Normal

Today is the last day of the MIL’s visit, so by tonight, we’ll be back to our own version of “normal”. 

There have been lots of emotions and lots of people needing their emotions acknowledged and Sydney, not knowing how to express hers, has chosen an option where she is mean to me…well, because Gramma’s here and she can. 

I have to say that I’ve done a good job of taking her out of the room and quietly standing up for myself, so there’s not a whole lot of bad stuff built up between us that will interfere with me being there for her when she says goodbye.  If she’ll let me. 

I am looking forward to getting back into my sewing room.  Supper is already mostly cooked.  I think I can get settled in during what’s left of the evening.

Wish me luck. 

Be well.

Lane

Georgetown Quilt show, Antique Quilts Category

I love vintage quilts.  I don’t remember a vintage quilt category in other shows, but in this show, where people own quilts handed down through generations, it is quite memorable.  I wish I’d entered one of my family quilts and likely will next year. 

So, I photographed the name tags on most of them and was going to post them here, but I’ve realized that those people might not like having their names put on the internet.  So, I’m sharing their comments and if you need more info, contact me and tell me why and we’ll see what we can do. 

I love whole cloth.  This quilt was made in France by two spinster sisters who quilted for the village.  The lady, down through whose family this quilt has passed, took them the fabric and the carded wool.  It was used by four generations in France.  I believe it was silk. 

 

My Grandmother made Sunbonnet Sue and Overall Bill quilts.  This one was titled Sunbonnet Sue-Sunbonnet Sam.  The quilt was found in a garage and the name tag came with a warning to always label your quilts!  Nothing is known about this quilt or its maker.  Incidentally, the quilt was for sale, with proceeds to benefit a children’s charity.

There were two Lone Stars, but I only got a picture of one and I don’t know which one.  Sorry. 

 

There were two hexie quilts.  One was named Grandmother’s Flower Garden and one was named Grandma’s Flower Garden.  I think I have them in the right order below. 

 

There was one of the above patttern as an unfinished quilt top, with red connecting diamonds, in the silent auction.  It made me weak in the knees.  But, the price was higher than I was willing to pay.  And, besides, I need to make my own, right?  hmmmm…

I think this one was Scrappy Stars.  I saw this quilt and thought how much Bonnie Hunter would love it.

 

Dresden Plate – the green in this one was fantastic.  It just spoke to me and I would love to make a quilt with that much beautiful solid green.  The owner stated that her grandmother made it for her when she was a child and that she slept under it until she grew up and moved out on her own.  Her great grandmother was a seamstress, so the wedges were likely clothing scraps.  The green was chosen because her birthday is in March and she was always given something green for her birthday. 

look at this quilting. 

  

Scrappy Stars.  The owner says that this one was made by her mother and the batting was cotton gin samples of the cotton they grew.

Antique Broken Star…such bright colors.  

Amish Antique Quilt.  Isn’t this a lantern pattern?  I can’t remember, but it was a lovely quilt.  All solids and so many HST’s.  And, densely hand quilted. 

 

Irish Chain.  I love an Irish Chain.  And, this red and white one was a stunner.  The repetition of the fabrics.  The quilting was lovely.  The owner noted that it was given to she and her husband, because he loves quilts and she makes quilts. 

 

So, that’s what I loved in the vintage quilt category. 

Everybody have a great day.  This is the last day of the MIl’s visit.  She and Rob are having wonderful talks about the past.

I’m off to work.  Be well and hug somebody.

Lane

A very fast post

Running late.  Mondays are always tightly scheduled and at some point of the morning, I lost 10 minutes. 

But, over the weekend, I did manage to finish this quilt. 

This is a baby quilt for a friend of Rob’s whose theme is “nature”. 

I’m also making this quilt in blue.  I found plenty of time to sew this weekend.  Yesterday was very peaceful and relaxing, and filled with movies and just hanging out and talking. 

