Hi this is daughter number three...

My mother had her surgery on Tuesday morning.  Her two hour surgery took four hours but went very well.  Her doctor removed both bone and scar tissue.  By Tuesday evening she was asking for her book and eye glasses, and a return home on Thursday was looking very good.  But Wednesday morning she began having some back spasms as a result of the muscle manipulation done during her surgery and was in a lot of pain.  So you would think that a Thursday return home was not in the cards?  Well think again... Despite being in pain, though managed some what on Valium and Percocet, she made the five hour trip home today and is resting on the couch with nurse Roy as I type.  DH made her staple mashed potatoes and my Nan is on tea duty.  It may be a while until she can respond to all the lovely well wishes an such as she needs lots of rest but don't worry she will be back.

Oh and the pressure behind her eyes is gone...  ; )

Morgan

Read More

Sewing Room Tour - part 2...

Thank you for all your comments and sewing space love yesterday! Today I thought I'd share a few of the details and storage solutions I've come up with.

As I mentioned yesterday, I do work better when things are fairly neat and tidy. The down side to putting things away is not being able to find them when you need them! I found this drawer handle at Anthropologie and had to have it to remind me to think carefully when I put something away!

I organized my space with a few things in mind ~ keep my work surfaces clean, store items close to where they will be used, and make supplies easy to find (meaning don't let drawers and bins get too full and cluttered). I also wanted to keep my space pleasant looking ~ a happy place to be.

Here are some of my storage solutions:

I've decided not to keep a lot of scraps. I used to have a big scrap drawer that was so full I was stressed just opening it. These 4 small bins from Target hold scraps of only my very favorite fabrics. When one starts overflowing, I clean it out and drop a bag of scraps on the freebie table at guild.

Current piecing projects. I used to keep these in bins on my cutting table, but in my effort to keep the table clear, they now live in the drawers of my sewing cabinet. I wondered if putting projects out of sight would also put them out of mind, but remember my dry erase board with current projects? It keeps me on task!

These clear jars (also from Target) sit on top of my white cabinets and hold pearl cotton, twine and ribbons. I started collecting AMH and Amy Butler ribbons in 1-2 yard pieces. I found this idea on Pinterest - they're wrapped around popsicle sticks!

This is one of my favorite things! I have 3 clipboards (one more on the other side of the room). Two have patterns that I plan on using soon. The third has reference sheets that I refer to frequently - how to make a pillow case, paper piecing instructions, cutting bias binding and my fibonacci number chart. These cute boards are from See Jane Work.

My thread is stored in the sewing cabinet drawers of the larger machine where I do machine quilting. A few spools of beige and gray are stored in the drawer of the smaller machine where I piece.

This bin holds my binding fabric. I try to keep it safe so I don't cut into it for another project!

 Fabric is folded and stored by color in bins (yes, Target) using Jeni's folding and sorting method. I've found it easier to get to than stacking fabric.

Little things need little drawers. This inexpensive unit from Ikea holds needle, glue sticks, snaps, zippers and more.

You may have noticed this drawstring bag hanging next to the cutting table. It holds the binder clips I use to secure my backings to the table when pin basting - right at hand!

This cup holder is next to my machine and keeps small rulers, pencils and cutters handy. On my sewing surface I keep thread clippers, a pin cushion and recently I've decided to keep my seam ripper right at hand.

 I also try to keep some decorative and pretty things visible. A bowl of floss...

and some quilts on the wall. My Joseph's Coat and my favorite light fixture from Ikea...

My color wheel (I'm surprised by how much I refer to it!)...

It's nice to have a space that's all your own, whether it's a big room or a little corner. As Nate Berkus would say - it should rise up to greet you. I keep a few personal items that make me smile. Like this #1 sheep, given to me by my teenage son because I'm "the number one mom". He makes me laugh every time I look at him!

Thanks for visiting!!! . . . Cindy

Read More

Sewing Room Tour... part one

I've had a lot of sewing spaces over the years. I started in our first apartment sitting on the floor with my machine on a step stool (younger days!). I've set up in the dining room of our first house, an unfinished basement in another and a 10' x 10' spare bedroom in our third. When we found our current place, one of the things that sold me was a bonus room built over the two-car garage. Huge 20' x 20' space - I could picture it immediately. Reality set in, and since my husband works from a home office (and is really the one who buys the fabric), we built a dividing wall down the middle and I ended up with a nice 10' x 20' sewing room. I love it!

I like that it's somewhat removed from the rest of the house - a little sewing sanctuary. You walk up a set of stairs in the back of the house off the kitchen. Here's the room from the doorway...

I consider myself really lucky to have 2 sewing machines. They're in cabinets placed back to back giving me ample table space for quilting large quilts. I use the larger machine primarily for machine quilting and the smaller one for piecing. This allows me to go back and forth without changing thread or the setup. Crazy how just having to rethread the machine used to stop me from getting to my machine quilting!

