Finally

I finally found something that I can do.  I have been wanting to get started on Snow Parade by Crabapple Hill for a while.  This afternoon I decided I could probably trace off one of the sections and start coloring in shapes.  I finished tracing one panel and starting coloring it in.  Hope to finish this section tomorrow and get started on another one.  Hopefully, I can have all three sections done by the time my splint comes off and I can start doing the stitchery.

Death Star

No, I am not talking about Star Wars, but my own Christmas tree star.  The first year DH and I were married we bought the antique tree topper you see on the right.  It is metal, very old, and very heavy, and it has been on the top of our tree for the last 19 years.  This year was no different, I had just put the star on top;decided  to put the skirt under the tree before cleaning up and calling it a night, it was almost 9:00.  While putting the skirt under the tree, the star fell off and landed on my left hand.  The main point went almost all the way through my hand and was stuck in my hand.  I have to say it didn't hurt until I pulled it out.  That is when I screamed, although I don't know if it was so much from the pain or the blood that was squirting everywhere.  The point went into a vein.  The scream brought DH running.  We wrapped the skirt around my hand and ran to the kitchen.  DH then frantically went to look for the first aid kit, meanwhile I had passed out on the  kitchen floor.  He came back got me taped up and in the car heading to the emergency room.  There are some strange people at the emergency room at night!!  They stitched me up and put a splint on it, told me if I had any problems to see my doctor.  After taking the splint off three days later I realized I didn't have any feeling in my thumb and two fingers.  Went to my doctor on a Thursday, he said the star had probably nicked a nerve and I needed to have surgery.  The last day he was doing surgery for the year was the next day.  I went home in panic mode trying to get all of my presents wrapped and some baking done. Had surgery on the 19th, he found three pieces of metal embedded in the nerve.  Went home bandaged from finger tip to elbow and in a sling.  Not fun.  Finally got the huge bandage off and it has been replaced with a huge brace that I have to wear for 8 weeks.  Luckily I am able  to take it off to shower and do my hand exercises.  This has seriously cut into my nightly stitching and knitting.  I don't know what to do with myself.  I am getting in a lot of reading.  And no, the star is never going back on top of the tree!!!!

Looking forward to 2017

I am so glad to see the end of 2016.  It has not been the best year for me for a lot of reasons; reasons that are too many to go into.  As most people do at this time of year I have been reflecting on the year and looking forward to the year that is about to begin.  I have decided that 2017 is going to  be the most amazing year ever, not  for any one reason just overall.  One thing I want to do in the coming year is get back to blogging.  I think last year I made fewer than 10 posts, and I realized that I missed it.  I have also missed reading other blogs.  Can't wait to get back into it and see what other people are doing.  I have missed the inspiration and excitement of seeing what other quilters and crafters are working on.  HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.

Spring has Sprung

Actually I think we went from winter to summer, last week it was in the upper 80's.  That is high even for Atlanta.  Our peony's are blooming much earlier than usual.  The pink one was given to us by DH's aunt.  The white one was a cutting that I took from one my dad had planted.  My mom told me that it would never bloom, but it has some beautiful blooms on it this year.

I had another finish this week, I got the binding on Ribbon Candy, this was a kit I bought last year.  I worked on it at the fall retreat at Charlie Elliot.  Leisa quilted it and did a great job.  It is going to be a Christmas present for someone, just not sure who yet.

A finish

 I finally managed to get something finished.  This is a Bonnie Hunter free pattern, Patches and Pinwheels.  I am not even sure when I started this, I know that it was several years ago,it was a fabric swap organized by my dear friend Kristie.  It is  a huge quilt 86 x 86.  My good friend Leisa quilted it and as usual she did a great job.  I finished the binding a couple of days ago, the only thing left to do is a label.  I try to always put a label on my quilts, for several reasons, especially if it is a gift for someone.  I have lots of antique quilts and it would be so nice to know something about the maker and exactly when it was made.  I hope that some day in the future someone will be glad I labeled my quilts.

I spent some more time at the dye pot, this time working on different shades of green.  I have everything from grass green to a great shade of teal.  Love the teal shades.

December really??

I can't believe that I haven't blogged since December.  I knew it had been a while but 4 months, time flies.  Several reasons for not blogging, school is keeping me very busy, plus just had lots of other stuff going on.  I have been having some health issues, lots of hand problems which has been keeping me from doing very much sewing.  I have also been having some back problems.  Getting old isn't easy, but much better than the alternative.  I have missed blogging, it is an opportunity for me to share what I am doing and hopefully people enjoy reading it.  I am slowly trying to get back in the groove of sewing and doing handwork in the evenings while DH is watching TV.  Today was my first day at the dye pot in a couple of months.  I decided to do my own tribute to Prince with my wool, check it out.

Raspberry Beret

Little Red Corvette

Purple Rain

Swittens or Mittears? Which is it.

Over the last year I have bought several sweaters at various Goodwill and Salvation Army stores,  I never knew what I would do with them until this week.  I decided to make mittens out of them to use as containers for Christmas gifts for the office staff at school.  I think they turned out ok.  Now just to fill them with homemade cookies. These were really easy to make, I found several tutorials on the internet today, but really just did my own thing.  Have some more sweaters that I want to cut up and use a different pattern.