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Estelle’s Quilt – The Wedding block

The next block in the set is the wedding block for obvious reasons.

 

There are several combined patterns in this block. The birds are from the Embroidery Library. The floral elements are cut from one of their violets patterns. (Violets, which are my sister’s birth month flower, are a main element in the quilt)

There are over 43,000 stitches in the pattern and I almost had to throw it out after 36,000 stitches because my machine decided to build a thread nest underneath one of the pedals. Fortunately I caught it quick and was able to pull the stitches completely and continue!

Estelle’s Quilt – The Initials Block

I went through some variations of the Initials Block and finally settled on a simple embroidery of violets and vines with the initials in the middle

There are three different embroidery patterns in the design. The violets and vines which surrounds the initials is based on a design from Dainty Stitches called Heirloom Corners. When I put the four copies into the corners I decided to tweak the ends of the corners that make the left and right sides so the block is more of a rectangle than a square.

The center initial with the vines behind it comes from an alphabet set that I picked up a while back but unfortunately don’t remember where. It’s a beautiful set with twirling vines. The two letters flanking it I use just standard lettering.

The whole thing is done using a Sulky Premium 30 weight 100% cotton thread. Everything except the lettering itself are using Blendables which gives the coloring variations. It turned out a lot nicer than I thought!

The picture above is the block getting read to have the corners attached.

Estelle’s Blanket – Appliqué Block 1: Chickadee

I’m finally returning to working on Estelle’s blanket! For the first appliqué block, I’m using a block from a BOM (Block of the Month) program from a site I subscribe to

The original block had lemons incorporated in the design but since I’m doing one that’s geared towards my sister’s birthday month I swapped them for pansies that I designed.

Since I wasn’t sure about sizing and placement, I used Sulky Paper Solvy to make sure of the placement and the five little pieces for each

 

Here’s what I was playing with for figuring out where the pansies and leaves would go

 

 

Here’s the work in progress. As you can see each pansy has five pieces so placement was critical

 

 

In this close up you can see how they fit. As as well, you can see something that I learned: You can’t iron sulky paper solvy!

 

 

Here’s the piece almost finished. I added some shading using Tsukineko Ink pens around the leaves and on the ribbon. Then I did some free motion stitches for the pansy leaves.

Mom status – Wed Oct 14

I just wanted to let you know I went and visited with Mom today (Wednesday) for a very short visit on my way to her place to pick up some boxes and to bring her two new sets of PJs and socks.

She looked pretty good, even more ‘peppy’ than on Monday. She liked the PJs. One set was a satin set with a jersy inside, the other was a light flannel. I bought two other sets but I'll be returning them because one set is too thin and the other has stitching that she won't like. I did a massive PJ search on Tuesday after work. Next time we need PJs we'll have to go to the St Laurent shopping center, much bigger selection than Bayshore.

My only concern is that she has to run an obstacle course to get to the bathroom so I worry about her tripping on something. She runs the bathroom gauntlet every half hour more or less thanks to blood pressure medication. So much for the diagnosis of Apraxia. Guess it was just temporary because of the stroke. There’s no way she could manoeuvre around the two beds, move things out of her way to get to the bathroom because the obstacle course is different every time…

Until I see her progress plateau, I won’t let them close the door to her returning to the Monastere onto the assisted living floor.

She expressed a desire for a TV so I’ve asked for one to be installed for the week. We’ll see how it goes.

What I’m finding at the hospital is that they don’t really take the time to hear what she’s saying and tend to talk at her, not to her. I guess because she’s hard of hearing and is 91, and yes a little slow but she’s totally with it. They figure she’s not all there but in fact, she is. She’s just hard of hearing and a little slow but she’s fully aware at the fact they’re talking at her, not to her…

You might think I'm procrastinating finding out about her at the hospital but there is method to my madness. The longer she stays, the better she is and the more likely she'll be able to return to the retirement home in assisted living instead of being delgated to a nursing home. I've been in touch with the retirement home, they have no spot for her at this time but it may change when the time comes and they may find a temporary spot for her in the meantime since she's been there nearly 10 years. I won't worry but trust in a higher power that things will work out..

Mom status – Fri Oct 9

Today I went to the home to pay the outstanding bill my Mom built up but no-one was there to take it so I’ll try again next week.

I talked to Eric, the Services Director, at the home. there are no rooms but he said they could move her into the Alzhimer ward temparily until a suitable room opened up – if it was deemed she could return to assisted living.

