Thread Usage

 

I regularly use Bottom Line thread in my bobbin, especially when piecing, and I bought this cone of "Silver" and started using it, September 2022. I only know that because I marked it on the inside of the cone when I first unwrapped it. This thread is extremely thin and works really well in my machine, very smooth, winds on the bobbins easily, etc. 

I was taking this cone off my machine when my DH came in, and I told him this information, he quickly in his head calculated an estimated usage rate. I did the math and he was very close: 3,000 yards, 1228 days which is 2.44 yards per day. Not terribly useful information, I know, especially because this is not the Only Thread I ever use in the bobbin. I use different thread when I'm quilting, and free-motion quilting. But I will do the same thing again and then I'll have at least one comparison point. Will I make a spreadsheet? Nope, not enough data to make it worth the time.

I also had to write on the top of the cone what type of thread it was so that I'd remember to use it when it was time to wind a new set of bobbins. Guess it's time for me to get some more!

Tracking Trinket

 I have been keeping track of the Trinkets blocks I've been making on the handy dandy printout that was provided as part of the Trinket SAL. I'm using colored pencils to color in the blocks as I do them. At first I was thinking I'd cut these out and glue stick them into position on the grid layout that was also provided.  But then a suggestion was made in the SAL group....a spreadsheet.

Don't laugh, I'm a sucker for a good spreadsheet idea. Is it a teeny bit fiddly, oh yes. Is it as fiddly as coloring in and then cutting out and glueing in a tiny little square? Maybe about the same really. Will I do both? It's absolutely possible verging on probable. 

Main reason is to make sure I've got the right amounts of the various colors represented in the quilt layout. Seeing just these first ten blocks up there with the black squares is doing wonders for me to visualize how this is going to look in the end. It is a little hard to conjure up on my own. Playing around with the actual Trinket blocks will be the most fun way to keep track of the color representation though. But I will have to get to the point where there are enough of them to make that worthwhile to do. Onwards!

Now Curcurmin Enhanced

 

No new sewing as I've just gone there and back again to Arizona, for one last doctor visit with the medical study I've been participating in since November of last year. The treatment really worked for me and has been pronounced a success. I'm on the list for the next trial. Fingers crossed on getting into that one. 

I am very done with flying so frequently though for now. That was A Lot for me.

I have to say, when I saw the crazy yellow color of the injection material, I was intrigued. This isn't actually it, but the vial on the left is very very close. The stuff just glowed, not quite neon-yellow but with a very slight green, but this picture comes close. Turns out it's used as a dye and food colorant. It's curcurmin which is a component of turmeric, a spice I cook with a lot. If the good results hold, maybe I can figure out how to dye something this exact color and make a little something to send to the research doctor to say thanks for saving me a couple of surgeries.

 

Boo/Yay

 

Disclaimer: I acknowledge that this is the very definition of a first world problem sort of post.

When my FitBit Versa 2 screen did this, I knew it was probably a goner. I tried the FitBit tech support chat, but they had nothing to even try besides turning it on and off again. They very very quickly got off the chat and offered me a %off coupon. It was only two years old, and I'd had zero problems with it at all. It always held a charge for nearly a week, it always synced with the app, etc. I was pretty pleased with it and wore it just about every single day. Mostly I use it to keep track of how active I am, to tell me if I'm overdoing it or not. With the condition that I have, it is very easy to overdo and then I'm down for the count for several days. Using the FitBit has helped me to be much more aware of it and manage it better for myself.

The funny thing was that I had no idea how often I used it as an Actual Watch to tell me the Actual Time until the screen stopped working. It was surprising to find that out. I kept wearing it and keeping it charged, it kept updating to the app, I just couldn't use any of the functions on it since the screen didn't work at all, unless you're really into staticky looking test pattern lines. It wasn't useless, just not usable.

I was tempted to give in and just get an Apple Watch, now that I had gotten used to wearing a "smart" watch, but I was not wanting to give up on the FitBit platform quite yet as I have one of those syncing scale thingies that still works. I decided to utilize my %off coupon and buy one of the new versions. This is the Versa 3, it is a slightly different shape, much more rounded at the corners and the watch band is different. I thought I wouldn't like the feel of it, but it turns out that it's perfectly fine. And I can tell the time again. 

As you can see, this one lets you put one of your photos as your background to the main screen. I've got my three amigos on there to keep me motivated. The new versions also give you information on your heart like AFIB alerts as well as alerts when your stability is questionable. Both are things that I'm concerned about.

Over the years, I think I've had something like five FitBits of various types, shapes and sizes. They've been a good tool and I like having the data on myself. It helps me explain myself to myself if that makes sense. 

Day, Month, Year

 

Last year I filled this sheet out daily, if I exercised (at all) I got to color in a section. It was a motivator, as dumb as it truly is, it worked for me. Finally by this age, I've figured out how to trick myself into doing what is actually good for me. So after confirming this for myself, in addition to doing this sheet for daily exercise again, I've found a few more Fill In The Section type of things to keep myself going creatively in 2021. 

Every Day I'm:

Coloring in a square on this cute monthly worksheet from Karen Abend whenever I do something creative. If it works for me, I'll do it monthly.

Taking a one second video using One Second Everyday. This app will make a compilation video monthly, yearly, etc. So far, I've been taking a little snippet of my sewing activity. I saw an online friend's video from December and found it utterly fascinating and charming and inspiring.

Using my iPad and Apple Pencil to sketch a doodle of some kind, sometimes inspired by the prompts from ellolovey and spoonflower. I'm working up to being brave enough to actually share an image online somewhere, we'll see. But I'm enjoying learning to use the tool of the iPad and pencil a lot better.

Halfway Through

Way back at the start of this year, I found this great calendar over at nerd-bucket. I don't remember who pointed me towards it, but I've been using it to track daily exercise. Every day that I exercise in some way, I get to color in the daily section. According to my own set of rules, I get to do this whether it's a full-on gym workout (only in January & February unfortunately since the gym has been closed down) or walking the dog or anything in between. As an aside, our gym has recently re-opened just this month, and I miss going to it so very much, but I just can't risk it. Also I can't imagine trying to workout while wearing a mask.

I've been feeling stronger and better physically lately, and I can look at this single piece of paper and instantly see why. Somehow it is more motivating than all the info on my FitBit. It's easy to get quite down on myself about the day to day, month to month variations of how much energy I do or do not have. But now that I can see in a concrete visual format that I have indeed been more consistent with getting some exercise nearly daily--and I do feel better, it encourages me to keep moving. And that was the point all along, hurray for something actually working! 

This feels huge for some reason, which is why I'm writing it down here. I look at those few days not colored in over the last three months and feel proud that they are so few and am motivated to have even fewer in this month.