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.
