Design wall / FMQ

   What have I done this week?  Upset the therapist for one thing by threatening to start driving this week, and then putting her into overdrive when I said I had done some machine quilting already!  She put me on the "stepper" to work off my aggression and stress.  Ha! Fooled her.  Wait till she hears I got on the stationary bike this morning!  This broken wing---day 41---is putting such a damper on me, but I did start a new project and do a little FMQ.... just to see if I could.
   Now this is not my usual style, and some blocks need rearranging, but it is a start!   These are the brick blocks for Deana. I need a few more of the hot pinks in there.
  My bricks will finish up at 12" by 6".  I am linking to Cat Patches  for the monthly start project party.  It could be a while before I can this one really assembled......one handed, that is.

  I did mention FMQ, didn't I.  Yep, I worked on the last of the watercolors for the Awakening series.  I figured  it was small and I was just going to do large stippling, so maybe the left arm could just go along for the ride.  I mean the right hand could do the work.
   One of the exercises I do daily uses a pole / stick to carry the left hand and forearm  outward about 25 degrees.  In layman terms, that is about 3 inches out ward and to the left with the elbow at 90 degrees.  I am not to use the left arm muscles to move it, but let it move passively by the movement of the right arm.  So isn't that about the arrangement when we do FMQ?   I was careful to not put pressure on with the left hand/arm and just let it ride around as I quilted with the right hand doing the movement.  Lot more fun than pushing and pulling with a stick!!    I know I can't tackle anything large, but mug rugs....here I come!

  Please note:   I have been scolded a bit.....I am not doing anything that will hurt or delay this.   But I  really need to be doing something so I do not end up in a padded room in 6 weeks...that's 6 more weeks of this.  The arm is supported and in a sling.....even on the stationary bike.


    I will be sharing the Awakening series  photos soon....thank you, Sir Old Man for taking some great shots.    And don't forget to VOTE at Bloggers Quilt Festival , as today is the last day.
Happy stitching.  

Gathering lavender

     I love the scent of lavender.  It is believed to be calming and relaxing, and a bug repellent.    Deana had bunches of it hung all over her house this weekend, drying to be used in sachets that she plans to make.  She's a knitter and wants to add sachets of lavender in with her projects and gifts.

    So yesterday Sir Old Man cut back a few of my overgrown bushes.    I filled several containers as well as hung up some bunches to dry for her.   I may just make a few sachets to tuck in with my stored quilts.

   I filled this one and set it in the master bath......the aroma is heavenly.   Of course the tiny blooms will droop in a day or two and I will have to snip them off to collect them to finish drying.  But for a couple of days  I will enjoy the scent.
 
  I did my OT/PT at the  sewing machine this morning.....sewing together the extra squares to finish off the watercolor of the arbor.  I will attempt to get the rows  attached tomorrow.  Then I made a few more brick blocks.  It is slow going, but so much better than going stir crazy!
  Thanks for all the well wishes and votes.....we will see.
Happy stitching.

Ripple effect

  Do you believe in the ripple effect?  You might refer to it  as "you reap what you sow" or the golden rule.  I always think of it as the ripples across the water when a pebble is tossed into it.  The ripples spread out in a widening circle far beyond where the pebble was tossed.  It is an image that stays with me.  It gives me a reason to share, and give, and offer any help I can. 
  I received an email from an anonoymous blogger and it really touched me because it brought the ripple  image to mind.

"Thank you for your thoughtful present of having written this article. The message seems to be given to me specifically. Our son also had a lot to learn from this – though he was the individual that found your site first. Most of us can't imagine a more superb present than a gift to encourage that you do more."


  Then this email arrrived just a little while ago......
"I'm pleased to tell you that your quilt was nominated in one or more categories for Bloggers' Quilt Festival - Congratulations!  ..... help me spread the word on your blog, facebook, twitter. Anyone can vote, so they need not have participated in the festival.
Good luck!
Amy "

Wow....surprised and stunned....  Persistence was nominated in the Art Quilt Category for the Bloggers' Quilt Festival!!!!    Today I needed  some extra encouragement;  I really needed reminding that I can get through this.  The ripple came back to me.   Thanks to those who nominated  Persistence.....thank you because it means a lot.    
  Now, please vote on  the nominated quilts.    Click here to vote!!!
Spread the word and share the link...anyone can vote for their favorites.
Happy stitching!

In need of Therapy

    When I named my blog Stitchin' Therapy 3 years ago,  I never thought it would be so insightful!  I considered my sewing and quilting as a form of mental / emotional therapy.  Time to play and create, to experiment and discover what I liked.  Now, it is the treatment  I need for physical and occupational therapy.  Day 37 of the broken shoulder event and I am finally able to sew a little bit.
    Right now the PT is focusing on keeping the joints loose and moving----slightly. I have limited range from the shoulder.    But at the sewing machine, I can passively  exercise the joints and muscles!!!  Just allowing the hand to guide the fabric and let the machine do the work for me, involves the movement I need---froward and then back.  Fine motor skills begin to disappear within 2 weeks---it has been 4 already for me---and so  stitching will hopefully help those too.  Just threading the sewing machine takes fine motor skills, as well as aligning 2 edges of fabric strips.  