Hope your weekend was the same.  Lane

Picked up a few things at the quilt show

We had a blast at the quilt show yesterday.  Rob is going to try to put a movie together of it.  It was one of those perfect days. 

The first time I lost track of my MIL, she was at the hand quilting exhibit, talking to the ladies there.  All 5 of us moved forward at our own pace, looking at the lovelies and thinking our own thoughts, once in a while running into one another and discussing something we both liked.  Or didn’t.  Or one did and one didn’t, which caused some really fun conversations.  We went on the afternoon of the last day, so we pretty much had the run of the place.  That made it really convenient to stop and look and it was easy to take pictures.  I’m thinking I might post pictures, by sections, maybe one a week and talk about what we liked and which ones won. 

Of course, I had to bring home more things than I took, right?  I tried to buy something from each vendor, except one.  He was selling the most wonderful applique patterns and I knew that if I went in there, I was gonna be in trouble.  I have more than enough applique projects going on right now. 

This show isn’t put on by a guild.  It’s put on by a non-profit that teaches and focuses on the work of senior citizens.  It’s located in downtown Georgetown, TX.  They sell work there and teach and I’m not sure what all.  Anyway, I bought this.  I assumed (and we all know what that means) that it was a kit, but it’s not.  And, after I paid for it, I read the little label affixed to it.  It said “pattern and assorted fabrics”.  Well, they happen to be the colors used in the pattern, and all I’m going to have to add is an off white, and I’ve got a huge new piece of that, so it’s pretty close to a kit, huh?  It even has the backing.  It’s like somebody took the kit, pulled out the off white, cut one chunk off one of the gold FQ’s and then packaged it back up. 

And, I found a bin of cheap FQ’s, and picked up another pattern I really like and have been waiting to stumble on.  The two baggies contain random squares of vintage fabrics. For a buck, I couldn’t resist.

Rob picked this FQ of Christmas fabric.

And, I picked these.  They were my favorite color…

Yes, two of my quilts won ribbons.  The same two that won last year at the Austin show.  I’m going to have to work harder for that coveted large machine piecing ribbon, but I’ll get it. 

Because we got there late, we were there when they were hanging the ribbons.  The voting is by the people that attend the show and the cut off was just before we got there. 

Yes, I’m pretty much on cloud 9.  Really, there’s not a better way to end a rough work week.  Good food, good company, and blue ribbons.

Be well.  Have a great Sunday.  Lane

Laugh, eat, repeat

That’s what’s going on here.  I do get an hour to sew in the mornings and am working on borders for the green baby quilt.  But, that’s really it. 

Rob dropped the quilts off yesterday and they were not sure they could accept them rolled on the noodles.  So, the volunteer went and consulted with a coordinator and it ended up being fine, but I was glad I’d sent the expected pillow cases, just in case.  Rob said the lady ahead of him had a full sized quilt, folded into a tiny square, and shoved into a real pillowcase.  It can’t help but be wrinkled. 

Working with Natalie Scarbrough is turning out to be a blast.  I did get a chance for a bit of research and I’m pretty sure her name should be Eldredge Scarbrough, but not being positive, and preferring Natalie, I’m not inclined to change right now.  Or even to research it further.  National Sewing Machine bought out Eldredge Sewing Machine and sometimes, it can be hard to tell who made it because many were sold under store brand names.  Anyway, she is darned near silent and sews a beautiful straight stitch and will definitely be used more in the future.  Her foot is even an exact quarter inch, tho it lacks a fence to push the fabric against.  I need to get the one off Ken More, which also takes a big honkin’ screw in the machine bed screw hole. 

Susan, you were right.  That plant is Kalanchoe.  I recognized the name as soon as I saw it in your comment.  Thanks!  I’m pretty sure it only survived winter because we didn’t have a hard freeze.  After I wrote yesterday, I got to thinking about it and lots of stuff that should have died didn’t this year.

Okay, Rob and his Mom are listening to an album of a crooner from the 50’s; Jack Jones, maybe?.  Might be time to go save Sydney before her brain melts.

