I woke up quite early this morning ... I have several appointments today and I know if I go back to sleep I will miss one or maybe all of them, so I'm up. I took photos and meant to write an entry here two days ago but have not had the time ... so I thought I would do it now, before my day gets busy.
I have been working on one of the round robin blocks I have for the CrazyQuiltInternational group - I'm almost finished with what I have to 'say' on this block so I took pictures to record my work. This block is part of the Cats-themed traditional round robin (in this case, 'traditional' means in the style of the Victorian/historical crazy quilt:). As you can see, it features a print with the 'waving cat' motif from Japanese iconography. I am the next-to-last person to work on this (um, three people before me in the round) so quite a lot had been done already when I got it.
As it happens, Asian New Year and Mardi Gras were very close in date this year - so I added some Mardi Gras beads (they did actually come from New Orleans/Mardi Gras, via a friend who went a couple of years ago:). I started off with the construction of the button cluster groups - I bought a cute little tin filled with pink and purple buttons when I was down at Material Girls last Saturday (for my new Bernina guide class:). I must have had buttons on the brain because I just kept adding them ... :)
Once I had embroidered in the buttons, I couched the bead chain into place. It looked a bit bare to me so I wound some nice purple eyelash yarn through it for additional texture, then sewed on the smaller clusters of buttons and embroidered feather stitches with silk perle cotton in two shades of pink and lavender. I love the way silk threads look (the luster and depth of color is sumptious:) but my hands are just not kept well enough to work with the thread easily. :P I hope the owner deems the stitching acceptable when she gets her block back! I do...but I know how much frustration went into it. (sad smile)
I like the overall effect - rather more like 'encrusted' work than I can generally achieve. I added some herringbone stitching above the white cat motif, too, in purple and red (you can barely see it in the photo; it adds more texture and a bit of color transition to the block). Here are some more photos of my work:
It is quite challenging to take photos of shiny threads/buttons/beads at night - the flash over-reacts. :)
In other things, I am plodding along. My health is fine, except that I have allowed two of my prescription medicines to run out. Skip's company went to a new insurance plan at New Year's - and I just plain neglected to notice that two of my daily meds were running out. (sigh) Negotiating a new protocol and getting my account set up has taken more time than I'd like (not due to any failure on the part of the company - one of the meds I have run out of is my antidepressant; without it, I am somewhat distracted and lose the train of my behavior easily).
Once every year or two, I allow this to happen to me - usually out of sheer neglect or because I am so poor at looking ahead. (more sighes!) I've been taking this drug since I was 35 or so (was diagnosed with bipolar disorder with an emphasis on depression) - it works, but has unpleasant results when discontinued. First I start to get nightmares again (had dreadful ones regularly throughout my childhood and early adulthood) ... then I get cranky and restless and short-attentioned (even more than is usual for me, which is bad enough:)...then I start to cry. :P Thank goodness I haven't gotten to the latter stage, yet - very unpleasant for all involved (usually takes about two weeks, all other things being normal). Should have my new prescription today or tomorrow (fingers crossed), so I'll be ok soon.
In the meantime, I need to watch myself carefully and keep my temperament in check. :P One of the reasons I'm writing about it here is that I need to recall how awful the process is in an attempt to prompt me to avoid it in the future!
Things are going along at my store - the economy and my state of mind are not helping any. :P I am currently attempting to establish a class schedule for the April-May-June months ... and to make arrangments for a bus trip during our shop hop (Quilter's Quest) in November. Something I know absolutely _nothing_ about!
I told my friend Barbara last night (our weekly sewing evening:) that every day is a new adventure - I never know what I will be dealing with/learning about. Yesterday it was bus trip planning, pharmaceutical logistics and the process for getting a flat tire replaced on my car (I went out for lunch and an hour later the right rear tire on my car was flat - must have punctured it when I drove to get food). Oh - and I got a phone call from my bank saying that my debit card has probably been compromised due to a theft at the bank and they are sending me a new card (my debit card is the only credit card I have).
Wonder what today will bring? I am going for my weekly weigh-in (at least _that_ part of my life is going along fine:) ... and have an appointment with a teacher to schedule classes this morning ... and appoinment to go for my once-every-three-weeks facial hair waxing ... and have to go to the post office ... and need to get my flat tire looked at at a garage, maybe replaced. (hmmm)
Linda
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