Despite my best efforts to prevent it, I got sick. On Monday February 20th @ 7:22pm I felt my chest tighten up and my throat dry out. All at once. I vigorously fought it off with NyQuil and sleep when not at work. DayQuil and Caffeine while at work. Friday Morning it felt like there was carbonation in my lungs. I had to give up and go to the doctor. The Diagnoses, Bronchitis. After picking up prescriptions for and inhaler and 5 daily doses of prednisone I went home to sleep. Problem was I couldn't lay down without coughing. I napped briefly in the recliner. Learned how to use the inhaler and basically vegged in front of the TV. I just couldn't do anything else.
Saturday, I figured if I had to sit up to be comfortable I might as well be playing with my new machine. So I unpacked my new sewing machine. I read the manual and set it up. Now what to do with it? I really didn't feel like cutting anything out. Since I wasn't feeling well I didn't want to work on anything I cared about. I also didn't want to take on anything to complicated. BUT I DID WANT TO SEW ON MY NEW MACHINE!!!!!
Then it hit me, I had a bunch of 4 inch squares. Much to my 19 yr old daughter's dismay, I started another quilt project. I grabbed stack of black and white squares and a stack of colored print squares and started matching them up. I then turned them into four patch squares. At this point I was too tired to continue so I napped in the recliner again. That evening I took to trimming and squaring up the blocks. I ended cutting them down to 7 inch blocks. Two factors that I hadn't taken into account. One because I was ill, my seams were not quite as straight as I would have liked. And Two I hadn't cut these squares. Some were not very square. Still between Saturday night and Sunday morning I had them all trimmed.
Now to lay them out, I wanted this quilt to be a very random scrappy type of quilt. So time to get out the design board. Otherwise know as a flannel backed table cloth. I laid it out on my bed since I don't have any walls that I can easily tape it too. (Too many bookshelves, something I hope to remedy some day) I laid out the blocks as they came to the top of the pile. Then I tried to move them so that two of the same fabric weren't touching and the colors were spread out evenly. After several attempts I called in the 19 yr old daughter and had her do a little rearranging. With a layout set, I started sewing together the quadrants. Except I got some of the blocks turned around. Oh well it is suppose to be random and scrappy right? I ended up with a nice looking little quilt top. I didn't have any fabric to put a border on or back it with nor any batting or I would have finished it on Monday. But when I get the borders on and finish it off it will be 45" X 60" a nice size little throw that I basically made in a weekend despite being sick or may be because I was sick.
LESSONS LEARNED:
1) Not everyone understands the need for accuracy in cutting fabric. If the project is important to you, do the cutting yourself. I am sure that in doing fabric exchanges with other quilters you would be fine as well. Quilters understand the need to be precise. I was glad that I hadn't bought these squares with a project in mind. I would have been devastated not to have had it turn out the way I wanted it too.
2) Being Miserable Crafting beats being Miserable Bored. I had to sit up to breathe and I couldn't do much of anything, Sewing was logical. It took my mind off the discomfort and even energised me a little. Plus it was a wonderful feeling to get something accomplished.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
2nd Craftsy Meet Up
We had our second meet up yesterday. We had four all together. I showed the other three how to make earrings. But I forgot to bring the ear wires. Fortunately I was able to make some. So Glad that Rhonda Stevens of "Twists N Turns" had taught me how. We even planned next month's meeting. We will meet in Havana, FL to go to the Down the Street Bead Show and then out to lunch at one of the local cafes. I am loking forward to this next meet up as well. I have already invited my friend Janice to join us.
In the past two weeks I've gotten a couple of things done. I leanred how to do the square stitch using seed beads. I've even invested in some supplies to play with it some more. I made 2 bracelets the first week. I plan to get directions for the peyote stitch and the brick stitch as well. I think I can figure some of these out if I can find the directions online.
I did get the taxes done finally. We even got the state refund back already. I was disappointed that the federal isn't going to be back for 10 more days. Anyway I did get my sewing machine on Friday. It is sitting on my desk, still in it's box. It is creating all sorts of excitement for my girls. I am holding off opening it until I can sit and sew on it. I just haven't figured out what project I want to do first.
Meanwhile I am reading all of th sides on the box. I may open it to get the manual out tomorrow so I can read that. I am a firm believer in reading the manual before using a sewing machine. Something I can't seem to get through to 4-H leaders. So glad that my girls have read the manuals to all of our machines.
I would like to get my sewing stuff organized before I take the new machine out, That will be a major undertaking. It seems most of my tools and supplies are scattered through out the house. By virtue of this house being so small, placing it in several rooms helps keep the house tidy. Except the house is never tidy and I can't put my hands on my suypplies. Time to rethink and stratgize. This may take the whole family to figure out.
Next several Months are going to be busy at work. I am hoping that I can come home and sew to relieve stress. That means I need to make sewing as stress free as possible, Organization here we come.
I am hoping Debbie, our craftsy leader, will teach a quilt type class in April. We could all bring her fabric and she use her GO BABY to cut the patterns and demo a quilt block. We take out pieces home and bring back the finished pillow or block the next month. I am wanting to quilt.
Well lots to do to make progress on the house. So I better get to it.
In the past two weeks I've gotten a couple of things done. I leanred how to do the square stitch using seed beads. I've even invested in some supplies to play with it some more. I made 2 bracelets the first week. I plan to get directions for the peyote stitch and the brick stitch as well. I think I can figure some of these out if I can find the directions online.
