Week 45-47 (11/1-21/2020)

 Used this Period:  22.34 yards

Added this Period:  0 yards
Used Year-to-Date:  233.46 yards
Added Year-to-Date:  86.89 yards

Net Stash Decrease for 2020:  146.57

I've counted the fabric that I embroidered the Children of the World on, but not the remainder of the fabric for the quilt.  I started making the strips for the Triple Irish Chain blocks for the Children of the World quilt and for the embroidered blocks, too.  The finished block size is 14 inches; there are 28 blocks but I think I will only use 24 in the quilt and then make some pillows/shams with the others.  The fabric (excluding the embroidery background fabric) was purchased at Hobby Lobby in Casper in 2004--for $2/yard!  There will be enough for the backing and maybe even for a bedskirt!!

Friday, 11/20/2020:  I finished making the binding for the Children of the World quilt today.  This quilt is huge--106X106.  I had to piece the back as I lacked about 20 inches of the dark fabric.  I haven't made pillows or shams yet but did set aside the leftover fabric so I can do that.  I should have finished this quilt 2 weeks ago, but life got into the way.

DH's brother tested positive for Covid-19 and the virus claimed his life within 21.5-3 weeks from the first symptoms.  DH was calling Jim every day after we knew he tested positive,  but we didn't know he was getting so bad--hard to know when you are 700 miles away.  To make a long story short, when his son checked on him, Jim was turning blue and was incoherent.  He was taken to the local ER by ambulance, intubated, and transported to a larger hospital with a Cover ward.  He was put on a ventilator and eventually put on a dialysis machine as his kidneys started to shut down.  It was only 25 weeks and his other organs started to shut down.  Jim was only 77 years old.

Then my sister called and said she had tested positive.  She was sent home by the doctor, with instructions to go to the hospital if she got worse.  I was talking to her every day and warned her that she needed to have someone check on her each day because she might not realize when she had crossed that threshold; she was sure she would know.  I finally called her son-in-law and (knowing what how soon Jim had gone beyond that point) told him someone needed to check on her each day, maybe even a couple of times a day.  Well, her daughter did get an ambulance to transport her to the next small town where they admitted her to the hospital and started her on oxygen and an IV for liquids.  She was in the hospital for 5 days and then sent home to recover.  She said it has made her very, very tired and that her daughters are calling to check on her several times a day--but that she didn't want telephone calls or text messages.  I've tried to comply with her wishes and have called one of her daughters for news.

So, now, in addition to the worry by this election and all the fraud associated with it, DH and I have been worrying about our relatives.  We will be leaving for funeral services for Jim on Sunday.  DH's sister did not offer to host us over night (she has never extended an invitation for an overnight stay--Jim always did!) so we will have to stay at a motel.  Since that small town has an enormous number of Covid positives (3 of Jim's friends are also in critical condition), I am very nervous about staying in the motel.  The first night we will stay a little over an hour away and drive in for the funeral, but the second night we will be staying in a motel there.  May God keep us safe.  Since DH's sister never offers to host us, I foresee that we will not be visiting there again.  I've hosted them several times--different strokes from different folks, I guess.

For a bit of good news, DH got me a new Viking sewing machine--an Epic2 sewing/embroidery machine!  I used it to finish the pieced backing and the binding for the Children quilt--just straight sewing.  When we get back home, I'll do some embroidery to try that out and sign up for the 3 months free mySewNet subscription.  I will still be able to use my 4D Pro software (there have been about 5-6 upgrades since I bought 4D!) on the computer but the mySewNet now offers all the things previously offered by the separate software--for a price, of course.  It will be interesting to explore the possibilities of this machine.  I am already planning on some face masks (doesn't look like we will get rid of those very soon even though research says their effectiveness in stopping Covid is minimal) with sequins.

I had wanted to finish a second quilt in November and 2 in December--might not meet that goal now.  We'll see.