Oh Happy Day!

In every home we have lived in, it has been my goal to have a least one car in the garage.  In our first two homes, we had both cars in the garage.  Of course they were surrounded by lots of stuff which was okay because they were in CA where they build bigger garages because there are no basements.  So we could get in and out of the cars just fine.  

Forward to the move to Rockville, MD in 1995.  We got an enormous townhouse with 4 levels and 2500 sq. ft.  But the garage was very tight.  If you put two cars in, you had no room for two people to open their doors and actually get in the car.  So, the oldest car resided on the adequate sized driveway that had freezing ice on it in the winter and whatever the newest car was, it got the coveted garage spot.  

Now we have returned to CA, home of the larger garages.  And yes, our home does have a fairly good sized garage that can accommodate two cars.

The problem is that we moved here with twice as much stuff due to 1) moving all of Stephen's left-over items 2) downsizing from 2400 sq. ft. to 1550 sq. ft. and 3) general lack of conscientious throwing away of stuff.  So the garage began it's life full to the brim with boxes and boxes and stuff and ........whatever couldn't fit in the house.  This is a picture and believe me it was worse.........It was floor to ceiling packed for awhile. 

Fast forward 4 years later and we're finally "settling in".  We love our home and the area we live in.  We agree that one more bedroom would have been nice but the price point gave us three bedrooms in order to have the area we wanted.  Finally some remodeling is about to take place.  First re-do is the master bathroom.  That's a story for another day.  The big news is that my DH has "cleaned" the garage enough so that the cabinets and materials for the bathroom can arrive. 

Yes.  I know.  There is a lot of stuff still stacked to the sides but along with the order, storage shelves for the garage are coming.  If all goes well, I will have a car back in the garage.  Goal accomplished!

Scraps? Log Cabin!

A while back, I bought a bag of fabric remnants from someone on-line.  They were pretty good size pieces.  They didn't all go together but they were all in the blue and pink ranges.  The bag has been sitting on a shelf.  Last week my darling grand-daughter pulled it out and wanted me to make her a pillow with some of the fabrics.  We got this far:

Violet picked the fabrics

Then I let her pick and choose as we sewed a log cabin block.

And before we could get any further, it was time to go home so her little block sat on my design wall.  The strips started calling out to me so before I knew it, I was sewing log cabin blocks.  I changed up the order she had put them in.  Now I have yet another orphan quilt top. Maybe Violet will want it. 

Added a side and top strip to make the pattern come out even.  Still needs a border.

Frog, Frog, Goose

Did you ever have a project that you just had to finish but you really didn't like?  This piece was one of those........and I was the one that presented the challenge to my group.  The previous post shows the ugly fabrics I ended up with.  Today I present the finished piece with all its flaws.  Things I learned along the way........ 

• Don't break your wrist when you have a project with a deadline. 
• Don't decide that 1/4 inch parallel quilting lines will take "no time at all". 
• Remember to check the heat of the iron and don't hold it down to long or you will burn fabric. 
• When the back looks really ugly with the stitching, cover it with another piece of fabric. 
• Show it quickly to your group and then give it away to your grand-daughter who loves frogs.

This was a do or die project that I barreled through determined to finish.  I didn't make the deadline but a month later it is off my to do list.  The name came from the children's game "Duck, Duck, Goose".  I decided to put the frogs in the middle and call it "Frog, Frog, Goose".  Then I managed to burn a small section as I was pressing it so it became "Frog, Frog, Goose, OOPS!"  A friend suggested the small froggy flap to cover the oops burn. 

Fini!  Done! 