I did get the taxes done finally. We even got the state refund back already. I was disappointed that the federal isn't going to be back for 10 more days. Anyway I did get my sewing machine on Friday. It is sitting on my desk, still in it's box. It is creating all sorts of excitement for my girls. I am holding off opening it until I can sit and sew on it. I just haven't figured out what project I want to do first.
Meanwhile I am reading all of th sides on the box. I may open it to get the manual out tomorrow so I can read that. I am a firm believer in reading the manual before using a sewing machine. Something I can't seem to get through to 4-H leaders. So glad that my girls have read the manuals to all of our machines.
I would like to get my sewing stuff organized before I take the new machine out, That will be a major undertaking. It seems most of my tools and supplies are scattered through out the house. By virtue of this house being so small, placing it in several rooms helps keep the house tidy. Except the house is never tidy and I can't put my hands on my suypplies. Time to rethink and stratgize. This may take the whole family to figure out.
Next several Months are going to be busy at work. I am hoping that I can come home and sew to relieve stress. That means I need to make sewing as stress free as possible, Organization here we come.
I am hoping Debbie, our craftsy leader, will teach a quilt type class in April. We could all bring her fabric and she use her GO BABY to cut the patterns and demo a quilt block. We take out pieces home and bring back the finished pillow or block the next month. I am wanting to quilt.
Well lots to do to make progress on the house. So I better get to it.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sad Day
I was quite busy with work this week. It is amazing how I have more to do even though the lines are not really running. I did very little crafting. Mostly piddled around with new project ideas. Yes I know. I have so many UFPs (unfinished projects) that it is silly to find some more. Especially since I didn't even do my inventory of fabric & sewing supplies yet. A week without crafting leaves me a little depressed.
I went to a diabetes seminar on Thursday night and learned quite a bit. Before the seminar I stopped in a store to pick up a notepad. I ended up picking up 2 quilt magazines as well. They are the projects I mentioned earlier. That and the Craftsy Block of the Month. I had a little bit of inspiration but was still kind of down.
I did the responsible thing on Saturday. I had told my husband that I wanted to spend Saturday sewing. Instead of sewing or crafting, I actually went through all of the stacks of papers that have been piling up (for a year) and then I filed it all. Plus I started the taxes. I was being a good girl but had planned to start sewing in the evening.
While I was working on this miserable task, resenting it the whole time, my son texted me. His ex-girlfriend and he were expecting a baby in September. She miscarried. My son is pretty torn up over it. The sweet young woman is also suffering. This would have been her 4th child. She unfortunately is not close to much of her family and I am afraid that she does not have much of a support circle. I found myself being very sad over the whole thing. I worry about the mother. I can't imagine the pain of losing a child even early in the pregnancy.
I do not approve of pre & extra marital sex. I believe that sex is asacred and intimate act. I feel that it has been polluted by the casual attitudes of our society. I was less than happy my son was living with the girl even though I really like her. Their break up was bad and took place before the pregnancy came to light.
My son said He understands why "God" ended the pregnancy. He said that he and Kim couldn't be nice to each other and there was no way they could raise that child in a healthy environment together. Still I know he is hurting and I am sure so is she. I take comfort in my sons words. For the little heathen that he tries to be, he has a good understanding of God's love for all of his children but especially the innocent babes.
I am just trying to get things together and not dwell on it. I am sad for the loss of a child but am glad that the child did not come to earth into an unhappy / unhealthy home. I will pray for my son and the mother. I hope they will heal quickly over this but doubt they will.
I went to a diabetes seminar on Thursday night and learned quite a bit. Before the seminar I stopped in a store to pick up a notepad. I ended up picking up 2 quilt magazines as well. They are the projects I mentioned earlier. That and the Craftsy Block of the Month. I had a little bit of inspiration but was still kind of down.
I did the responsible thing on Saturday. I had told my husband that I wanted to spend Saturday sewing. Instead of sewing or crafting, I actually went through all of the stacks of papers that have been piling up (for a year) and then I filed it all. Plus I started the taxes. I was being a good girl but had planned to start sewing in the evening.
While I was working on this miserable task, resenting it the whole time, my son texted me. His ex-girlfriend and he were expecting a baby in September. She miscarried. My son is pretty torn up over it. The sweet young woman is also suffering. This would have been her 4th child. She unfortunately is not close to much of her family and I am afraid that she does not have much of a support circle. I found myself being very sad over the whole thing. I worry about the mother. I can't imagine the pain of losing a child even early in the pregnancy.
I do not approve of pre & extra marital sex. I believe that sex is asacred and intimate act. I feel that it has been polluted by the casual attitudes of our society. I was less than happy my son was living with the girl even though I really like her. Their break up was bad and took place before the pregnancy came to light.
My son said He understands why "God" ended the pregnancy. He said that he and Kim couldn't be nice to each other and there was no way they could raise that child in a healthy environment together. Still I know he is hurting and I am sure so is she. I take comfort in my sons words. For the little heathen that he tries to be, he has a good understanding of God's love for all of his children but especially the innocent babes.
I am just trying to get things together and not dwell on it. I am sad for the loss of a child but am glad that the child did not come to earth into an unhappy / unhealthy home. I will pray for my son and the mother. I hope they will heal quickly over this but doubt they will.
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