tangodancer208 wrote:

Hi, all!  Spending our last night in NYC.   We'll leave tomorrow before the snow hits.  

Yes, that's me from Tuesday, Gabriele!  I'm nothing if not stubborn.   Fortunately, since the surgery I have felt very little pain, just a little achiness.   They gave me a funky, black metal arm brace that I could lock at any angle or leave unlocked (like those big things people wear on their knees).  I wore it during all my lessons so I wouldn't be tempted to go for a movement that I should do when I am not yet able to.   The instructors were all sweethearts.   As soon as they knew I was ok, they really made me work hard, but they were always very careful of my arm.   

Poor Serge got the worst of it because the session he coached was the very first time I ever moved with that thing on my arm.   It probably weighs 3-4 lbs., so my balance was a bit off, and I felt very awkward.   But he was so nice and also made me work.   I ended up doing 4 lessons on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 3 the other 3 days.   I had a little trouble in the 3rd hour on Tuesday because of the weight of the brace.  The muscles in my shoulders and back were screaming, like when you have to hold your arms horizontal for an extended period of time.  Imagine doing that while holding a big can of tomatoes.  

From then on, I took an Advil just before the lesson started and I didn't use my left arm unless absolutely necessary.  It was really good practice for leading when we could only connect with my right/his left hand.  
I think as soon as I start PT, I'll get better quickly.  If I can get back in the pool, I think I can work the arm, too.  The doctor says I can't "soak" it for another week although I can shower.  I certainly am motivated to follow through with PT.   I just want to be able to drive again.   And hook my bra myself!  Everything else I can cope with or do without.

Happy Quilt Day, Jet & Gunner.  Those pictures are so beautiful.  

Back to work, and I want to get all packed tonight except what we need, even though we don't have to be off too early, and it is Sunday.   Should be home by 6 p.m. or so tomorrow night.

 
Glad that you had a great time, tango....good luck with getting your arm back to normal!!

LuvSeason18 wrote:

View, unobstructed wrote:

 "But since my mother's passing on December 28th, 2015"


Jet.  I feel like I didn't know of you mother's passing.  I'm so sorry.  Just this past Christmas?

Jet....I don't remember this either.....is my mind wacky and I forgot?  If so, I am so sorry.  *Hugs*  I know she is in a better place.

 
She is, indeed, in a better place, Luv.  When you don't remember anything or anyone and can no longer do anything for yourself, it is very sad.  We miss her but she is better off.  It was very hard for my brother who was there twice a week until the end.

gabriele wrote:

JetmamaDiDi wrote:

Good morning....and happy National Quilting Day to you all....even if you don't quilt! Just to let you know, if you can sew a semi-straight seam, you can quilt!!! The fact that they offer 1/4" "feet" for virtually all sewing machines makes a world of difference because, basically, all seams can be sewn straight and the seam allowance is accurate!! So if you have any inkling or interest and a little time, I encourage you to give it a whirl and see if you like it! I love the history that goes along with it....it is a blast to the past! One of my next projects is going to be an "underground railroad" quilt...with blocks that had meaning for slaves who were taking the "underground railroad" from the south to the north. Certain blocks had meanings which indicated safe houses that only they knew. Civil War history is an area of interest and there are beautiful reproduction fabrics of the era as well as many books that offer patterns of quilts from that time.

So here is my virtual quilt show for National Quilting Day! Hope you enjoy it!

This one is called Grandmother's Flower Garden. It is a very traditional pattern which my grandma did a bit differently. Usually there is either a white or green border around each flower, but she just sewed them together....which gives it a somewhat different and unique look. This one was made by my paternal grandmother who probably provided the inspiration for my interest in sewing and quilting. She died in 1965 so this quilt was probably made in the early 1960's or late 1950's (she didn't put a label on it, but I've added one on the back with all the information I have about the quilt). It is all hand pieced and hand quilted...and is made from real vintage 1930's flour and feed sack materials, so it is a real treasure. I actually have 2 quilts she made using this pattern; the other is from fabrics she collected in the 1950's and maybe very early 1960's. I have the rest of the fabrics and have pieced together most of the hexagons she had cut and left when she died. I hope to make each of our 4 granddaughters a quilt from what remains (there is also a bunch of uncut fabric that will probably make this prossible). Wish me luck....I need to get started!!! LOL

This quilt is one of my largest and best in terms of workmanship. I finished it in 2012. Took me about 10-12 months to make and finish. It's called "Bears in the Cabin"...an original design by our quilting teacher. The center and borders are machine pieced; the border motifs around the sides and on the top and bottom are hand appliqued. I love doing needlework, so it was fun (and I did all of the applique before putting the borders on the quilt). The appliques could have been done by machine, but I opted for the hand version. I machine quilted the entire thing on my regular sewing machine (a technique known by quilters as "damn it and cram it!!!)!! It is toasty to sleep under since I used wool batting, which is incredibly forgiving during quilting and which gives a bit more loft and warmth than cotton batting (which is great for summer). For whatever reason I don't use polyester batting. In the 1980's when I first tried quilting, polyester was the only batting available and it was horrible to work with since it "slipped" during quilting...and then often "disappeared" over time for unexplained reasons!!
This is the center of the quilt...the block is called "bear paw".

These photos show some of the applique motifs around the top, bottom, and sides of the quilt. It is queen size bedspread side with a pillow tuck and overhang on the sides.



I have one more quilt to share but tinypic quit working for me when I was trying to upload them. Will try again after I post this.

 ​They are both so very special for different reasons.  Since the older one is going onto 100 years, I am wondering how you would make them last.  It is 100% cotton?  Does it go brittle over time, perhaps with UV exposure?.  I guess it goes without saying that you would not use such an heirloom piece everyday in order to preserve it.
 

 You are right, Gabriele, about UV exposure.  The fabrics are 100% cotton so they fade quickly when exposed to UV.  So I keep them away from windows (even though ours filter out 86% of UV rays) and never put them in the dryer or outside to dry.  Best to air dry and then fluff in a cold dryer if you want to.  It's important not to use detergents either.  There is a quilt soap called Orvis paste that works well and doesn't have any of the bleaches or other detrimental ingredients in detergent.  I don't wash the quilts often since I rotate the bed quilts every few months.  Cotton fabrics hold up well with common sense care; the 100% cotton and wool battings will outlast all of us!  My grandmother's quilts have very old cotton batting that had no scrim or needle punching such as contemporary ones have to hold it together so you can feel a few seeds and where it has bunched up over the years in the corners.  I also have an old silk quilt that is at least 100 years old.  We have no history on it.  Came thru my mom's family and is in very good shape considering its age.

Maybe I haven't adjusted to the time change yet!  Suddenly it feels like bedtime---at 9:30!!!  Gonna tidy up and catch a few winks!

Sweet dreams all!!

Afternoon to you on the Palm Sunday.  Cloudy, cold and raining here today.  
Hubby and my mother in law have gone to DC to visit our oldest daughter and then to NC to see his sister till Tuesday.  
I am late today...had to take Zelda back to the Emergency Vet this morning...she wasn't eating since getting her back yesterday from our vet...and if she won't eat she can't get her insulin so they are keeping her overnight to keep a watch and do a bit more blood work...

Today is my son (Kaleb's daddy) and DIL's Anniversary and they have invited me to go to dinner with them this evening...YAY cause I am in no mood to cook today...LOL  

Will check the news.

View I saw we have a new thread ....