Blessings and sickness

So there arrived today in the mail! From the wonderful and generous Kimland! She'd offered to send me an extra copy of Fon's and Porter's and look what else she sent! Thanks so much!

Can you believe how cute the card is? Inside says "I walk the line"-Johnny Cash. This really perked me up today!
Which is so nice because I was feeling so yucky from whatever is bothering me and won't let go. It just seems to  get worse, and I guess it's been 2 weeks now.

I made this a few days ago to make me feel better.

 I don't know if it looks good to you, but to me it's yum! Especially on toast, or with pasta. I called this my concoction to DH, and he wasn't sure he wanted to eat it until he tried a taste. Then he too was hooked. Bacon, chicken, spinach, cooked with mushroom soup. Soooo good.

I've only gotten a little sewing done, on Verna mini. I'm in withdrawl from not being able to do more.

My tea is ready so I'm going to curl up and try to feel better.

Blah, Blah, Blah

 I've been not feeling well for the last few days. I've had a high fever a few times, been exhausted, and think I have some sinus stuff going on. It's really just wearing me out, to the point I can barely move. So what I'm saying in my whining, roundabout way is that I've not gotten any work done. No cleaning, no sewing, or much asides from the absolutely necessary.

  I did get mail today though. Which while it made me very happy also reminded me why I need to stay away from ebay, and pretty much any place that sells fabric lol.

I blame this on Christmas though. You see, around Christmas people want you to think about what you would like and so on and so forth. Well I spend most of the year not thinking about this because then I don't feel bad about not being able to have it. But then I did and now I've found somethings I want...you know how this goes. Especially since DH is endlessly complaining about not having. Which drives me batty. Be grateful for what we do have. And work for the rest. OK issue coming up obviously lol.

  I have a little confession...you see I have (had?) a bit of a spending/shopping addiction (really more of a compulsion but since when is pop culture concerned with anything but what sounds good?). This was quite problematic for a while a few years ago, especially in the year after my son's death. But I worked on it and have had tight control on my spending in the last few years. So this, to me, is a warning sign that I need to stop buying. And I will. I need to remember all the other things that can fill this void I get better, and cheaper, then buying things. It gives a temporary high, or feeling of satisfaction, but no real relief from the anxieties that are plaguing me. And I end up with crap I neither need, nor particularly like.
So I commit to only buy things I need for a project I am imminently going to be working on.
At least until I have a) space b) money to "waste" and c) a greater sense of general contentedness.
To continue that theme I'm think of using "Make Life" by sweetwater for February's Schnibble, Sunday Best, which I did order today. Make life what you want it, make it better for someone else, make it special (whatever that means to you).

And now to crawl under the covers again until it's time to make lunches and breakfasts in the morning. Hopefully Little Bit won't decide in the morning that I have to drive her to school again. I wouldn't mind too much except I feel so crummy.

Le Jardin Block Two C'est fini!

 I finally got Block two all finished up. This one did not go together without a little bit of oops.

I accidentally cut through one of the flower fabrics when I was cutting out leaves. Luckily because this is from FQS there was lots of fabric so I still managed to cut out my two tulips from this.

Here's all the pieces waiting to be glue basted and then them just waiting to be placed and sewn down.

 

I ended up taking a picture after each group was sewn down. It looked cool flipping through it on the Windows Live Photo.

 

Looks pretty good doesn't it? It's about 1/8" too small on the one corner, which is fudgable. I know that's not a real word but today it is!

Oh, oh! Guess what I saw had arrived at FQS! Le Jardin, the fabric line! At least precuts...which seem to arrive a month or two before the yardage, and the due date. Which irritate me in some ways, especially with the Moda Sampler box. They claimed the lines wouldn't be out until Spring, as late as April, yet they are all now out, again at least the precuts, and many with yardage. I don't think I'll buy the box again. Not when if I wait a month or so I can get charm packs etc.'
So while I'm happy about getting my hands on Le Jardin earlier, hopefully, I don't like these false release dates, or they feel false to me anyways. And I love my Moda, I just dislike anything dishonest, or misleading, and that's what it feels like to me.

Anyhoo, I promise you won't have to see Rouenneries for a few weeks as other things must be worked on. Unless I get Duma worked on, but I doubt it.
 I need to baste, quilt and bind Tumbling Dino's, finish the Verna mini and get and start/finish February's Schnibble, Sunday Best. Which means I have to order it, and figure out what fabrics to use.

Year of Schnibbles January Madeline finished

 I finally got the binding sewn on to my Madeline. I ended up going with grey binding. The red I had was a light red, and it just made the border and everything look washed out. If it had been dark I would have gone with it.

This is one of the few times where I think I liked it better before I washed it. But it doesn't matter because I still love it.
I can't wait for February's Schnibble.

