Thursday, March 30, 2006



















The 'flu is finally letting go...

I've been down and out with the 'flu. Not a lot of fun. Of course, it would coincide with the extra days I had to work! Oh well, I lived through it and, for that, I am most grateful. My knees are still a little wobbly and my nose is peeling- a real good look for me, but otherwise I feel pretty great.

My nephew, Jonathan, was here for a visit and I didn't even get a picture of him! Bummer. There's a picture on my mom's site, if your interested. He is close to the same age as my oldest, and they get on very well. Actually, he got on great with all of my kids- my daughters' idolized him the entire time he was here! He was a great sport and ate everything I sat in front of him and I'm pretty sure that 99% of it was completely unfamiliar. The guy with the maniacal look in his eyes is my brother, David. He's Jonathan's dad. (Doesn't he remind you of that Fiennes brother in Luther? You haven't seen that movie? Well, maybe you should.) At anyrate, David is explaining to the children how redeye occurs. "Coooool," they say when they find out it has something to do with your blood veins. He is very good at explaining things. He was picking up his son after he had stayed with us a week. Ever wonder how to move a plane? In the back of a Penske moving van, apparently. Even the kids recognized the parts.

I have been playing around with Kansas Troubles blocks. I saw this idea in a book called, amazingly, Kansas Troubles. (I had some leftover yellows from my GFG.) When I realized that it included "prairie flowers," I thought I had to try it. It is a table runner- just in case it isn't recognizable. The flowers are appliqued on and I decided that I would try it their way. Maybe they've made improvements in heat-n-bond since I last tried it, 15 years ago.... nope, it's still not a great way to applique. Maybe it's me. I just have a real hard time ironing the flowers on and then stitching them down with the sewing machine. Does anyone else think this looks really bad? It's probably me. (I once had to try on 46 bras before I finally quit railing against bra designers everywhere and settled onto the thought, it's me. An epiphany moment. The amazing thing isn't that I tried on that many bras, but that I took 46 bras off those ridiculous little hangers and replaced all 46 bras to those same ridiculous hangers. Sheesh!) My point is, I just have a hard time doing some things that everyone else seems to handle just fine. It takes me a lot of time and effort to applique with the sewing machine and the results... well, pathetic. And I am left feeling really defeated. Where, if I had just done it my way- by hand, yes, it would have taken a lot of time and effort, but the end result would have looked decent. Oh well, I have a vague impression of someone who likes yellow... she won't mind if the applique looks lame. I'll try to quilt something pretty on it to make up for the applique efforts gone awry.

9 comments:

Tonya Ricucci said...

No, it's not just you. Finding the right bra is awful. I finally got professionally fitted at the dept store - it worked wonders and was worth being half-nekkid and felt up - uh... - measured by a stranger.
I hate fusible applique too. I was trying to do the blanket stitch around it by hand. Never again. I don't like how it feels.

Cher said...

sorry you have had the 'flu..that surely is no fun at all. I agree-I am not a fan of fusible applique either..but then, I am not much of a fan of applique period :-)

Sarah said...

Oh, Oh , Oh, am I the person you vaguely remember likes yellow? If not, I am putting my name in for the little thing you made the other day, just because you could.

We should be back at home by this afternoon. We are at mom and dad's house, dropping off Ian. I think he is staying about a week - and I have big quilting plans. I have about a zillion tops that need to get quilted!

Talk to you later!

Quiltgranny said...

I dont much care for fusible applique, but there's a time and a place for everything. If you think hand applique would have made these look better, then I think it could be placed in a museum. They look quite nice to me! And for a table runner, that's great!

Isobel said...

From where I sit, the applique looks fine. Perhaps you should give it to someone with imperfect vision who would not notice if things were a little awry, which I am sure they are not. Now about bras, it is my theory that they were invented by a 'man', possibly the same one who invented pointy-toed, high heeled shoes--huh?

Hunter said...

I'm so glad you're feeling better.

And your work looks terrific to me.

Darilyn

Frances said...

I am sorry you had flu but glad you are feeling better,
there is a woman over here that started to sell bras on line, she 'will get you the bra that fits' apparently she has done well with her business,
I think your applique looks fine and the table runner is pretty, I too prefer to hand work and don't fuse except for the backs of my postcards as it is easier to write on them if the fabric is fused to the vilene/timtex,

Darcie said...

Nines, you're just too cute!

I'm chuckling madly about your bras. It is NOT you!!! It's the bras. I took myself and my twins (my two daughters, silly!!!!!) to a Victoria's Secret and we all got *fitted.* Mucho better! Now instead of 1/2 dozen ill-fitting inexpensive bras, I have two pretty decent expensive ones to wash and wear. The pains we women go through....

Glad to hear that you're feeling better. The flu must be making its sweep through the whole country. We've had it off and on here as well.

Your runner looks darling. Lucky yellow-lover...could it be Sarah?!

Great to have you back!

Finn said...

Sorry to hear you got hit by the flu...really nasty stuff..and oh my, a peeling nose? Not a good look for spring. Glad you are on the mend.

I think the table runner looks just fine for it role in life. And the killer quilting will give it a good send off.
I'm sure it's the love that will shine through, not the fusible..*S*