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