After that I went to have lunch with Mom. They moved her again but just to the bed beside the window in 633. Another lady – a really nice lady was occupying the bed next to the door. A large lady which is probably why they moved mom, the room wasn’t designed for two beds. The lady asked me if I was her daughter and proceed to ask me to get her to eat her lunch instead of starting with dessert. I just chuckled, Mom usually samples dessert first…

She ate by herself then decided to go to the bathroom. I went to get the walker but there was NO manoeuvring room. Mom said there was no room but she could hold on to things as long as someone was around. She did all of the manoeuvring on her own. Very slow, holding on things but did the whole thing. She did her business, open the door, got hold of the doorknob, then the corner of the bed, got to the sink, wash and dry her hands and proceed to return to bed. She went to the bathroom several times during my three hour visit. Always on her own. She also brushed her teeth with the new battery toothbrush I got her. I gave her a package of facial cleaner sheets. She had no problem using it, nor with the face cream. We discussed things, she was very clear. We went over all her clothes and I took them all back, leaving her with a clean nightgown. We decided that I would just bring a change of PJ and cafgan when I came so there won’t be any extra stuff lying around. She also mentioned that if she could control a TV, she would like one, so I’ll see about getting one in next week and we’ll practice.

There’s no doubt based on what I’ve seen today. She still progressing. This was the first time I could have stayed all afternoon and she looked bright the whole time. She expressed her concern that she take care and not fall. She fell in the bathroom but she claims she let herself slide to the floor. Regardless a break would be devastating and she knows it, so she herself is taking extra precaution making sure she holds on to things. But where she is now, it’s an obstacle course to the bathroom! The nursing staff doesn’t want her to go by herself but they’re not always around to help her. When she’s gotta go, she’s gotta go – this is because they’re giving her water pills for her high blood pressure. They’ve taken putting up the sides of Mom’s bed and having her wear Depends at night but if they forget and leave the side of her bed down, she goes on her own. The lady in the next bed said she got up several times during the night and she was concerned for her safety. Given the obstacle course to get to the bathroom, so am I!

Now lets hope a spot opens up at the assisted living area of the home. She would be much happier in her own stuff and TV…

Mom status – Tue Oct 06

So the four sisters attended a meeting with the hospital to review our mother’s status and provide their opinion. We were told that our mother is suffering from Apraxia which causes impairment involved in the planning, executing and sequencing of motor movements. We were told that she had difficulty swallowing, food and liquid was getting into her lungs and that she had frequent bouts of choking. We were told that she could not do for herself. That she could not handle any deviation from the straight forward simple tasks. Things like finding an obstacle in her way from getting up from her bed to the bathroom would be a problem. It was recommended because of her age and condition that we place her in a public long term care facility. They were of the opinion that she needed 24hr care to help her eat, get to the bathroom, make sure she doesn’t choke when she eats.

Not the news we wanted to hear. And, not the things I’ve seen in her progress over the last weeks. Not even the things my sisters have seen in the last few days. We were pretty much devastated with the news.

So with this, we went to sit with her. She was having lunch. Eating on her own. Slow but no hesitation on things, no choking. She told me to clean her spoon so she could eat her dessert. After dessert she fiddled with the containers putting them all in her plate so she could put the plate cover on them to cover the clutter. My mother is a neat freak. She doesn’t like clutter. Clutter irritates and depresses her, always has, always will. Hospital trays full of food containers are clutter, all those little containers and covers – no wonder she hesitates, there’s no place to put anything. I can see her looking around wondering where to put the cover so it’s out of the way and looks presentable. It’s a good thing my mother doesn’t run a hospital, she’d be a terror but things would be neat…

Then she decided she had to go to the bathroom. We told her to wait for someone to come and help her but anyone knowing our mother, knows how stubborn and hard-headed she can be. The call light was on and my sisters were lookng up and down the hall but no one was available. Our mom told us to open the bathroom door so she manoeuvre her walker (meanwhile the sisters are freaking out because everyone is busy down the hall). She proceeded to get up on her own – it took three tries but she did it unassisted. Then she started to push her walker but suddenly stop, look down, then unlocked the walker brakes on her own. Then she shuffled to the bathroom, turn the walker around so she can walk in backwards, take a hold of the bathroom railing and tell us to close the door. An orderly showed up to help her get back to bed. Our mother is also a very prim and properly little old lady. Last year she broke her ribs running to the bathroom. So when she wants to go, she wants to go…

She then complained about the towels, complained about the fact that the staff doesn’t know how to fold things properly, complained about the fly on the wall and peeling paint. She was clear, not muddled. Yes she tripped on words at time but she knew. She’s extremely hard of hearing and sometimes she answers the wrong question but is that because she’s muddled or misunderstood the question – she does tend to try and answer what she thinks she was asked. When she gets tired she gets mixed up but she knows it. She is quite aware of her surroundings.

