Virtual Retreat - Ongoing (started January 2019)

[genevacarroll]

Well, it's sure quiet on this thread. I guess everyone is busy making quilts! At least I hope so.

My day to post is coming up this week. We will be out of town so I thought I'd show you what I had been up to.

I don't see the quilt I made that released a lot of emotion about my husband's pacemaker surgery. (He's doing well). It's called "Heartbeat: Making Pace". If I've showed it before, I'm sorry. The fabric is a piece that I hand dyed a year or so ago. The top lines show the pauses in his heartbeat. The lower lines show the healthy heartbeat with fresh oxygen and blood flowing.




I finally finished the Galaxy quilt. I'm glad to be done. It was a struggle with setting and quilting the "dust" but I think it turned out pretty good.




I'm now ready to start something new. Just waiting for something to hit me upside the head and say "Go make this!"

I hope all is well with you. I miss hearing from you and seeing what you are making.

Take care, geneva

[genevacarroll]

Hi Geneva! Great to see “Heart Beat” and “Galaxy”!

I gifted myself a new sewing machine (Bernina 570) while at the RD2CA show. We’re still getting acquainted. Looking forward to a long friendship. First project is the 2016 row exchange.

Barb

[eileenkny]

Geneva, love both your quilts! Glad hubby is doing well-hope he keeps that regular rhythm going. Galaxy is very cool and I like the quilting you did on it.

I missed both my January and February days! Well, I'm only 2 days late for this month.
I had a ganglion cyst removed from my left hand/wrist. It was sitting right on a bone and had wrapped a little around a tendon. Since I'm going to the Academy of Applique at the end of this month, I figured I'd get it taken care of. It popped up out of nowhere on New Year's Eve. Go figure. I've got 4 stitches in my hand but was able to do some hand applique at my monthly stitching group yesterday.
I'm gathering all the fabrics I need for the academy. It's not a huge project but it has 32 different fabrics! Wow! It will be super colorful. I had more than half of what I needed in my stash, so only had to shop for 12 fabrics. Not too shabby.
I'm still going to PT for my knee replacement and hope that will be done soon. The doctors and therapists all tell me how well I'm doing, but it still hurts. I guess I'm impatient.
So, I don't have anything to show this month, as usual. But I am plugging along.

[lotti]

Geneva - so glad your husband is doing well. I love the heartbeat quilt - so apt and so helpful if we can put our emotions into a craft that turns frustration, fear, anger, and whatnot into a beautiful thing that makes one happy.

Eileen, hope your hand heals quickly and you can really enjoy the workshop to its fullest. wow - 32 fabrics - what fun - looking forward to seeing the result.

I'm back to work - wanted to work full time as of last week - but from about noon onwards i feel naucious and then get dizzy - so - am working 60 percent for the rest of the month - with the physio that's plenty. a colleague from work will be having the same surgery at the end of the month - so i want to make her a pillow if I can get enough energy - for having had all that time off i really havn't done a thing (two feet on my fractured elephant quilt - one block of the murder mystery quilt and absolutely nothing else... but during the weeks after surgery I tried all types of pillows to help me sleep (tucked under my knee / tucked around the knee / on the side to keep steady - most were either too fat / too heavy / too hard / too thin/ too this / too that. in the end I used a down pillow covering which is meant to be used over a foam or other synthetic core - without the foam core. very light, very soft while still having a good fill. so i'm going to buy one for my friend Berrin and want to make a couple of pretty covers for it.

made one quilt in november - something bright and soft - for me to wrap up in during my time at home still have not taken a proper picture thoug.



look after yourselves :P :silly: :woohoo: :silly: :woohoo:

[lotti]

Geneva,
Love the Heartbeat Quilt, great way to use a piece of hand dyed. Can I have your permission to print the picture out and use it to promote a Shibori & Indigo class I’m coordinating for my local guild. People always seem to ask, “But what would I do with a piece of fabric like that? I love it, but,,,”

Eileen,
Take care of your hand and be sure to share pictures of your work ‘as it progresses’. It’s always so interesting to see the start, middle, and someday the finish. I’d love to see your 32 fabrics.

Lotti,
I can totally relate to not being able to find the ‘comfortable’ pillow or position after a surgery. I remember coming home with 2 pain pumps hanging around my neck after bi-lateral inquinial hernia surgery. (Spelling could be totally off!!) And because I have a duplex kidney situation on one side, kinda like having 3 of the little things, the pain killers were gone after 2 days not the 3 I was told.... that 3rd day I thought I was going to die, but I had a wonderful ‘nurse’ neighbor that came over and helped me into a bed with chicken soup and a bottle of a bit stronger than aspirin pills from the hospital. She checked on me every day and within a week I wanted to see if I could drive my car down the driveway. She told me NOT for another week, those stitches need to finish healing and you need to let others ‘be blessed’ by blessing you. IT’s a hard lesson to accept, but you must let others do things for you if they can, just like you want to for your friend. I wish I was closer, and I’m not good at flying or swimming,,,, I’d come wait on you a little and let you know how special you have been to all of us on the group. Rest, and heal....

