Uncategorized — 44 comments
24
Feb 12

It’s been a long time since I posted…

 

I’ve been in bad shape since being diagnosed with Celiac disease, which is a reaction to gluten in wheat, rye, and barley, which affects the immune system.  I went undiagnosed for a very long time and as a result have a small intestine which is severly damaged.

The treatment is to eliminate all gluten, even trace amounts from one’s diet.  I’m very careful about what I eat, but my health has continued to go downhill. I’m still losing weight and feel lousy all of the time.  I’ve started reacting badly to other foods too, like soy and dairy, and anything with MSG.

 I went to a new GI Dr. to see if he could help me work out what’s going on and get on with healing.  He did some tests, but had no answers.  In Jan. I got much worse. I started having irregular heart beats (PVCs) and loss of balance, and confusion.  It was like my brain was scrambled?  I was referred to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN.

The Dr.s office was supposed to make the referral to Mayo and send my records.  I was told that Mayo would contact me to arrange an appointment within 24 hours.  The call didn’t come. I waited a couple of days, then called them to see if there had been some miscommunication.  I was told they had no record of me, and was told to have my Dr.’s office call them again, which I did.  I got a call from Mayo and set up an appointment for Feb. 6.   We made travel arrangements.  Then I got preregistration papers in the mail and they all said Mayo Clinic Jacksonville FL. A quick phone call confirmed it.

My Dr’s office sent my records to Rochester, but called Jacksonville.  We quickly changed our travel arrangements. 

After several tests They couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me, just that “something was VERY wrong”!  I was taken off medications I’ve been on for years, and put on steroids, and they are referring me to the Mayo in Rochester. 

I gathered up a packet of medical records and results from tests, and slides from endoscopes are being sent to them.  The head of the Celiac dept.  Dr. Murry will review everything and contact me for an appointment.  I’m waiting…

I’m down to 103 lbs. and very weak.  I can’t safely go anywhere alone.  I hate losing my independence!  I can’t seem to focus enough to do any quilting, or much of anything really.  I haven’t kept up with my favorite blogs.  The people I’ve met through blogs are wonderful people though.  I’ve had a few check up on me, and send notes etc.

I got a wonderful care package from Martha at Q is for Quilter, with gluten free foods.  Very kind and generous of her…and then today a surprise package came from Barb at Fun with Barb blog.  She sent a very sweet note, along with a book : North Carolina Quilts, and a little quilt!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10303685@N06/6926195187/in/photostream

It’s the Pink Lemonade quilt Barb made from Lori’s (of Humble Quilts) quilt along.  I usually join in on these and really enjoy them, but just wasn’t up to it this time.  I just saw Barb’s quilt on her blog and was shocked that shesent  me this little cutie!  It’s like sunshine to me.

THANKS BARB!

I can’t get pics to load on my blog..I dunno why?  I apoligize for the lengthy post, and for not being able to post a good pic.  It seems they changed the security settings here? Doh!

 

 

quilt along / Uncategorized — 23 comments
11
Oct 11

Japanese x and + finished!

I was able to get the Japanese x and + top quilted!

I basted it on the dining room table by using large binder clamps.  I quilted it by following along the X shaped pieces, quilting in the ditch.  I thought I’d see how it looked once I got that much done and see if it looked like it needed more?

Since the blocks are around 7.5″, just quilting across the quilt in a grid seemed to be enough?

 

I chose a black and white print for the binding.

You can see a bit of the backing peeking out too.  I used an aqua/white print sheet.  The aqua doesn’t match exact..but it’s a scrappy fun quilt and I think it’s just fine?

I’m happy with how my quilt turned out, even if it’s got just real simple quilting. 

 

Here’s an “action shot”

quilt along — 15 comments
18
Sep 11

I’ve done a bit of sewing…

Several months ago, Jan of Be*Mused blog posted photos from her trip to the Tokyo Quilt Festival.  She generously posts her photos to Flickr and many of us eagerly await their posting.  Japanese quilts just have something very special about them. 

There was one by Setsuko Inagawa that was really interesting.  Several of us wanted to try our hand at making some of the fun blocks.

Amy, of Badskirt blog drafted the block pattern.  She wrote up a nice tutorial on how to piece it.

Then Laura, of My New Blog Journey decided to post a quilt along for those interested in doing their own version of Setsuko’s quilt.  She started a Flickr group so we could post our blocks and progress.

My quilt ended up quite different from the one that inspired it.  It was fun to piece a block here and there as I felt like it though.  I used a variety of novelty prints and large scaled prints. I intended to just make a small quilt, but the blocks were addictive and I just had to keep making them.  I opted for plain borders.

I liked the aqua print which I had bought a quarter yard of to use in my blocks.  I decided it would make a nice border and would keep that sort of “busy” look I was after.  When I went back to the store all they had left was 31″.  I took what they had.  I considered making narrow borders, but originally wanted wide ones.  I opted for using my second choice for border fabric and made two sides from each fabric in the width I originally wanted.

I’ll bind the quilt with one of the black prints I used in the quilt. 

That is…once I figure out how to baste the quilt.   I had tables in the basement for basting, but my son moved back home so I had to put them in storage. 

Maybe I can do it on the dining room table?  I thought I’d machine quilt it too?  It’s a “just for fun” quilt.

The blocks are fun to make and would be great for using up scraps.  The block would look great in 30′s repros, or solids, or whatever?  I included clickable links for anyone that would like to try them.

With borders my quilt wil be about 75″x 83″.

Applique quilts / Kim McLean's Roseville Album pattern — 33 comments
09
Sep 11

Roseville Album update

There hasn’t been a lot of sewing going on here lately, but I did manage to get the various sections of the Roseville Album quilt sewn together.

I rearranged the corner blocks from the way the original pattern was done. 

I still need to make the four borders.

I need motivation to get moving on this!

 

 

 

I left off some of the circles from the bottom right corner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I changed the bottom left corner block a bit too.  In Kim’s original quilt this is the upper right corner.

I thought getting everything trimmed and sewn together would give me a little enthusiasm?  It seems my “get up and go” has “got up and left”?  :(

Uncategorized — 16 comments
28
Aug 11

Wonky Table Runner

There hasn’t been a lot of sewing or quilting going on around here, but I did try my hand at some wonky piecing.

I cut curved strips of fabrics with my scissors and chopped and sewed and chopped and sewed to create a runner for the kitchen counter.   Doing this kind of piecing went against my years of trying to perfect precision piecing and it was much harder for me than I thought it would be.

My eye kept editing out curves and tried to make me sew straight lines!  LOL  I’m not thrilled with the result, but it will do.  I’ll play with this free style piecing again in the future for sure because it was fun.

I got a new stand mixer to try my hand at making bread and  some other baking recipes.  I’ve never had a mixer before, but those who have them tell me I’ll love it.  The color I ordered was called Pear.  I thought I’d like to make covers for the toaster and food processor and have a runner under the mixer.  Sort of give the kitchen a little boost of color.  It’s mostly all cream colored with lots of copper pans/accesories.  When I went out shopping for fabrics I found nothing that matched other than a solid that was pretty close in color and called Bamboo.  It was on clearance for $1 yard.  I bought what they had, which was about 5 yards.

I came home and dug around in my fabrics and pulled out some solids of colors that are in the kitchen and adjoining family room. I had no plan in mind.  I thought I was going to find a nice print and keep it very low-key and easy. So much for plans!

Here’s an “action shot”.  I didn’t quilt the runner because I’m not sure if I want to?

Definately needs some “tweeking”!  : )

 

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