I'm putting this little announcement on the top of each of my posts this week...I am doing a week-long MS awareness posting thingy...if you play along and comment or even better comment with a hint on an easier way of quilting, sewing or crafting you will be put in for some drawings...cool no?
MS Factoid for today: There is no cure for MS. There are a variety of treatments for symptoms and there are some treatments which mitigate, reduce and/or slow the progression.
My take on this: Sometimes I feel like treating MS is as much art as science. Initially my neurologist and I did a lot of try it and see. There were a lot of unintended consequences...the first med she gave me for spasms made my fatigue worse...the first for fatigue worked soooo good I went out to dinner after work, then shopping then did some housework only to not be able to move my legs the next morning. (She said it kept you from feeling tired not from doing stupid things....nice aye! She doesn't cut you a lot of slack....) It took a few years but I've got a combination that works pretty well most of the time. I have a few I rely on daily but most importantly I have a couple of heavy hitters that I can call in if I have to do something very strenuous (like pack up all of my household goods and move overseas....) or have an episode at an inconvienient time...not that there is ever a convienient time, but say losing feeling in your leg when you are driving down I-20 at 11:00 at night that is inconvienient....
Now on to boring borders....there is a place for them in my quilting world. I often "overthink" my border choices. I have to remember they are a frame...I know a great border can often save a blah quilt (though if a quilt is blah it is most likely still in pieces packed in a plastic bag at the bottom of my closet....) On quilts that already have a lot going on then boring is the right choice...so I went very subdued on my Double delight. I used a Jenny Beyers Brownish Gold stripe on the inner border and a Civil War Repro on the edge. I purposely did not miter my border...I have lots of antique quilts and not one has a mitered border. I like squared off borders. This always gets commented on by quilt judges.
When did all this love affair with Mitering start? I think it should be a design choice. For instance I think a mitered border on a log cabin quilt looks silly. That is just my opinion. However on a pineapple log cabin I may consider it...am I making sense or am I simply justifying my general dislike of mitering? (just remembered a time I love miters...with stripes!)With my DD I could have gone either way. In the end I squared the corners because I didn't like how the miter was going the opposite way of the corner triangle...I wanted the eye to rest/stop at the border and the miter line didn't seem to do that for me. (are you starting to get the picture about my over-thinking things!)
A book recommendation to anyone taking up applique - Applique! Applique!! Applique!!! the complete guide to hand Applique by Laurene Sinema. I have this out to bring to a new guild member. It has a nice heart sampler that uses nine different techniques/styles (mola, celtic, running stitch, Broderie Perse, shadow, Hawaiian, button hole stitch, Pa ndu, and stained glass) and since it is small it will not take months (or years) to finish. The instructions are clear and the drawings good. It has been around for awhile (1992) but if you get a chance to pick one up it is a great addition to your quilt library.
20 comments:
I admire your courage and humour even while facing MS. I have a cousin who is seriously disabled by it so am aware of how hard it can be just to cope with life. You are amazing
Thanks for doing the MS awareness. I am the mother of a young woman with MS and sister to a woman with MS so I know all about it. Somehow, at 56yo, I have managed to avoid it.
You know, I'm really learning a lot during your week of MS Awareness.
I seem to try and steer clear of asking too many questions of someone who is dealing with a disease. Therefore, I am uninformed.
Thank you for helping me learn more. I pray that a cure can be found. I also thank God that you have found a doctor who works WITH you in the treatment of your symptoms.
Take care of yourself.
I love mitered corners, like you, On stripes. Like i did on my inauguration quilt... I mitered the red white and blue. Looked great. But I don't always see a need to do that... totally depends on the layout...
The MS awareness is interesting, thanks for sharing/teaching me. I've never known anyone affected by it. Keep the posts coming! the more info the better!
Well, the over-thinking sure paid off - I love the border choices on your DD. As for mitered borders, I'm with you (probably because I've been too chicken to try one yet!).
I had no idea that MS could be so challenging. I really admire you for all you do and what you live with. Thanks so much for the applique book suggestion, I've taught myself applique, but would love a book with information on it - perhaps I can learn to do it better. Take care and thank you for sharing the facts about MS!!
Hello, I have not commented before, bin reading your blog for some time though.
