Tuesday To-Do #11: Is It Finally Spring?

A happy spring Tuesday to you all!

The yo-yo weather has really gotten to me this

year.  Perhaps it's been unusually bad, or I've been

unusually sensitive to it but finally, even with some

pretty cold nights, we're starting to see warm days.

We even had our first meal out in the pergola, enjoying

a fresh-mowed lawn, birds singing and trees blooming.

How I've missed it all, and how rejuvenating!

It sure makes me want to throw open the windows

and get busy cleaning and making all kinds of things!

Time to link up to Texas Quilt Gal's Tuesday To-Do

to see what everyone has been busy with!

Last week's list

1) Load a quilt and get going: Working on it.

I've been doing a lot of practicing on my FMQ

and with pantographs so I guess it's finally time

to jump in.  My sis sent me a quilt top that she's

had ready to go for a few years so I spent last

night working on getting it loaded...but then

discovered that the backing only had  an inch

or so extra on the sides which, of course, is not

enough for quilting on a longarm.  (I'm sure when

she made it she thought she'd be quilting it on

her regular machine.)  I think I can solve the

issue by just loading it sideways so I'll go at

it again later today if I find the time.

2) Finish cutting out Blues/Quilt #10:  Done.

From A Season in Blue

I need to make 1,280 HST's for this quilt so this has

been a bit of a chore.  And so will be all that piecing.

But that makes it a perfect somewhat-mindless

 sewing project while I focus a little more

on my longarm quilting.

I overruled Edyta's directions <gasp!> and chose to

 go with the 4-at-a-time HST method.  I think in the

end that will help my progress as well.

3) Figure out window treatments:  Nerp.

Haven't even looked.  Not my favorite thing to do.

Now for a check-in with the fabric tracking

With all the studio prep and long-arm obtaining,

it's kind of a given that I wasn't getting any sewing

done.  Amazing how I still found time to buy fabric

though, huh?  The darned stuff just sneaks its way

right into my sewing room!  The current totals are:

Fabric purchased -- 112.5 yds

Fabric used -- 112.15 yds

Net -- +.35

In full disclosure, I have more fabric arriving soon.

Quite a bit actually.   It's not likely I'll not be starting any

new quilts soon so it's time I reign myself in a bit, eh?

(Thus the purpose for this whole exercise!)

Speaking of exercises, a check-in with the shoulder

I finally got an MRI and was diagnosed with 

frozen shoulder.  I got a third cortisone shot, but

this time way deeper.  I'm back to PT twice/week but

so far, way less exercises.   Previously, I had a whole

litany of them that I swore was making me worse

and often left me in tears.

We're not sure exactly what is making a difference.

I know cortisone takes days but it didn't seem to

be doing much.  Then my masseuse really worked that

shoulder--as she has been for months.  Did it work

the cortisone in better?  Is it that I'm not doing all

those insanely painful exercises?  Is it the Biofreeze

ultrasounds I'm getting at PT?   Maybe it's a combo

of any/all--we don't know but it IS better and that

makes life better.  What 3 PT's have insisted on is that

the intense nerve pain is from my neck, especially

considering I have degenerative spine issues.

SO next up is to start looking at my neck but

for now, the nerve pain is mostly gone thanks to

the PT working on it, along with some traction.

With that being more painful than the shoulder

I'm open to about anything. 

In the garden

The onions, radishes, lettuces and beets have all been

up for a few weeks now, though growing slowly in the

cold.  With the warmer temps, however, I think we'll be

eating the lettuce very soon.  The asparagus is also

kicking in and I'm looking forward to that gracing our

table--well, likely today!   I'm still keeping to my

very-minimal-garden rule for the year but I'll be

planting some other things later this week.

And in the studio

Finding these cute jars, I decided to organize my scraps.

I have to admit I always thought this was a complete

waste of time.  I just tossed them in a big canvas bin

and dug through them when I needed something.

I should know that by my own rule, I always work

better when knowing exactly what I have.

Out of sight, out of mind is what I try to avoid.

With more space now, I'm trying to get everything

 out in the open so I know what I need to use.

Plus, seeing it can be inspiring.

I'm mostly done but, like my entire studio,

the details will get worked out as I work.

The week ahead

I've got the machine.  I've got the studio.

I have tons of fabric and a bucket list of patterns.

Isn't it time I really DO something!?

(Why is it never that simple?  LOL)

1) Quilt sis's Irish chain

Certainly I can make this happen?!

2) A whole bunch of other stuff that I'll share next time!

(I do like my teasers and cliff-hangers, don't I?)

We're moving into Easter and life is going to be very busy

these next two weeks.  I did say I wasn't going to skip any

more Tuesday posts but I also want be able to focus on

Holy Week and Easter in the middle of all of this busyness.

 We'll just see how it all plays out but for now, a very holy

and blessed Easter to all and when I post next, expect 

 some pretty cool and exciting stuff!

Can't wait to share!

Oh, and one last thing!  Frustrated with boiled eggs

not peeling easily?  Try this method from the chicken

expert Lisa over at Fresh Eggs Daily for your Easter eggs!

Those of us who have chickens know all the egg tricks!

(And recipes.  Boy, do we have egg recipes!)

Happy quilting!