Have a great Friday.  I can’t wait to get to the quilt show tomorrow to see the quilts hanging.  We’re going to have a bigger than normal crowd to share that with.  LD will be there, and my mentor J, and Rob’s Mom and Rob and Syd and me.  Too fun!!

Be well.  Find something to laugh about.  Extra points if it’s laughing at yourself for something.

Lane

Good morning, world!

Not much going on here.  Lots of visiting and laughing.  Our guest came in the room when we were having a family meeting about grades and she got a really good chance to see how our family works.  I think we impressed her.  Good food, and a little bit of short, good TV to fill in the gaps, when we’d run out of things to say.

So, I thought I’d show you a bit of what else is going on around here.  I don’t just sew, although  do sew a lot.  But, I also sow.

Here are the orchids in the kitchen window.  They practically scream to be looked at while I do dishes.  I almost hate to see the new flowers open because I know that brings us just one step closer to it being over until next year.

And, outside, an unknown plant, swapped with a neighbor.  I could look it up for you, but that would take so much time.  And, time this week is a very precious commodity.  Pentas maybe?  I think my Mom grew it as “leaf of life” that she ordered through the mail, when I was a kid.  I treat it like a succulent.  It blooms in sun and full shade.  I didn’t realize it would survive a freeze until this past winter, when this cutting got dropped in the yard and took root.

Columbine and lemon on the right.

The first few dots of purple.  There’s lots of purple in my yard.

And, this.  I think it’s an oakleaf hydrangea, but wouldn’t bet on it.  It came from my sister’s yard last April, as a handful of roots.  I cut the bloom off of it to transport and it looked like oakleaf hydrangea.  We will see as it develops.  It didn’t do much last year, but looks set to explode this year.

I dug this up with the shovel and then grabbed it with my hand.  About a minute later, my dad killed a poisonous snake about 8 inches from where this had been.  Still gives me the willies.

Anyway, Love to grow things. 

Everybody have a great Thursday.  Rob and his Mom are dropping off my quilts at the show today.  Way cool. 

Be well.  Lane

Working with Natalie Scarbrough

This is Natalie Scarbrough. 

Natalie and I will be working together over the next week.  Natalie has been moved to our bedroom, so I can continue to sew, while Sydney is living in the sewing room. 

Natalie is one of my two oldest machines, in the running with my 1919 Singer Treadle 127.  She was made by the National Sewing Machine company and branded under the local Scarbrough’s department store.  I’ve never seen another with that brand name, even though I do a search on ebay for national sewing machines every day (there’s one I want to collect). 

I’ve owned Natalie longer than any of my other sewing machines.  I bought her at an auction in the 80’s.  Unfortunately, she’s the machine I’ve used the least of all that I own.  I didn’t use her for 20 years because I couldn’t thread her.  She has a very strange threading diagram where the thread loops all the way around the tension and then crosses over itself after the pull up lever and I didn’t know enough to be able to figure that out and even then, I based it on how a singer is threaded; tension disks, tension spring, thread pull up lever, down to needle.  Now that I know more about her, I can buy a manual easily.

She was alternately  stuck here and there as a table and most recently as a wrap around surface to support my left elbow while I machine quilt because her cabinet is the perfect height. 

This morning, I was reminded of how quiet she is.  She has a funny shaped light bulb that I’ve tried several times to replace without success, and I finally found the right one, so she’s working perfectly.

Her only flaw is this minor loss of decal.

When I bought her, I didn’t know anything about vintage machines.  She was greasy and I tried to clean her with alcohol instead of sewing machine oil.  I stopped when I turned that decal silver.  While she’s out this time, I plan to try to repair it with a paint pen and then cover it with some clear shoe polish. 

Last year, I refinished her cabinet. 

 

The cabinet had a black crackle finish from the old varnish and the top was in pretty bad shape.  I stripped it and put on fresh polyurethane and peeled off the old top veneer and painted the wood beneath.  The whole thing got several coats of paste wax and her cabinet is ready for another hundred years.

