WIP Thursday

A little progress has been made----all the pieces are cut out including the batting.  You can see how bright the fabrics are if not  exactly where this project is headed.

The appliqued piece is prepped as well, in fact I am about to switch out the foot on the machine and try to do the button hole edge finishing. 

Not sure how much I am supposed to showing you ahead of the blog hop so you see the backside of the piece.  Truthfully it does not look like much, does it?  I used the backside of the one of the prints to get the lighter effect that you see in my directions hanging off the shelving unit.  Lighter and closer to the pink dot in tone, truthfully. See how the stitching goes.  Maybe I'll start on the BHA on the Halloween piece---finally--if all goes well.

On to other matters:

My eye doctor appointment went well---good vision both eyes.  I can even read my email from about 4 1/2 feet away, better than with my readers if the truth were told.  I am still adjusting to the new normal.  I asked when my activity restrictions are due to be lifted----3 weeks post-op 2nd eye which puts me up to Feb. 19th though I may wait till I am seen again on the 26th to be sure.  DJ is not really complaining except for cleaning out the litter box.  I already told you about his just wanting to be called to the table, LOL. 

The way the staff explained it, there are no stitches holding that new lens in place so the exterior has to form its own seal.  Bending over at the waist is the worst thing you could do (and heavy lifting right behind that) as it puts the most strain on the eye.  She also told me about a farmer who did NOT behave himself and immediately started doing everything he has been told NOT to do.  The eye covering slipped, it had to be stitched back on and the doctor had to piggy back on a 2nd lens---more surgery that could have been avoided.  She said that had happened only the one time that she has been working for opthamologists in 6 years. 

Should I slip up and accidentally turn over to the operative side in bed, not such a big deal.  If the eye shield at night is a reminder NOT to lay on that side, then continue to use it for at least another week.  LOL  I am getting used to looking like a cyclops.  Eyes drops continue though one will be tapered off gradually and the other, used till it is gone. I estimate that will be in about 10 days based on how long the previous bottle lasted.  I want a good outcome---I will behave.

Other than dealing with the husband who was working on the taxes that is about all that happened the past two days.  He was grousing about the State and Feds not sending out the booklets anymore.  "We shouldn't have to print off these forms"  Who is this "we" you are speaking of---you mean ME, LOL.  Then he can't decide if he needs 1040 or 1040 A and I have to look for some schedule that goes with whatever line for this or that worksheet.  Do you know that there are over 2000 forms on the irs dot gov website??  Talk about a needle in a haystack!    We also found that this year it would be more beneficial to itemize on the state forms but it meant digging in the desk for receipts, etc for the backing documents.   More fun and games but like last year, we will still end up paying the State but not the Feds.  (Alabama's tax code is really regressive.) More forms to print and salient sections of the instruction book.

Then today I was having "upside down and backwards problems" trying to print the form out on two sides.  Or when I did get that part straightened out then a big blue blob printed where the mailing address typo was made and corrected but for some reason would not clear till I opened up a new form and refilled it in again.  Oh well!  We are not the only taxpayers with gripes and complaints--- if not now, then later.

Off to try my hand at the machine---sounds more fun to me!

Design Wall Monday

Anybody but me think that this picture is a total mess?  I can't do much about the stuff on the shelves---small bedroom, small closet and packed to the gills with sewing stuff.  I CAN however try to find a spot for the things hanging OFF the shelving even if it is part of the "design wall" space.

I got the heart row done in time for my guild meeting on the 9th so it is packed away.  Problem was, I could not find the snowman row from last month!  Time to straighten things up in here the best I could within the limitations of my recently done eye surgery. I put the Halloween row away for now----till I can get out the machine I need to do the button hole applique units on it and another pending project.  

I cleared out the paper and found temporary stacking places for other project bags, fabric and what have you.  In the course of that chore on Saturday, thank heavens the snowman row turned up---not where I first thought either!   SO I stuck them on the design wall surface for sage keeping.  Actually the design wall does not look appreciable different than it did--the twister blade is gone.  Not sure what will happen with that experiment but I didn't toss it---yet.  The two sampler blocks could go back in the project box but is not easy getting them up there or getting the project box---they are staying.  I like the twister hanging even if it is Christmas themed so it is staying.  The hex-y flower?  Well, that goes with the Farmer's Wife Sampler stuff which is currently all stacked up in my bedroom closet.  It is staying too!  Other little do dads on there are staying too.  I need to get up on a step stool to reach them over the end of the table and it would require more bending over than I am currently allowed.  Besides what is is hurting?  