Here's the setup from the other side. I love my little TV that swings both ways on the wall...

On the left wall is my design wall. Simply sheets of styrofoam, duct taped together and covered in a white flannel sheet. Easily reachable from the piecing machine...

Just around the corner is a piece of framed pegboard holding my rulers and rotary cutter...

It's within easy reach of my nice big cutting table. I've had this table for many years and I love that it's lightweight and folds down to the size of the drawer you see in the front. I baste all my quilts on this table - it's on wheels and I roll it around to get to all sides of the quilt.

I made the step stool so I could reach to the top of my design wall.

My ironing station is around the corner. It's made from a wire shelving unit (also on wheels) with a 20" x 60" MDF board on top. I've had this board for many years and it's still perfectly flat. It's covered in thin batting with a pillowcase-type cover. I take 2 yards of fabric, sew up the long end into a tube and slip it over the board, folding and pinning under the ends. When one side is ruined, I flip it over on the second side.

The shelves are used for fabric storage...

To the left of the ironing station are couple of small storage cubes from Target. Here I keep my most frequently used books. I'm a quilt book hoarder, so I have lots more stored on a bookcase in the hubby's office right next door.

On top of the books is a bit more storage and my dry-erase board that keeps me on task...

To the left, I have another shelf for fabric storage and 2 cabinets for more fabric storage. (More on that tomorrow). The shelves above the cabinets are shoe storage shelves turned upside down. The boxes hold patterns...

And finally, just inside the door is my desk. I've my books displayed on a picture ledge from Pottery Barn...

 a bit of sewing art and pictures of some of my favorite people...

You can see everything is fairly cleaned up and tidy. I work better when there's not a mess, although that happens when I've pulled a lot of fabric for a project. Mountains of unfolded fabric!

Tomorrow I'll be back with some of the little details and storage solutions.   . . . Cindy

Read More

It's time.

Don't have a lot to say tonight.......but I know that you are out there wondering about me.

Tomorrow is the surgery. 8:30a.m.  Seems my brain isn't perfect.
Who knew?

It's going to be a much shorter surgery, two hours, and not six.
And recovery will be easier.
I'm counting on it.
I know you'll all be sending me good energy, and saying small prayers.
And I thank you.
Give me a few days, and I'll be back.
I promise.

Read More

Quilt blocks and winners!

 The randomly selected winners of Casey's new patterns are Jennifer Powell and Ann Seely. Congratulations! Please email me and let me know which pattern you'd like  - Onward or Sakura.

For those of you who use Google Reader and are switching to Bloglovin' (as I have), I've added the "follow" button on the right. And if you aren't using a reader to keep up with your blog readin', now my be the perfect chance to get started. Click on the link, create an account and continue to add your favorite blogs.

I have my March Bee block to share with you. As I mentioned, Toni and her husband chose several Blue Note album covers for us to use as a design for our blocks. The idea was to keep it modern and close to the original art. Such a great idea! Here's my result...

For my birthday in December, I got a gift certificate to one of my favorite online fabric stores from my girlfriends (love you girls!). I fell in love with Tsuru and snatched some up as soon as it came out. I bravely cut into it today and started a new project!

Since a few of you sounded interested in a sewing room tour, I started snapping some photos. I should have it all up this week. Stay tuned!

And I'm longing for this after a foot of snow this weekend! . . . Cindy

Read More

From another POV.

   With my surgical date fast approaching, I am parceling out my time.
I did go to the studio, and did some catching up, but my head that RULES said no weaving today.
No sewing today.  NO LIKE REAL WORK TODAY.
So I listened, and came home.
One of my priorities is to walk Roy every day before I go, even if I have to push myself to do it.

I've discovered, that if opening your eyes widely is painful in the sun, you can really walk with your eyes half mast, as long as you're on the road, and you know where you are.  With my eyes closed, or very nearly, I am most aware of Roy's little BIG feet tapping quickly along the pavement, his tags jingling on his collar, and the sound of the wind in the trees.
It was a cool wind on my face, but not the kind that makes you hurry to get home.  It was refreshing, and good.
We walked for an hour, and now he's snoring beside me.
That was my priority today.
I'm going to hate leaving him, he's somewhat attached at my hip.

Someone said to me the other day......."you're so strong."

Ah, not so much.

The plain, unvarnished truth is that I looked at the situation from all sides.   I  tipped it up, and turned it over, investigated,  googled, stayed up all night worrying. 
I imagined every possible thing that could go wrong, every unbelievable and tragic outcome.
I cried.   I hated it right down to my toes.  I talked it out. 
Then I cried some more.
Then I shook my fist at the sky, and said, "This is not what I expected."