I look forward to opening the drapes this weekend and being able to look out the window.

This morning, we made the sleeves for the quilt delivery tomorrow.  We are show ready.  Until I remember whatever it is that I forgot.

Everybody have a great Wednesday.  We are T minus zero days til MIL visit.  Still, everyone is calm.  Hmmmm, something’s up.

Lane

Already made a mess

Well, that didn’t take long.  Theoretically, this is the space that Sydney will be sleeping in, starting tomorrow night. 

So, why does it have a sewing machine in it? 

Because I need to make a sleeve to hold this rolled quilt and this open space where a bed will be is the easiest space to use and then to clear up again.

This quilt is rolled around a pool noodle and will be inserted into a long sleeve for transport and safety at the quilt show.  Do your quilt shows require that you bag your quilts?  Around here, they call for a pillowcase.  I roll mine to avoid creasing, but when I deliver the quilts, there’s always a pillowcase in hand, just in case.  There is no sense in being disqualified for such a little thing.

We are all amazing calm, considering we’re expecting a houseguest and I’m in a quilt show and we’re making plans with other people.  Always before, anything out of the routine and out of the ordinary would have us all in a twitter of frustrated excitement, each pumping more adrenaline than the other two.  But, not this time.  It’s funny.  Now that Sydney is older, we don’t have lives where nothing out of the ordinary happens.  It’s always something out of the ordinary and I think Rob and I have grown quite numb to it. 

Other families that we observe already seem to have developed this numbness.  Maybe that’s the result of having their kids since birth.  When we got Sydney, the first thing we focused on was making her fit in with our lives.  More and more, it feels like I’m trying to fit in with hers. 

Does she really think I’m all the uncool things she says I am?  And, is it possible that she believes I’m really that uncool?  And, does it count that she smiles at me when she says them?  Does that mean she doesn’t believe them and is just picking at me?  Because just a little bit ago, I thought she thought I was at least moderately cool. 

Everybody have a great Tuesday.  I’m sure we will be in a hyperactive frenzy tonight.  Yay, us.  Doin’ it, bein’ it, feelin’ in.

Oh, and what’s up with the spammers?  Are you guys getting porn spam all of a sudden?  Or spam that’s just a series of random letters?  What’s up with that?  I never click a link and I report each one as spam and then delete.  I hope that’s enough.

Lane

Houseguests and Hand Grenades

Just kidding.  About the hand grenades.

We’re expecting Rob’s Mom this week for a visit.  She generally comes down in the spring.  We’ve cleaned the house, as much as we need to.  The beauty is that she’s not nearly so interested in our house being clean as she is in our house being happy.  And, she fits into our routine instead of trying to change things to suit her.  She truly is the best houseguest. 

Anyway, Sydney gets the sewing room, and I have to temporarily move out.  Not a problem.  I can sew somewhere else for a week, surely. 

Just a few pictures from the weekend.  I tried to work in the yard on Saturday and that just about pooped me out.  But, I still managed to get to this baby quilt re-do.

I’m loving this pattern.  It goes together so fast and easy and there is unlimited variation in it.  Just a couple more borders to go and this one will be ready to quilt.  I hope to finish before the Mom gets back from maternity leave.

And, this is West of Paris, Texas.  It’s going to be in the show this weekend and it needed a label.  I still have to make a pouch to deliver it in, but plenty of time.

I love this quilt, with all it’s springy pastel colors. 

And, finally, I did manage to wallpaper the bedroom in the miniature house.  It went from this…

To this…

To do this, I cut out posterboard to match the original tin walls and then papered over them with wallpaper I printed on my computer.  There are baseboards and ceiling molding.  the drapes are made of paper so they’ll hang right.  Fabric drapes would not have done that. 

Next room is the sewing room.  I’m looking forward to that one, too.  I guess it gives me a way to satisfy my need to redecorate, without having to take the real house apart.

