What is going on with Grey's Anatomy?

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What is going on with Grey's Anatomy? Is my favorite TV show losing it?

I brewed my favorite cup of hot cup of green tea, and settled into my favorite spot on the couch. It was Thursday night, the one day of the week that I relish for good television viewing. It would be first Grey's Anatomy and then Private Practice. Almost immediately, I recognized it as a rerun.

This morning I read a story in Huffington Post Entertainment entitled, "Is anyone still watching Grey's Anatomy?"  I read the story, as I wondered who would ask such a thing. I also read all the comments that followed only to realize that many are asking the same question.

Some admitted abandoning the show completely. Others complained about the characters' story lines or its lack of medical drama, or simply said it was boring.

On first thought I disagree wholeheartedly.

On second thought, I remembered last Thursday's rerun, even though the season has just begun. At least I think it is a new season--who knows anymore since episodes bounce from new to old with no apparent pattern or reason?

On the days that I don't set the DVR, and have to watch commercials, I find trying to watch a television drama agonizing, not to mention annoying. Seemingly in the middle of the action, there is a break--and I mean a long break--for a plethora of ads. I've about had it with the advertising industry which is now trying to take over the Internet.

While I was still weighing my thoughts on overall quality of the show, I leaned heavily toward disagreement  with all the naysayers. Then I watched the promo for the next episode entitled, "What if?" See the link below. 

Apparently Meredith is having a road-not-taken-moment. I'm not sure I want to see an entire dramatization with characters paired with the wrong people having totally out-of-character personalities and even dead people being brought to life to enjoy new found success. I like reality in my television. That is not to say I like reality TV. That is a different thing entirely from a television drama based on reality.

So now I'm not so sure. Until this point, I have enjoyed the characters. It appears that great pains are taken to keep them true to life.

In my opinion, Grey's Anatomy was stellar until George got hit by a bus and Izzy got a brain tumor. Since then, I've had the feeling the characters are tentative and story lines are somewhat uncertain.

For example Derek and Meredith are no longer believable. One minute he was ready to walk away from her and the next minute they are the loving, perfect couple again. Then, all of a sudden, a child pops into their lives. This kid, while adorable, seems to have come out of nowhere. It just isn't believable.

I'd like to think television drama is like reading a novel. I think some of the things Shonda Rhimes has done have been brilliant. But then the others, not so much.

I liked the shooter story line at the end of the 2010 season, but not the graphic violence. I think it was way over the top. A previous post in this blog covered my feelings on that issue so there is no need to reiterate it. Then there was the musical episode last year. I love music and love these characters, but the episode was just plain weird, in my view.

I am a TV medical drama devotee. Some of my favorites over the years have included: Emergency, Rescue 8, ER, and Trauma to name a few. I sincerely hope Grey's Anatomy comes around and doesn't suffer a similar fate as those shows. I remain hopeful.
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• Watch Now: The First 10 Minutes of Grey's Anatomy's Big Alt-Universe Episode! (eonline.com)

Making progress on Old Yeller

I've taken a little time off from working on my quilt, largely so I can try to sit up straight again, shoulders back, and without pain. When I get involved in something, I tend to work on it til it hurts. I do the same thing with Jigsaw puzzles. I just can't seem to leave them alone.

It has been a couple of days since I've worked on Old Yeller, (I think I'll call it that until it becomes a completed quilt.)
For the last few days I have been working on a book I've been writing for years. Some day it will be something to talk about, but for now, let us just say, it is an ongoing project.

I made great progress on last week, devoting an entire day to simply cutting out all the pieces that will go into my fifteen 12-point star blocks. There are only five different shapes, but some of them are used in each block a couple times. Two shapes required 60 individual pieces each. Most of the others required only 30.

Once all of them were cut out, it took two days to sew them together into units. There were eight units in the block, with an inner unit--the star and an outer unit--the background.
I have already completed the inner units for all 15 blocks.

I took great pains in trying to match the center points. I really like perfection, but it is so difficult for us humans, especially when a perfect block is dependent on both perfect cutting and perfect sewing. Honestly, these blocks are not perfect, although I did the best I could for my ability and experience. This is after all, my first star block.

It certainly is close enough though that when completed, I will be happy with it.

All that is left to do is to sew the outer four units, each which contain three pieces which are already sewn together. These are all tricky inset seams, although I believe they are so much easier than those pesky points.

