Saturday, March 28, 2020

Totalling or Totaling Teal

Just FYI, I learned that “totaling” is American and “totalling” is British.  And while we’re on the subject (and completely apropos to nothing), “selvage” is American and “selvedge” is British. You’re welcome.... That annoying little person on my shoulder (not sure if it’s the devilCathy or the angelCathy) is such a nag sometimes.... May I start my post now? Thank you.

OK, so the solitary confinement is getting to me, I admit it. Well, I guess it’s not solitary, but you know what I mean. This social distancing because of the COVID-19 pandemic is getting old. And we’ve just barely started. We’ve got a minimum of another 6-8 weeks of this, and more likely closer to 3 months. But I’d rather be alive and stir crazy than be a dead believer of the talking heads who are more interested in the economy than our lives. But I digress...

This week, despite my continuing inability to stop worrying and start focusing, I did get some sewing done.  I basted two quilts and finished one. Here is the Creature from the Aqua Lab...


I quilted it with just a simple stipple using a variegated teal/aqua cotton thread. The finished quilt measures 40” wide by 51” long. It will go to Quilts for Kids. Sometime. I also basted, but haven’t yet quilted, On Ringo Pond (see last post).  I will have that done before month-end. On Tuesday or Wednesday I’ll do a post to round up all my March quilts finished; there will be either 4 or 5 of them.

If the quilt above looks a bit bumpy, it’s because I have it pinned over the WIP on my design board. That project is another Harambe Sisters quilt. The sisters blocks and background setting triangles are mostly pinned in this picture, but they have been sewn. And in turn, they are pinned over the African panel I will be using as the backing. You can see that poking out around the edges. I’m just trying to make sure these finish roughly the same size (after trimming) as it will be a 2-sided wall hanging, like the one I did last fall.


Mostly this week I cut out and sewed some medical ma*ks (no picture - and I’m spelling out the word with an asterisk to defeat the bots that are deleting blog pix randomly when that word is spelled out). I was going gangbusters trying to organize a few groups in the county, along with the county health department, when I realized that everyone was already 14 steps ahead of me. But that’s a good thing. So, I won’t be doing anything but sewing and waiting for someone to tell me where to take them.

Anyway, I made a photo collage of my Teal/Aqua sewing for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for March. I sewed a total of 59 blocks this month. Not shown in the collage are the teal scrap bucket I made (and counted as one block) and the single aqua International Sister Block I made. But that will show up in a quilt top down the road. Here’s the roundup for Scrappy Saturday.

Of the 18 string blocks, five were used in my Aqua Creature quilt; the rest will go into the string block pile for a rainbow quilt at year-end.

Highlights of our week included lots of talking and face-timing with family, a Zoom video conference with my Weight Watchers group and leader on Tuesday, TP delivery (12 gifted rolls!) from our next-door neighbors, a trip in the car yesterday to get curbside pickup at the pharmacy and the bird food store (a shout-out to Wild Birds Unlimited! Their staff is so wonderful), and a quick trip to a local grocery store where we got some milk, strawberries and an onion, but no distilled water for my CPAP. But we’ll find some, I’m sure, within the next couple weeks. The lowlight (and I’m inserting this here at the end because a lot of people probably won’t read this far) is that Bruce’s cancer is back in 2 places on his arm. Surgery will be next Wednesday at IMC (Intermountain Medical Center) here in Murray. His oncology surgeon and a new, more specialized orthopedic plastic surgeon will operate together. Bruce will be losing one of the 2 arteries that feed his right hand, but still gets to keep it this time around. I’ll drop him off on surgery day, go home and wait, then pick him up when they call me to. These are strange and trying times....

21 comments:

  1. Love your teal finishes and blocks for this month..and sending prayers for a good outcome for Bruce..;(((
    We are getting cabin fever here too and it's just begun (despite "L'Orange" being more interested in money than people!!) Trying not to let it all get me down..I made 12 masks for family members and that helped me get through this week....

    Thom had another biopsy on the back of his thigh done Friday--so waiting on that...it never rains but it pours is so apt, isn't it?

    Stay safe and hoping for the best of outcomes ~ ~ ~ ~ waving from afar Julierose :)))

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  2. Congrats on finishing the AQUA Creature quilt!! The Sisters are looking good. Nice work on using up SEW many TEAL scraps this month for the RSC!

    Yes. I read all the way to the end. Oh, Cathy!! I am so sorry to hear about another surgery for Bruce.

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  3. Thanks for the grammar lesson! What about the people who call selvage/selvedge "salvage"?

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  4. Prayers for Bruce. You hid it, but I'm sure it is foremost in your mind. It's good you have quilting and sewing to keep you and your mind occupied. I'm so grateful for my hobby, being a home-bound one, but am struggling to find a new normal, even though it isn't all that different from the old one. But just knowing I can't go somewhere is hardest! (And my retail store has been deemed essential, so I do head out a few days a week, but you would be shocked at the number of whole families who came in today - I think we're all going a little cabin fever crazy!) Just keep sewing!

