Saturday, January 16, 2016

The Jelly Maker's Cabin top is pieced.  Yesterday I went to my favorite quilt shop and bought backing and batting to begin quilting it.  I also need to mark and quilt the first block of the mystery project I am working on.  
I only missed sewing one day this week and that was the day I went out of state and did not get home until late.  I crocheted everyday and finished up a dishcloth.  I bombed at reading everyday this week.  I was struggling to get in bed by a decent time everyday and just skipped reading.  I will make a better effort next week.
My quote for the week was:
"I am certain that a sewing machine would relieve as much human suffering as a hundred lunatic asylums, and possibly a good deal more."  Margaret Atwood
I can sew relate to that thought, may more people learn to use a sewing machine!
Sew Long for Now!

Saturday, January 09, 2016

My soul is feed,
with needle and thread

I have been able to sew on what I am calling the Christmas quilt.  It is not Christmas material or a Christmas related pattern.  It is the pattern and material my husband gave me as a Christmas gift.  It is coming along nicely.
On Monday my husband and son went with me to one of my favorite quilt shops here in town and bought material for me to work on the mystery quilt along that Leaha Day is doing.  She has lessons and help with machine quilting with this mystery quilt.  Since I really would like to improve my machine quilting skills and it is one block a month I thought that would be perfect for me.  I picked fabric in the colors she suggested.  This is going to be a very bright quilt.
In 2015 I started to see an integrative doctor in North Carolina for my Hashimotos Thyroid Disease.  I was diagnosed with it 30 years ago and at the time there was not a lot of information about the disease.  Last year my sister was diagnosed with the same disease and low and behold I found out medicine had come a long way and left me behind.  So, with the help of this new doctor and a change in medication and lifestyle I am doing better.  You wonder why I mention this.  One thing I learned is how bad stress is on you.  I have always dealt with a great deal of stress, but the last two years it has gotten out of control.  One thing I learned is that you have to make time even to scheduling it in your planner for things you enjoy to help relief the stress.  I had let all the demands on me take over and I had left no time for sewing or other activities I find soothing.  I am happy to say I made time for sewing, crocheting, and reading everyday this first week of the year.  I even slipped in some housekeeping and other task I don't enjoy.  Make time for something that you enjoy this coming week!

Sew Long for Now!

Saturday, January 02, 2016

"Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
whispering 'It will be happier'..."
Alfred Lord Tennyson

Greetings!  Another year has said goodbye.  It was another year where I did not get in a lot of sewing time.  All the responsibilities of taking care of family this past year took up so much time that at the end of each day I found myself falling into bed without a stitch being sewn.  I did finish 4 quilts this past year which I am so thankful for, but I neglected my blog and that made me sad.  I don't make resolutions, but I do like to set down goals each New Years.  Some of my goals for 2016 are to sew some each day, to do some needle work each day (crochet or knitting), to post a blog post at least once a week, and to read a book a month.
For Christmas my dear husband gave me a 52 strip jelly roll and a pattern for a quilt.  What a sweet man he is!  I started it and am breaking down the steps into small units to accomplish each day.  
This is the last quilt I made in 2015.  It was a gift for dear friends who helped us this past year.  I used a disappearing nine patch pattern.

Here's to 2016 and the hope of happier year with more sewing!

Sew Long for Now,
Cindi