I swore that I did not get anything else done this weekend, that I was going to get the ceiling fan blades cleaned off in here!  Every blessed time I went to put my three different eye drops in my eyes, 4 times a day (plus artificial tears as needed, LOL)  all I could see what dust bunnies up there and wish that I had gotten up there before I had the surgery.   They are gone and I could do it without troubling the husband as long as I kept my cataract shades on to keep the dust out.  He is convinced that I am not going to want to give up my grab bar either.  He said you are never going to want to bend over again as he watched me feed the cat and grab a soda from the fridge the other morning.   While that thing is pretty handy even for picking up strings, I will be happy to be able to not think twice about petting Skyler when he flops at my feet with that belly up.  All in due time!

I did want to point out the the spools of Presencia embroidery materials you see are a new addition---and something that I need/may need in the blog hop through Sew We Quilt, the "Stitch Me Up" one that runs March 20th through the 29th.  I think I know what I want to do for that one but have not explored it much past looking through some of my quilting library here at home.

That brings up up to my plans for the OTHER blog hop---"It's All About Me".  I am not sure how much I am supposed to be talking about this one ahead of time.  It is doubtful that anyone will find my blog till it is actually "my day" assignment.  I'll risk it a little bit, LOL.   

I have a pattern that is like the image you see in the sidebar using an image especially designed for the hop by Amy Bradley.  I need to put said image into an article of some sort.  One suggestion was a sewing machine cover.  Remarkably, I NEED a sewing machine cover for this one though currently I am using my cat one that I made for the old Singer.   I gave that pattern away so cannot use it for the next one.  I also I want to do something more fitted to the machine. I did have an old pillowcase over the top of this so I want something more quilty and fun----good timing, huh?  

At this point, the Singer is still in the shop and I think Mr. Rodney will be bringing it back to guild where I had dropped it off for service.  I live in the same county as him and just down the road about 20 some miles but he or Mrs. Rodney have not called yet.  You may recall my telling you about winning the Kenmore in the guild raffle for an investment of 7 bucks total.  Well, currently it is worth more than that as I ordered a walking foot for it as part of my Christmas present from DJ---and it cost about 40 bucks when you included shipping!  I love that this one has a spot to hold the foot pedal built in under the free arm but now I can add a pocket, or two, to the cover to hold the power cord!

I have been scouring Pinterest, googling sewing machine covers a bit.   There is a pretty cool video on you tube from The Crafty Gemini on the subject

Also I found a pdf file from spool sewing dot com to be helpful.  You can click on it under the free patterns offered in their blog sidebar.  

Mostly I just needed to be sure that I could fit the image I need to applique on to the machine cover front, knowing where to tweak the design in the available space.....whatever that was going to be.  I had this drawn up and cut out on Saturday evening.  Then I revisited it again this morning.  I messed up the cat one by trying to revise it without adding more (or was it less?) corresponding fabric.  Pam had to bail me out but most of that was because I wanted piped cording on it as well.  We teamed up to get that one done!  Hopefully this time I will NOT have to call "uncle".    See all my little notes on the quadrille paper?  LOL

I showed you the fabrics I hoped to use on this project HERE and have pulled a few things from my stash that might work.  Just need to do it---figure out what goes where and prepare to cut into the fabric.   At the very least I can start tracing off the appliqued bits. DJ will have to come get the pressing board off so I can get at the cutting surface when I am ready.  It is more bulky than heavy for lifting but I still need to behave till I see the doctor again on Wednesday afternoon and find out how much longer I can "milk" no vacuuming and dish washer loading etc.  

There is always knitting to keep me busy too.   I am about an inch and half away from the crown shaping on hat #31 at this point close that I will have to be sure to have double pointed needles with me at the next office visit, LOL, but knowing me, I will have started #32 before then!  I found a pattern for a nice spiral rolled brim hat that I want to try when I round up a skein of bulkier yarn than I have been using. 

And sew it goes-----thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have found an outlet for your creative juices.

sewing a bit

Yesterday I warmed up on sewing by stitching up a a little eye glass case with the leftovers from the needle roll I had made.  Crudely done maybe but it will work.  If you think this one looks bad than you should see the one that I just tried to overcast/zigzag.  I really did need a serger for that job but that has long ago departed.  I did think about calling Lois to see if she would buzz it up for me since I know she serges all the edges of her yardage before she washes it.  By then I just wanted to stay home having done all my running earlier.

Then I got started on the foundation pieced hearts for my variation of the "Seasons in a Row" selection.  I don't know what the heck I was thinking the other day as I severely miscounted how many half square triangles to cut for the background filler.    DUH, there are two of them in two sizes!!  I will have cut at least 4 more squares to get what I will be needing to finish the job!!  Thank heavens, I still have a little bit of yardage left.  After all those 5 QOV quilts, I have very little white on white in my stash at the moment.  I needed it for last month's snowmen and now I was using it again for background because of the pink heart fabric I chose. 

