Design Wall Monday....Round Robin

The quilt guild I go to is doing another Round Robin Quilt exchange.

This is the one I drew at the last meeting.

I absolutely love all the brights in this.

Today I am working on surrounding it with lime green

and white nine patches that will be 6 inch when sewn in.

I will break up the nine patches by adding a few white

strips in between on each side.

The next border added by the person drawing it will be

the last border. Next meeting we get to take home our original one.

I love these quilts ...as long as folks keep them square.

Well, this one doesn't look too square but that is just

the way it is sagging on the back of the table cloth hung on

my wall!!

I would love to own this quilt ....but I say that about

all the Round Robin Quilts I work on...you get attached to

them. Some of my favorite quilts are these kind.

Thimble Collection.....20 Years With CFS

I have collected thimbles longer than I have had

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome!!!

When friends and family travel I am usually blessed with a

thimble or two ...or more when

they return home.

I wish early on I would have dated and named, who they were

from on each of the thimbles,

but I guess when your young you think you'll remember everything. NOT..

So here in later years I have been marking the inside of

them with a thin line Sharpy.I have over 200 thimbles. These are some of my favorites

and ones from my kids latest vacations.

I said I have been collecting thimbles longer than I have

had CFS and that has been longer than 20 years.

This month marks 20 years that I have lived with

this dreaded disease. It was mid March of 1992 that

I got sick with what at the time I thought was a virus,

bug or something..that then turned into strep.

I was diagnosed in Aug of that year with Chronic

Fatigue Syndrome. Life changed a whole lot after

that. I have never been able to function the same

as I did before then...ever. I was a pretty busy person.

Learning to pace myself did not set well...but was forced

upon me.

There have been times of better health and

times of worse. I was even able to go back to work

part time from 1997 to 2002 and after that

I worked some each week on a fill in or call in

basis till Nov 2006. I miss working. It helped

keep my mind on other things and I was around

other people more often then I am now.

Well, in March of 1992, if someone had said ..you will

be living like this for the next 20 or more years I don't think I would have handled it very well.

Heck...I thought I was going to die that summer I

was so sick.

But I have lived 20 years with it, it's hard, it's just flat

the pits, but you know...I have lived.

I have seen my sons marry.

I have been given 7 grand kids and and looking forward

to a new one.

I went through a divorce because of loosing my health

only to be given the best husband I've ever had.

(SHHs I have had 3)

I recently watched my Mom celebrate her

90th birthday.

I have stood at the graves of friends younger

than me that have died of other illnesses...but I have

lived.

So, even with CFS trying to rule my life at times

I HAVE LIVED. Not like I had planned...but

I have lived.

I do not say this lightly....if not for the prayers

of myself, family and friends I am not sure

I would have.

LIVED

Thank you GOD.

What a Surprise!!! New Baby On The Way

Congratulations to my oldest son and his wife!!

A new baby is on the way....November 1st.

They have 4 at their house.

That is the next to the youngest leaning on Lisha Jo.So, there are 2 girls and 2 boys in Jerod and Lisha Jo's

house ....... not sure what they want yet. I think the

boys would probably like another boy.

I have 7 grand kids, 4 girls and 3 boys so another

boy would round it all out just fine.

But little girl outfits are so cute!!

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Makes Me Feel Like the Cat

This is how I feel today....like crawling under a quilt

and hiding...hiding till good health comes.

That would be a long time of hiding...as

I don't think good health will ever come

again unless God gives me a miracle.I have been doing better but this week I am fighting

a case of diverticulitis and having to take antibiotics

again. I just finished a round a few weeks ago for an

infected tooth. Antibiotics drag me down. I avoid them

till the "last dog dies, or at all cost at times".

After reading some of the other CFSers posts, I wonder

if I am having herxing symptoms when on

antibiotics.

I have no right to gripe, as last year was very rough

and I have a lot of stress with Mom. Stress with my

husband's health, older brother's health and family

stress in general...not to mention the economy.

So I am thankful I have been doing as well as

I have been.

Mom is living in a little "Senior Apartment" not far

from us and we have home health coming in

twice a day to help with her. It is a lot better

than dealing with her being in the nursing home.

I still had to go there everyday to stay on top

of things with her there...now we do it in the apartment.

I really do not think she will ever go back to the

farm to live again. I am sorry for that....I know

she gets homesick for her home, but I can

care for her better here and get better help to

come in with her in this county.

Goldie still loves to find new hiding places and

she really likes the quilts that are sitting waiting

for me to bind them. Putting off binding my quilts

is my worst habit....I think sometimes it is because

they are so big and it take so much energy to wrestle

them around to get them through the sewing machine.

Or that is my excuse...really it is true.

More Soaking than Sewing This Last Week

I spotted two old quilts at an antique store in my home town a couple

months ago and went back last week and they were still there!! I

usually do not go into antique stores but was with a friend and

had some time to kill and wondered on in....boy I am glad I did.

I kept thinking about these quilts but knew I had more important

things to do with any spare cash in our budget (dentist).

The prices were kinda high in my opinion as they were around

twin size. The Wedding Ring smaller with stains and needing

some repair.

My son went back in later and was able to get these both for me for $140!!! Maybe that was too much, but I love them and love that my son showed the kindness and love to do that for me....as quilts go...he doesn't get too excited. Now if they were old guns, it would have been a different story altogether with him. So this week I spent 3 days soaking the white one in a product I found called Retro Clean. I don't have an after pic of it yet but it really worked. The yellow one I just soaked in Tide as I did not have enough of the Retro Clean to do both and the store I bought it at is about 45 minutes away from here. I put this quilt in a clear tub and added the mixture and soaked it out in the sun on the deck for almost 3 days. I would go out and stir it and lift it around and the Retro Clean really did work. There is only one tiny yellowish spot left on it. I covered my plastic tub with chicken wire as I was afraid my outside cat would try to drink it!! The above pic is after the the Tide soak. It cleaned up pretty good. All the Dresden plates are of old original feed sack material. I am not sure how old these are as the guy in the store purchased them at a sale and had no background on them. Isn't it sad that some family member spent so much time on them and they are not passed down in her family? Oh, well, I love them and appreciate her work!! I wish they had been labeled...reminder to self to get on that task. So instead of a design wall I am sharing a soaking deck!!! If you have any ideas on how old you think these may be feel free to comment!! If you have any stained fabric or quilts that need cleaning I would highly reccomend the Retro Clean.