Summer is over

and I wonder where it went.  One of the worst in memory for a number of reasons, but the weather was as if spring stretched into July and then early fall took it from there.  Our yard is full of dropped leaves already.  It's nice this morning and I can sit outside in the quiet without a sweater and I think that's exactly what I will do.

This afternoon I will take Carole to the hospital for her monitor hookup.  She seems to be feeling a little better, still unable to do much, and her chest is getting worse.  I am insisting on a CT for the sternum to make sure it is not cracked or the force created additional injuries.  Not likely, but after the other procedures touted as "simple" turned life threatening, why chance it?  CPR once is painful, but 10 times may have done more damage. Her 20 year old cat Tippy is failing fast, and 18 year old Buster was attacked by the flies looking for a host.  This isn't helping her right now and she is very upset.

I am on steroids because I look like I have chicken pox.  NEVER had something itch so terribly in my life and thank goodness it is confined to ankles and legs.  Not my usual poison ivy.  Then I stretched to grab something and tipped my wheeled chair over, falling onto my side and hitting the right knee.  Earlier in the day, I had chairs upside down on the table to sweep the floor and when I removed it to set upright on the floor, the top rail swung and hit the left knee. They weren't healed yet so I added a few more weeks to that process.  No big deal.

Not much work being done on Eliza.  I like this Copper Penny linen color, but the other piece I saw was very different, more green, and I am afraid to order it online. But I need some help from you experienced finishers.

 

 

 I wanted to stitch a few of these to sell, and I have taken it apart several times because I am not happy with the heart's curve.  This mess is because of all those attempts and I am still looking for a trick to help.  When the curve goes this deep, I don't stitch it all.  I sew down each curve to the point and leave a tiny area unstitched.  Other times I sew one or two stitches straight across.  But I think maybe the stuffing is too dense and this is more of the problem. 

One is sawdust, the other is shells. Sawdust holds the shape better when tightly packed and I'm satisfied with the one on the right.   Satisfied, but not happy.  The Love heart on the right has been the problem, same linen and shape on both. For a simple pincushion or strawberry, the shells are perfect. But even though this was fully filled, they shifted and distorted the heart so I packed more. And more. It's not moving now!

 

 

   But the strain on that area is too much.  The linen is not broken even though it appears to be, those are my hand stitches that stretched and stretched.  I will open it once again and have to sew that (what is that center called?) down further to catch that mess and maybe use fiberfill.  The sawdust worked well on the other design and the Love heart originally had it, but I found dust as fine as flour on the table beneath it despite the fusible interfacing and assumed I did not sift it first.  Thinking back, I didn't.  One batch still has the microfine dust in it which falls out when I pounce it in a mesh strainer.  Since it was opened, I wanted to try the shells so I know which would work better if I decide to make a few more. So what is the best method when sewing and stuffing these hearts with deep curves?  Any suggestions for me? 

 

 

Another sign of fall - the fawns are no longer spotted.  And they are getting as picky as the cats.  Now, they only want sliced white bread.  They won't eat buns or dinner rolls, Texas toast, potato or egg bread.  When we buy the box for them, it's a combination of whatever is ready to pulled from the shelves so I have to take what I get.

 

 

 

 

I don't know if this edgy feeling and the jump when the phone rings will fade soon, but it certainly doesn't affect Budman.

 

Enjoy the week.  Thanks for visiting.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Forgot to mention...

Forgot to mention in the prior post that if anyone likes boiled wool jackets, those scratchy fun ones, Land's End has 30% this weekend on everything including their boileds that you can see here.  Petite to Plus sizes, all styles.  I have one and it is a little scratchy but I love boiled wool.  Good prices on the sale items.  The wool is a blend but as close as I have found in Tall sizes.  Use code PUMPKIN and pin 1606 for the discount and free shipping.  These days it's hard to find a balance between lady fit and skank fit.  Their fit is wonderful, nice fabrics, great customer service, you know all this. 

12 Santas

I hope your week was better than ours.  No improvement.  Still on the dangerous drugs, still in Afib, now with ventricular tachycardia because of the Torsades.  Nothing is helping.  Three weeks before seeing an electrophysiologist, on the waiting list for cancellations, heart monitors next week.  Me?  Basketcase.  Once I get anxious, menomania takes over and I cry, flash, fixate, lose control.  Difficult when I'm trying to be casual about it around her.  Good thing I don't like the taste of alcohol.