I don't know if that stuff they give you for surgery makes you a little forgetful for days after but that foolishness is not the only thing I have slipped up on.  Like the other night in making chili, I put the empty diced tomato can in the dishwasher. What??  DJ didn't say anything so he must not have seen it.  Walking off and leaving things on the counter that needed to be put back in the fridge was another.  Forgetting I need that grabber bar from the room I just came out of.  Just little silly things, it seems but it seems like he is going to have to follow me everywhere I go just to be sure I don't do something foolish.  Of course, he doesn't always follow what I am trying to tell him either.  "Put the sausage on the table" I said.  He starts to put the oven rack I had baked it on (to drain the grease) directly ON the table leaving the cookie sheet in the oven.  Now who's silly?

Well, the laundry needs my attention so off I go------hope you have a good day!  Think the ground hog will see his shadow tomorrow?  I know I am ready for the Alberta Clipper to move on.  The sun is nice but the wind----brrrrr.

Weds check-in

I'm afraid that this is going to be another picture-less post.  That is how it goes sometimes.

My second eye surgery on Tuesday went well though the hospital did not have its act together quite like they did on round two.  The doctor was ready for me but they had not had the anesthesiologist chat with me or even started my eye drops.  He took the guy that was ready instead and I was the last one for the morning.  It matters not, really.   It's done and I'm doing well which is the important part.   My left eye is my "master" eye so it sort of felt like my field of vision was more drastically restricted last night but you only have to wear that shield at bedtime or naptime after the first 24 hrs have passed.

I had hoped too that I would be able to nap once we got home. I did not seem to be as asleep as I was on round 1 for one thing.    The externals here at home were not helping.   DJ was blasting the TV and then was out using the lawn mower to knock down the weeds that had sprung up.   I had a horrible time getting to sleep Monday night---awake till way past 2 a.m.  It did not help that our idiot neighbor was over ringing the door bell after 11 p.m. (stating it was an "emergency" but not what and she "needed 22 dollars."  DJ told her to call her mom.  Or ask that guy that is always hanging around her house lately.  We have been down that road before). 

This morning all nine of us post ops were back in the office at 8 a.m. but the weather forecast was not good!  They predicted the storms that had been percolating in Mississippi and west Alabama would hit here about 9 a.m. to 12 noon.  Damaging straight line winds and flash flooding was possible.  It was not raining when we road into town but the skies opened up while we waited at the office and then the tornado sirens sounded.  The office staff told us to move to the interior part of the building if we wanted.  I was the next one called back that way anyway.  DJ said there is 2 inches of rain in our gauge. 

My right eye tested out at 20/20 and the left at 20/25 though I could have made my best guess on a couple of letters and maybe passed that, LOL.     The doctor is pleased.  I'm pleased.  I will not require corrective lenses for driving and TV viewing is so much easier these days, especially when I don't have to look through tape and shield holes----go figure!  Readers for computer use and hand work, no biggie.

I told DJ that he will probably be the happiest fellow around once my activity restrictions are lifted.  He is willing to help and all that but all the kitchen clean up jobs are pretty much landing in his lap.   He has always unloaded the dishwasher and I help by cleaning up my mess while I prepare the meal.  Let's face it--when it is meal time he is used to just being called to the table.  Now he has to stay in ear shot to help me with the oven or moving food to the table.    Also I need help with the main grocery run---no bending, no heavy lifting or straining.  All this will pass soon enough.

Knitting continues---just finished hat #30 and started another.  I think tomorrow I will sew---those heart blocks are waiting---but not today with the storm systems that may still hanging around in the area.  Tomorrow is supposed to be better and with more seasonal temperatures.  (70 degrees in January with high dew points are NOT good. )   I'll be able to drive myself tomorrow for any errands that need run--cut DJ some slack.  The poor guy is tired.

So who knows?  Maybe one of these days I will have something quilty to show you! 

Design "Wall" Monday

Well, it isn't the wall but it will have to do for now.

The next row for "Seasons in a Row" is hearts for February though I decided to go with a slight variation over the pattern used and foundation piece mine.  I use EQ and have it linked with Sew Precise software so that increases my options of finding something I can use.   Then I rough cut fabrics by using the rotary cutting directions in EQ and adding extra fabric since I'm foundation piecing.  It is ready when I am ready to sew. 

 I'll be out of pocket for a couple of days so today was laundry and errands day.  One stop was at Hobby Lobby for some striped fabric for a project that will be coming up.  Well, "It's All About Me" project sponsored by Sew We Quilt.  I received my day assignment, bringing up the rear on Thursday, February 28.  The official start is February 19th.  I am pretty sure I know what I want to do but will need to do a little design tweaking first.  I am not sure that I will use all of this for the project but it would make a neat quilt down the line with the leftovers or whatever, LOL.

