August 27, 2014

Headache: Day 2

August 27, 2014

This morning my kind husband left me sleeping.  I almost said he quietly left, but I don't know if he was quiet or not since I can't hear when sleeping since I take off my Cochlear sound processor.  I woke up about 8:30 and yesterday's headache was still there.  I texted Ron and told him I would plan to come to the office about noon.  I considered going back to bed, but didn't want to do that, so after I drank some fruit juice I went to the guest room and started cleaning the closet. 

The guest room is where I keep the Legos, so the grandchildren can play with them without scattering them all over the house.  I had bought some Shipley Donut buckets to store the Legos in but had never gotten them transferred to the buckets.  I did that and then started on the closet.  There were two large storage containers in there with quilting things.  One had some things I had been looking for.

My housekeeper is a great help, but sometimes I don't like the way she does things.  I noticed the bed needed to be remade the way I like it.  This lady works for several people and each one has a certain way they want things done.  I try not to complain about things because a couple of her clients are very rude about corrections.  As long as things are done, it is ok.  Except... I decided to redo the bed.  By the time I finished the room and the closet, my headache was about gone! 

One of the storage containers had incomplete quilt projects in it (not all of mine, but a few).  I took that container to the office when I went so I could go through it and sort the items in there.  I found a Log Cabin quilt I had started about 15 - 18 years ago.  I dug out all the parts for it and am going to leave it at the office to work on there.  Then I found some blocks from a class I took about 12 years ago.  These blocks are really wild!  They are the ones pictured in the blog today.

This class was a little different from most and was put on by a quilt shop in Harlingen.  It was called The $5 Quilt.  In January you went to class and paid $5 for a kit with the pattern for a 12" quilt square and the fabric to make the square.  If you showed up for the February meeting with your completed January square, you got the next one for free, but you had to be at the meeting with the completed square.  It continued on like that through the year, getting a square each month.  I started adding 4 inch borders around each square (4" on each of the 4 sides) so that the squares would be 20".  I have 7 finished.  The other 5, the 12" squares are complete, but I don't have the borders on them. 

The inner squares are the patterns and fabrics provided by the quilt shop.  The borders are my designs and my fabric choices.  It is going to be a challenge to finish the other 5 blocks.  I don't use my designing skills as much as I used to.  Also the fabrics we were using are no longer available although I had bought some extra so I can figure out something - I hope.

Anyhow, I brought these blocks back home and will see if I get any inspiration to work on the borders.  Here is one of the blocks without the additional border.  I do have fabric for this one - at least the butterfly print and some orange.

I want to bring in some of the other colors in the border.  It is a very "strong" block and needs to be toned down a little.  As I get borders added to the 5 remaining blocks, I will show you photos.  Then I think I will put a little bit of black between the blocks to separate them.  We had no choice in the colors except that in the beginning we could sign up for the wild set or a blue and white set.  I obviously chose the wild set.  Here is one more block without borders.  I am not sure what I will do with the quilt.  I don't think anyone can sleep under it - it is too bright and would keep them awake!

At the office I spent more time cleaning my desk.  It is looking very nice!  I only have one stack of things left and it is mostly quilt magazines.  I have made good progress this last week or so cleaning that desk!  Ron was out on jobs for a while in the afternoon so I waited on customers.  One lady asked if we were busy.  I told her only when Ron left on jobs.  About that time two more customers walked in proving my point.

When I got home I spent some time in the yard and took a photo of the Royal Poinciana tree.  There are only two blooms left on the tree, but that is pretty good.  It has stayed in bloom all summer.  There are a few buds, but if we get this tropical wave of rain as predicted the next couple of days, I think the last of the blooms will be gone.

The shrimp plant is blooming well and the hibiscus plants are growing tall and blooming beautifully.  The hanging baskets are not doing well in the extreme heat this summer.  But the grass is green and the yard looks nice, thanks to my husband's care.  He worked out there for a couple of hours this evening after he got home, while I fixed supper.