I will complete the blocks in a day or so. Then I can concentrate on my alternate nine-patch blocks. That should be a snap. Then I get to worry about what kind of backing and batting to use. ARRG! More decision making. Then there will be the big decision about a quilting pattern. That will be when the fun part begins.

It is so exciting when all the pieces come together. I'm anxious to see a completed quilt top, not to mention a completed quilt, though that is months from now.

I just thought of something--Imagine trying to explain the quilting process to an alien or someone who never heard of quilting. We take perfectly good yardage, cut it into tiny pieces, only to sew it back together again. Sounds silly, but won't it look nice?

Quilting obsession continues

My quilting  obsession continues!

I just created a quilted table runner over the weekend. It is just a little something I put together to blend the green of the kitchen and dining room with the mauve of the living room. The fabric in the picture looks more brown than it actually is. It does look more pink in person.

I think it turned out rather well. It was fun to do, gave me practice piecing fabric and working on my  ever-necessary sewing skills, as well as satisfying a  practical purpose. It doesn't get much better than that, I don't suppose.

I was surprised at how little time it took (even though it took the better part of two whole days). First, I cut the pieces and sewed them all in one day. I hand-quilted the center, using a feather wreath motif. The following day I stitched-in-the-ditch on the sewing machine along the strips and hand-sewed the binding.

I'm glad to have added a touch of color to the counter just behind my kitchen sink.

My next project is going to be ongoing and is a little more ambitious. As previously mentioned, I decided to make an all yellow quilt.

I am stepping way out of my comfort zone for this project.

I have collected all the fabric I plan to use, and as I previously stated, I have created a design I like on Electric Quilt 5. I set out to make a sample of the main design--a star that is way more complicated than anything I have attempted before. This green block is actually my second attempt. I used Murphy's Law--"if anything can go wrong, it will"--at just about every step. When I first put it together it was puckered and refused to lay flat both in the center and beyond it. I took every seam out and realized I had cut four of the pieces wrong. I cut two at the same time, not taking into account that the angle was wrong on the second piece of the folded fabric. Ah, more learning by mistake.

I cut four new pieces and it went together just fine.

I like how it turned out, so after a  couple more days, (which turned out to be yesterday), I decided to jump in with both feet. There were a lot more learning experiences resulting in seam ripping again and again, but here is the completed first of my future quilt. I'm going to call it Sunshine on my Shoulder.

I can't wait to make the next 12 of them. They will be alternated with nine-patches of varied yellow fabrics. On the second and fourth rows, I will turn the blocks to form a secondary design with that wacky polka dot fabric.

I know a lot of people aren't fond of yellow, but I happen to love it. I can't wait to have a bed full of these stars shining like sunshine every morning when I wake up. Feel free to tell me what you think.

Next quilting lesson - paper piecing

I'm not sure what has come over me, but I believe I'm trying to become a quilter.

On the recent quilting board I joined the other day, I decided to participate in a block of the month project. The finished quilt will be a sampler, with 12 blocks, one to signify each month. This month, the theme was a pre-chosen block had a chill about it. The one that was picked was called snowblossoms. It was to be done by paper-piecing.

I never did paper piecing before! If learning from mistakes is the best way to learn, I should be able to teach a class by now.

The first thing that happened was my sewing machine began sewing backwards. I have no idea what that was all about. I looked in the owner's manual and online, but the only advice I saw was to unplug it and plug it back in. Who would try a computer solution would work on a sewing machine? I did--it didn't work. Someone wrote that the problem could have something to do with the polarity in the plug, whatever that means. Someone else said it could be the foot pedal. I have no idea what it was, but I took out the bobbin, put it back in, lowered the feed dogs and raised them again, re-threaded the machine. Lo and behold it began to work properly again.

I should have known this was not going to be a good day for sewing. I spent the entire day trying to 'get' paper-piecing. The block was fairly simple, or so the board participants said, but you couldn't prove it by me. It seems that everything that could go wrong, did, from sewing the piece wrong side out, running out of bobbin thread, to cutting off an important corner, and who knows what else. I was so exhausted by time I got all of the pieces cut out that I decided to finish it in the morning.

That was this morning and I did just that. I wasn't happy with the block however. So, I decided to try all over again. I just finished what I think is a pretty nice looking block. I'm fairly happy with how it turned out. By the way, I took this picture of the block with my favorite tool beside it--the seam ripper. That sucker got a real workout!

I'm not sure I like the paper-piecing technique, but then it may be too early to tell. I did learn a few tricks along the way, like cutting the pieces close to the size needed and making sure to press each addition to the piece with the paper still on so it doesn't shift. I'm sure there are plenty more tricks to learn. Only practice makes perfect.