Everybody have a great Monday.  Today, we schedule Sydney’s physical therapy.  No time like the present to start something unpleasant, right? 

Lane

Overly creative

I have found myself in a spot of hyper-creativity.  I kind of knew it was going on in the background, but I wasn’t consciously starting new projects, just to start new projects.  I think it was more like a distraction. 

I have the perpetual hand quilting project.

And, a machine quilting project.

A baby quilt in redesign

The March Linus quilt to finish.

And, the last two small quilts for the backs of the living room chairs.

But, I also decided to just pick up the stuff to paper just one room of the dollhouse.  One room.  Easy-peasy. 

Right.

Go ahead and laugh.  I know you’ve all done it before. 

“I’m not ashamed.  I can take it.”

“Is there something wrong with me?  Why am I so out of control?”

We all know that the answer lies somewhere between.  Sometimes, it’s easy to exert self control and work on what I need to.  That’s how I manage to get things finished.  But, there are also times when it’s nice to just let the creativity run amok;

Amok, amok, amok, amok.

Hopefully, the times when I have self control will outweigh the times I don’t.  And, if not, what’s life for if not to have fun.

Be well.  Have a wonderful Thursday.  I’ve taken most of tomorrow off to spend it with my spring breaker.  Her choice; she can come up with something fun, or we can work in the yard. 

Guess I won’t get to much yardwork, huh? 

I got a very offensive spam comment the other day.  The most offensive one I’ve seen.  And, it stuck to my page, where most spam comments only go to my email, so you guys can’t see them.  Anyway, I have been playing with security.  I set it way too tight and have been loosening up since.  Right now, all comments are moderated, but the word verification (yuck!) is turned off.  It’s tripled my incoming mail.  If you’re commenting as anonymous, I might not see your comment.  Still working out the kinks.

Lane

Another one bites the dust

Another border, that is.  I finished the first border on this quilt. 

There are a ton of little feathers in all those triangles and in the white sections, a loopy filler that I saw my friend Elizabeth use in a quilt a while back.  The next pieced border is also triangles.  And, yes, I’m going to fill the blue ones with more feathers.  There are large off white triangles out there, too and I’m going to fill them with something more planful.  Not sure what, yet, but not something I can do freehand. 

Oh, and remember this lovely from yesterday?

Oops!  The baby’s a girl.  So, I’ll finish this one for us; it will go wonderfully in our living room.  We’re going to make the same quilt, but in dusty pink and neutrals.  Or, something else.  With a different focus fabric.  I just didn’t have the right one.  Well, we know I had a lot of right ones, but not THE right one. 

Rob and I have made enough quilts together that I know not to argue…anymore.  And, THE right fabric will make a beautiful, designer quilt, that anyone would love to receive and it will be a joy to make because we didn’t “make do”.  And, Lucy, I’d love it if we figured out how to sell Rob coloring and me building quilts. 

----------------- 

Today is Sydney’s post op appointment.  None of us knows what to expect from that.  Since they didn’t do what they thought they were going to need to do, we’ll need a new plan and we don’t have any idea what to expect.  Lots of range of motion work, I expect.  And, getting her to do PT on her own is like fighting a bear…I’ve even tricked her into some of it.  And, who knows how much she’s standing on it when we’re not around.  She tried to take a set of steps Friday night.  And, got stopped in her tracks.  But, it doesn’t hurt and she’s ready to use it, and the crutches are a pain in the…patooty. 

All I can do is wait and see. But, I’d love to see her off those crutches.  Her new, custom made, very expensive brace is in.  Maybe she’ll be in that after today, too.

Everybody have a great one.  Lane

When Rob and Lane quilt together

This is what we create.  Rob wants a baby quilt for a co-worker and I bombarded him with the questions we would ask one another and we’d understand them and know what to say.  And, he answered every one.  Several times.  And, differently every time, but making a point of nature.

So, I took him to JoAnn’s on Saturday and let him roam.  I guided him through the juveniles, but I was pretty sure that Rob wanted something more natural than that. 

