Change of plans

 This isn't the best photo, but you can probably see I have an immobilizer on my left knee.

Long story, but I'm dealing with some type of soft tissue injury.  Yesterday afternoon was partially spent in the ER (my second visit this month) as my left knee buckled and wouldn't support me at all.  After lots of X-rays it was determined I have no bone fractures.  So on Thursday morning I'll be at the Orthopedic Institute clinic to see what comes next, which will most likely include an MRI.  

In the meantime I can hobble around with a cane and this immobilizer, as long as I do it slowly.  That means I won't be trying the stairs to my sewing room for awhile.  GRRR!  Wishing I had some binding to work on, but I do have some hand quilting.

I may take a couple days off from blogging too.  It's the pits getting old.

Design Wall Monday - Nov. 18

Right now, I'm keeping my focus on staying caught up and BOMs and finishing some small projects.  I'm also in the mood for some Christmas sewing.  

I'm caught up with the Tranquility mystery again.  This month's clue was to make 8 of these border units (6 x 12).  I was all excited thinking next month we might see the layout, but then I realized these 8 units are not enough to go all the way around the quantity of blocks we've made previous months.  So there must be something else coming in December.

There are 8 star blocks needed for the Saturday Sampler BOM this month.  They are stars quite similar to a previous month, but with white stars and with extra corners added.  

One pair of blocks is made, and the other 3 pairs are cut out and ready to sew.  We know what the final quilt will look like this time, and I'm thinking that next month we'll get the last clue and make blocks for each corner.  It's exciting to be close to the finish line. 

Because I'm in the mood for some Christmas sewing, this kit has floated to the top of my list this weekend.  It's a table topper using the "folded star" technique.  I'm kidding myself that I'll get it made this week but it needed to be "on my radar" at least.  

I'll be linking up with Design Wall Monday today and Monday Musings.

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/

https://songbirddesigns.blog

RSC24 - Week #46

Today is the first day in over a week with nothing scheduled that required me to go anywhere.  Yay!!  I plan to sew as much as possible.  And then we had plans to go to a movie this evening, maybe followed by supper somewhere.

This might be the final RSC quilt top of 2024.  But then again, I have lots of block sets still hanging in the closet, so it might not be last.  All of the flimsies waiting for quilting are hanging in the sewing room closet - all 22 of them if I could wall hangings and runners.  Yikes!!!

I took this flimsy into the basement family room/husband's office and laid it out on his putting green which makes a great design wall.  He recently wondered why it was collecting strings and I had to admit how those strings were getting there.  LOL

Shooting Star is a pattern that came in a Fat Quarter Shop Sew Sampler box a couple of years ago.  I just love stars, and this one is extra fun because the alternate block makes a great design when paired with the stars.  The first version of this that I made used the fabric in the box plus my own background.  That one was gifted to my nephew's daughter for graduation in May 2023.  This one has been an RSC project each month in 2024.  It's perfect for scraps.  

This wasn't an RSC project this year, but I am doing scrappy white backgrounds from my leftovers bin.  I needed 30 blocks for a quilt project and I had lost the extra blue jelly roll strips I planned to use for cornerstones.  I've made 2 or 3 blocks per week this fall, and these are the final 2 blocks needed.  The other good news is I found where I had put those extra blue strips, so all is good.  Finishing this quilt is actually on my list for 2025 - and yes, I've already begun making my list.  LOL

Check out more Rainbow Scrap fun today . . .
https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/ 

End of week check-in

 I can't believe it's already Friday!  This crazy busy week has flown by.  With limited sewing time this week I've still made forward progress on some projects.

The mystery quilt, Tranquility, is quite possibly nearly done.  This month's clue was to make 8 of the border units (6 x 12).  I have 6 of the 8 done and the parts ready for the last 2 of them.

Twinkler is getting closer as well.  I need 30 blocks, and thought the 2 made this week were the last 2.  But when I layed them out on the floor - oops!  Only 28 of them.  

So I've cut out the actual last 2 blocks and hope to get them sewn today before heading to my cardiology appointment this afternoon.  I have 3 jelly roll strips of blue left, but there should be more of them as I only used 1 jelly roll strip per block.  Somewhere in the mess in my sewing room must be the rest of those strips.  My plan is to use them for cornerstones.  

So, my next project really needs to be some cleaning.  I'm lacking stamina right now, but even cleaning one little area at a time would help.  OK - I'm lacking motivation for cleaning too.  LOL

Music and more

 On Tuesday afternoon I left town with 3 friends for an evening of fun in Sioux Falls.  We began with supper at an Italian restaurant, where the food was wonderful.  I had a delicious chicken marsala and brought home half for another delicious meal.  

Then we went to the Mannheim Steamroller concert at the Washington Pavilion.  Like the food, the concert was wonderful.  It was a delightful mix of Christmas music and other. But the Christmas music . . . so so so good.  Don't you love when you get goosebumps when you listen to some music?  I've been a Mannheim fan for decades, and still have most of their CDs, although they are in a box in a closet right now.

The only negative - the young woman sitting to my left who coughed almost continuously through the whole program.  A deep rattling cough!  I'm going to be so angry if I get sick from whatever she has. 

The view from my desk is still very pretty.  That golden maple tree is the only one in the yard that is holding onto it's leaves right now.  We had a dribble of rain overnight, and sure could use more.  Now I see the forecast says we might see snow next week.  That is pretty normal for this time of year, so it's OK.  We need moisture.

Today is the day I get to take off the heart monitor I've been wearing 24/7 for the past 2 weeks, and tomorrow I go back to Sioux Falls to North Central Heart for more tests.  They've ruled out a couple of things but still need to determine a firm reason for my extreme racing heart.  And a plan for treatment will hopefully follow soon.  I was in the ER a couple of weeks ago with a heart rate of 220+.  That was terrifying!  Hence the heart monitor, changes in medications, and lots more tests.  Good thing my favorite hobbies don't require a lot of strenuous activity.  

Quilts of Valor update for November

Hopefully I'm sleeping in this morning as I went to a Mannheim Steamroller concert with friends last night.  This post was actually written yesterday.

Our little Quilt of Valor group has been very busy this past week.  I can't say often enough how rewarding it is to make these awards to our deserving veterans and active duty service members.  We had 3 award ceremonies.

 

One little Christmas stocking

 

This is it - the only thing to show so far this week.  These little Christmas stockings are being made by the members of our Sew Vintage group, and will be filled with a little gift and exchanged at our Christmas party in December.  It's small enough to be used as a tree ornament, and big enough to hold gift cards or candy for the grandkids.  Which gives me an idea - although I may not find the time to do anything with that idea before Christmas.  LOL