Recuperation

So I don't have pictures of finished quilts to share or even shots of quilts in progress because I have not spent much time in the sewing room. I did get those bindings done and the weeding and the roto-tilling but as of last Sunday I have done almost nothing. That is because I was preparing for surgery this past Tuesday. It was time to 'have my lady bits removed'. 


I spent Monday on a clear liquid diet which included a couple of bottles of Magnesium Citrate. Let's just say I would rather not have to do that again! Early Tuesday my husband and I headed to the hospital and by 8 I was in the operating room. This was my first time to be in the hospital for anything other than having babies. Also my fist time to be knocked out for anything. Evidently, the surgery went well. All I know is that one minute the anesthesiologist was telling me to think of my favorite place to relax and then next thing I know I was waking up in recovery! I do remember that the OR nurse was a quilter who had just finished her first king size quilt though.


The good news is I have not had any pain really. The worst thing is my abdominal muscles are not happy so changing positions is not too fun but last night I was able to sleep on my side for the first time so I slept better that I had been. 


Miss Lucy is very happy to have her mommy sitting or lying around all the time so she can stay close! I have my daughter and niece here taking good care of me, making gooseberry jam, picking peas, watering the garden, making fancy dinners and fetching and carrying things for me. The doctor says no lifting for 8 weeks. 


I am hoping today to actually start working on those 4 bindings as I watch TV so maybe I can get the girls to take some pictures of some finished quilts for me soon!

Good Weekend

I got a good bit done this weekend and even had some time for reading!


Four loaves of bread came out of the oven yesterday and I got the kitchen tidied up some. Even cleaned out one of my cabinets!


While the bread was rising I swept the great room floor and started laying out a quilt. By the time I was done I had 4 quilts basted. I might have done more but I would have had to start piecing backs and I just wasn't in the mood! 


When all that was done I decided I should get something done outside so I mowed inside the fence and then pulled out the weed-eater and ran through 2 tanks of gas. I was pleased with what I had gotten done and I was pooped!


After church this morning I headed into the sewing room to do some quilting. I quilted all four of the quilts that got basted yesterday. Nothing fancy but they are done!


My shoulders were a bit tight so I laid down and finished the second book in the Hunger Games series and then headed out to the garden. I did the last decent picking of strawberries and picked the peas. When all was said and done I had about 5 1/2 cups of shelled peas. Pretty exciting to get some home grown peas in the freezer!


After dinner I got the quilts trimmed and ready for their bindings. Should be able to get at least a couple of those on tomorrow after work.


This week I have a lot I need to get done including those bindings and weeding and roto-tilling the whole garden. It isn't bad but if it doesn't get done this week it will be out of control!

Some Quilt Pictures

The weather has warmed up here (as usual for our area, that happened on July 5) so I took some quilt tops out to the clothesline for a photo op. This is the one for my friend's Susan G. Komen fundraiser. The pattern is Christmas Ribbons from Kim Brackett's Scrap-Basket Surprises.

This one is for the bluegrass festival and is also from the Christmas Ribbons pattern, just different color choices.

This is the little quilt made from the leftover triangles from the bluegrass festival quilt. It is an adaptation of the pattern Ice Cream Sundaes from the book Friendship Triangles by Edyta Sitar.  

The pattern was for a wall hanging with about 10 blocks or something and I could make 57 blocks from the leftovers. I drew up an alternate layout and discovered I needed 59 blocks so I quickly made up two more blocks, found some fabric for the setting triangles and figured out how big they should be (thanks Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville for the formula for figuring that out) and started putting it together. Since this picture was taken I have gotten the strips sewn together but haven't moved on to the border since I need to do some more figuring so I can add red to the green to extend the points out into the border. 

I finished up a second week of work and while I still am not excited about a full time job I am seriously considering a half time job. I just have to decide if I want to be a church secretary or a bookkeeper more. Each choice has its benefits so it is not an easy decision!

Today is a day to get things caught up around the house. We need bread and I have not had a day at home to make a batch or two; the kitchen is a fright as are several other rooms and maybe I can get a quilt or two basted. I would love to get 6 basted but we shall see if I have the time and energy!

Another Crazy Week (and a half)!

How time flies when you are crazy busy! Let's see, my niece, Brita, was here for most of a week. We didn't get great weather for working outside but we did get good sewing weather. I got two comfort quilt tops finished and Brita cut out two quilts I need to have done by August. The first was for the Olalla Bluegrass Festival and will hang on the stage behind the bands and other acts. At the end of the day they will auction it off to raise money for our local community club. The other is for my friend's Margarita Fundraising Party for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day. They are both from the same pattern but very different colors. I got one top done and the second one started before she headed back home to Idaho. The pattern we used creates leftover HSTs and Brita even trimmed all of those and I made them into some cute little blocks.

Well, Brita left on Sunday and on Monday, our oldest daughter and her husband arrived for the Holiday week. The kids had a sleepover at Katie's house and came over on Tuesday. I started my temporary job on Monday and boy, do I know why I don't want a full-time job anymore! We had a fun day on the 4th and celebrated our granddaughter's 4th birthday (her actual birthday is today). I made her birthday cake - very similar to her brother's half-birthday cake last month - SPIDERS!

Our gift for her was this little shirt and tu-tu that I made out of tulle, ribbons and pom-poms. She is a twirling dancer, nothing she likes more than spinning round and round!

Had to add this picture of our oldest on the helicopter on our 'playground'. She did have a bit of trouble climbing back out!

When she wasn't goofing off, she and her hubby were working on cutting wood into skinny pieces to make a boat!

I realized I hadn't gotten around to posting a picture of this little quilt. It is the one I made as a retirement gift for the person whose job I am doing now. She is a huge fan of Orcas so found a picture online and adapted it for this quilt. She was pleased with her gift.

I haven't presented the following gift but I don't think it's recipient has the time to read my blog right now. She is busy holding her new grandson and playing with his older brother! She gave me the photo in the lower left corner of the picture and told me I should make a quilt for her like it. That was probably 1 1/2 years ago and I finally got around to doing it. I am hoping she approves.

I am hoping to get caught up to date but I think it will have to wait until tomorrow or the next day!