 

Here's a look at the 12 Santas.  Each design has a correlating button, still available here, but my offer is for the chart card only.  We stitched them without the buttons or the verbal border, just Santa.  There is some writing on a few card backs, they're cute but not hard to find, not a great giveaway, but better than burning them.   Stitch count (including the verbal borders) is 58w x 82 h, 5.25" x 3.75" on 32 count.
If you would like the set, leave a comment with name/initials for no-reply or anonymous.  I'll be tied up again this week so let's say next Saturday at 8pm I'll draw a name.  I doubt there will be enough to use Random.  I hope to stay off the laptop until then but will check emails if you have a question.

Enjoy your long weekend.
Stay safe.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Giveaway plans

Hi all.  You've touched me once again with all your caring, concern, and encouragement.  She is no worse, and they are working on her meds to find an answer.  Her pacemaker is set at 80 and she dropped to 70 yesterday between the 150's.  Now she's afraid it's not working and no one there can find her settings in the records but told her not to worry. Figures. The stress and anxiety has caused my Afib and tachy to act up so I'm feeling washed out on the outside and racing on the inside.  Two appointments this week so someone will check it out.  Just talked to her and they said she will be home in a few days but her BP is still very high and so is the heart rate. ????

 I wanted to tell you that the giveaway for the Santa set I mentioned may not be until this coming weekend. 

 I don't have the desire or time to be on the computer and I'm missing blog updates. EBay following notified me of new listings and I saw Lori's witch head. 

An strong urge followed for needing a facelift. 

 

 

I have thanked you for your support and will continue to do so.  It really helps knowing people you've never met are kind enough to be concerned and willing to pray for your family.

 



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Again

It's 8:30 pm and I just came home.  She was brought into the ER and laid there for hours with no treatment.  Everything she went through was for naught.  Back in Afib and the erratic rhythm.  No cardiologist came, none in the hospital, nurses called off work, one wimp doctor who is afraid to talk, no info, no help, no meds, no food, no water, no room available.  I helped her to the restroom and they never came back in to hook her heart to the monitors again.  I tried but didn't have the code to turn it on.  Sixteen people have been waiting over 5 hours to be seen and fourteen patients need admitted and are waiting for a room.  I was asked to leave and I hope they get her into a room where she can be watched and treated soon.  I won't be sleeping again tonight, hoping the phone doesn't ring.  I had a bad feeling from the very beginning and didn't want to admit that I still do.

 

Thanks for your prayers and good wishes.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

 

 

 

 

Eliza and I

Good morning.  This is all I have to show for Eliza progress.  Please excuse the wrinkles and disheveled appearance.  I feel like she looks and we're bonding. 

I am really going to like this sampler.  The symbols on the chart have been difficult for me to discern and a friend helped me sort them out but it was too late.  The border and dividing lines were to be 3828 and I chose 3021.  It looks good on the Copper Penny (???) fabric, kind of a greenish brown base with a tinge of copper.  With many letters being charted for the 3828 I'm glad the border is darker and contrasting and the piece won't be dominated by the faded red. Since the letters are not aligned I decided to leave in the band errors.  The right side border was removed though to line up properly. 

Carole is home and can't drive for a while so I'll be busy.  I stocked the fridge - do you have a hard time when driving a rotisserie chicken home?  I try to go slow enough to catch a red light so I can tear off a piece but it never works out.   The aroma drives me nuts.  I'm still chomping Tums and glancing at a bottle with a few Ativan inside.  Maybe all I need is one to break the clutch of anxiety.

Every time the phone rings I feel the grip!

 

Two nights ago I saw Bud (our sweet raccoon, not Bud the cat) step back from his bread on the deck.  When I looked to the side, there was a larger creature eating it, same color, but no mask.  Another cat!  Huge gray furball with white feet that ran when I got closer.  This is how the others became residents, eating the bread for the deer or coons.  I sure hope he has a home and it's not a pregnant female.

 

I'm giving away the set of The 12 Days of Santa from Heartstrings.  No buttons, just the cards.  I may use another blog to list things I no longer want but I will offer this set as a giveaway sometime this week.  Here's 7 through 12.

 

 

 

Have a great day!

Thanks for visiting.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~