Day 596

I was so excited to show off the work I did on the snowman quilt that I used the wrong "F" word.

I've heard about these things quilters use called design walls. Basically it's a section of wall covered so you can lay out and arrange/rearrange quilt blocks until you get them organized the way you want. With as many quilts as I do, I decided I wanted a design wall. 

I had some felt left over from the Christmas stockings and an empty section of wall. I stuck the felt up on the wall and arranged my snowman blocks. But the blocks kept falling down! Doggone design wall didn't work as well as I thought it would. I barely got them to stick long enough to take today's picture.

I had used the wrong "F" word.

I wasn't supposed to use felt for the design wall - I was supposed to use flannel.

Day 595

Today was one of those days where I planned one picture but decided on a better one(s).

Our burning bush has been very colorful so I headed out early before the sun was up to get a spectacularly beautiful picture. The camera certainly didn't capture the true colors, but I found some things in my rose garden that are really, truly, spectacular.

Day 594

Stepping out the door this morning didn't give many clues to the weather ahead. While the clouds were a bit dark, the sun was shining behind them and the birds were still flying around so it couldn't be that bad.

But as I drove to work the clouds looked more menacing.

Even before my meeting finished, it hit. Heavy, pouring rain. More rain than we had all summer long.

But those pictures aren't the coolest thing about the day. Thanks to the elementary school secretary, this picture is. She stitched up some stockings for soldiers! And today I sent a package containing 202 Christmas stockings to the Stockings for Soldiers organization. Thanks, P-- for your help!

Day 593

The snowman quilt continues. Today's picture is of the other blocks that'll be going into the quilt.

But might I just add a thought?

I wish I had some directions for this thing. I wouldn't shell out the $30 they were asking for the pattern so I'm working off a picture I took last year. Man, it takes some brains to figure these things out!

Day 592

My daughter gets perturbed at me for spending so much time in the sewing room. She thinks I go overboard on making items for charity and spend too much time and money on fabric and postage just to send things to other people. She also thinks I need to sell the things I make as a way to help out with the household income.

So I wasn't surprised when she called the other night and asked what I was doing. I, of course, was in the sewing room. And it bothered her. But when I told her I was making something for me, she was okay with it. Even tonight when she called and I was again in the sewing room making something for me, it was just fine.

What am I making? Well, here's the start of it.

Day 591

The best part of the day came this morning when I found out about this cocoon from Day 587.

According to my mom's friend in California it's a praying mantis cocoon. Only makes sense being that we've seen several around this summer. We'll take that metal sunflower back out of the shed and keep it in the garden for the winter. (Hopefully that's the right decision.)

Worst part of the day was this morning, too. My sewing machine has been acting up these last couple days and when I took the bobbin case out, I saw why. The green and red colors are a giveaway as to the cause. Green and red felt from all those Christmas stockings, perhaps? What a mess.

Day 590

Veggie garden frozen out and done for the year.
All charity quilts quilted.
195 Christmas stockings for Stockings for Soldiers sewn together.
Kidney specialist appointment.
Neurologist appointment.

It's been a busy week. Time for an update.

Hubby's kidneys are continuing to improve. They're having him cut back a bit on the steroids now to see if the improvements are going to "stick". If the kidneys continue to improve on a lower dose the doctor expects he may fully recover. If his kidneys don't improve on the lower dose there may permanent damage. The next few weeks of tests will tell.

The next few weeks will also hold answers to the tremors he has been having. The neurologist almost ruled out Parkinson's - another wait and see game. Same with his numb feet. It may be permanent nerve damage from the kidney failure.

To sum it all up...it is too soon to tell what the future holds, but kidney function is heading in the right  direction.

Today's picture has nothing to do with anything but my scrap basket that is now empty. Empty of scraps, but not of you-know-who.