... kick the cats to the curb. Well, that's what I want to do at the moment but I'll resist. I'm feeling rather defeated this morning. I closed the door to my sewing room last night but didn't latch it all the way and discovered that one of the cats got in there and threw up on my Christmas tree skirt that was on the sewing table.
Summer is in full swing here in the United States. That means spending less time at the sewing machine and more time at the pool. When I was a kid I suffered from horrific ear infections and getting water stuck in my ears would always wreak havoc on me. Back in the day we walked to school in the snow, uphill, both ways implanting tubes into ears wasn't yet practiced, although I'm sure I would have been a perfect candidate for it. Even with all the precautions I took to keep my ears dry (not going under water, wax plugs while wearing a headband) it never failed - I'd still get water in my ears, wouldn't be able to hear, and then develop an ear infection. While at the pool with my son yesterday I got water in my ears and immediately started having issues.
The recipe is simple, mix equal parts of white vinegar with equal parts of rubbing alcohol. That's it. Not complicated. What is more complicated is how to put it in your ear! My mom always had a small bottle with an eye dropper that she used to keep it in. I had no idea where I could find something like that so I just improvised. I used a medication syringe (it's used to administer liquid meds to small children).
Since the dosage numbers have faded, I can't use it for cough syrup, but it was perfect for this. You can request one from your local pharmacist, at no cost. As you can see, the one above came from target.
I just mixed the solution (1 tsp. of each liquid) in a small cup and used the syringe to put a few drops into my ear. Just tilt your head to the side, put enough drops in your ear to fill it, wait 30 seconds and then drain your ear onto a towel. Repeat if necessary, but you'll feel immediate results.
Week 2 is underway for the New Blogger's Blog Hop over at Plum and June. Here is this week's list of new bloggers. Be sure to check them all out!
I hit a bit of a roadblock with my triangle quilt this morning (I'll save that for a later post) so I decided to pull out the Christmas Tree Skirt that I pieced together a while ago and did some quilting on it. I Didn't get too much done on it but enough to share some progress.
I still need to figure out how I'm going to quilt the rest of it. I'm pretty sure feathers will come into play somewhere (probably the red areas) but not sure what to do in the tree fabric. I love that fabric and I don't want the pattern to get lost with whatever I quilt over it.
You never know where you'll be when you see something that inspires you. While spending an evening at SeaWorld last week, I happened to look down and noticed the pattern on a nearby walkway.
I don't know about you, but I see one of my favorite free motion quilting patterns!
Kickoff for the 2014 New Quilt Blogger's Blog Hop!
I am so excited! Today is the start of the 2014 New Quilt Blogger's Blog Hop hosted by Beth from Plum and June so if you're dropping for the first time, welcome! Sit and stay awhile.
First let me tell you a bit about myself. I'm a former theatre professional who has dabbled in fiber crafts for over 20 years. My original love was knitting but I always wanted a handmade quilt. It never occurred to me to make it myself until a few years ago. Silly, I know. That is when my love of fabric and quilting took hold.
Getting a late start on quilting, I have a lot of catching up to do and every new quilt project is a learning experience. You'll always see the good, the bad, and the ugly on this blog. And even some tips and tricks along the way, like this one on how to keep your bobbin thread from unraveling.
There are so many aspects of quilting that appeal to me. It's very precise (unless you're improv piecing), there are multiple ways to construct the same thing, and it satisfies my need to be creative. My favorite aspect of quilting is color. Of course, it's what I struggle with most. When making projects that aren't part of a complete kit, picking out fabrics and colors are my biggest challenge. What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of quilting? Is it in the construction or the design? I'd love to hear your thoughts!