Then, unnerved, and a little disgusted,  I said to myself.  "I need to make a plan."
So I did.
My plan is simple.  To the point.
Just like I learned in AlAnon so many years ago, when my life seemed so unmanageable.  I'm living  it one day at a time.
I do what's right in front of me.  This day.  This minute. This hour.  It's the only thing that really belongs to me. One foot in front of the other.  Living my life like Roy does.
Walking when there's a walk to be had.  Napping when the sun in on my favorite blankie.  Eating when my dish is full.  Life on life's terms.   What a concept.
Worrying about what's coming tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day, is simply a waste of my time.  Worrying won't change one whit of it.
So I refuse to do it.
I am going about the business of living, to the best of my ability right now, one day at a time.
 And I'll do that very same thing, tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

I don't have to like all this.
As Sydney says:

"This is a revolting turn of events."

I agree Syd.  But like it or not, I do have to accept it.
This is my life, and my path.
I can only do the best I can do.
One. Day. At. A. Time.

Read More

Marcelle Medallion - finished top

It's truly been a labor of love. My Marcelle Medallion quilt from this book is completely pieced.

It was kind of like reading a really good book - you can't stop, but you don't want it to end...

My favorite part was carefully choosing each fabric. I used tons of different fabrics - some tiny scraps; others brand-new half yard pieces that now have little corners cut out of them.

I must say, the pattern was fabulous. It takes a lot of math to fit all those pieced borders together and it work like a charm...

pyramids, flying geese...

 and cute little crosses...

all living happily together...

I've got my backing ready. I think it will be just as much fun to quilt as it was to piece. Maybe it deserves a bit of pearl cotton hand quilting?

. . . Cindy

Read More

Cake?

In spite of 24/7 banger behind my eyes, I refuse to give up on possibility.

I get overwhelmed, it's true.
.......like when my 89 year old mother announces that she hasn't had any ice cream in 3 or 4 days, and she feels that she just might go crazy, AND she's serious.
.....like when my 9 year old grandbaby calls me to tell me that she had her nose cauterized ( after weeks of nosebleeds) and I tell her that I am so proud of her, and that she is SO BRAVE, and she answers me with: "Now it's your turn, Mimi."
Gulp.

But while waiting in the car at my mother's dental appointment, I put my head back, and dozed off with the sun on my face.
And I had visions of happier times and places. Possibility.
It gave me hope.
When I think about it, there are so many things to be hopeful about.
It's up to me if I don't treasure every single one.
Like the beauty in weaving.

And good friends!
Nice job, Michelle~~!!!!!!  

There is always something that makes me smile.
It's nice to know that I can choose to be happy, even with this pain.
I have monkeys.
I have a fantastic family that loves me.
I have dear and faithful and trustworthy friends........

 

AND..........drum roll PLEASE..................I can finally go public with the best news of all.

I'm going to be a MIMI for the 5th time.

Here is my little pumpkin.

 

And here are my little pumpkins parents to be.
Are they not the handsomest couple you ever saw???
Is this not going to be the SWEETEST baby?  EVAH?????

Can you tell I'm psyched??  My whole family is  super excited.

So it's up to me.  Think scary bad stuff?
Or think beautiful, happy, positive, life affirming thoughts?

I got this.

Read More

Getting through the week.

I'm moving kind of slow this week.
The headaches are alternately blinding, and "well, ok, I can function a little".
Unfortunately, they don't get any better than that.
I can't take Motrin preoperatively, which did take the edge off.
Hydrocodone, which my GP just prescribed to get me through the week, does not touch the pain, just puts me to sleep.
And that isn't always a bad idea, but since I am anti drugs anyway, it's a theory that's a bit hard for me to swallow.

I have long ago gotten over my need to be productive.  Well, maybe not gotten over it, but at least now I can be philosophical when I'm not productive.

I take comfort in getting any little thing accomplished.  It's humbling.

I decided to have a big "I'm having brain surgery again" SALE.
It's not actually my brain, they are leaving that alone, but my cervical spine is IN MY HEAD.  So maybe I could just call it SKULL SURGERY, to be specific.
Anyway, the sale is a DOOZIE.
You all asked for more loopers, after the last sale when  I sold a stash of chained loopers I had, ready to make rugs out of, for $4.00 per lb.
TODAY, I sent out a newsletter with more loopers on sale.
This time I have SIXTEEN bags of chained loopers, colorful Solmate sock loopers, for $3.00 per lb.
Unheard of, methinks.

Yes, you do have to buy the whole bag, but that is just because L might kill me if I made her weigh out 4 lbs at a time.  Which is why I decided to discount them to this price, to make them even a better deal.
And you don't have to CHAIN them.   It's already been done for you!
What's not to love about that?

Go to my web site Crazy as a Loom and then click on the Sale Sale Sale page, which is right after the HOME page.

I think we might have to come up with a POST SURGERY sale.  Any ideas??
Something to speed recovery!!!

Today, my all time favorite quote came to mind.   I think I would like it to be the first thing I say when I wake up in ICU.  Do you think I can remember this???

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

OK, maybe that's a little ambitious.

Read More