Hello, my name is Diane...nice to meet you

I have been away, in more ways than one. :)
I recovered from the August retreat but it took a while. :)
I have another retreat I'm looking forward to in January. I'm pretty excited as its with Bonnie Hunter.  I'm now in the middle of deciding what fabrics to use in the class. I know some of the quilters will be using shirts, I want to use my Civil War fabrics. I need to decide what colors though. The pattern is Smith Mountain Morning and it is made with browns, blues and muslin. I like that and have pulled more than enough of those fabrics but then my eye went to the pink, brown and muslin and now I'm torn.  I have time to decide, so I will just do as my Papa used to do and ruminate on it.

I want very much to get my pineapples at least into a top before the retreat so I can show it in the Show and tell portion. So many of my friends saw the blocks and the mess I was making with the scraps and they oohed and aahhed over them that I want to have it finished. It's a goal.

(If you want to see a picture of the blocks here is a link to an older post http://www.dyedquilting.blogspot.com/2013/03/design-wallor-cutting-table.html)  I can't find the picture in my folder to link to so just click back.

  I did the math and finding that I miss counted and don't have as many made as I thought I did :(  but if I get 1.6 blocks a day made between now and the retreat I will have it made in time to get it into a top and maybe even quilted if I can bribe a friend into quilting between Christmas and the retreat. Usually the first few weeks after Christmas are used for resting for machine quilters but we will see what I can come up with.

Yesterday I got 30 pineapples in various stages of completion. I feel like I get a rhythm going and it goes faster. If I work on just dark rounds then trim, then light rounds, then trim it feels like it's faster. Maybe not, but I'm going with it. :)

I hear the pineapple calling my name...but wait...the husband is calling too...I guess I will work on pineapples tonight after supper.

Later,
Diane

Better now, new scissors and lesson learned

I think I really am better now.
In June I thought I was fine, but apparently not. My sadness and apparent depression were showing themselves in my constant anger and inability to be pleased by anyone.
I think I have survived though, and just in time! I'm sure the men in my life were getting pretty tired of it, although they never once snapped back or complained.

I have been sneaking into the sewing room and making some small paper pieced pineapple blocks. I think I wrote about them before. I'm back to being able to slide those through the machine and listen to my audio book and enjoy myself. So much so that I sat too long Saturday night and I have a kink in my back. :)

Jimmy and Lauren didn't get the wedding quilt, but we gave them a gift card to Target for incidentals they didn't get in the showers and a written promise that the quilt is on it's way. Now that it is in writing I have to stay focused. That just means I can't work on it this week as the muscle relaxers are making me unfocused. :)


This week I ordered the newest Karen K Buckley Perfect Scissors. and I LOVE them. These are 6" from tip to bottom. They are the perfect size for snipping threads while doing the paper piecing pineapples. The color is pretty too!



I have had the larger version for a few years and I do love them, but always felt they were a bit long and I have managed to hit the sewing machine and my table with the super pointy and super sharp tips. Leaving scars on the Bernina is not a good thing!
These are 7.5" from tip to bottom and the 1.5" really does make a difference.
I love these scissors because they are sharp and have a serrated blade which grabs the fabric and doesn't let it slide out of the blade while cutting. I also love them because they have a LARGE area for my fingers to go through. I have so many scissors that are relegated to the scissor drawer because they either won't let me put my fingers in or they won't let my finger go when I want to put them down.

Now I'm off to play a bit...
Diane

PS.I learned something new yesterday. My male dog loves to eat Hydrangea leaves. I also learned Hydrangea leaves are not good for him. Lesson learned! Hydrangea is now out of the lanai and out of his reach.

What's on my needles

Again, I am making a dishcloth. :)

I found out my niece is getting married in September so I thought I would make her a few items. Her mom is a quilter so I will let her do that. 

While at Hobby Lobby this  week I found some cotton yarn called "I love this Cotton" and boy do I! It is so soft and has a slight sheen to it and feels so nice going through my fingers. 

Diane

What's on the needles

I've never been able to do this type if post before now, since I am just now learning to knit.

I'm showing three if the dishcloths I have made. 

Pardon the picture, it was taken while driving through Texas from Oklahoma at about 65mph.

 

 

Turning a corner?

Last night I slept for the first time without dreams! At least I don't remember any, so I'm pretty happy. I have had sleep issues for years and basically learned to live with them, but since April I have been happy to not sleep. Horrible, sad, anxious dreams do not leave you feeling able to face the world with a smile.
Ray finally convinced me to go see my GP so yesterday was the day. We talked, and cried (her mother died several months ago) and she offered some help and suggested I try taking something. I told her I didn't want to take anything that made me want to sleep walk, drive or eat! I don't want to feel like a zombie or drunk. And since medications generally make me nervous did she gaurantee no scary results?
Her response..."There are no guarantees in life or medicine." I like an honest doctor. She told me to try this pill tonight and if it didn't help just don't take anymore. If it does maybe we have found a way for you to sleep without all the anxiety you are having.
Well Doc, you were right! Thanks!

Sewing in my sewing room is still not happening much. Some times I can go and sit while listening to a book and press or cut or even get a couple of seams done, but weirdly out of the blue I start crying and have to leave the room. It's crazy because sewing was always how I managed my feelings. If being a mom was getting hard or a child was making me wild eyed I knew my sewing room was where I could go to work it out. Now it seems All I do in there is think of Moma and cry.  When will this stop?
Lately I have been sitting in the living room and knitting or crocheting. After 20+ dishcloths and multiple face washcloths I'm wondering what else I can make.  Kari may come over today so I'm sure I will send some of this home with her. She is always so sweet to take stuff home.  She may just chunk it in the trash, but is so sweet and just oohs and aahs over it and puts it in her car.

I still have that wedding quilt looming over me. I have come to the conclusion. It will not be finsihed before the wedding.

Maybe I'll take a walk.

Diane

What I do when I can't concentrate

When I can't concentrate on writing or reading patterns or I don't have the energy to think I refold fabric and make the stacks neat again.

This time I decided I was already tired of the newest fabric arrangement. I can't see them in the closet. I think I mentioned that when I was movingthe sewing  room. 

I thought I would try putting the fabric in the Ikea shelves so I could see them easily. Thinking I might actually use some of the still loved but older fabrics.  

I also sorted the three shelves on the far right into boy quilt fabrics, girls and either. That way when I want to make something for a child I can get right at it without spending so much time sorting through. 

We will see how this works. 

Working on less  than 3 hours of sleep at night for weeks. I'm a walking zombie. When will this get better? Soon I hope.

Sweet children

My children are so sweet.
My youngest brought these to me.