Day 325 of 365

Yes, I did.

If someone were to ask me if I started using those squares that I filed yesterday, that would be the answer. Boy, did I start using them.

My new file folder fabric square system was very efficient. I easily matched up colors and patterns. And I sewed and sewed and sewed. Assembly line style, one after the other, after the other.  My machine got a workout and my Christmas iron got a workout. Lots and lots of blocks sewn together to make several sets of 11" blocks and several sets of 9" blocks. All of them are now waiting patiently, hoping to be part of one of a multitude of quilts.  Oh, the possibilities!

I so enjoy sewing, particularly for others. I might not be able to crochet anymore, cross stitch, or even hand quilt, but I can feed fabric through my sewing machine. Give me lots of pre-cut fabric, my arthritis gloves, a comfy office chair, a working iron, and a south-facing window on a winter's day and I'm a happy camper.

Day 324 of 365

Today's picture should be titled, Stay Away From Mod Podge Part Two.

Yesterday's waste of time, fabric, and Mod Podge on the Crystal Light and beef jerky containers should have been a big enough of a deterrent, but they weren't. Today I got myself in even deeper and wasted much more time, fabric, Mod Podge, and even some scrapbook paper.

I have all these fabric squares that I got on Day 131 and Day 185. They've been sitting in stacks inside an old box. I always forget I have them and when I do remember, it takes me forever to sort through all the stacks to find what I want. So I decided to organize the stacks.

I also have more hanging file folders than I'll ever need in a lifetime leftover from when I was teaching. I got this clever idea to cut the file folders down to fit the box that held the stacks of fabric squares. If the file folders fit, I could "file" the squares and be able to see what I was looking for quickly and easily.

But an ugly old box wasn't going to do. Mod Podge and scrapbook paper to the rescue! (Or so I thought.) I've never Mod Podged anything but fabric and now I know why. For when I used that Mod Podge and scrapbook paper on all sides of the box, the paper buckled. After it dried it was even worse.

After much peeling and scraping, the paper came back off. Next up was covering it with fabric. I went through all my usual steps when working with Mod Podge and fabric. When it was dry there was one small problem. The fabric I used was light-colored and the box had some dark printing and colors on it. Obviously Mod Podge doesn't hide what is under the fabric. A pretty, fabric-covered box with lettering and markings showing through wasn't too attractive.

Off came the fabric. But I wasn't going to give up - I had already spent hours and I wasn't about to let the project get the best of me. I tried again with a darker fabric with better results. Not great results, just better.

It's time to leave it alone. Maybe the best solution of all is to start using all those squares. It has been a month since I've worked on a kids' quilt for charity. I think it's time to start back. And time to give up the Mod Podge for good.

Day 323 of 365

I have to get away from the Mod Podge.

With my quilt being finished up, I got back to work on re-organizing my sewing room. I went through the very top shelf of my sewing room closet - the one that holds all the fabric and is pictured on Day 57 - and sorted through all the plastic containers that were up there. I tossed some, moved some around, found uses for some.

And I Mod Podged some.

I had several Crystal Light drink mix containers and a beef jerky container that have been waiting for me to find a use for. I found a way to decorate them - Mod Podge and fabric. But now I still don't have a good use for them. I don't need them for a pen/pencil holder. I don't need them for buttons. I'm not sure what to use them for.

I wasted my Mod Podge and fabric (and my time) on them without a purpose in mind. And to top it off, they didn't turn out as cute as I thought they would. They'll be sitting on the shelf until I (or someone else) comes up with some great idea.

Anyone?

Day 322 of 365

Three separate people asked me about my health yesterday. Two of the people have probably only ever asked me once - ever - so it seemed quite unusual to have three in one day. It was only after repeating my story more than once did it become clear. This drug cocktail I'm on for arthritis has gotten way out of control.

I have:

• A weekly injection that can cause TB.
• A weekly injection of a chemotherapy drug that has some of the side effects you would expect. It also causes a depletion in folic acid which requires me to take...
• Folic Acid daily
• The combination of the chemotherapy drug and the years I was on anti-inflammatories has torn up my stomach, so twice daily I take medication specifically for my stomach.
• A twice daily anti-malaria drug which, among other things, can cause blindness, hence my multiple visits to the eye doctor.
• An occasional dose of addictive pain medication.
• A couple other non-arthritis related long-term daily medications.

