That's interesting, Sharon! I'd never really thought about it before.

Lois, good for you! My shoulder surgery was in Feb. 2017 and after about 6 or 7 months I decided it was time to stop "babying" it. I have pretty close to full range of motion, but it's still weak and still feels different than the other shoulder. But I try to do everything as normally as possible. The only thing I really shy away from is the movement that injured it. :)

My goal for this month is to get through the flooring replacement project and get my sewing and quilting rooms back! After the flooring and baseboards are done, I think I will reorganize my fabrics so they are folded on shelves rather than in bins. The bins have worked well for years, but they are heavy and lifting them up onto the shelves isn't getting any easier. :)

Donna

Much of my goals are similar to Donna's. We are nearing the end of the basement redo, only minor things need attention. And then haul everything back down there. I had some rubbermaid wire shelving installed along one wall thinking I would place bins on them but again like Donna, they are heavy and lifting might be a problem. When you get to be 85, lifting gets harder.. so I am thinking about folding too. Are you fabrics open to the room? Or behind doors of some sort?

LAQ has the little girls' quilts and hopes to have them done in the next two weeks or so. That means binding is next.

and while waiting for that pattern which cost an arm and a leg, I have made two pillowcases to go with the quilt. And as soon as it arrives, I will work on that.

Also, should get outside and do some garden cleanup. Lovely days!

Whew! I think I need a nap.

Theresa

We’re down in the islands, rebuilding our house after Irma. Things haven’t changed much since 1965, so some updating is in order.

Big news is that today my husband agreed that one closet can be replaced with a built-in sewing table. I have always had to sew on the round table in our kitchen or living room. Now I can leave a project out and have space for my sewing stuff. Of course that box flew away with my walking foot in it, but my machine made it through fine.

Wow, didn't know anything about that Mayday and distress call thing. I had some distress of my own on the 30th... I came close to cutting my left index fingertip off with my rotary cutter. I know, I know, we are all so careful, how could it happen. My best guess is that I just don't know! It may be due to the fact that I was wearing my relatively new bifocal contacts(1 near-1 far). I don't think I had worn them in my sewing room before, opting usually to wear my regular ones and a pair of cheaters. It just happened so fast I can't be sure. Anyhow, until my finger is better, all of my May plans are on hold :-(

Char, I'm glad you quit cutting before you went all the way through! My only goal for the month now is to put all the UFO's and their backing fabric away until July. If I have time in the evening, I'll work on things for myself, such as the Lotto winning wall hanging and some aprons.

I've been stuck on my Cowboy quilt. I want it finished this month. I didn't know exactly how to make the appliqued stars, so I kept staring at the fabric. I made some stars and then made some more. Then I changed the fabric and started again.

My significant other has been ill, so I needed some handwork for all the waiting. (I kept wishing I had some when he was in the hospital.) So, I decided to get them done. They involved lots of handwork, so got them made, turned and sewed on the background fabric. Now, I just have to get them made into a top and bottom border. All will be left do do is the next borders, quilting and binding.

If all goes well, I can get started on my Timeless Treasures Chong-A Hwang wall hangings, which I'm looking forward to.

bkay

I have a bunch of UFO charity quilts I need to get finished. Also need to work on flowers for the wedding.

I just want my sewing room to be done. The flooring was installed a week ago, and we started assembly of a new sewing table I purchased at a quilt show in March. During assembly, we found one brace that was damaged in shipment...and oh well, waiting on the replacement. The part is due this Monday, so hopefully we can assemble the table between Monday and Tuesday. Once done, then I can finally reassemble my work space. Since I could not sew while waiting on the floor and a table part, all of my fabric is folded neatly...waiting for me to pull it apart, start sewing again and create a happy mess!

V.

Helen, I hope your room turns you just the way you want it to! So nice to have a space you can call your own. My room isn't really a whole room to myself, but a sectioned off area of the rec room in my walkout basement. I do get to leave stuff out and make a mess if a want to. Sometimes I still think my husband would like to be able to "close the door", but he rarely complains. ;-D

How's everyone doing? Here's what I've accomplished....it isn't a lot for normal people, but I'm happy about it!

Quilt the second doll quilt.....DONE Make star border for Elephant......WIP Back and quilt Spots, Dots and Hearts........DONE 15 1/2" BOM.....DONE Another BOM.....DONE Sew leader/ender Four-ty Niner blocks together.....DONE

WooooooHooooooo............(did I tell you I have a tomato patch? Yup, 6 plants planted in hay bales. I'm working at being a farmer!! I planted them and DH waters them and tells me about the blossoms. LOL)

I have not sewn a single stitch this month. :(

I did take my sweet little Bernina 230PE to Fargo for a spa treatment. She was given a health check, and was cleaned, oiled, and had a new needle threader installed. They replaced the original incandescent light bulb with an LED one, too.

She got three new feet: #37, a quarter inch foot without the guide; #39, a short open-toed embroidery foot, and #63, a 3mm zigzag hemmer foot.

Three packs of needles, and four spoons of silk-finish Mettler cotton rounded out the trip.

I wish I was as pampered and indulged my machine! LOL

I hope to sew a fourth May Lotto Block to see if I can finally “get it right.” My torn fitted sheet still needs mending too. :)

My only goal would be to decide on what to use this wonderful Kaffe Fassett fabric in. I broke down and bought 3 charm packs of it on Amazon. (Amazon gift card for Mother's Day!) It's so wonderful and precious I'll have to force myself to use it. Seeing as I NEVER buy designer fabric and only buy fabric when it's on sale at Joann's or the LQS - (which isn't very often) this is a very special treat for me, almost like expensive jewelry!! I need to peruse the Missouri Star Quilt site and look at some projects made from charm packs.

