StitchinByTheLake

Sunday, January 26, 2014

A Little Wool Fun

Some of you know I've been in the bed for a couple of weeks with a sciatic nerve issue. I hate sciatic nerves. I have no idea why we need them but I'm pretty sure we don't.

Anyway, I got this little piece prepped and ready in one of my brief periods when the pain meds were doing their thing and my brain was still functioning too. That didn't always happen at the same time.

Then, when I started cutting my meds in half I was able to do the hand stitching and today, when I've been more off the meds than on I got the pillow back on it. He turned out pretty cute I think.

I've even got another pillow top started with most of the hand stitching done. My friend Michelle from Raspberry Rabbits is going to like it. That should give you a clue what little furry animals might be on it. :) Tomorrow, if I have any energy at all left after a visit to the chiropractor's and the allergy clinic to get shots, I hope to finish it.

Thank goodness I started several weeks ago on a project for the upcoming So She Sews Blog Hop - I won't have a lot of different things done for that when my post goes up on Friday but I'll at least have something there!

The ironic thing about not feeling good enough to be up and sewing is that you sit and look at magazines and quilt books and online tutorials and end up with this looooong list of things you want to make but you have no strength or energy to make them. And when you feel well enough to make all those things you have a million other things that real life requires, like cooking and shopping and laundry and not much time for sewing. Funny how life works that way. Or not funny, whatever the case might be.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Bits and Pieces

I'm not sure I should be writing a post because the pain meds and muscle relaxers I'm on make me a bit loopy at times and my tongue gets tangled so if I say something that makes absolutely no sense chalk it up to that and smile at my entertaining brain twists. :)

Every day my sciatica is a bit better. A tiny bit, but I'll take even a tiny bit. I feel sort of like this poor lady (I don't have a clue who she is...just found her on the internet)

I'm beginning to wean myself off the pain meds, a little at a time. I'm not sure if that's wise or not but I've got a call in to the doc to see what he thinks.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to sit up as much as I can and move around the house whenever possible. I'm doing some hand stitching a few minutes at a time. I've found that sitting on one of those cushions that is plastic and has little pokey things on it (for your posture I think) is helpful, for whatever reason.

Part of the reason this is good for my back is I don't slide off it. My body stays put and I can put a cushion behind my back and nothing moves. I seem to slide right off a regular cushion/pillow.

I've finished the embroidery on another tea towel and the applique on a wool pillow top called Wool for Ewe. I'll show it to you when I get the pillow top finished. I've also cut out and ironed on another wool pillow top called Wabbits from a Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine. I drew off several more wool pincushions - these are all things I can do sitting down so the hours that I'm up and alert I spend prepping things to do when I'm not so alert.

For those of you who suggested it I got a TENS machine yesterday and have used it several times now. I took it to the chiropractor with me today and he set it for me and I do believe it gives me some temporary pain relief.

I was scheduled to begin a mission trip this weekend but needless to say that's off the books now. No traveling for me for four to six weeks, unless I'm a really fast healer which doesn't appear to be the case right now. I still have hope though that this will pass soon.

One of the things I've been able to do is read and/or play games on my IPad Mini, bought 12/24, and that's been really wonderful. Unfortunately, it bit the dust yesterday and has to be shipped back to Apple. So now I'm back to bed where I'm going to try to read and respond to some blogs using my Mac. Fingers crossed I'll be able to do that!

Sunday, January 19, 2014

The Kindness of Strangers and a Few Other Things

A couple of weeks ago I was hit with the most severe case of sciatica that ever existed in the history of the world. Or maybe it was just my world....but oh my, the pain. I've had sciatica before and it was bad but this was beyond bad. I've been in the bed most of the time for two weeks now, unable to walk upright, or to stand for more than a minute or two or to sit with any comfort at all. I've made several visits to the chiropractor and one to the masseuse; I've been to my primary care doctor and gotten pain meds, muscle relaxers and steroids. I detest medication and am terrified of getting addicted because addiction seems to run in my family so I put off taking anything until it was way past the point of no return. Early last week I hobbled into the chiropractor's leaning heavily on my cane and with tears running down my face. I had managed to shower and wash my hair but no styling and no makeup so I can only imagine what I looked like. A sweet lady who was in the waiting room said, "oh my honey, you're in a lot of pain....the doctor will help you - he always helps me." And then she went straight to the receptionist and told her to take me in first, that she could wait. I cannot tell you how that small bit of kindness touched me. She would not have been there if she hadn't needed to see him but she put me in front of herself - I wonder if I would have been thoughtful enough to do the same. I hope so and I know that I will be much more aware of others in similar situations now.