He picked a lovely palette of fabrics for me to work with. 

When I looked at it, I thought points and half square triangles.  And, lots of space to use that pretty focus fabric that represents birch trees.  I picked the Starshine block from my Quick and Easy Block Tool that gives several sizes for each block.  I picked large blocks so it would be quick to piece and over the course of my spare weekend time, I made this.

I have three borders to add outside that. 

Oh, and every piece of that focus fabric runs the same direction, so it looks like all the trees grow up. 

Rob and I design beautiful quilts together, and I let him input into my work as much as possible.  We are very different.  Rob is very planful and artistic in his choices.  I am more scrappy and throw everything together and see what sticks.  We’re the same way about gardening.  That’s why he gardens in the front yard and I garden in the back.  And, never the twain is crossed.

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Yesterday, I scrubbed my kitchen to within a half inch of it’s life.  It was time.  Cleaning like that always indicates change.  Change in multiple parts of my life.  I’m feeling more relaxed already. 

Clean out the cobwebs and open myself to new things. 

Be well.  Have a great Monday.  Lane

Are you a planful quilter?

Do you know where every stitch of your quilt is going to be, BEFORE you pin baste?  Have you already drawn them on by that time?

If so, I salute you.

I am not planful quilter.  I didn’t have the vaguest idea what I was going to quilt into this quilt when I started.

And, consequently, I’ve pulled quite a few stitches. 

And, I’m having to reconcile myself to this contrast, where one block is more densely quilted than the one next to it.

So. 

What?

 

This happens a lot in this quilt. 

I’m secretly hoping it happens enough that it will balance out into a pleasing mixture. 

I’ve gotten started on the border now, doing the ditch work.  My fingers were hurting from hand quilting, so I decided I’d better decide what I was going to do next at the machine.  And, I did.

Last night.

Anyway.  That’s my process and I’m stickin’ to it.

Spring break starts tomorrow.  No school for Syd next week.  Nothing to do.

Are idle hands still the devil’s workshop?  Or, is that old-fashioned? 

At least I know she’s hobbled.

Be well.  Have a great Friday.  It’s going to be rainy here til Sunday.  That’s good for two reasons.  Quilting…Yay! And the ground around here really needs it.  No matter how much it turns out to be. 

Lane

Because it’s easier than thinking

I have spent a ton of time quilting over the last week.  Every minute that I could spare. 

I have the center of this quilt just about finished and am about ready to move into the borders.

And, from the back (I love the look of wholecloth).

 

When I run out of ideas, I switch to hand quilting.

I have hand quilted until my index fingers ache.  But, the Dresden Plate quilt has all the stability quilting in, all over, and now I can start to fill in the detail work.  The biggest problem I’m having with this quilt is that the older fabrics are so dense and it is incredibly hard to quilt tiny stitches through them.  But, where I’m just quilting through three or maybe four layers of modern fabrics, it goes easier.  Unfortunately, I don’t hand quilt enough anymore to recognize the effort saving steps I could have taken, like cutting away the background fabric behind the plates and centers.

Looking at these two quilts together is kind of like the tale of the tortoise and the hare.  I started the machine quilting on the smaller quilt much later than I started the hand quilting on the Dresden Plate.  But, it goes so much faster on the machine.

And, the whole time I’m working on these, I’m also thinking about which UFO to finish next and how to quilt the March Linus quilt. 

I don’t think I mentioned it, but I’m entering three quilts in the Georgetown quilt show this year.  It’s the weekend of the 23rd of this month.  I’m getting excited about that and need to get those quilts off the walls so they can be prepped for the show.  The one that’s never been in a show before doesn’t even have a label.  Even though the entry paperwork has been in for a while, I’m just really starting to get excited about this show.  It’s a small show, but we’ve seen some fantastic quilts there.  They do a vintage quilt section, too and those are always fun to see and read about.

