Something new beats something old (cancer)

The good news came back in November. Better news came in February. And now you can know too.

The Is It Cancer? scare turned out to be just a scare. The cancer has not spread to my daughter's bones. Instead, she has bone islands.

I won't bore you with the struggles of just getting the right tests the first time. Instead, let's all be grateful that the three-months-later, let's just be sure test came back with the same result: My baby has bone islands, not bone cancer.

Bone islands are often found in imaging. Hers did not change shape or grow so that's good. She'll bring all the records to her next visit at University of Michigan.

Her ship has come in.

Failing but making progress is success

Progress ! Yes, I think I am going to make it to the final stage -- completion -- in the final phase (for now) of the Project Quilt effortt. 

Stumbled a bit today as I tried to turn a 6-inch square into a hexagon. I tried and I tried. I was upset that I didn't try the technique right after I saw it demonstrated.  It looked so easy on TV.

Then I bumbled around the internet, looking at quilting sites, at origami sites, at this and at that. And just like that I remembered the name of the show -- Quilting Arts. (Specifically Quilting Arts TV Episode 1308)  That led to the quilter's name (Julia Wood), her book, her blog (The HEXIE Blog) and this -- you start with a circle. 

Quick like, I made one. I love the triangles that suddenly appear. Perfect points even. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.

Just not for this project. 

Let's piece the good times now

Committed. Determined. I will finish an item for this week's Project Quilting challenge.

I stumbled across Project Quilting in January and have been very inspired ... in the sewing room and in the blogging world. I am grabbing up quilting and sewing blogs as fast as I'd like to be finishing projects, especially some quilts.

On Facebook, I'm slowly coming out of my shell in a Challenge Quilt group. It's a great place to learn about contests and quilt challenges of all types. It's also a place where you can seek help when you're stuck.

And, boy am I stuck. My dear friend MS seems determined to make me hibernate this year. Trust me, I have mastered sleeping.  and some other things that don't deserve mentioning.

So I  have been making my way through a personal New Year's resolution of sticking a needle into something other then my skin. Inspiration came from Linda McLaughlin, who blogs at Notes from Studio B. she shares her daily sewing, like 365 patches in Indigo and Rust. I'll write about my effort. Promise.

Add a deadline

But now, it is Project Quilting's turn. Deadlines seem to work for me, so let's see.

This is the final challenge of the latest set. .The hardest part is you have one week, a mere 7 days, to go from idea to finish. The theme is posted on a Sunday and then it is go, go, go.

The easiest part for me is the project needs a name.

Making things a bit easier is that the project does not have to be a full-size quilt. The project only  needs to have at least one of these three elements:

• Include patchwork. 
•  Include appliqué. 
•  Have 3 layers stitched together by hand or machine. 

The first rule is the theme. This week we are required to include triangles.

 I've thought about entering three of the projects. But .... well, there was always a but. Each time, I got a littler closer to the end.

Stash busting now

So this time, I have mapped out the big wow. Rearranged it at least 15 times in my mind. Chosen the colors. Found the fabrics in my stash. 

The Big Wow now has worked its way right out the door. 

It was bumped by a sunshine that will brighten each and every day. It will simplify a daily challenge. 

Something smaller. Something doable in a week. Something that can be done even if  MS refuses to hit the road.