Take It Further Challenge

January's TIF challenge was "who you look up to"; "who you admire", "a trait you admire" or a color combo.

I took it literally - "who I look up to" - from a hospital bed. This month I elected to have my second knee replaced. I replaced the first one last January and as Dr R said, "It must have gone well, or you wouldn't be back."

I'd been seeing Dr R for 10+ years and we kept putting surgery off - til I got "older" !:>! Two years ago in Sisters I went down with no warning. That was the turning point - if they weren't reliable ... it's time.

You really put your life into the hands of a surgeon ... well, it's not to be taken lightly. Dr R is calm, reassuring, has a great bedside manner - no question is unimportant. He'll call you a wimp if he's disappointed in your progress. But also takes pride in your abilities.

Challenge: I decided to work in postcard size this year. And I've never done a fabric "portrait" before. I took a graphic off the web. Polarized it in CorelDraw to bring it down to basics. Created it in fabric. I was surprised how little room I had on the pc size. I'd planned an xray box and overhead spotlight. Let's just say that math isn't my strength!

I free-motion loop-de-looped some quilting on the scrubs and hat. I couldn't find the perfect eyeglass treatment. And of course, here I am on crutches in the middle of winter ... so when it shows up I'll update the pc.

Thanks for setting up this challenge. I look at some of the other entries and I'm overwhelmed by the artistry. Mine is pretty darn simple. But I stretched to get that far and I'm looking forward to the next 11 months.

Life after knee surgery

It's never as smooth as you expect ... but what is. I've graduated from little sharp cries when I move to just moans! It's a bigger thing that you think! My first PT appointment [outside of the hospital] is bright and early tomorrow. Then its official - recovery commences.

Lazy day in bed today. Ice on the knee - I did shower and wash my hair this morning and that did me in!

No stash busting this week. I did put a few beads on my winter post cards - pretty much a first for me! [okay, I added an bead for an eye once!] I thought the fabric was perfect and didn't need anything else - but didn't want the recipients to be disappointed. I'll get a picture up later this week.

In my "TIF" challenge - it's a simple post card showing a surgeon in scrubs. The assignment was "someone you look up to" Pretty literal this month! But you'll smile when you hear the first thing I thought when I saw Dr R after the surgery: ... gosh, he looks just like the postcard! [Good drugs, apparently!]

Emails and comments are very welcome. Recovery is boring in between the really icky stuff!

No sleep = no good for doni!

For some unknown reason I woke up at 3:20 am. I didn't even remember there was a 3:20 am! I'm strictly an 8 hours a night person so you should be glad you weren't around me this afternoon! C*R*A*N*K*Y! And I had a big argument with the Publisher program on my work computer. Work crap ...blah blah blah.

Once it was obvious that I wasn't going back to sleep I did straighten up my sewing room a little. Good Grief! I have 4 'paper boxes' - you know the kind that comes with 10 reams of paper in it - anyway, I have filled FOUR of them with scraps. Not ALL my scraps - just my favorites! :> I had Bonnie Hunter's system going earlier this year. All my squares were in plastic shoe boxes and strips in under-the-bed-type storage. Then I had to sort family photos and those shoe boxes were a good size to use. The squares never made it back into those shoe boxes. Then I threw all the strips into one box when I taught the string pieced Christmas stockings ... I think they're expanding; I may need an intervention! Yes indeedy "Scrap Happens!"

Next Tuesday I'm having knee surgery. I'm hoping to get my mojo back faster than last year and my first knee! But I probably won't be blogging too much for the first month. [I don't want to whine excessively!] I'm hoping to start sewing string blocks the first week I'm back home ... but then again - I'm hoping to lose 20 lbs by morning too! :> I'll probably be lurking around the web and dreaming up so many ideas for more quilts on my to-do list. My favorite thing to do while recovering last January was to look thru my friends' quilt magazines! I had just about enough brain power to flip thru magazines ... but not enough to be able to keep track of the story in a fiction book. I'll let you know!

Weekend at warp speed!

My son flew in late Wednesday night from Oregon for his friends' wedding. It's been a whirlwind visit. He left today - and tomorrow's his birthday ... safe trip, sweetie! In between talking with him when he was in between his activities, I've been attacking the stash! I have "special" fabrics for friends, boxes of fabric for our guild's cuddle quilt project. And clothes I was going to rip for the fabric for the Goodwill! Someone else will find them and do something with them - other than stick them in a box and keep them in the dark for years!

We had a S&B yesterday - it was supposed to be a simple afternoon of stitching. But it was one of those days that quilting wasn't working out! I tried to fit the border on birds of a Feather; I ripped it out last night! I think I've been attacking the sewing room to avoid more of the border. That project's definitely in "time out!"