Everybody have a great Thursday.  I am looking forward to two days of significant rest this weekend.  Hopefully, next week, the Dr will take Sydney off crutches and she can start carrying her own dirty dishes to the kitchen again. 

Be well!  Lane

Grown up shoes

It feels so good to be in grown up shoes today.  I feel like I’ve spent a week in sports shoes, to give me the arch support for all the things we’ve done. 

And, today, she’s ready to go back to school. 

I suspect it’s equal parts boredom and the fact that they’ll be easier on her than I was. 

We did homework.  We took walks.  Yesterday morning, she walked 6 blocks and told me to get out of the way if I was going to walk so slow.  Yesterday afternoon, she cried and begged me not to make her walk again.

So, I didn’t.  Because I’ve done my part and now, she has to decide.  I’ve hit that part where I don’t know whether more practice will help or not.  So, I didn’t push.  I just went back to my work. 

It will feel so good to be around people that have better negotiating points to offer than “because I don’t want to.”

Don’t get me wrong.  It’s been great.  I’ve seen that look in her eye after she finished the afternoon walk on Monday, the day she cried all the way.  The look that said she knew that she’d done something she didn’t think she could.  And, as a reward, we figured out a way to wash her hair. 

We had lunch out yesterday.  Coloradolady sent a care package full of stuff for her to do, which kept her from watching TV all the time.  And, we had lots of homework that the teachers sent us.  I worked from home and she did math and english and then we’d walk and then we’d work and then we’d eat, and then we’d work and then we’d walk…you get the picture.  Kind of like when I’m working from the office.

Too much like when I’m working from the office. 

Anyway, today, I’m back to the office and she’s back to the schoolhouse…if we can get her a key to the elevator.  Girl don’t do stairs, yet.

Be well and have a great Wednesday. 

Thank you all soooo much for your words of encouragement.  I’ve needed them and I’ve passed them on to her.  I’ve even said things like “the ladies say I need to (whatever you guys have told me to do)"

“what ladies?”

"My blog ladies.”

Lane

(p.s. sorry, didn't mean it as a bad thing.  She's just glad there are people out there explaining that girls are not like boys.  Girls need special stuff!) 

A day of rest

Yesterday, my family took a day of rest.  Well, mostly.  Rob did a lot of little things that helped me out tremendously and I put this quilt together.

9 patch Pizzazz by Judy Sisneros.  Thanks, Barb for the pattern.  In the book, this quilt is very busy and nothing really stands out about it.  It’s kind of a moosh.  I was sure that I could do it without it being so mooshy, but I guess that if you follow a very specific set of instructions to the letter, you shouldn’t expect the quilt to come out looking different, right?  Mine is as mooshy as hers.  BUT, it was a full day of sewing that I didn’t have to think about, and that was all I wanted.  And, it’s a perfectly respectable quilt, and cuter than this picture makes it look.  But, it’s still mooshy.  It will make a great Linus quilt.

My duties as Nurse Ratchett continue.  Last night, she went all night without a pain pill, which was a great thing.  Today, I’ve managed to keep her pain down with over the counter pain relievers. 

Every day, she’s been forced from the house and out into the sunshine and the fresh air.  The little summer quilt is getting a heck of a use.  Why? she asks.  Because it’s good for you, I answer.

Today, she’s had breakfast and is doing school work and later, we have a little walk up the street to the community post office box planned.  I need to get her moving, or she’s never going to get back to school. 

We’ve had some minor hiccups, like changing bandages yesterday.  That freaked her out a bit, but we indulged her and ended up wrapping it twice, just to give her a little more padding and support.  She had the biggest old alligator tears when we were doing it, even though she kept insisting it didn’t hurt.  Like I said, a little freaked out.  But, for the most part, everything has gone well.  Recovery proceeds. 

It’s been hard for me to remember that, even though they didn’t do all the surgery they planned, she did undergo surgery just a few days ago. 

Oh, and I am a hard physical therapy taskmaster…straighten that leg!  Toes to the floor.

Lane