[eileenkny]

Lotti, I agree with LuAnn-do what's best for you. i'm sure your physio therapist does this, but mine lays a damp heat pad on my leg before I even start working out and I sit with an ice pack for 10 minutes afterwards. Then I do the ice again when I go home.

[lotti]

Luanne, thank you. And a note for your Shibori and indigo classes: these special fabric creations are almost too fabulous tomcat up - but they are perfect for making throw pillows. Takes little sewing effort bit has a fantastic effect and really brightens up corners. Therefore also great to make as gifts.

Thank you Eileen. I have very little pain - mainly tight muscles and tendons which the physiotherapist is working on. and then the pain is mainly from the sore muscles - which is helped with Hot water bottles, heat pads, warm baths and massage. I don’t like the ice anymore as I find it only makes me cramp up, at this point heat helps much more and I have grape seed bags and rape seed bags at home and at the office - two minutes in the nukemachine and they‘re good to go. The rape seed ones stay hot longer - probably because the seeds are smaller and they contain more oil. The regular strengthening physio I do on my own. But because I have very little pain I stopped taking any pain medication and therefore also the stuff that helps against the acid caused by the pain meds. Apparently this stuff also suppressed nausea so All of a sudden I’m very surprised when my body seems to use nausea as a signal to keep me from overdoing things. Now that I know it’s a simple solution - yup slow down and do what’s needed.

Now early to bed and to think about a baby quilt I want to make...

[twiglet]

Geneva your quilts are gorgeous. Love the way you've used the dyed one. It looks ice dyed. Hope your husbands continuing to improve.
Poor Lotti it's taking a time to recover from the surgery, hopefully you'll end up feeling a new woman with loads of energy. Your grey and red quilt is amazing just love it. xx

[sewengel]

Hi All, from, dang it snowed again, Colorado. We had a BIG snow the end of November and then nothing for 2 months, although the mountains did. Then the first part of February, Mother Nature came home from vacation and flipped the switch back to Winter. The mountains are getting blasted and we have been getting snow about every 3 days. I am already tired of shoveling. Come on Spring!!

I completely forgot to post in January. I don't have photos as I am working on a show quilt and hope to finish it the end of next week. Very happy how its coming along.

LouAnn and Eileen and Lotti, I am praying all your surgery pain will be healing soon and you can get back to normal life and, of course, quilting/sewing.
Geneva, as usual, your quilts are wonderful. We are driving up to Seattle this summer and I told DH that we need to stop and see you guys. Will keep you posted if and when that happens. Most likely it will be in June.

Well, April 1st Jerry retires and about a week later my mother will be moving in with us. Oh Boy, my peace and quiet will be gone. It will be an adjustment for sure.

Take care all of you. I think of all of you often.

Sharon in, as I said before, COLD and SNOWY Colorado!

[quilting00]

Geneva and Lotti, your quilts are wonderful!!! I love the meaning and story behind each one! Eileen and Lotti may your healing progress at a faster pace! My day to post is in a couple of days. I too missed January! Sharon, we are having rain; but, no snow that sticks. We have an odd weather year too; but, I hope the snow/ice days will hold off for a future year!

[genevacarroll]

I miss you all. I hope you are all safe and well.

Love, geneva

PS. And sewing!

[sewengel]

Oh Geneva thanks for starting this again. Well in 8 days Jerry retires, what a time to do that. I work at home anyway, so this isn’t that much of an adjustment, but will be for him. Hope you are doing fine. Just a thought for comfort, say The Lords Prayer while washing your hands.

I actually have quite a bit of drapery work, but am taking this week to do a UFO and will show a pic in April.

Love and hugs to all of you and stay safe.

Sharon in a sunny day Colorado

[sewengel]

Hi Geneva!
So far good here. DH and I are staying in since we’re in that age group. I’ve been working on the 2016 row exchange and DH has been working on family photos.

All grandkids are preparing to finish their school year online, including granddaughter at Central.

I imagine all our families doing similar things.

Barb

[sewengel]

I’m 2 days early for US people and 1 day early for NewZealand, LOL

I’ve been active, but staying a bit more secluded. I have put up a full blog post you can read it at

https://letscreatetoday.blogspot.com/2020/04/march-2020-review.html

Here’s a few of the pictures. Pretty self explanatory, so I won’t add a lot of words.

[lotti]

Hope everyone is well and staying safe!



Be healthy!