Pain is Such a Pain

This winter has been a pain in the neck—literally. My trigeminal neuralgia has been flaring since the beginning of February, and today is the first truly pain-free day I’ve had since it began.

That kind of pain takes up a lot of brain space, so I wasn’t able to dive into many of the quilting projects I had planned over the past couple of months. Instead, I leaned into some lower-effort, more manageable projects.

One of those was pulling out my embroidery unit and stitching up a few mug rugs from scraps. I have an incredible stash of threads, and it felt good to finally put them to use. That said, these took much longer than I expected—finishing one in an evening felt like a win, and starting a second was ambitious.

My other go-to “low-lift” project has been my 2½″ economy blocks. In March, I spent quite a bit of time sorting through last year’s scraps, cutting the 1½″ centres and all the tiny triangles needed for each block. I’m now finishing blocks 193–200 out of the 900 I’ll need for a king-sized quilt.

These blocks bring me genuine joy. I get to play with colour, symmetry, and fussy cutting in a really satisfying way. Some turn out beautifully and feel worthy of sharing everywhere, while others…well, let’s just say they earn points for effort.

Karen's Quilt Circle

I have had some amazing guests on the podcast so far this year. Costume Brenda was fabulous sharing her stories of working on musicals and shows on and off Broadway. Mary Davis talked about her mid-arm free motion quilting. Jenn McMillan sold her business and jumped into another career. And Bobbie Moore got involved in a very cool family project. Take a moment and listen to them all. You won’t regret it; just click on the playlist here.

Listen to any of my Karen's Quilt Circle podcasts on the YouTube Music app here. 

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Karen's Quilt Crew

The next meeting of the Crew is coming up soon. Join us for comradery and great conversation.

Although I’m finally pain-free, I’m also adjusting to a higher dose of medication. I’m eager to jump back in at full speed, but my body has other plans. Right now, that means slower days and the occasional midday nap. Getting back to my usual rhythm may take a little time.

Take care,

Karen

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