And I'm still waiting for the last ditch effort to come through. The thousands of dollars a month IV option, the one the insurance company has twice denied.

Going through the list then led me to some questions. What kind of person takes a combination of medications like that? How did I wind up on such extreme medications? And why so many? Thinking about it had me waking up this morning feeling kind of bad about things. Almost feeling sorry for myself. Almost.

I am so grateful and thankful I have things in place to keep me from lamenting my situation. There is always something to organize, but more importantly there is always something to make for charity.

I finished my Disaster Auction quilt. I'm happy  it came out the way I envisioned. I need to get my quilt label on it and it will be good to go.

Make Homemade Scrap Fabric Finger Pincushions - Day 321 of 365, Tutorial Tuesday

The first pincushion I ever owned was one of those tomato-y types. I'd used it for 25 or so years and when it got raggedy I started searching for a new one.

I started by purchasing one that looked like an easy chair. It was pretty and all, but wasn't practical to keep close by because it was a bit oversized. I still use it in my sewing room, but for decoration only. The next pincushion I bought was a cute little Mary Engelbreit one that looked like a little purse. Again, a bit too decorative and not all that useful.

Then I started making my own in hopes of finding something that worked well for me. I started with a flower pincushion from a pattern found on the internet. It came out too big. On Day 1 I made some squares ones that fit perfectly in the drawer next to my machine and worked well for my daughter to use in her department at work. Then after a noisy summer of owls and some inspiration from a gal who decorated some owl cookies, I made some owl pincushions on Day 195. Both of those pincushions were given away.

Now here I go again, looking for a perfect pincushion. This time I needed something smaller. Occasionally there are times when I need one for just a few pins when I'm away from the sewing machine. Today's tutorial solved my problem of losing pins on the floor.

I stick them in my finger pincushion.

Now available in my Etsy shop as a digital download with the written directions, step-by-step photos, and link to the tutorial video. Click to get it now!

Looking for more quick and easy projects? Check out these ideas!

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Find the step-by-step how to tutorial for these quick and easy homemade finger pincushions project right here:

Day 320 of 365

I do everything I can to avoid kids.

That may appear to be quite contradictory to my career. I'm going on my 18th year working in the same elementary school. Before that, I ran a preschool and before that I worked in several. That makes 28 years working with kids aged 3-10.

But now I stay away from kids. I still work in that same elementary school, in an office, doing regulatory/compliance and curriculum type of work - with no kid contact. It's not that I don't like kids. It's not that I'm not patient with them, it's not that they get on my nerves.

Kids represent illness. As a teacher, I was sick a lot. Then once I started on these medications for rheumatoid arthritis - medications that purposely destroy the immune system - my periods of sickness lengthened and became much more severe. Even a simple cold can send my entire system into a crisis. Something others can get over in a week can last several months for me and can result in multiple serious infections.

So nowadays I use a lot of antibacterial hand cleaner, Clorox wipes, and Lysol spray. And I have to avoid kids and sick people.

Like today. My husband had to go to the doctor and I sat in the car to avoid sick people in the waiting room. It was a cold morning to be sitting in the car, but it was worth it if I prevented an illness. As a bonus I got a pretty picture as the sun was trying to peek through the clouds.

Day 319 of 365

It was a somber morning around here. Any time you get a phone call at 8 in the morning on a Sunday, you know it can't be good. And it wasn't. The teachers at my husband's school have been calling each other this morning, making sure everyone knew the news.

On Day 27 on this blog I wrote: But as a high school teacher, the number of students my husband has lost is in the double digits. Most of the deaths occurred while the students were in high school or just graduated from high school. And usually from car accidents.

I never imagined when I wrote that way back in March that less than a year later it would happen again. One of my husband's students - one that graduated last year and is a freshman in college - was killed in a car accident last night. She was 18. If you want to learn more about Taylor as a high school student, here's a story the Boise TV station did on her last year when she won their Distinguished Student Award.

As a parent, my heart breaks for what the family is going through.

So other than phone calls, things stayed quiet around here today. I spent my time in the sewing room trying to finish up the Disaster Auction quilt. It'll probably be ready tomorrow, but today I did get my coupon holder done.