Oh Rita, I'm with you! I get fabric on sale only. Might I suggest you check out Hancocks of Paducah website. They have sale fabric all the time. I have purchased many a batik for 5 bucks a yard, all brand names. They ship fast, but the turnover is high...nice ones aren't available for long.

Wow, you GO Sharon! You have accomplished a lot, and it's only the middle of the month!

We have only one bedroom to go on the floor project! I think tonight we are ripping out the old stuff, so it should be done Saturday. Then we have what seems like miles of baseboard to paint and install. Not to mention a huge top-to-bottom house cleaning to get rid of the dust.

I'm not sure we can get it all done by the end of the month, but it will be close. :)

Donna

Sharon, good for you. You’ve accomplished a lot - for anyone. Char, get a Klutz glove. I don’t cut without it - most of the time anyway.

In spite of my resolve to take my life back after seven months of recovery after two knee replacement surgeries, I’m back in a slump again. I got shingles!! I had the old vaccine ten years ago and the new one, Shingrix, two and a half weeks ago. Two days after the shot I started getting nerve pain and then came the rash. The docs said it was coincidence because the Shingrix vaccine contains only dead virus, but man, am I ever feeling lousy. My neck, shoulder and right arm are in constant pain. So... no FMQ on my Tiara. Also, no golf, yardwork, etc. I’m trying to keep my spirits up, but I’m pretty down. It’s been two weeks and there’s no improvement yet. On the bright side, it’s spring and the flowers and fruit trees are blooming. So wonderful.

Oh, no, Lois! I'm so sorry! I sure hope you feel better soon. Is there treatment for shingles, or do you just have to wait it out? My DH had a small/mild case a couple of years ago and IIRC he used Caladryl lotion and maybe had an antibiotic.

Donna

Lois, I'm so sorry to hear that you have shingles. They can give antivirals, like valtrex(valacyclovir) . May help resolve it faster. It' so painful, though. Glad it is not affecting your face.

...and TY, I am going to get a Klutz glove!

Thanks, Donna and Char. I did take a seven day course of Valacyclovir, which did dry up the rash, which incidentally didn't bother me much for the first week. But this second week has been pretty tough. The nerve pain got worse and the scabby mess that's my arm is super-sensitized. Very luckily, it didn't affect my face, eyes or areas under my bra. I'm way too endowed to be walking around without a bra for weeks. I'm just so tired. I have no ambition or energy. And I'm feeling really sorry for myself - never a good thing. I'm going to try piecing for a bit. Maybe that will help.

Lois, I am sure I had shingles without the rash. Every sympton of shingles, I had. GP and specialist couldn't make an exact diagnosis so never got any meds. It lasted about 6-7 months. Some very intense pains! Anyway, get all the meds you can and it does go away...eventually.

Theresa

You could also ask Dr. about neurontin (gabapentin) for the nerve pain. Many people use it for diabetic neuropathy, but it could also help with shingles nerve pain.

Hugs

I finished the top for my cowboy quilt. I decided on a different backing. I bought some backing fabric at JoAnns' 70% off sale, but found it was stained when I ironed it, so I took it back. I should have asked for an exchange, as the sale was over, but I didn't think of it. Now, I just need to get the backing done and get it to the LAer.

I'm starting on the next project, but need some black background fabric for it, which I hope to get today.

bkay

Char, my doc was out the day I went in, but her partner said they usually don’t start the gabapentin until the pain becomes “chronic,” over four months. I may go in to see my own physician next week if things don’t improve by then. Maybe her opinion will be different.

Theresa, that is a strange one. I hope that this doesn’t last that long. I’ll need a straight jacket by then.

My cousin took gabapentin for what was diagnosed as nerve pain. Turns out it wasn't, but the gabapentin can have some really nasty side effects.

I'm getting those shots this week. I've been putting it off, but you are the second person whose mentioned this problem in the last few weeks. I think it's time.

Did you get the new shot that you get in two doses?

Thank you.

bkay

I've often thought I should get it but now I don't want to if it gets you sick anyway. I'm so sorry for your troubles, hope you recover quickly.

I called the Dr.'s office to see if that "coincidence" of getting shingles right after the "new" shot was common. Nurse will get back with me. I will report what she says.

bkay

I saw an ad of TV for an attorney. You know that type...."if you have lost an arm due to ..." This ad was "if you have gotten shingles or the chicken pox after getting the Zostavax (it's real name) shingles shot, or experienced vision loss..." It appears getting the shingles as a result of the shot is a definitely possibility.

Bev, the old vaccine, Zostavax, was a live virus with limited protective power which was only about 50% at best and decreased over the years. I had mine 10 years ago. The new vaccine, Shingrix, is a dead virus given in two shots, and it has a much higher protective rate for a much longer period. That's why docs are recommending that even if you had the old one you should get the new one. Supposedly, you can't get the disease from a dead virus. I suppose my immune system was weakened by the two knee surgeries I'd had, so I became more susceptible to getting it, and the timing was just a coincidence. Just a guess. Rita, I wouldn't avoid the new Shingrix vaccine because of my experience. Supposedly, we have a one in three chance of getting shingles in our lifetime. It is not a pleasant experience, and I can see where it might be devastating to get shingles in the middle of another health crisis.

I can still remember when I was a kid my Mom had it and she was in a lot of misery. Also, a few years back a neighbor (elderly) started acting very strange and wasn't remembering things, sort of like dementia. The doctors couldn't seem to pin it down and the family was at their wit's end. Finally they did some brain scans and some other tests and realized shingles had attacked her brain, and that is very scary. She did get some better and didn't seem like she was in dementia but she was never right after that, her short-term memory ability was destroyed.