End of the Month Already

I finished this last year, including the embroidery.  I simply do not have the manual dexterity to form French or Colonial knots so I used small seed beads to take their place.  All the stitching is back stitch.

I machine pieced and machine quilted it myself and hand sewed the binding to the back.  Not too shabby if I do say so myself!  Made for a one-year old for milk and cookies and that letter to Santa.  There is a pocket under the lined, embroidered pocket.

Still listening to audiobooks from the library.  And I can check them out and return them from home.

Will keep this short for tonight.  Thanks to all who responded last year.  Not much changes from day to day here.  Stay warm and safe!

Distantly blissful hugs,

Sharon (yes, that's me behind the mask)

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 😉