DH and I got a call a week ago from a dear friend of ours who's bin having all kind of difficulties for 4-5 years. Because of known family illnesses they didn't look for the right things. But now they are sure it's MS.
We've bin sort of numb since the call, so thank you, I'm learning a lot from your posts. It's not as dark future for my friend as I had feared.
Sunna
Iceland
Your border is lovely- It frames it without dominating it.
We are watching the hockey game and the NHL Oiler's hockey team has an agreement with a company who awards so much money in each game for each hit the hockey team makes.
So far this season they have raised 65,000 dollars for MS. The intent is to increase awareness as well as to raise money for research.
You are doing an important thing by providing others with insight on what it means to live with MS.
You are to be commended for your generous effort and willingness to share the human face of MS. Great week. Siobhan!
I love a mitered corner if it adds to the design, like several strips sewn together, or stripes. It's not hard and adds so much. But sometimes, there's no point to it.
Thanks again, for good information on MS. So sorry that it's a personal issue - not fair!
I have a personal issue with borders myself; that is usually where I stop the quilt - right before I add the borders. It just seems so hard!
Thanks for the MS Awareness! I am aware that I am one of the lucky ones, with a "light" case. The fatigue, of course, is the BIGGEST challenge of it all. I feel fine, I do too much, I end up in bed. What was an appropriate amount of activity one week is suddenly "too much" the next. Fortunately, I have great friends who don't hold it against me when I tell them, "I've done too much; I can't do any more."
Hope your energy holds out to get all those UFOs done!
I don't miter either -- call me lazy but I'm with you - my quilts are scrappy and informal...they don't need mitered borders.
Love your color choices on the DD and a *plain* border is just perfect for this quilt.
Given your name, I'm not surprised to read about the Irish heritage...most people can guess mine when they here my full name...Mary Teresa McLaughlin...I'm excited to be visiting Ireland for the first time next month but we'll just be in the Dublin area. One day I want to visit Donegal where my grandparents were born and raised.
Obviously I know the difference between *hear* and *here* but I guess my fingers were working faster than my brain.
I really like your finish on the DD! Anything more could have been overkill. As it stands, it is elegant. An "elegant scrap quilt!" :-) The best! Yah, I'm with you on miters. I don't think they are basic. As Elaine commented, if it adds to the design, good. Otherwise, let's get this quilt done! :-)
congrats on finishing the top - it looks great. I don't understand this mitered border thing. what's the point EXCEPT for stripes? There isn't one. stupid judging rules.... gorgeous Goldie pic.
First the important stuff...No matter how long I know you I think that I will never stop being impressed by you! Your humor makes me laugh, you are always willing to teach and educate which is an amazing quality. I don't think I've ever learned as much from one person about so many things, MS, quilting, life in general as I have from you. Now I have to say OMG are you kidding me? Aren't you the one that tortured me into doing a mitered corner on my first quilt? I was scared to death to do a mitered corner. It was the perfect choice, and I'm very happy with my quilt, but I can't believe your post. I have to say it made me laugh right out loud. It's so you even though you don't like mitered corners you helped me with mine because in the end it was the choice I made. Do you ever get tired of me singing your praises?
Thank you again for sharing about
your MS. I didn't know there were Meds you could take to help. I am
anxious to hear more about it from you.
Love your DD quilt....especially your color combo!!!
Having a design wall I think would be a great thing to help out. A whole lot easier than trying to design your quilt layout from down on the floor.
I couldn't agree with you more about mitering borders being a design decision, not a requirement for an "award winning quilt." Sometimes overthinking pays off!
Borders terrify me! I can't seem to figure out what to do with them, so I appreciate all of your over-thinking! I actually thought you HAD to mitre the corners so the idea of squaring them off is good.
Here's hoping you continue to have meds which allow you to live as you wish (pretty much) and that a cure for MS is found. Here's a question: Are there more cases of MS lately than say 10 years ago? Do toxins play any part in either the ocurance of MS or the treatment/severity of MS? I was wondering just the other day.
I appreciate Gail's question about whether or not the incidence of MS is on the rise. It sure seems like it to me, even though doctors say no. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if MS was related to toxins in the environment, but the research claims otherwise.
Your DD is beautiful! I never use mitered corners because it uses extra fabric. Cheers! Evelyn
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