Weekly Progress: Out and About -- At Home

OUT and ABOUT: My oldest daughter was diagnosed with severe iron deficiency and is having a series of three IV iron infusions with each lasting around 3 hours. The first was last week, the second one just yesterday, and one more next week.

For the first infusion last week, the stick of the needle was not pleasant at all because they had a hard time, there was quite a bruise which resulted in having to start another attempt in a different spot. Tiny veins runs in the family and that gives the nurses a more difficult time. The beginning of a slow process and this took approximately a half hour. Yesterday's stick of the needle was a bit better but still hurt -- the nurses remembered not to use the area of her hand that they used last week.

First, there was pre-medication in a slow drip of saline for about an hour, then came the very slow drip of iron to watch for any possible reactions, which thankfully did not happen. This lasted about an hour and half. With a bit of rest after removing the IV, she was done with her first infusion - 3 hours. The second lasted about the same amount of time. It's rough, not enjoyable at all but going well. She will be so glad when the last one is over. So will I! The view out the window from her cubicle.

AT HOME: I'm still working on my fabric Pussy Willows using different fabrics. One fabric is a polyester and one is a blend of polyester, nylon, and rayon. The first fabric gives a smooth finish and the blended fabric that frays gives more of a furry opened blossom look:

ECHOES:

Be sure that your children each day have:
Something or someone to love
Something to do
Something to think about.
~Charlotte Mason~
~Karen Andreola~, Charlotte Mason Companion: Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning
Charlotte Mason Research and Supply Company

Rules for Happiness:
Something to do,
Someone to love,
Something to hope for.
~Immanual Kant~

"...love the Lord your God..." Matthew 22:37
"...let us love one another..." 1 John 4:7
"...think on these things..." (whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy) Philippians 4:8
"...do your own business, work with your own hands..." 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Still Inspired By Spring Pussy Willows

Salix Discolor -- American Willow -- Wikipedia

Spring is back again after a week or more of unseasonably record setting high temperatures. I'm still inspired by the Pussy Willows, a reminder of the new life soon to come. New Spring ATC and tag I made this week:

Pretty Pussy Willows

Growing in the hedges,
Smoothing with thy fairy wands,
Nature's ragged edges.
Lighting up the bushes
With thy touch of silver,
Thou art generous unto all,
Cheerful little giver.
Pretty Pussy Willows
Smile as if 'twere duty,
Is it marvel that we love,
Spring's first gift of beauty?
~unknown~

The Pussy Willow seem almost like little fury animals on the limbs -- sweet furry little kittens:

 I sometimes think the Pussy-Willows grey
Are Angel Kittens who have lost their way,
And every Bulrush on the river bank
A Cat-Tail from some lovely Cat astray.
~Oliver Herford~






Source: Illustration by Oliver Herford
Source: Poem by Oliver Herferd The Kitten's Garden of Verses

More vintage images of Pussy Willows from vintage books:

A vintage post card below from Little Birdie Blessings:

Pussy Willows below from the online book: Flowers From Here and There

Read the children's story: The Origin of the Pussy Willow from Overheard in Fairyland by Madge A. Bingham at The Baldwin Project

Fabric Flowers Are Blooming

Fabric flowers have been blooming the past couple of weeks. All are made from the lovely fabric I found at the thrift store a couple of weeks ago. I've found so many, many, many good tutorials online for making fabric flowers that I won't make a tutorial of my own. I plan to share some of my favorite tutorials in a future post but for now, here's a few of the rolled fabric flowers I've made so far:

Thrift Store Finds & Fabric Flowers

I just got back from the thrift store that's located not too far from me. I'm always looking for fabric (along with other items) to use in my art and found some fabric and colors I've wanted. My daughter and I are making rolled fabric flowers from scraps of satin, organza, silk, gauze, tulle, lace, muslin, and cotton. Some of the most beautiful fabric I found is the single pleated curtain panels and sheer curtain panels -- LARGE pieces of beautiful fabric for pennies! I found all the fabric and eight out-of-print vintage children's books for $5.00! These are just a few of the curtains and scraps I found:

I cut off all the seams and hems which I save to use for other projects, then I cut or tear strips of fabric to use for making rolled fabric flowers: 

This is a Salmon-Coral Rose colored satin pillow sham with three layers: one sheer, one crinkled and one smooth texture:

Some lovely cotton scraps in the neutral and autumn colors that I'll use closer to the end of summer and into autumn:

One of the books I found is Bounce and the Bunnies by Ruth Carroll with a copyright 1934. Not necessarily a "spring" book but the cute BUNNIES make me think SPRING. Bounce, the lonesome little puppy, goes out on his own to play in the meadow but is injured while playing. Mrs. Hoppit helps him by taking him to her rabbit hole house to mend where he stays for quite a while:

Spring is just around the corner! Bunnies  ---- and lambs, birds and flowers, oh, my!