My hands

I went to OrthoCarolina yesterday to the Hand Center. I went to get my hands and thumbs checked out.

He told me that I have all the symptoms of carpel tunnel with the tingling and numbness in my thumb, index and middle finger. It mostly happens during the night but happened at work the other day.

He also said that in my thumbs whats known as CMC Arthritis.

Carpel-Metacarpel joint. I looked it up on the internet and one site said..."this occur mostly in women in their fifth decade!" Well they hit that right on target! Or I did!  This all started a few months after I hit 50.

The metacarpel is the bone in the thumb that joins the wrist. The carpel is the bone in the wrist. The space between the two bones is narrower than it should be and I also have a bone spur. I could see that  plain as day on the x-ray. He moved my thumb and boy could he and me feel that spur rubbing against the other bone. OUCH! 

My options for both issues are 1) do nothing 2) splints 3) injections 4) surgery.

Well I got splints to help the carpel tunnel by sleeping in them and then wear during the day if my thumb bothers me to much.  It limits the movement on the thumb. I have one for each hand.

I had an injection in my left thumb back in October and it worked for about 4 weeks.

Then back came the pain. I have an appointment next week with my arthritis doctor and I plan to get another injection to see how long this one last. Then I plan to ask for the orthoscopic surgery.  I figure I had best try the injections twice so insurance wont fuss about the surgery.  Everything I do I use my thumb!

Alan and I finished putting my new cart together today. Using a screwdriver and socket just about killed my hands!  I have very little grip strength in anything I do.

 I do like my new toys!

Now to start cutting the grass and use the weed eater!

I hope the weather is a bit cooler tomorrow.

By the way, I will continue to quilt pain or no pain!

Should I ?

I have this quilt top that was originally created to use as a backing for Lauren's quilt. Everyone at the quilt shop thought I should make it into another quilt.  So now as I look at it I think one color should be removed and replaced with a different color fabric. So, what do you think?

So can you immediately see what needs to be replaced?  The redish brown "picture frame" in the center just

doesn't look like it belongs with this color screen.  I have another green with green swirls I am planning to use for the backing, and I think I might use that to replace.

Trip to Lowes

Yesterday my husband and I went to Lowes hardware to get some bird seed for the feeders we have. He and the cats enjoy watching the birds and the squirrels out the window during the day.  We also needed more mulch for the garden to try and keep the grass from taking over. Of course while we were there he had to look at just about everything.  He looked at the weed eaters (which we badly need) and asked several questions and "I" now have a new 2 cycle weed eater with a shoulder strap!  Several months ago he bought "me" a new John Deere Lawn Mower with a cup holder!  He kept telling me I needed a cart to pull behind the mower. SO...while we were at Lowes he bought "me" a new 10cubic foot dump trailer to pull behind my new John Deere!  He is just so thoughtful!  As we walked around Lowes and he looked and touched everything, I decided that him in Lowes is like me in a fabric store!  Can't get enough!

Quilt Labels

I finally got my brother-in-laws t-shirt quilt finished!  YEA!

 I was going to mail it off today when I realized that I had forgotten to put a label on it.  I always forgot that part!  So here is a picture of my quilt label.

I also put a label on Alan's Quilt .

While I'm sitting here uploading these pictures, my cat Hunter comes to help.

The weekend

This weekend I almost felt like I was back in Florida.  The days started out sunny, hot and humid then came the thunderstorms and lots of rain!  Then in a short time later, rain was gone and the sun was back out! and humidity was high!  ugh

I got the four corners on the tie quilt together and the fence rail center block. Now I'm not sure what I am going to do to put this all together.  Here are a few pictures.

I am just not sure what type fabric or color to use as the background. The darker shade is Blank Quilting's Rock candy in a pearl grayish. The center sqaure is just laying on a yard of that fabric.  The corner ties are sewn on a 20 square of the pearl white rock candy.  The outside border are the narrow part of the neck ties just layed down. My original drawing was going to be way to large/wide so I had to revamp my plans. Still tying to figure that out!

I also got the back down for Steve's t-shirt. I tried to put it on my Flynn quilt rod system but that didn't work! So now plan to use the spray basting to get it together.  The quilt is quite big so pinning is just not an option.  I am taking it to work Monday and use the foam board we have there in warehouse to spray baste it. I will have plenty of room. Here is a picture of the top.

Ties for Eddie

I finally got started separating all the neck ties Eddie gave me to use in making his quilt.  I sorted by color and plan to use red, blue, brown, and maroon for the four large dresden corner pieces.
Here are a few pics of the plan!

I now have to figure out what color fabric to use behind these!  Any ideas???

UFO's

Finally working on UFO's.  Got three top done!  Steve's, Kristen's and one for whoever!
Now to get the backing sewn together then quilted! 

EQ7 Giveaway!

10 Bloggers were selected as winners to received the new version of the EQ7 software program from Electric Quilt.  How cool is that!  What is even cooler, those 10 lucky recipients were given a copy of the EQ7 to GIVE AWAY!  To possible even you!!!!!!  Now that is really COOL!  Just visit
Prairie Primrose blogspot and post a comment about the contest!  That's it!  While your there look around at things Ann is working on or has finished.  I am inspired the by the Out of My Box  Quilt Show challenge and the flower she is working on. I oh so want to try that!  The fabric she is using looks ok uncut, but once the flower was cut and put together, that fabric became ALIVE!  Just Beautiful.  Thanks for sharing Ann!
You can also click on Contest Page to enter other sights that are giving away a copy of EQ7.

Eddie's Tie Quilt Pattern

A friend at work recently lost his father very unexpected. He was out of town when this happened, had to rush home and then take care of all the arrangements. His Father always wore ties and always kept a crisp dollar bill in his shirt pocket. Eddie had heard that I had finished a quilt for someone using her husbands shirts and ties, and told me that one of the things he kept of his fathers was all his wonderful bright colored ties!
I told him I would be glad to make a memory quilt using the ties for him. It took me awhile to come up with a design, but I finally did...

My plan is to use the bottom of the ties as they are in the large Fan blocks to show the point of the ties.

Then in the smaller fan blocks I plan to take the ties apart and cut the shape from the fabric of the ties.  The center fence rail block will be cut from the tie fabrics too. I think in that block I will sew in a crisp dollar bill with just the edge of it showing.   The smaller border frame, I am planning to use the narrow part of the ties that I cut off from the ones in the large fan blocks.  I have no idea what other color of fabrics I will use with this.  The ties are all bright, bold prints and designs.  I think the first thing to start with is the large fan blocks and find the fabric to use as a foundation piece.

Wish me luck in this creation!!!!!!!!!!