I caved!!!

All it took was knowing this is the last day of July (and my promise of a no-stash August), coupled with the email from the Fat Quarter Shop saying this bundle would be sold out by the weeks's end, and my clickie finger couldn't resist.  I've had my eye on these for months, and well, the temptation was just too great.  I love the combination of pink and brown.  Yummy.

Feeling giddy!

About the progress made on my red, black & cream quilt!  I have more than half of the center sewn together, and now that I've got an assembly line system going, it is happening really fast!  I only have 4 more rows to complete!

There are 3 borders around the center - first a row of black & cream half square triangles.  Next, a border of 2-1/2 x 5 inch strips of red, then a second border of the red strips, offset so they don't line up.  I am thinking I will cut more of my red stash and make the final border wider than the 2-1/2 inches.  I always like to have extra border so I can square the quilt up after the longarm quilter does her thing.

I didn't add extra fabric to the border of the baby quilt I just finished because I just did not want to buy any more fabric, and I regret that I didn't do it.  So I'll go back to my comfort zone and make this one bigger.  That means more cutting to do - good thing I like cutting!

I should have the center finished by the weekend, so look for a photo update soon!

Black & blue & purple

No, it's not the color scheme for my next quilt, it's the color of my left arm after my second Active Release treatment yesterday.  I bruise like a peach anyway, but the deep tissue massage to release the scar tissue from my muscles has left me black and blue like you wouldn't believe.  Ouch.

It's difficult to tell if it's helping after 2 treatments because the bruising pain is so intense.  My range of motion after just the one treatment was very much improved.  Before the first treatment I could only reach behind my back to about my beltline, but after one treatment, I can reach up past my bra strap.  A great improvement!

I also got good news from my HMO - they have approved me for treatment through the guy that's covered under my insurance, though only 6 treatments.  So between that and me paying Dr. Annie for any additional treatments, I think I can swing it financially.  Especially if I truly honor my commitment to The Great Fabric Depression for the month of August.  Heaven knows I need more fabric like I need another hole in my head!

Baby's here!

My new nephew - Logan Daniel - was born on Monday afternoon in Atlanta.  I guess that's the poke in the arm I need (oh but please, the right arm, not the left!) to get the binding stitched down onto his quilt this weekend so I can pop it into the mail next week.  I normally machine stitch the binding down using a decorative feather stitch on my machine when I think the quilt will get a lot of wear, but this is a special gift, so I'm thinking hand stitching is in order, even though it's one of my least favorite things to do.

Work is really progressing on my scrappy red, black & white quilt.  But to save from showing what looks like the same photo over and over and over, I will spare you that and post again when the center is all together.  It shouldn't be long, now that I've got a good piecing system in place!

My mind is whirring with trying to decide which project I want to start next, though, and that is the carrot dangling in front of me, prompting me to plug along and finish this boring, boring quilt!

This might rival labor pain...

I had my first treatment with the new doctor yesterday.  Ouch, ouch, ouch!  She thinks she can help me, but OMG, so much pain!  The active release technique uses a deep tissue massage to work the scar tissue out of your muscles, and my muscles are pretty badly scarred. :(

I actually cried during the treatment and I truly have a high pain threshold.  And today I have some really deep bruises... well at least it takes my mind off the shoulder pain!  I dread tomorrow's
treatment, which will be the massage on top of the bruises.  Ay-yi-yi....

And I'm paying out of my own pocket for this? Yes, I'm clearly insane....

Cross your fingers that it works!  I do have hope, and so does the doctor.

Bound for baby

I picked up the baby quilt on Friday and again, just LOVE what my longarm quilter did with it.  She did an pattern called 'popcorn' and it very nicely mimics the horseshoe fabric.  I just love it!

I got the binding basted on this weekend.  I just need to sew it down and then wait for my nephew to be born so I can personalize the label and get it in the mail.  I love this one - so cute!   And, my quilter gave me a card for 10% off my next quilting job.  Sweet!!!!

So excited!

I threw my checkbook in my purse this morning for some unexplained reason (I don't usually carry it with me)... well, my long arm quilter called and the Johnny & Buck baby quilt is ready, so I am going to pick it up in an hour - wahoo!  I was wondering if I might hear from her soon (the baby is due next
week).

I am so excited to see what she's done with it!  I guess I will be sewing a binding on this weekend, and I got some of these to make the label with a cute cowboy cartoon graphic.  Fun stuff!  Will post a picture when I'm finished.

A glimmer of hope

I went to a lecture at REI yesterday on the topic of rotator cuff injuries (was this made for me, or what?)...  The speaker was a chiropractor who is also certified in a soft tissue treatment called Active Release Technique.  Now I have a chiropractor that I love and that is covered by my HMO, but he has told me that he can adjust my spine, but can't do anything for my shoulder (soft tissue) injury.

The doctor I met last night gave me great hope, although she is not in my HMO's network of doctors, either.  I am contemplating going to her for treatment anyway and just paying out of pocket.  If it helps, it would be totally worth it.

I did some investigating of other ART practioners and found one that is a licensed massage therapist and is covered under my HMO.  I need a referral for massage therapy, so my doctor agreed to put in the request for me.  Our last attempt to get approval for massage therapy when I was having migraines (years ago) was denied, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this one will be approved.

At any rate, I have a little bit of hope now, and I'm excited!

Move along, nothing to see....

But I did make a ton of progress on my red, black & cream quilt.  I have the first 4 rows sewn together and have all but the last 2 rows laid out on my design wall.  I've finally gotten into a rhythm of the sewing so that it proceeds pretty smoothly and not as boring as my getting up to stitch and press after every single seam I sew.

I noticed I made a mistake in the end piece of one of the first rows - I turned the patch the wrong way to sew it on.  But, I'm leaving it - it will be my humility block.  ;-)

I made a list this weekend of all my planned projects and collections of fabrics that don't have a particular project in mind yet.  Wow.  That was kind of a shocker.  I think I need a buying hiatus, but I say that every month and my resolve never lasts!  I do love fabric though, it is quite an addiction!

Lame Blogger!

Yes, I'm lame - in more ways than one....  I haven't posted in forever because I haven't made much progress on my red, cream & black quilt (the most boring piecing EVER) AND because I re-injured my shoulder!  The pain is excruciating - worse than ever.  I was feeling so much better, was even able to take several long rides on the bike trail without pain over the 4th of July weekend, so I tried a river fitness class (water aerobics working against a river current - fun, fun class!!!) and had the audacity to lift a ONE POUND weight over my head!  One pound, people!  The doctor scolded me and said no lifting, no raising arm over head, no exercise classes.

I am so sad.  Back to square one.  Actually, back 3 steps BEHIND square one.  :(   The pain is incredible.

I have already decided I am not going to attempt the triathlon in August, as much as it saddens me to drop out, my health is more important than achieving that particular goal right now.  And I'm struggling with a new job at work and it's made even harder by the constant pain.  I just need to take care of me for right now.

Orange ya glad it's not red?

I had a wonderful, relaxing 4-day weekend.  <sigh>   It's a shame to have to be back at work today!

I had to take a break from my red, black and white quilt, so I worked up a block of my orange and cream/white quilt.   What do you think?  I like it, but I had hoped the cream/white would soothe it a little bit more than it actually does.  I hope it's not going to be too bright!  I sure love all the beautiful orange fabrics that I had in my stash (and supplemented with a few new ones).  They are so pretty in all the different shades of orange!