A Little Something I Am Working On

I attend a small group through my quilt guild, Amador Valley Quilters.  We are called Quiltinators  and we are a drop-in group that works primarily on projects for the guild's Community Quilts Projects.  But because we are quilters, we occasionally offer a challenge.  I put one up last summer that is due at the February meeting. We all brought a yard of  a fabric from our stash that we considered ugly or undesireable.  We stood around in a circle and began by tearing the initial fabric in half, dropping a half in a paper bag and then passing (musical chair style) the remaining half.  When the signal was given, we stopped, tore fabric in half again, dropped one piece in the bag, and began passing again.  We did this until we got to 1/16th yards.  The challenge was to go home with your "6 Easy Pieces" and make something.  Everyone is required to take a before picture of their pieces.  Here are mine:

Passing the Pieces

What I went home with 

So I let the bag sit and marinate for quite a while.  Ideas came and went.  I made one small set of flying geese and then we went on our trip to Portugal in October.  If anyone reading this, reads my blog you will know that I came home with a broken wrist. 

I went around moaning and groaning while in the cast because I couldn't sew.  I announced to the group that my project wouldn't get done.  I threw myself a pity party.  And then.......the cast came off and after my exercises began I discovered that with patience, lots of patience, I could sew on the sewing machine.  Then I discovered if I used a sharp blade and only worked with one or two layers of fabric, I could cut with a rotary cutter.  The trick was to work on the project in small increments of time so as to not totally fatigue my wrist and arm. 

The due date is February 4 and I just might have this little challenge piece done.  But I'm not going to post a complete picture until after the reveal.

One little corner with the beginning quilting.  Lots more to go.

I am trying out various names......"6 Easy Geeses" or "Frog, Frog, Goose" are the leading contenders.

Another Hand Update

Since blogs are often recordings of personal journeys, I find myself reflecting and writing about my hand journey since the "fall down the grand staircase" in the monastery in Portugal.  At this point, it has been  2 1/2 months since the surgery and 3 1/2 weeks out of a cast.  Going to hand therapy has become a weekly event where they push, pull, twist, and tell me to go further.  Their motto (and now mine) is "no pain, no gain".  The swelling is down considerably but definitely not gone which is one reason the pain continues.  The pain meds and ice and warm paraffin are my friends.  I can type for a little while, sew for a little while on the sewing machine but still no driving.  I'm cooking some with Jim's help to cut and chop and move large pans around. I'm taking a walk everyday that I can when it is not raining.  It is good for my well-being and for my soul. Recovery of range of motion is my full-time job.  I praise God for the progress that I have made.

January 10, 2013  Notice some ability to turn the wrist.

Sewing Will Prevail

With some success I can type with two hands now but my hands fatigue easily.  I figured if I could type, then I could probably use the sewing machine.  Again, I have to set limits so my hands and wrist don't get too fatigued......but I can sew a straight line.  I pulled out some pre-cut 5" squares and had a go at it. 

Unfortunately, I can't even envision using a rotary cutter so how am I going to square anything up?  The pile of UFO sections will go on I'm sure for several months. 

I've also discovered the secret to scar softening.....cocoa butter during the day and Eucerin cream at night.  I don't expect the scars from the pin removal to completely go away but softening them helps aid in wrist movement.

Three weeks out of the cast, two weeks so far of hand therapy.  We are working first on the fingers in order to remind them of their grabbing, pinching, holding, writing function.  It's slow but steady and each day seems to see a little progress.  Does it hurt? Yep.  I'm trying to push through it.

A New Year Once Again

Past Year (not necessarily in order) - trips to new places, grand-daughter fun, bathroom remodel beginnings, remembering and celebrating loved ones, bike riding, new responsibilities, model at PIQF, R2CA with friend, evaluation of goals and activities, sewing and quilting,  volunteering at EBI, end of the year slow-down with a broken wrist.

This Year - go forward with the bathroom remodel, regain as much range of motion and strength as possible in my right wrist and hand, grand-daughter fun, celebrate my loved ones, grow in knowledge and faith, back to sewing and quilting, take time off from responsibilities, make new friends, back to volunteering at EBI

Christmas Cards make great decor when you haven't put up much else.

A family game of clue on Christmas Eve

The reading of The Christmas Story and The Night Before Christmas - a family tradition

In jammies and ready to read before going home to await Santa's visit.

Christmas morning - cool succulent planter made by DGDs and Lissa for me.