It's Alive!

Well no, not really.  But my stash has seemed to take on a life of its own and started to take over my sewing space.  The need to clean and organize has been pulling at me for months, but I haven't been able to make myself do it.

My car accident has changed things for me.  I am no longer able to sit and sew for hours or even minutes without excruciating pain in my lower back.  Oh how I miss sewing.  I miss my machine, I miss watching Friends on my DVD player next to my Pfaff.

 

I went into my sewing room on Friday night after dinner.   I just received Camille's new Red Velvet Cake pattern and finally knew how I was going to use my prized Rouenneries layer cake.  I sorted squares and started cutting, but then the mess all around me stole my focus.

 

I started to think how I could sort and organize my collection of fabrics.  I started to pull things off shelves, off the floor, out of the closet.  I started to open storage boxes.  I needed MORE storage boxes!  I woke up early Saturday and went out to get more storage boxes.  I would corral these projects strewn around the room into some semblance of order!

 

I worked all day Saturday and oh, my back was killing me when I went to bed, and still hurting when I woke up on Sunday.  I completely overdid it - my body is not healthy right now and all that activity really took its toll.  But I was determined to finish what I started.  I took some ibuprofen and surged ahead.

 

I worked all day Sunday, taking time out to iron my clothes for work this week and to make a killer pot roast for our Sunday dinner.   I was brutal - if I didn't love it, or thought there wasn't a snowball's chance that I'd ever finish it, out it went!  Projects were gathered together with all the supplies and labeled in storage boxes.

 

My room looks fabulous.  I feel a great freedom and also feel my creativity returning.  Sometimes purging can be a very good thing.   Stay tuned for my upcoming stash reduction sale!

My first Schnibbles

I've collected many of the Schnibbles patterns, but have never attempted to make one.   The Year of Schnibbles club hosted by Sherri and Sinta encouraged me to take the plunge, and I am really happy with the result.   I made their September pattern selection - Winter White - using 2 Spooktacular charm packs.  I wasn't so sure I liked these bright colors while I was making it, but I do really like the way it turned out and now I finally have a little Halloween quilt!

I want to thank all of you for your supportive comments following my accident.  I'm slowing improving and hope things continue to get better with each passing day.  Now I'm dealing with insurance companies (hers and mine) and that's a whole 'nother kind of pain....

Hit by a truck

Have you ever used that expression "I feel like I've been hit by a truck"?  I'm pretty sure I've used it before, but now I can actually say I know what it feels like.

Yesterday morning I parked my car at the park-and-ride and - bus pass in hand - was walking through the parking lot to the bus stop.  Over my shoulder I could see a truck cut through a line of empty parking stalls and thought "gee, that truck is coming awfully close to me, are they trying to run me out of their way?" but the next thing I know, the truck hits me from behind and knocks me to the ground!   I am in a total state of shock and disbelief.  The driver comes flying out of her truck saying "oh my god, oh my god" and my first words to her were "I can't believe you just did that!"

She whips out her phone as I gingerly get up and asks if I want her to call an ambulance.  I say I think I am okay, besides being dazed and scraped up (thank goodness I chose to wear a jacket or my elbows would have been hamburger.  I don't even want to think about my knees if I wasn't wearing jeans.  I told her I would like her to call the police.

We wait in the 5 a.m. darkness for the police to arrive, her nervous chatter making me want to slug her.  The police came and wrote up a report.  She isn't cited because in the officer's words, she wasn't driving fast enough to be charged with reckless driving.  Still, wouldn't you consider it reckless to HIT A PEDESTRIAN in a parking lot???

I drove myself home and my husband took me to urgent care after we got the kids off to school.  After 3 hours, I learned I had no broken bones, but by now it was 6 hours after the accident and the pain was starting to set in.   I also went to my chiropractor, who can't do a full assessment until 72 hours has passed.  He also warned me the pain would increase and by Sunday I probably won't be able to get out of bed without help.

I am stunned, in shock and incredible pain.  And I lost my bus pass.

I'm still here!

Thelma emailed me a few days ago wondering if I was ok, since I hadn't posted in so long.  I apologize to anyone who has stopped here and found nothing new since the pillowcase post.  I've been busy with a secret sewing project that I can't share right now, and with getting the kids back to school (yesterday!) and also with getting myself prepped (mentally and physically) for an unpleasant medical procedure.  I tell ya - they can put a man on the moon, so why can't they make the colonoscopy prep even the least bit palatable?  Yikes.  Oh well, kids are back to school, I made it through my test with no complications, and I'm still sewing like a mad woman.

I'm taking a little break from stunt sewing to work on my Year of Schnibbles project.  I'm nearly 2/3 finished, and waffling between "I really like this!" and "Oh my, I'm not sure these fabrics work for this pattern!"  So I hope to have that project to show you in a couple of days.  Come back, please?  I swear I won't always be this boring!

How about some cute kid pictures to distract you?  My boys started 7th grade yesterday - MIDDLE SCHOOL!   How did that happen?   And my daughter started 4th grade - she is very excited to be at elementary school without her brothers, so now she has her own little kingdom!