award.dh will be doing lots of "yard" work for his mom while he is there.he had a list of gardeing gloves, 3 sizes of bush shears and pottingsoil.well i can't recall what else i did and as it is lunch time i'm offto go sit in my hot car and begin reading a new book (The StoneMonkey)have a grand and glorious day and HUG and TELL someone you love themTODAY! right now!denise/deBRAT in too hot florida and no rain in sight

My dear friend Joanna left her earthly cancer riddled body yesterday(Saturday, may 19, 2007) in the early afternoon to trade it in for a quilter’s-delight-stay-up-all-night body in heaven!

I can now relate to why people in the Bible tore their clothing upon the loss of loved ones. I do not know how to express the total devastation this has wrought upon my heart.

Soon after we met her cancer returned and Joanna never had the strength to continue with any of the wonderful crafts she had learned or desired to. The toll the chemo and cancer took on her braincells made it hard for her to grasp new tasks and her hands and feet began the descent into uselessness before the rest of her body followed over 16 months. To honor her love of quilting and crafting I am attempting to stay motivated and to not “hide” as I did when Winnie left us. This is proving to be very difficult. I hope to work on and finish my turning 50 self portrait Picasso style quilt wall hanging soon. First I need to find the diamonds I started for it. While Joanna did not understand the red hat people she did understand “my” desire to finally achieve my goal to be FIFTY!

Today, enjoy the visit of a chipmunk, smell some flowers, hug someone dear to you, cry a little and laugh a LOT!

In quilting friendship


denise/deBRAT

posted to stashbusters on Monday, may 14th the last time I saw my dear friend Joanna.

15 minutes braggie
hi alli am STILL behind on emails, i am currently on April 27th... sighBUT today i am putting the binding onto a quilt that i machinequilted this weekend for my dear friend Joanna that i have postedabout the past couple of weeks. She told me tonight how much sheappreciates that i am working on her quilt and that she knows I amso gungho about it because i did not get to finish Winnie's (OurCivil War Winnie for those who are janiacs) until after herpassing. Joanna had to say it to make me "see" it. She was right about my subconcious. She is so often right.so my braggie is that if I get a move on on this quilt binding ihave about 120" left to go and i'm a slow hand binder-whipper-downerLOL then I can get it to her tomorrow after work. she said bring ittonight but i want to wash it and get good pics of it before i turnit over. then again, i just might take it to her and then go to herhouse on friday night and wash it for her and take the pics whilethere! I ahve a photographer's background stand and I use that totake good pics of my quilts. well, I "should" use that but often iam in a hurry and don't get a "GOOD " pic just a fast pic on thefloor while standing on the arm of my sofa (oh so safe, eh?) whichis exactly what i took BEFORE i invested 80 bucks in the stand. LOLoh well, the quilt will not get done if i am typing. thank you forbeing there for me so I could braghugs,denise/deBRAT-jane