Well I am currently in bed with my leg elevated after surgery last week to fuse a couple of sets of bones in my left foot. I have to stay off my feet for at least two months!! Since I sew about two hours a day usually, this is a real change in habits!! Luckily I am off pain meds for now and thanks to a wonderful scooter, I get around the first floor of my house pretty well and even managed to sit in my family room chair for dinner the past two nights. My husband claims I will be able to back up a semi after all my practice backing into chairs, beds and toilets (it's my left leg). Ten minutes with an occupational therapist and a physical therapist at the hospital were a huge help. Luckily I asked the physical therapist about scooters as I had been discouraged about using one. He found one in the recovery area and showed me how to use. I had a small tumble at the hospital (I was a little too aggressive) but learned my limits and am very cautious now and get around fine! I had my husband order one immediately and it came in a couple of days. It is saving him a lot of running around with the wheelchair. I am not using the walker at all at this point.
Anyway, back to quilting. The weeks before the surgery I went through my fabrics that I had put aside for stack and whacks many years ago and went through them. I put many of them in the "I'll use for backing pile as they aren't interesting enough" and then proceeded to cut up quite a few others into mostly hexagon triangles and four patches. I figured I could audition them and decide how they should go when I could again sew. The above fabric was the first one i pulled out. It has about a 12 inch repeat and I had about 10 repeats of the pattern. I decided not to do a kaleidoscope block as they only go together in one way. I did pile 8 repeats on top of one another figuring I could do two "posie" (or 4 patch) blocks with each set. I did a 3 1/2 inch strip and ended up with 72 posies which will finish to 6 inch blocks.
Below are some of the different versions of the block from one set. All the photos are with my phone and with them sitting on my lap in bed so not up to the usual standards.
This is one of the stacks and below are the two different arrangements I decided to use.
Another arrangement.
Another!
These next three are all the possible arrangements of one set of posies.
These next two are three versions of a posie. The ones below I initially chose but when I did this one, I decided I liked it better than one of the chosen ones below. I like them to look as different as possible even with a large focal point like the flower in this one.
Well, I am trying to figure out how to do some machine sewing down here. I have a little board for my lap and could balance a FW easily on it but how to use the foot pedal is the problem although I may be coming up with a solution before too long!! I will have to order bobbins as my husband finding bobbins for a FW in my sewing room would not be a pretty picture!! I think he could pick out thread though!
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2 comments:
The fabrics are fun and make interesting blocks.
You could rest the Singer 221/Featherweight on your lap and use an elbow to press on the controller.
Or you could use a vintage or antique hand crank sewing machine like a 3/4 size Singer 99. Replacement spoked handwheels and hand cranks are available. Aftermarket hand cranks and handcranks are more easily found.
Handcrank sewing machines allow very accurate sewing as the needle stops when the hand crank stops.
I have several hand crank sewing machines, but am not trying to sell one of mine. Just giving a suggestion. There are lots of sewing machine collectors near you that may be willing to sell one.
I used to have bunches of hand crank machines but donated almost all of them now!! I do have a couple of FWs here. A friend volunteered a little Janome that has buttons and speed control on the machine so may use that. She will get it to me on a trip up north (she lives about 50 miles from me! I am also thinking that might be able to sit at dining room table eventually and then could use my other leg while keeping the casted leg elevated!
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