Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Ramblings and Such

things were going along well for me.  
i was making progress on getting my 10 quilt tops quilted.  2 finished and working on the quilting for top number 3 and thinking about the quilting for number 4 so i would be ready when its turn under the needle came.  i wasn't feeling the greatest but i pushed through like we all do.


i did a little custom quilting on this mini sewing machine quilt on the spools and the machines themselves.  i used some of my Tula Pink Neptune fabric for this quilt.


i quilted an over all stipple in the background on it and i added needles to each machine.


the back is fun to look at too.  makes me smile.  plus this was a quick one to get finished.

i was determined to get the 4th quilt top quilted by the start of the big football game a couple of Sundays ago.  despite how i was feeling i pulled the fabric for the backing of quilt top number 4 and went to work. 


i like how it turned out.  kind of it's own quilt.  i love making pieced backs because not only do you get to use up the fabric from that collection but it is also fun.


i quilted this quilt with double and single loops allover it.  more of a big open design so the quilt is nice to cuddle with.  i finished the quilting on this right before kick-off.  so 4 out of my 10 quilt tops are quilted.  yeah!

then the Monday after the big game it hit me.  
i had some extreme pain on my right back flank and it was swollen and a rash was forming.  i was scanning my memory to try and figure out what i had done to myself.  my mind was going crazy with what might be wrong with me.  since i was at work i had a co-worker look at it and she uttered the one word i never thought of 'shingles'.  denial was my first reaction.  there is no way i have that.  but i quick trip to the minor care clinic at the hospital confirmed it.  OMG  let me just say that shingles are horrible.  when the minor care doc told me that i would get worse before i got better she was right.  i got started on an anti-viral medication which helped prevent the blisters and they say reduce the pain but i am not sure about that.  i was home for 4 days straight and dang near went crazy.  i was in pain.  couldn't sleep much. and i don't do well sitting still.  the one thing that helped me the most was ice because it would numb the area.  


while home i would spend some time in my sewing area.  moving stuff around.  organizing.  trying to feel like i accomplished something.  i came across the boxcar tote pattern by Green Bee and decided that i could make that.  so i pulled the fabric and interfacing one time.  then another i cut everything.  then another i fused it all together.  little by little the tote came together.  


i finished it over the weekend and i really like it.  its a great size and very rigid.


i decided to use it to hold all of my hand sewing stuff.  i have several zip pouches that hold the stuff now.  i just put them all in the tote with plans to go back and organize it better.


i also got the binding for the 4 quilts cut and ready to be put on the quilts.  i use my other sewing machine for that so i think a marathon binding session will be in my future.

in other sewing related news i will be going to quilt camp the first week of March for 5 days.  i am really looking forward to this.  i need to make a list of projects i want to work on and start prepping them for camp.

happy sewing
&
i hope you never get shingles

Saturday, February 6, 2016

What keeps you company....

what keeps you company when you sew?

of course people have various answers to this question.  from noisy to complete silence.  some like to have a tv show going.  some like to listen to music.  some have a movie playing.  some just enjoy the quiet.  i find that for myself it depends upon my mood as to what if anything keeps me company when i sew.  also it can depend upon what i am working on.  i prefer quiet when i am reading a pattern and figuring out cutting instructions.  once i have my list of what needs to be cut i am good but getting to that point can be messy if i have a distraction.

for me a few things keep me company when i sew and so i thought i would do a blog series on the topic.

first on my list would be Podcasts.

  i can't remember when i came across my first podcast but i have been hooked ever since.  there are podcasts for everything you can imagine.  i listen to sewing/quilting podcasts, NPR podcasts, a podcast from a mixed media artist, business podcasts...  the list is ever evolving and expanding.  here are a few.


Pam hosts this podcast and she is also involved in The Stitch TV Show which is another thing i will listen to when i sew.  they also host a monthly virtual sew-in.  you should check them out.


Katie and her mom Dori host this podcast and they are so fun to listen to.  they talk about lots of hobbies from sewing to food and just about everything in between.  


Sandi hosts this podcast and i really like her style.  for each podcast Sandi has a guest from the crafting industry.  from sewers, authors, fabric designers and more i always enjoy her shows.


Stephanie hosts the Modern Sewciety podcast and every time i listen to one of her shows i find myself talking with a southern accent.  LOL  Stephanie is from/in the south and her southern charm comes through on her shows.

these are just 4 of the sewing/crafty podcasts that i listen too.  all can be found in iTunes or through their websites.  there are several other sewing/quilting podcasts that i listen to as well.  search iTunes or Google sewing/quilting podcasts and you will see options galore.

i also enjoy the NPR podcasts Serial, This American Life and Fresh Air.  mixed media artist Kelly Rae Roberts has a great podcast called The Possibilitarian Podcast.  i love Kelly's work and thought process.  its fun to hear her talk of her process, life and other things.  Tara Swiger is someone i recently came across through Periscope and her podcast Explore Your Enthusiasm is full of information for makers in business.  Tara gives great tips and ideas and also challenges her listeners. While She Naps is another great podcast that touches on business things as well as sewing things.

i highly recommend giving a listen to a podcast or 2 or 5 or 10. 

happy sewing