WiP Wednesday: Hospital Getaway!

 I had plans for getting so much done and being all caught up with the Skill Builder Sampler.  I should have known better.  Sunday morning I woke up with excruciating pain, vomits, and other unmentionable symptoms so I went off to the urgent care center.  After many tests and many more "I just don't know" statements I was transferred to the hospital when I underwent many more tests.  22 vials of blood, 10 x-rays, one cat-scan, and three days later they decided I "probably" had a bowel infection and sent me home.  I can't take Tylenol for the ever-present pain because my liver levels were elevated (something I need to get further analyzed next week).  I can't take ibuprofen because it upsets the stomach and mine is already seriously unsettled.  I can't take (gasp!) an anti-diarrhea medicine because that will just make it last longer.  Long story short I'm in a lot of pain and have to stay near a potty.   TMI, I know but hey, it's my blog, right?  However, I have done a bit of hand sewing and I finished the applique blocks for the sampler.

This is the beginnings of block #20.  It is an appliqued circles block and she had us try out four different methods for attaching/making the circles.  Prior to this block I had only ever attempted raw-edge applique so this was a fun challenge.  I had to buy freezer paper for one method.  That proved to be an adventure.  We were at Wal-mart where they don't sell freezer paper and saw wax paper.  My hubby was convinced it was the same thing and we bought that.  FYI, wax paper is NOT the same thing!  After cutting out the circles in wax paper and finding that they totally didn't work for my purpose I used them as place markers until I got the real freezer paper.  Later I went by myself and after traveling to three different stores with four kids in tow I found it and did a super-happy dance in the aisle.

Block #20 - Circles - Here's my finished block.  I love how it turned out!  Each size of circle was done with a different method.  The largest (greens and dark gray) were needle turn.  The medium (blues and dark purples) were cheater needle turn.  The smallish (reds and orange) were freezer paper while the smallest (light gray, purple, and yellow) were gathered circles around cardboard.  I can seriously see advantages to each method but my favorite for circles was the gathered method.  It was so easy to get it just perfect!  Leila has links to different tutorials for these methods on her post.  Follow the link for the block to find them.

Block #21 - Choose your own adventure applique - I used the needle-turn method and made a fancy Eiffel Tower.  I LOVE IT!  Well, I love anything to do with Paris and the Eiffel Tower.  I've been to France twice - once just out of High School and once for my Honeymoon.  I loved every minute.  However, I did not love every minute of making this block.  First I didn't cut the fabric scrap big enough, then my thread had several large knots in it and finally my illness took over and I kept having to put it down at the really intricate parts.  I could have cut out the center but I'm just not up to it and knowing me right now I'd probably cut through the white fabric too and ruin the whole thing only to start again.  Oh well, I love it like this anyway (so I keep telling myself) it's like a shadow effect (so my hubby keeps telling me) and it's good enough (we both agree).

Progress:
 - While at the hospital I had my crochet afghan so I did a few more rows on that, not as many as I wanted but oh well.
- I landed on several patterns and fabric lines for upcoming projects and I'm nearer to being able to start those.

Follow the link for more WiP Wednesday fun at Freshly Pieced.