And sew it goes----------   

Sunday check-in

By golly I think she's got it! Using a kit for what was supposed to be a messenger bag, I turned this pre-quilted fabric into the needle roll I needed.     I just finished the hand finishing on the binding a few minutes ago and was in the process of figuring out where to put the self tie.  I was following the format of the little sewing accessory that Betsy and Pat made for each of us in the quilt group some years back.  Actually Betsy was making them for two other quilt groups so I said to just give me the material and I would bind it and finish up, LOL.  See how accommodating I can be?

Here it is with the double point needles loaded in their pockets.  I decided NOT to label them as I can count over number wise from the left, the needles are marked and I can see at a glance what is missing. Should I change my mind, I still have light colored fabric that would hold up to the marking/stenciling.  My mom told me to use the machine embroidery numbering system and she would tell you that I was not too crazy about THAT idea.  Just because I could does not mean I am crazy enough to WANT to, LOL.    That interior fabric would not have been my choice even though I gravitate to purples.  IIWII.

And here we have it all packed up and rolled up.  Woohoo!  Hooray for a finish.

So next I think I will print off some foundation piecing papers for the heart block for guild although I am going to do a variation of that block.   These are to finish at 4 inches 10 of them and spacers.  

Meanwhile I start prepping for the 2nd eye surgery putting drops in BOTH eyes essentially.  DJ and I were happy to learn that we won't have to report till 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday rather than the 6 a.m. the office had said.  Assume 6 unless they call to tell you otherwise, was the caveat.   My eye doctor was featured in the local paper yesterday but I don't know if you will be able to open the article.  Try THIS link. 

I had told him about my attempts to do my quilt piecing, embroidery but I had not tried quilting or cutting out any quilts at that point.  I mentioned that I was returning from my guild meeting on the way home too---and how many quilts we had made since 2000. (about 1500 some quilts).  He said he was humbled by that BUT here is a man who is giving back to HIS community too.   DJ and I really like him!

And sew it goes----------

a plan?

I think I have a plan------

I have been looking at knitting needle rolls idea for months, probably as long as I have owned my set of 5 double point bamboo needles in 15 different sizes, ( I wrote about it this post.)    I have been pinning ideas right and left but none of them really seem to be what I am looking for---not enough spaces or I don't "get" the instructions.

Today I decided to pull out some freezer paper, only because it is large paper and on a roll, LOL and see if I could figure this out for myself.

2 levels of pockets?  Check.  Small slots for the skinnier smaller sizes--  #0-4 won't take up much room but #10.5-15 sure will.  I didn't unroll enough paper to make it as long as it should be but I know what I am shooting for now.  Cutting directions are written on the front side.  It will need to be lined (quilted?) and probably interfaced a bit on the pockets. 

I suppose the fabrics will need to be fairly light at least on the pockets so I can stencil on the needle size or figure out an alternative way of affixing a number.  The needles themselves are marked and I will be ditching the cellophane wrappers on the ones I have not used yet.  I guess the next step is to dig a bit in the baskets but not so much that it will be stretching my "no lifting" imperatives.   No way on God's Green Earth am I going to ask my husband to come in here and pull bins out for me!  He does not need to see what is stuck away under the table, on the shelves or in the closet.  I have some pre-quilted fabric that someone had given me as a kit for making a messenger bag. I will have to see if it will work for this project instead.

Speaking of husbands, our 14th anniversary is tomorrow.  I was given three choices of what we might do for our special day.  Often we go to Top of the River for their January special Riverboat Special but that is only available on Monday through Thursday---and our day is Saturday.  I passed.  2nd option left me cold and the 3rd was lunch at Golden Corral but I thought there was a price break during the week so we went today.  Less busy too. 

He brought me a single red rose.  I told him earlier in the week to not get me flowers as he was really sweet and took my car into to the oil changed.  I so appreciate him taking care of the vehicles so I don't have to even think about things like air in the tires, water in the battery and when it is due for maintenance.  The car would never get washed and waxed if it were not for him either. 

Other than that it has been a fairly quiet day.  The freezing rain they had predicted didn't materialize, thankfully.   However, the school system delayed the start time by two hours according to their best predictions Thursday night.  By the time I did my post office run I was right in the middle of the parents dropping their kids off.   All in all, a gloomy cool day but not cold enough for the furnace to run much.  I had two sweaters on for a time and was considering hopping in bed under an afghan for a while, LOL.

And sew it goes-----I need to look at the heart row too since I DO have some deadline things approaching.  Get over this inertia and feeling I want to hibernate!!