Trying Day

 I don't know why.  No special reason except for a headache that stayed with me all day. 

I didn't want to open the blinds.  I didn't want to dress and didn't even have coffee.  I did the bare necessities and just felt sorry for myself and my whole world.  It was probably reading the news clips early, which I vowed I was not going to do.  

I had a birthday card to mail that was going to take two stamps, and I was completely out, even those 2-year-old Christmas stamps, so that meant I had to go to the post office.  And that was too hard for me since it would involve putting on clothes and shoes.

I debated that a while and then texted Emily to see if she had any stamps, which she did.  I said, "I have a headache.  I'm depressed.  Can't manage clothes."  She said, "I do have some.  I feel the same way.  Chaos.  Overwhelmed.  Everything will be better."  But she has a reason for being overwhelmed!  

She agreed to bring me stamps, and I appreciated it.  Happy birthday, Debra.  See how hard I worked to get your card in the mail?  Even though it will probably be a day or two late anyway.  

I had a phone conversation, a text conversation, and an email exchange, and they all cheered me up, but I still had the headache.  I finally went and looked for something to take - 3 or 4 hours overdue.  I hardly ever have headaches any more, so I really had nothing in the medicine cabinet, but I did see a little bottle of Tylenol PM, which I bought because I had a coupon once - or something.  I took one of those, showered and dressed in clean pajamas, and went and got back into bed.  Best decision ever.  

I love that I can just go away like that when I want to, and it doesn't bother anyone.  I woke up with no headache and no memory of why I had been depressed, and with a little motivation.

So I sewed.  I had cut my binding strips last night and only needed to sew them together to make a long strip. After a few experiences of sewing these together backwards, I usually pin them and mark the diagonal line with a pencil.  But this time I decided to use this cute little self-adhesive template.  I can just throw the two pieces up there and eyeball them.  So much faster.  I've used a template like this before, and I'm not sure why I stopped.  I do have to take it up to change the bobbin thread, and that's aggravating, but it saves so much time.

The sewing on of the binding went perfectly.  The quilt is so thin that I just used my regular foot instead of changing to the walking foot. 

Then I went around the whole quilt and clipped the binding down so I could hand sew it.

A very interesting find in my clip drawer.  One of these things is not like the others.

And there is my quarter-inch presser foot that I had looked for everywhere.  I did look in that drawer because I knew it would be a good hiding place, and it was.  Because I never saw it and went ahead and ordered a new one.  

It's so satisfying to sew on a binding and have it look halfway decent.  I think we're going to be happy with the fabric we chose.

And mitered corners that work.

It doesn't take much more than a headache going away and a cute mitered corner to cheer me up.

Yesterday I watched this video before I started because I have to be reminded of how to start and finish the binding to leave a perfect seam.  There are a lot of videos out there, but I think this is my favorite.  

The joining worked so well you can hardly see it. 

 

What you can see is Bowie Cat who is interested in my cute scissors. Thanks, Barbara!  They jingle and remind him of the laser toy, I think.  He's much more interactive lately and will let me pet him when he is in the right mood.

So this day ended better than it started, thank goodness.  Tomorrow I have Mah-Jong in the morning and will finish the quilt in the afternoon, so Emily should be able to wrap up in it again tomorrow night.