 I'm off to work on the applique for Le Jardin's Block Two.

Oh what a day

Can I both whine and boast in one post? Or is that rude? Or do I care as it's my blog?

 I did something really dumb today. I managed to sew through my own finger. Yeah, seriously the needle of my machine went through my index finger, stopped there too as the needle was in the down position when you take your foot off the pedal. Luckily it was across more then down, so no bone/nerve/muscle (maybe muscle) seems to have been affected. Don't ask how. I'm not 100% sure. Something along the lines of not paying attention, having a pin in backwards, and no sleep the night before. All I can say is lucky me.

 Wanna know what else happened today? My breaks decided to stop working, or so the lights on the dash said. While I was driving. With Little Bit in the car. I was taking her too turoring, after waiting for 35 minutes in the frickin freezing cold for her bus, when these lights I'd never seen show up.
Uh-oh.
Pull into nearst parking lot. Thumb through the manual, can't find the symbols.
My dad calls, and is standing next to my brother. A conversation ensues. It is decided I can drive on. Nothing smells, no smoke, nothing feels different, breaks worked fine. On I go.
 About 2 minutes later, brother calls.
Pull over NOW.
Ok.
Apparently he ran it by one of the mechanics, its the breaks ( the round symbol with waves inside and brackets on either side). OK. Crap. I'm in a bus lane.
It is again decided it would be safer for me to go on to the next parking lot. OK well that would be Fabricland (now that would have been fun), but the next parking lot after that is tutoring so I go onto there. A tow truck is sent, I call mom to pick us up seeing as I have DH's Jeep keys. Since she was taking Little Bit anyways, reasons to come, it was no problem. She just came over after work and bought a new pair of shoes while Little Bit was in tutoring. Any excuse right?
So van, mostly likely dead, as it is not worth anything and fixing it is getting stupid.

 So onto the bragging part, though the needle could be brag worthy as really, how many people manage that?

I got to go to the Darius Rucker/Rascel Flatts concert!! It was awesome. Darius Rucker especially, top 5 concerts ever. DH actually danced with me to our song "God Bless the Broken Road" which was our wedding song. That was very cool dancing to it live.
 I forgot the camera, not that I can get good pictures with all the lights etc.

 Block 2 came from FQS for Le Jardin. Tomorrow you know I'm cracking into it. Know what else came today? My very large 20"x20yds of Jenny Haskins Tearaway Stablizer, my favorite thing to use for applique. I'd ordered it for my late Christmas present, now its a belated birthday present. YAY!
 So now I'm sooooo tired I'm heading to bed. Night all.

Some actual sewing!

Lol I finally for some sewing done tonight. I basted and quilted Madeline. I've got one line of trim and am going tomorrow to pick up enough for the second line. My problem now is deciding on binding. I have both the dark grey paisley, and some red as well. Or should it be black?

 I do think the second line adds a nice balance. So what do you think for binding?

These are gloves for arthritis. They work as a compress, and are called Thermoskin. They are also awesome for quilting.

See all the little grips? Nothing holds like these. They do get a bit warm, but that is part of the point. I managed to do all of Madeline without my hands hurting much at all. Very awesome : )

 Thank you for all the well wishes, and commiseration about men in general, DH's in particular.  I will take everyone's advice and be very clear next year, and every year, about what I expect. Even if we can't afford gifts, a card and him cooking dinner is expected.

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me. lol. See my pretty's? Both of my parents got me flowers, which always make me happy, but especially in winter. And seeing as today is statistically the most depressing day of the year, Blue Monday as it's called, and it was raining, then snowing, then crazy windy today, the flowers definitely made me cheery today.
These are from mom, Little Bit helped pick them out this weekend.

And dad's.

He always sends roses. My grandmother loves roses so I think it's in his head that that is what you send. Though he doesn't go for the old fashion style, which she prefers. My grandmother can make a dozen roses last for weeks. I'll see how I do, especially as I have no natural light in my apartment.

  DH forgot to get me a card, nor did he think to make dinner or something. I know I told him no gifts, we just can't afford anything really, and I don't need anything. Mom is getting me a walking foot for my machine so there really isn't anything else.
Am I being unfair being a little annoyed? Not super-annoyed, just-why-didn't-you-pick-one-up-at-some-point-before-the-day-so-you-can't-forget-annoyed.
Oh well.

 Little Bit's getting her IEP, I went to the school today. It should be started soon. The school is going to put her name on the waiting list for the psych-educational assessment, hopefully it means she'll be seen either by the end of this school year or early in grade 2.

Hopefully I get some sewing done tomorrow. I'm going through withdrawal from a lack of quilting, and since the lidocain infusion has worn off so I'm getting cranky as the pain comes back full force.
I hope your week started off well!