Weight Loss Progress

Good news:  I have been on this new weigh loss program (high protein, low carb) for about 3 1/2 months now and have lost 46 pounds.  I've lost two or three sizes in pants and one or two in blouses. By the way, I am 73 pounds less than my highest weight. 😊

Better news:  I'm no longer in a wheelchair or depending on a walker or cane.  I can get in and out of the bathtub without assistance.  I can do more things for myself and don't have to depend on Tim for everything.

Even better news:  I have had very little in the way of sweets since starting (an occasional peppermint) and I do not miss it at all!  I have had maybe 2 diet sodas in the past 3 months and do not even want one any more!

Best news:  I'm feeling so much better.  This whole process is getting easier.

Not so good news:  (1) Still having problems with neuropathy and have resigned myself to the fact that I always will have.  It does affect balance and getting up and down stairs, although I can do that if I have a hand rail.  (2)  Loose skin is already sagging on my arms, belly and butt. That is only going to get worse as the weight comes off.  I'll just have to find out options when I'm closer to where I want to be.

NOW if I could only stop procrastinating and get to the gym and exercise a few times a week!!!

Happy New Year 2017

I hit a few of my goals for 2016 and hope to do the same in 2017.  Some are continued from last year; some are new.

Tim got me a new embroidery machine a couple of months ago and I've been learning.

Here's what was accomplished last year:

8 quilts completed!!
Totes for my daughter-in-law's bridal party made.
Several totes and purses made (for Vanessa, Marianne, a couple of friends and me).
2 cosmetic bags made for Christmas (sewn and embroidered).
2 dopp bags made for Christmas (sewn and embroidered).
Several snap tabs made on embroidery machine.
Embroidered 2 Christmas sweat shirts.
1 table runner completed - quilted and embroidered.
Mother-of-the-Groom dress made for Pat & Vanessa's wedding.

Wow!  That's a lot more than I thought it would be.  It seems that the more I wrote down, the more I remembered.  I think that's it.

My next post will consist of what I plan to do for 2017 including pics of my current UFOs.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

One More Quilt Finished in 2016

I got Melissa's quilt done and delivered to her.  Here it is:

The name of the quilt is Black & White & Read All Over.  The idea came from a challenge my local quilt guild made for their next quilt show.  I think I'll make another one for the show.  Here's the challenge;

2017 Quilt show Challenge:

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! To you I say

"Not Just Another Quilt Show's" is on its way

A Challenge Quilt we hope you'll make

But don't delay for heaven's sake.

Black and White are the colors to choose

But add one more color, or else you'll lose.

Heart of the Triad is who we be

So add some hearts- five, seven or three.

Ninety-six inches to a hundred sixty-four

Total sides should measure, no little, no more.

When choosing your borders, your number is free,

However four corners in each border must we see.

Now all you quilters get busy…don’t you delay

And be ready to enter your challenge on quilt

show day.

I'm happy with the way it turned out - I thought this little bookshelf quilt was perfect for a teacher. The books patterns were from Jennifer Ofenstein's Project of Doom at her Fandom In Stitches website.  One of the hearts was also designed by Jennifer at her Sewhooked website, one by Piece by Number and the other by Marcia's Crafty Sewing and Quilting.

Welcome to the Pepper Family

Finished a UFO in time to gift it to my future daughter-in-law at their engagement party later this month.  What better way to say welcome than to make a quilt using pepper fabric???  Here's the front and back.  

The paper piecing pattern is by Carol Doak. The long-arm quilting is by Missouri Star Quilt Co. Piecing and binding by moi!

TTMT May 2016 Prizes

Prize selections for TTMT May 2016

BB-8 plus your choice of the following selections:

1.  Yarny Selection:

2. Sewy/Quilty Selection 1:

3. Sewy/Quilty Selection 2:

AND there may be a surprise as well.

New Quilt Top Done

My local quilt guild has a quilt show coming up in 2017.  They have published the guidelines for their quilt challenge for this show.  The quilt has to be black and white with one other color and must incorporate hearts.  After a bit of thought, I decided to make a bookcase wall-hanging and here it is:

I've named it "Black and White and Read All Over."  I have also incorporated several music note fabrics because that makes this little project represent 3 of my favorite things:  sewing, reading and music.

Now to sandwich, quilt and bind.  After the show, it will be given to my niece Melissa, a teacher.

Finished and given to Melissa.  Here is the finished quilt.

2015 Project of Doom Quilt Top Complete

I am so happy to have completed my PoD quilt top.  Now I need to find a long-arm quilter to put it all together!

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I am a little bit obsessed (maybe more than a little) with Harry Potter and a lot obsessed with paper piecing so this was a perfect combination.  The free block patterns can be found at Fandominstitches.com or sewhooked.com.  All of the blocks except for the broom were designed by Jennifer Ofenstein, paper-piecing pattern designer extraordinaire.

I also finished a small wall-hanging quilt top that I plan to quilt myself.  I won't be showing it until after the Heart of the Triad Quilt show in 2017 because I plan to enter it in their quilt challenge.  The challenge is to make a black and white quilt with one other color.  It has to have hearts in it as well.  It took me a while to decide what I wanted to make, but I'm really happy with the result.

I have been working slowly but steadily on getting my sewing room organized.  I've got the pegboard on the wall next to my sewing machine better organized.  I bought a thread rack that holds 120 spools of thread and ran out of pegs.  Oops!  I think I need to get another one for just embroidery thread, but it won't have to be quite so large.

So that's what I've been up to lately.