ORCHIDS

I am not doing any handwork at all until we figure out what is wrong with my elbow and get some treatment.  This is very hard but thought I would drop by and show some of the orchids I have.

 

 

Harv and I were out yesterday buying a new tree to replace one that has died.  On the way home I saw the orchid gal sitting in her car with orchids out on a table in an empty lot.  We stopped and I found this darling little one planted in a shell.  Holes had been drilled for the wire and drainage in the shell.  I fell in love with it so it came home with me.  Great idea for any small plant.

 

All the orchids in here were saved from last summer and have all been flowering since I came back, plus one in the back is starting a new flower stem with buds.

The gal was also selling large stems that have been cut off the original plants.  I think if they are not sold the growers do this to encourage the new growth.  They were only $1.00 a stem so I bought 5.  They will last for a few weeks if you change the water and snip off the stems every once in  while
You can see I am reading Scott Turow's new thriller.

Obviously not an orchid.

I don't know what you call this one but it has two of the large leaves growing out one on each side and a small purple flower comes out of each ridge in the leaf.  One at a time.  This survived the outside this summer also.

 

NOTE CARDS

The one thing I am able to do with my elbow and arm not hurting is to sew on the machine.  I did a little FME scribbling and it did not bother me.  I cannot sew with a needle or pull anything so I am limited.

I made this bunch of little cards that I can use for birthdays, get well or even invitations.

Here are 5 I made yesterday and today.

 

 

 

 

 

I had a pack of blank cards and envelopes from a couple of years ago so did not even have to leave the house.  I had fun playing with bits and pieces.  The top torn paper is heavy acrylic art paper.





LONG TIME NO BLOG

Hello my friends.  I just wanted you to know that I have been absent due to a very sore right arm and elbow.  I had this last winter and a cortizone shot fixed me up fast.  Well it started acting up in Oct. and I thought I would wait until I got down here which was a mistake.  I should have gone to my Dr. at home.  With closing the garden, packing, lifting and closing up the house and then doing the same down here it became very sore.  I called my DR. here and he was out of town.  Well when I got in to see him he did not want to do another shot until he determined there was nothing else going on as the elbow was badly swollen.  He sent me for an xray and put me on anti-inflammatory meds for a couple of weeks.  Xray showed nothing and anti pills did not do much.  2 weeks later he gave me another cortizone shot but unfortunately it did not do the trick this time.  I think I waited too long and it really got bad.  Now I am sceduled for an MRI early Dec. to make sure there is nothing else there.

The worse part of this is I am right handed and can do no hand stitching, crocheting, anything repetitious hurts the elbow.  I did find that I can sew a bit on the machine as it doesn't seem to bother the arm. My hands do most of the work.  I came up with a little idea today of something I can make.
Tomorrow I will take some pics and see what you think.

Hugs
FredaB

HOME IN FLORIDA

Here we are safely in Florida.  House looked good and no problems.  We have a couple of wonderful neighbours who walk around checking outside and inside over the summer and would let us know if there was a problem.

We arrived Sunday night so have been here a week.  Beautiful weather until yesterday which was a rainy day - much needed even though it rains all summer.  Never have figured that one out.

I have shopped about 4 times and still finding things I need.  Thursday Harv and I went over to the flea/farmers market we usually go to and stocked up there.  I told myself I would not buy much until I came across this gal with two suitcases full of lace pieces.

 

I am assuming this is a collar.  It is very stiff and rigid after being OXY soaked and then washed in hot water.

 

This pretty piece I could not resist because of the Irish crochet flowers.  I am a sucker for this type of crochet.

 

Here is a closeup of one of the flowers.

 

This gorgeous piece measures 8 ft around.  It was cut off something which I assume was a round tablecloth.

 

Here is a closeup of the actual crochet.  It is 6" or more deep.  Can you imagine the lady who crocheted thisbeautiful piece for her tablecloth.  Hopefully somone or myself will use it in a good repurposing way.

 

The gal told me she has a lot more and will bring more next week.  I think I had better stay home or I will have to open a store to get rid of all this lace I have collected.  It gets to be a disease.  BUT all the above and a very pretty broderie anglaise collar and cuffs only cost me 7.00.  The collar and cuffs are in my fridge dampened down for when I next iron.  I will probably use them in Karen Ruane's

Simply Stitch 3 which is starting this Friday.  Can hardly wait to see what this next stitching will bring.  This is going to be 12 weeks long with 2 weeks off at Christmas then continuing in January.

 

Come join in and become addicted like the rest of Karen's fans.

 

 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

We are leaving in the morning for Florida and if all goes well will be at our house late Sunday.

It will take a few days to get organized - truthfully probably all next week.

See you in a while.

Hugs
FredaB

CQJP2014

I have been putting together blocks for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project for 2014.  I plan on working on them this winter in Florida and by making 6 before I go I will not have to lug a lot of material to Florida with me.  I have made 6 fan type blocks where I am planning on putting my Queen cigarette silks in the middle. I will make 6 co-ordinating blocks in the regular cq way to go with the fans and make the 12 required pages.

I have made myself the promise that I will not purchase a thing for this book. So far I managed with the fabric I had on hand.  It will be made only with what I already have including beads, ribbon, threads, etc.  We will see how I go with this.

Here are the squares.  They have not been squared off yet but will be 10" square when finished. I do not like the gold one so I am going to take  some pieces out and add others when I get to Florida.

 

 

NEW ALBUM

When looking for something I came across the stash of 50th wedding anniversery cards.  I did not want to throw them out as they are so beautiful and so meaning full from our friends and relatives.

I decided to make an album with them that I can leave for my grandchildren to see some day. I know how much I have always loved looking at old cards from the past and with all the Ecards we use these days they may be a good record of the past.

I cut a heavy card stock 7 x 11" and covered each side with pretty stampbooking paper.  Then I put a card on each side.  I covered very heavy paper board with fabric that I glued down and over the outside covers.  Inside I turned down the edges and machine stitched the edges of the 2 linings to make a good clean edge that I cut after that so it would not be too thick.  I then glued them down to the covers.

The little window on the front was purchased in the black velvet from an old picture frame.  It has the bubble glass on it.  I removed the old pic from it and cut with that pattern one of the pictures of Harv. and I.  This was glued down to the cover and then a piece of trim glued around the edges.  I was a bit disappointed with this trim.  I wanted just black gimp and wouldn't you know it JoAnnes was completely out of black so I settled for this. It seems to have more of a frayed edge.

I had purchased an old album page with inserts for pictures and made copies of some of the old black and white ones and filled them with our pictures.  This is a nice memory of some of the people who have since passed away in the little pics.  My Mother, her brother My Uncle Tom (who gave me away) and our best man Donald McKenzie has also passed away.  My MOH is still with us as are Harv and I.

My daughter Sue made the 50th. invitation to the party and printed it on vellum and used a pic of Harv and I from the wedding underneath it.  Great idea.  I have included a couple of pics of cards we received.

I should also say that I made my own wedding gown.  We were on a tight budget and the ballerina length was very popular in the late 50's.  I borrowed a dress form from a friend and took off.  It is hard to see in the small pics but the main dress was covered in silk organza and I embroidered over the skirt area.  A couple of years later my SILBeth liked it so well she had me make hers for her wedding. 

 

After looking at the last pic I see that I forgot to put ribbon on the binding clips.  I will remedy that now.