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  5. First off - Sending prayers to both of you for a successful surgery. All your teal projects are beautiful - it always amazes me how many different blocks are being created and how nice they all look in scraps. I admit - I am terrible at spelling and always do the grammar check... but notice the difference between the US and British colony spellings. 4-5 Quilt finishes this month! Wow. I hope the sewing is a calming presence for you like it is for me. I also agree with you on the human life factor being much more important than the economy. Big quilting hugs to you.

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  6. Oh, Cathy, I'm so sorry to hear about Bruce's cancer returning! The anxiety of that on top of the coronavirus stuff is enough to about push you over the edge, isn't it? I say that because we are dealing with it at our house, too. Mike battled cancer in 2008, and it is back. He has surgery on Thursday, and we are so anxious to get it over with. The world wants to throw a lot at us these days... Hugs to you! And P.S., I love all of your teal! :)

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  7. So sorry to hear of Bruce's worsening condition but glad that the surgery is still being performed despite the current situation. Hopefully, you can do some sewing to get your mind off of all the problems, at least temporarily, and reduce some of the stress. Take care.

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  8. Oh, wow. I'm sorry to hear about Bruce's arm. I can't imagine how much more scattered you must be, dealing with everything at once. I hope that stitching helps a little by giving your brain something to settle on, even just for a few minutes.

    I'm noticing more folks are making an entire quilt out of the RSC color of the month, and I like this trend! It's fun to see scrappy goodness in monochrome. I love rainbow, and this makes a nice deep dive into each color. If we can't ship our quilts out for a while, we might end up with a rainbow of single color quilts...oh, I hope not!

    Hang in there. It's OK to yell at the news when "leadership" does stupid *#&$ :)

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  9. Of course I read to the end!! I was stunned by the news about Bruce. But chin up. He will come through this ok. Sad that you have to leave him there when you really want to be near.

    I'm loving your teal finish. Teal is one of my very favorite colors.
    Stay well and don't stress.
    xx, Carol

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  10. My prayers are with you and Bruce, quilting and friends will get you thru this.

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  11. Hi Cathy! Oh no. I am so sorry to hear that Bruce's cancer is back. These are stressful enough times. I am sorry that you both have to add that to your worry plate. I will add Bruce to and you to my prayers immediately. He is strong and has fought this battle before, but gosh how hard will it be to drop him off?! Your teal projects all look lovely. I am having trouble focusing, too. I went into the sewing room today for a whole 30 minutes. I could be sewing up a storm but alas that 30 minutes is the only time I've spent in there in two weeks. {{{Hugs}}} a bunch for you and Bruce. Sending you both strong vibes and healing prayers. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  12. I know I always say this, but I love, love, love your teal blocks! This time, they made me say, "Oh Wow!"
    I haven't quite gotten to the point of disliking the isolation. I was kind of reclusive before all this started, so...I know there will be a time in the future that I say that's it! I'm done with it. So far all of my online peeps and occasional phone from and to family and friends have kept that thought at bay.
    Keep healthy, keep sewing, keep sharing! You are doing all of us a world of good!

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  13. Sending very best cyber wishes from New Zealand for your hubby's upcoming operation. Such a worry, especially at this time with the world in turmoil. Guess all we can do with all this is take one day at a time, follow the rules for self isolation, and keep on stitching. And here in NZ we spell the word selvedge, probably because the country was settled by British settlers back in the day! Love your sister blocks, well done.

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  14. Wishing Bruce a successful surgery and speedy recovery. Love your quilts!

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  15. Hoping and praying for a good outcome from Bruce’s surgery. I will be hard to leave the hospital and go back home, we should have a new rainbow color by then! So you can focus on that for small periods of time.
    Your aqu creature block is fabulous!

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  16. Sending prayers and healing vibes for Bruce! Virtual hugs for both of you!

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  17. This whole COVID-19 things is distressing enough without having a recurrence of Bruce's cancer. I'm amazed that you can concentrate on sewing at all. Prayers and positive thoughts being sent your way. And now it looks like I need to add Diann's husband to my prayer list.
    I need to venture out to the grocery store tomorrow and I'm dreading it. At least I got to spend 3 hours outside working in the garden before a thunderstorm (with hail) struck.
    Keep your chin up. I hope spring is showing up in your neighborhood.
    Pat

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  18. I wish to snuggle with the Creature from the Aqua Lab. And I don't care if you think I am lusty :-p Speaking of lust and desire I have similar feelings about all teal blocks in your studio :-) Sending best wishes for Bruce. I am keeping him in my prayers and keeping you close to my heart. Big Hugs.

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  19. Sorry to hear about Bruce. Sending good thoughts, best wishes and prayers.

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  20. Hugs to you and Bruce, and all the best wishes I can muster. Hoping you can find comfort in staying busy with your sewing. Hang in there.

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  21. I read all the way to the end Cathy and I'm so sorry that it's happening again for Bruce - and for you. Sending him all my best thoughts once again. Long distance hugs to both of you.

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