   Luckily, I have lots of strips already cut and a jelly roll from a recent win........  I turned some of them into "brick" style blocks for Deana.  She claimed all the hot pink and turquoise strips for a lap quilt from the jelly roll.   This definitely will not be my usual style.....a more modern style set for her.  But hey.....I am stitching again.  That's emotional therapy as well as PT and OT!
   Enjoy the long weekend and remember our heros on Memorial Day.
Happy stitching.  

And another one...

   Another doll quilt arrived this week....from Mrs. Claus at Hill Country Quilter .  I love the colors and variety  in this one.  Thank you, Mary, for being a Mrs. Claus from Texas.



                          
  So number 70 is added to the stack of precious doll quilts for 2012.  Once again, thank you all for helping.

I am heading off to PT once again.  The good news this week is the x-rays showed new bone growth! Yes, finally.  The doctor was very pleased and surprised when he checked the range of motion.  Very little stiffness and of course it hurt like all-get-out when he raised the elbow to the side, but I do see some light at the end of the tunnel.
  Don't forget the Bloggers Quilt Festival  ----lots to see and nominations are going on for the next few days.  I made my choices.     Update:   Voting has begun for viewer's choice.  Just click the "vote" under your favorite quilt.  Only one vote per IP address.   View and vote.
Happy stitching......soon me too.

Bloggers Quilt Festival 2012

Welcome to  the Bloggers Quilt Festival !  Thank you, Amy for hosting this.

  Persistence is a small wall hanging, but right now in my life it has huge meaning .   Persist, stay the course, hang in there, don't give up......you get the idea.  This is day 28 of the broken shoulder event, and  each morning I  when I see this wall hanging  I am reminded to hold on one more day.  Healing  is a slow process.  I am impatient.  I am tired of having this sling hold me down.  I want to sew and create.  I want to do the things I love.   Not yet.   Persist one more day, it will be better.   And that is why I chose to show this water color for the festival.

 The background is done in floral fabrics using the watercolor technique of 2 inch squares on gridded interfacing.  It's my favorite form of expression in quilting.  I enjoy working with color and value and finding the impact in their arrangement.
    The central area of the lightest fabrics glows  and blends into the surrounding foliage and flowers of the garden.  Perched on a branch is a Goldfinch.  I often watch these beautiful birds from the window in the sun-room.

    My Goldfinch is thread painted onto several layers of  tulle and stabilizer .  I used about 4 shades of yellow and a touch of gold thread for the body.....lots and lots of thread.   The branch is also thread painted.  I mainly use a zigzag stitch for thread painting.....using a side to side motion to achieve good blending of color.   Once the thread painting was finished,  both were cut out just beyond the thread line and machine stitched to the background.

I finished off  the edge with a filet inset strip that is very narrow, about 1/4".  I love how the yellow really makes the Goldfinch pop.  And then  I added the border to complete and quilt.  

                                                                           Persistence 
                                                                          18" by 26"  
Persistence....The ability  of taking one day at a time as you hang on till it is done or in my case, healed.  A good character trait to have.   And remember to avoid the holes in life.
  Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the festival.   Visit  Amy's Creative Side  to view all the entries and to be inspired.  Happy stitching.

Stacking things up

   The days are long and I have time on my hands---well, one hand at least.   Reading sounds like the way to  use my time, but as I am having double vision in my right eye----from the broken nose and concussion----so I am limited there.  It just takes twice as long to do anything.  Try folding laundry or a fat quarter with one hand.....ugh!
    I resorted to putting things away and straightening up in the sewing room.....a little while each day for the last few days.  The outcome is a stack of small projects that I found half done,  and things I was in the process of finishing up.   A couple of mug rugs to quilt, a wall hanging to quilt, fused art quilts for journal covers to stitch, a card wallet to complete, 2 quilt labels to border....so here they sit waiting for 2 hands.
  I added a couple of things to the stack:  more squares to stitch together to add to the watercolor I was working on.  Wanda at exuberantcolor  made the suggestion to add another row around the entire wall hanging to add depth to the center.  She was right;  that is exactly what it needs.    I also pulled fabrics for a table runner for a gift I need to make.....add it to the stack.  And finally, a bin of strips and fat quarters for a lap quilt for Deana----turquoise and pink.
  I attempted some one hand stitching and need to report it is only good for non-accurate stitching!  Why did I think otherwise?  Threading the machine is a trial  but I can sew stings together and create some wonky stuff.  I  do need the therapy!

     A second stack up-----doll quilts!   They took a while to layer into a stack.  There are 69 precious little jewels here.  Thanks to all the wonderful, fabulous, generous  Mrs. Claus quilters around the world for  making this happen.  Hugs and blessings to you all.
   Happy stitching.