I've also been ironing wadded up muslin fabric to cut postcard backs and foundations for string blocks. [5 yards of cut squares!]I don't have the totals yet for all this activity - I'm still in the middle of it - but there's a lot of stash heading out.

At the end of this year - I'd like to have stash that I love. If I don't love it - out it goes. Of course, I'm participating in the "No Buy" challenge in Stashbusters so nothing is coming in either!

2008 - the year Doni got a handle on the creeping stash problem!

I just got sent to my room - tee hee!

That's right - DH just sent me to my room! I think he forgot the computer was up here! I haven't been sleeping lately - probably worried about the knee surgery in 13 days. [You think???] Had my Ortho appointment yesterday and everyone agreed that those were ugly x-rays! Nice to have a consensus!

My son, A, is flying back home tonight for a weekend wedding. He'll be home for dinner tomorrow night and that may be the only arranged time we see him. Besides giving him a ride to the airport on Sunday. Oh yeah, he wants to go to the campus computer store and see what software I can buy for his new computer!!! Boys and toys - they don't grow up - they just get taller!

I have an idea for my "Take it Further" challenge. Subject: Someone we look up to; someone we respect. How about a surgeon who is replacing your second knee? I think Dr R fits the bill. And that's timely for my January. For ideas I looked up ortho surgeons on the web - (ooo ick!) But I think I know what I want to do. Now we'll see if I can execute it. Wish me luck!

Stashbusting or home again!

We were gone over the Christmas holiday - and I missed my sewing room! There - I said it!! I really missed it while I was reading the page after page of Stashbusters Digests - everyone else was having fun in their sewing room. I was having fun with my granddaughter ... but don't we want it all???? Isn't that part of the problem???

So I'm back home - back to work and I'm managing a little time in my sewing room. But I have a question. How 'done' does stashbusting have to be?

Does it count when you donate fabric?
I don't count Nickel exchange because I'm getting back as much as I cut up.
If you're piecing do you count it now or when you're done?
Can you count it when it's a top?
Do you count only when it's quilted?
If you are finishing a kit - does that count as part of your stash?

Okay - part of this may be brain you-know-whats or stressing out over many issues. The biggest of which is total knee replacement surgery January 22. [OMG!] But, seriously, when do you count it???

Went to Atonement today - what does anyone else think? If I had read the details and noticed that it was based on a book by Ian McEwan, I might have steered my DH toward another choice. He depresses me - Ian not DH!! Giggle, snort!

Back to Normal????

Okay - you may not be surprised to know that I'm at my best when I'm feeling in control and in my routine. Ain't happening here! We got back Wednesday night at 11:30 PM - who knew there was still such a time!!! Okay - I'm old!

AND I went to work on Thursday!!! All Day!!! But I was cranky by the end of the day!We got our pile of mail Thursday fun to read Christmas cards even in January! Back to work on Friday. Am I coming down with something or am I allergic to Nebraska!!! After taking the magic potion for wellness - I'm doing better.

Did I mention that we got home and NO ONE had come in and taken down our extensive Christmas decorations!!!! So we had to do that today. My sewing room was a pit and was still set up for Christmas wrapping. Sigh!

I feel very behind - I haven't summarized last year or set resolutions for this year - although, confidentially, I can just recycle last years - again!!! Okay - deep breath!

I'm participating in two challenges this year - UFO and NoBuy thru Stashbusters. I managed to stay legal in Oregon for NoBuy. I took an UFO wall quilt to handquilt and I actually quilted almost everyday. [Thank goodness for naptimes for 15-month old granddaughters!] But it's not quite finished - so need to keep quilting on it.

I'm also participating in Judy's Stashbusting efforts. Obviously, I haven't done that on vacation - but I have grandious plans for my efforts this year.

I'm also in the Take it Further Challenge. This is stepping out of my comfort zone and I'm looking forward to it. I'm thinking fabric postcards to start - we'll see if the challenges need a bigger size as I get more comfortable. The first challenge is "someone you look up to" or a navy/green/purple color scheme. Hmmmm!

Oh, did I mention I'm having my other knee replaced January 22! Good Grief - how did that get so close??? I better be good at rehap this time - I have loads of plans for my time off. Yes, I realize it didn't happen last time - but surely this will be different??? Alright, I hear those snorts and giggles out there - glad we all have our senses of humor! :>

Wishing you the best in 2008!

We're flying home tomorrow - so I'll probably be off line a few days - back on the weekend. Here's Christmas Eve at Miss P's house!