My husband has been a real trooper, doing the laundry, cooking, helping me change clothes since I couldn't even lift my left leg enough to get pajama pants on or off. One neighbor brought a wonderful taco soup and another (a quilter of course) brought me a block I could hand stitch. Today one of my daughters is bringing lunch and of course, my children have checked on me most every day. I must be getting better because I am now laughing at myself as I toddle through the house leaning on my cane and looking straight at the floor because to stand upright is too painful. I think of the fairy tales I read as a child, I don't remember which one, but there was a crooked little man? :)

After I take my meds there is usually a window of time where I can sit up and stitch a little...handwork is soothing to my soul so I'm thrilled to be able to do it. I've finished a couple of tea towels:

And the top for a pincushion is ready...except I see in this picture that his eye needs to be a bit darker:

And today I was able to sit up long enough to prep this wool pillow top:

I've read a couple of books and am wondering if anyone has some good ones to recommend - perhaps a good romance, light enough that I don't have to think because at this point my brain is on strike. I love the Robyn Carr books if that gives you an idea of what I'm looking for.

I'm also stuck on Level 70 of Candy Crush and have played that game for hours now since I can do it lying down. Any tricks to getting past this level?

And I've been so thankful for my blog friends who have had some wonderful posts I could enjoy - especially the Kona Blog Hop that's going on now. I'm looking forward to next weeks' posts...you might want to join me in visiting these for a little inspiration!

January 20

More Stars in Comanche

The Quilting Queen Online

Lauraluvsloons
Sew Incredibly Crazy

January 21

Childlike Fascination

Renee Luvs Quilting

Cherry Blossoms

Sew We Quilt

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Sunrise....Sunset.....Kona

I love Kona! I know, you're saying "who doesn't?" We all love those bright, clear, crisp colors and the soft pastels and the vivid...well I'm preaching to the choir here. But I also love Amanda Murphy! Look at this beautiful new book!

I "borrowed"this photo from Amazon and it's awful! But just to show you I can do better, I took this one myself. :)

Amanda Murphy's newest book, Color Essentials, is just gorgeous! The colors are so bright and crisp and clean that you'll just sit with your mouth open when you see them. :)

I went through it about ten times trying to decide what I wanted to make and changed my mind more than once, actually more than twice! First I looked at these place mats. Don't you just love them? Then I saw this...

Oh my....the colors are just stunning! But in the end I knew I wanted/needed to make a table runner so I chose this pattern to be my first creation from her book.

I loved that border on the two ends! But I knew that, for myself, I wanted to combine two blues with white - so spring like - that would blend with my Blue Willow dishes so decided to "tweak" this pattern, combine it with some others in the book and ended up with this...

I took this picture out in the bright sunshine - that's a shadow from a tree in my yard that you see on the side - but I figured it would take that light for you to see the subtle difference in the blues. I quickly realized you could see it much better indoors on my table.

What do you think? Does it work with my Blue Willow dishes? It certainly sets off that poinsettia don't you think?

If you think you might want a copy of this book be sure you tell me that in your comment. I'm going to give away a copy of the book! Just comment once and be sure I can get in touch with you.

Thanks so much to Kona for the lovely fabric, to Amanda for this fabulous book, to Carol for shepherding us and to Madame Samm for being such a great friend to quilter's everywhere. And be sure you visit the rest of the bloggers - you're in for a treat!

January 15

Thimblemouse & Spouse

Daisy Days

My Addiction to Quilting

Mountain Mist Designs

January 16