After seeing this none of us feel she’s ready to be institutionalized. We all agree that quality of life is much preferable that quantity. We would all prefer to have her choke to death in her own place than break her spirit by putting her into a long-care facility at this time. Besides we all have bouts of choking every now and then, it doesn’t mean we have to be institutionalized. Also after spending almost every Friday for the last nine years having lunch with her I know what’s going on her her mind: she’s hurrying up to drink and eat before they come take the food away – and we all know what happens when we eat and drink too fast. She’s not done progressing and I don’t say that looking at this through wishful thinking eyes. I’m looking at this through my observations seeing her twice a week since the stroke happen. It would be much cheaper and yes safer to put her in long-term care but our primary interest is that she have a quality of life, not just a quantity of life.

So we’re not going to give up on her.

Mom's status – Mon Oct 05

By yesterday afternoon Mom has seen her six children. Last Friday it was my older sister Estelle and I. Then on Saturday, Sunday and Monday we were joined by our two other sisters. On Monday she got an additional visit from my brother John & his wife Debbie who drove up from North Carolina. Mom recognizes everyone now which is a very nice change from the previous weeks.

It’s been exactly one month since the stroke and she’s doing a lot better. She cannot stand on her own but with help she is taking her first steps, its a start. She recognizes everyone now and looks bright but she tires out after two hours so we’ve kept our daily visits within the two hour timeframe.

This week she’ll have daily visits with a decreasing number of sisters. One is departing on Tuesday morning and the other two will be leaving either Wednesday or Thursday morning. Then it’s back to me on Fridays and Mondays. I’m going to try and catch up on work this week before going for the regular lunch on Friday. Some time in-between I have to move a couple of pieces of furniture to move out of her suite in hopes of moving her either to assisted living quarters in the same residence which will be one smaller room versus two rooms but no decisions as to her living arrangements have been made yet. Next week we’ll see if she continues her progress.

Mom’s status – Mon Sep 28

I took a bag of nightgowns, pjs ,underwear and sock sand gowns plus her walker which they asked for so we’ll see what this next stage brings. She is standing with assistance but not walking yet. The one disconcerting thing that’s going on now is that her short term memory is messed up. When she saw me she thought I had been gone for a week or two but I was there on Friday and had lunch with her.She didn’t remember. She also asked where Dad was in all of this, that kind of caught me of guard since he’s been gone for years. She also didn't remember having visitors last week but I kept reminding her about the visit. She's going to have the four sisters this weekend so we'll see how she remembers then.

Now comes the longest stretch were I have to get some work done this week so I won’t be going back until Friday. Three days is the longest stretch without checking in on her but I just have to keep reminding myself that she’s being taken care of and she does need to learn how to do for herself, so she has any possibility of getting into assisted living quarters versus needing to stay in a nursing home. Time will tell.

Mom’s status – Fri Sep 25

She was moved to the 7th floor into again a single room. This floor seems busier than the 8th and I guess here is where she’ll be exercised to see how far she can return to any semblance or normalcy. The staff here seem a little more gentler when they move her on and off the bed to the chair for meals.

I had lunch with her today but she seemed tired out. I tried turning on the TV but she didn’t want it at all so I cancelled it, no sense in paying for something she doesn’t want. If she wants one later I will put it back for her.

I asked her if she had  visitors yesterday, she did. My brother Paul, my sister Carmen and her husband Bob drove the 5 hours to visit her. My sister said Mom looked at her and told her she was ‘big’. My sister said that those were the nicest words she ever heard because it meant that Mom was there – LOL.  I had a long talk with the CLSC caseworker on the phone in the morning. She was very nice and reassuring about everything. She reaffirmed the process which is to see how far they can bring Mom back to doing for herself. There doesn’t seem to be a time limit, it will be based on their observations as they work with her. When I was at the hospital I talked to the nurse who asked all kinds of questions about Mom’s capabilities before this and what the ideal outcome we’re shooting for. The best we can hope for is assisted-living, which means we may be able to get her back into the Monestary where the surroundings are familiar to her. The other option is a nursing facility which would have to be a public one, lets not hope for that one.

Lunch was a little on the short side but I talked her through it and helped her eat. She was put back on IV, guess she wasn’t eating properly but who can eat mush! I went over to her place and got some things packed. I go over there almost everytime I see her to pack things up and start bringing non-essentials home.