Mending Mistake

It should have been the most simple jeans mending.  Just the small hole in the lower left corner.  Five minutes, over and done.

But somehow, I made a pleat in the fabric, and in the picking out of the tiny mending stitches, made two more holes.  I guess some days are like that.  When I mended those three holes I made the machine a free arm, which I should have done in the first place.

The first PT therapy yesterday was rescheduled because the therapist had a family emergency.  Monday should be a glorious day, weather-wise, to ride down the hill and up the hill.  Toward the Ohio River and away from it.  I am pondering whether it might be a day to visit the zoo after my appointment, it's very close by.

In the meantime, my wrist aches more than I thought it would, but there is more flexibility every day.  I can twist to put the thread in the last sewing machine thread guide and then pull out the little thread loop from the needle threader.  You sewing people will know what I mean.

Progress every day.

Scrap Quilt Start

It's a start.  Basic as can be but satisfying to me.  Five inch blocks, 2/3 of them "as is" and 1/3 of them pieced, separated by 2 1/2" strips from a white jelly roll.  I'm thinking that eight rows of piecing will be about right for a lap quilt.

I have two friends in long-term residential rehab and this may find a home with one of them.

Another friend just told me that when you take a fabric scrap from a pile, a scrap fairy replaces it with two scraps.  This could be true.

I've started rereading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way for maybe the third or fourth time.  I am good at Morning Pages, but Artist Dates - I'm going to have to start from scratch again with those.  I'm thinking about how or why I got so far removed from them, when they are so important.

Same, but in a shorter term, with salads.  Yes, I know, I'm way off track here.  For the past few months my mind kept telling me - no salad.  For no reason that I can comprehend.  I finally had a good one tonight, and it was amazing.

Cast Off

The cast is gone from my wrist and arm.  There was a LOT of padding to cut through.

So, this is my new view.  The brace is molded vinyl covering the bottom of my arm, with three velcro strips to hold it in place.  There's a white stocking under it so it doesn't rub on the skin.  I'll pretty much wear it all the time except for showers and therapy until March 6.

But please note, you can see the sleeve of my zippered fleece covering the brace.  I'm always cold, and it feels so good to have both arms covered.  I'd been wearing my fleeces on my right arm and throwing them across my shoulders.  The cast was just too fat to fit a fleece over it.  This feels glorious.  No luck with a glove, though, but I can take off the spongy rectangle if I want to - maybe then.

I ordered two white jelly rolls to use with my scrap blocks, and they should be here tomorrow.  For today, though, after my doctor and therapy visits, I'm tired and will be turning off the sewing machine.

Scrap Sewing

This morning, with some inspiration from Christina Cameli, I decided to sit down with my latest tub of scraps and just start sewing them together.  (You can find Christina's website here.)

No worrying about whether things match, no concerns if I still don't have perfect wrist pressure on the rotary cutter ruler, no matter if I'm cutting down an orphan block or two.  Just moving forward, cutting the blocks down to 5".  And pressing seams open on my new wool pressing mat, thanks, Connie H.

A little ways into the tub I found a stack of 5" squares, so for the larger scrap pieces I'll just cut more of those.  I'm picturing white fabric between the blocks, but who knows.

Looking forward to a day or two of warmer temperatures.  Going out for breakfast in the morning.

The Last Inch

And then one day, in its own good time (has anyone read Leo, the Late Bloomer?) the last inch of binding was sewn down on the tee shirt quilt.  And now, for the very best part, going over each block carefully and trimming any loose threads.

It wasn't what I planned to do today.  I thought I would just stitch the binding on the back of the quilt and I would be happy for today.  Then, as these things happen, the quilt had a mind of its own.  My wrist felt ready.  And, so.

I ran a few errands this afternoon and stopped at a Chinese buffet near home.  Really disappointing, not at all like I'd remembered.  I'm sticking with the newer and shinier place from now on.  Many more good choices.

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No Paczi Donut

Yesterday I took myself for lab work that I've been putting off.  I promised myself that I'd stop on the way back at Graeter's for a paczi donut.  A paczi donut is huge and jelly filled and available only in January and the days prior to Lent in February.  I don't eat the entire donut, but it's tradition, like pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately for me, they were sold out, so I got this tea ring, my go-to.  And that is good too.  The older gentleman who has worked at the store forever asked about my wrist, wished me good healing.  I hoped for a vegetarian soup, but it was afternoon by then and there was only chili left.

I am waiting to hear of news from my friend who fell and hurt her left wrist this morning.  She is at Urgent Care.  Fingers crossed for her, she says she has lots of pain and little movement.  

This has been a task week, getting my house back into order after the holidays.  I have much more wrist movement and energy and can do most things that don't involve twisting.  And lifting, limited to five pounds with the left.  So, sewing is on my mind.  I miss it if I haven't sewn for a few days.  I have a bag of scraps from a friend - like I'm always telling you, someone else's scraps are always better.

Message on a Bag

I am having a zen couple of days, undressing the Christmas tree.  Walking upstairs with a little bag, putting ornament boxes in it, coming down, taking ornaments off the tree that go in the boxes.  And then the best part, looking at each one, wrapping them back up.  Taking a break to put laundry in the dryer.  Taking the bag with the boxes back upstairs.  

Because that's how my life goes, sometimes, a bit at a time.  Especially now.  The end of next week, the wrist cast should come off.  Although I have no complaints, the flexibility is increasing day by day.  

But the bag that I'm using for toting, it has a good message.  One that I would have missed had I just brought it back from the store concentrating on the after-Christmas bargains.  Even as we grow older, we're still creating.  As we go.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone.

I think I post this every year, and every year it's relevant.


When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.

     Howard Thurman