Happy New Year!

 Hard to believe it's been over 4 years since the stroke.  Seeing sporadic, minimal improvement.  Walking without any aids even if I do look strange.  At least I am not in a wheelchair anymore.  I still remember coming home in one.

Still quilting.  Have done about 70 of the Tula Pink City blocks, a quilt using all of my mask fabrics, 600 masks.  I swear the mask fabrics keep regenerating--I've done the masks, cut at least five queen size quilts, my twin, cut the scraps down into 4 shapes and sizes, leaving whatever pieces were still large enough for new masks (God forbid) and I STILL have the LL Bean Boat and Tote (largest) overflowing! And I did the year-long sew along with Temecula Quilt Company that just ended (lasted a year).  Used the first Charleston collection by Judi Rothermel.  Yardage has been properly aging since before the ark!  

Counted cross stitch has helped with the frustration of limited hand sewing.  I can rotary cut with my right hand only but as accurately as before.  I miss being able to cut with either hand equally but at least I can do it with one.  Still fussy cutting and am better at using both hands while pressing.  Slow but steady for sure.

Pic above is from my trip to the St. Lawrence in September 2017; one of the last teaching trips I made.  Life certainly has been an adventure!

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy new year.  Be safe and stay safe.  Back soon.

Blissful hugs from a distance,

Sharon

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Another year has flown by in a blur.  Still not fully recovered.  But if I don't move I look normal (whatever that is!)  

Hope everyone is well and surviving.  Still quilting and have returned to counted cross stitch after a 25 or so year hiatus.  Kind of satisfies my need for handwork.

Miss you all.  Don't know if anyone is still there.  Not much to say when you stay home.  But I will try to be here more often in 2022.

Stay safe and healthy.

Blissful, if distant, hugs,

Sharon

P.S.  Still typing with one finger; these missives will be shorter.  The chicken in the thong pictures are from one of my travel adventures prior to the stroke; they make me laugh and I hope you get a chuckle too 😉

Greetings, Quilt Fans

I partially figured out my problem, so let's see if I can add some pics today.

First, some hand piecing.  From the back...

From the front.

My first applique label.  I only had a bit of selvage left so I machine stitched that onto the label first, inked the rest of the label and then appliqued it.  You can biggie size any of the pictures by tapping with your mouse.  A doll quilt for a little girl named Arabella from the Arabella fabric line a bit ago.  She got it yesterday and she was very happy even though she did not understand about the incredible story of having a fabric line named for her. 

Will quit here for today.  Hope you are well.  Oh, by the way, There is a glitch somewhere for Hummingbird Highway, so please click on Hummingbird Highway on my blog list, then find Winging It blog on her site to get the new postings.  I updated all the info, but it does not link to the new site.  Sorry!  Also I added Susan Branch--love her stuff--very down to earth, cool stuff.  Check her out! 

See you again soon!💖

Blissful, if distant. hugs,

Sharon

Happy New Year!

Although long silent, I am glad to report that I am still here.  While still some lasting (so far) impairment, I have made progress! For the moment I cannot figure out how to add photos, so I will describe what skills I am glad to see a glimpse of.

First, I've been able to hand APPLIQUE my sleeves and complete labels to my quilts and to hand finish binding.  It takes a bit longer than before...but it's better than nothing and looks like my old stitching.

Second, I hand pieced a full hexagon block with pass-throughs, circled eight seams to finish another block. Again, very slow going but the points and stitches are the same as before the stroke.

I am able to pin better, which has increased my accuracy.

I can rotary cut better, still only right handed, but it's easier to leap frog my left hand on the ruler and hold it; I rarely use the flat iron to hold the end of the ruler, and that is only on my 24". 

Counted cross stitch is keeping me entertained. Getting more control and a better looking back.

Still knitting but better.  Shawl started again and looks much better.

Have made close to 400 masks.  I remember joking about Halloween fabrics when we started making them in March!  Who knew we would need Christmas, too.

Had a bit of mask fabric in my bag and have started a mask quilt using 3.5" squares of all the mask fabrics alternating with a light blue speckle.  60 x 72 inches and about half done.  No borders, just blocks to the edge.  

As soon as I can figure out the pictures I will show you all this stuff and more.  Also updating Hummingbird Highway's info on blog.  She has moved her blog and you can read all the posts we have been missing.  I'll try to be more frequently here this year. 

Stay safe, wear your mask in public (correctly), socially distance and stay home when you can.  Let's get rid of Covid 19 in both iterations early this year.  All the best for 2021 to you and your family.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger says:  "I'll be back."  Threat or promise to be determined!

Distant, blissful hugs,

Sharon