I'm not sure paper piecing enhances accuracy. I still had a couple pieces that were less than perfect. It is also very messy with bits of paper, fabric pieces, and of course threads all over. I found that it also created lots of waste, yet I can see where cutting more precisely at the beginning would help with that.

It was a fun experience though and I look forward to trying it again. So here it is Jan. 4 and I already have my January block completed. This might just be good for me. So, on to February.

Having quilt withdrawl--time for a new quilt

I want to make a new quilt--a yellow one. I have been collecting fabric, basically varieties of yellow, in the after Christmas online sales, my favorite being Fabric.com.

The first decision was easy. I really knew I wanted to make a yellow quilt, the bright sunshiny kind of yellow, rather than a mustard, gold, or other shade.

For the last several days, I have been going through old quilting magazines. I have a plethora of them. For some reason, nothing really 'moved' me, although the experience was quite relaxing and enjoyable.

When that didn't pan out, I hit the online sources. There are so many sources for free quilt block patterns, simply by googling 'free quilt block patterns.'

I joined a quilting board, not so coincidentally at http://www.quiltingboard.com, where there is a plethora of information and lots of willing-to-help experienced quilters. I even started a blog there. Now this is just what I need--another blog. At least this one will be strictly for quilting rather than all the other things I find intriguing in the world.

I found some quilts pictured there that I absolutely loved, though none that I really wanted to make that would showcase all the fabric I had purchased.

I even went back to a computer program I had purchased long ago but had never really explored -- Electric Quilt 5. I have no idea why I never used it before, except that I found it a bit cumbersome. The company is up to EQ7 now, so I didn't even know if my program would work on Windows 7. Much to my surprise, it loaded with no problem.

I played with the program all morning and lo and behold, I have designed a quilt.

I'm not going to get too excited yet, or post pictures of it yet, since it may be beyond my skill level. I have plenty to think about before I start it, but for now, at least I have made the difficult decision about what to make. I hope I can do this because I don't want to have to make that decision again.

Now, it is just a matter of assigning fabric, figuring out what else I might need, and perhaps making a sample block. Even after making seven quilts, I am still not comfortable with all of this, so I'm going to take it slow. I really can't wait to get started. Wish me luck!

Bonding with my sewing machine

Happy New Year!

I hardly noticed the date change since I've been spending time bonding with my sewing machine. I'm pleased to say we are becoming good friends. I believe 2012 will be a very quilty year.

Since I wanted to learn to machine quilt, that is what I set out to do. I'm fairly happy with the results, not because I'm good at it, but because I see where with plenty of practice, I could be good at it.

 
The Christmas table runner I was working on during my previous post Attempting to learn hand-quilting, has turned out pretty well.

Thanks to a quilting pro friend of mine, who does longarm quilting and does some of the most beautiful work I've ever seen, I learned that my bobbin tension needed adjustment as evidenced by the photo.

That makes sense. I had a terrible time trying to get the stitches to be uniform in size. They still aren't, but at least now I know what to do. My first couple of tries were definitely not good. I attempted to unsew them, that is, take the seam ripper to all those stitches. The stitches were so tight though that it was next to impossible to sneak the point of the seam ripper under them. I took great pains not to cut the fabric in the process, which was a failure. I actually did poke through it in a couple places. No problem, though as this table runner became a practice piece as soon as I made the decision to give machine quilting a try.

I actually think I could use this piece again, albeit under something larger than the tiny Christmas tree in the picture.

By next year, when it comes back out of the attic, I hope to be much more skilled at using my machine. I hope to laugh at myself the next time I see this piece because I will be so much better. So, onward and upward in this new, previously unexplored world of quilting.

Basil is doing well indoors

First I enjoyed my sewing success in finishing my quilt. Now, I'm reveling in my indoor gardening skills. If I start to claim to be Suzy Homemaker, just pay no attention.

Granted, it is only mid-December and there is plenty of winter left to go, but for now, I am thrilled that the sweet basil and cinnamon basil plants I brought in from outside, are alive and well. I've been pinching a little here and there. I use it in cooking, but the real thrill for me is having the scent of basil on my fingers. I love the smell. I like to pet the cats after I've touched the plants. I'm not so sure if they like to smell like basil, but I certainly find it rather pleasant.

For a long time--possibly related to motherhood through one of those uterine connections--I thought my green thumb had died. I used to have such beautiful house plants. At some point however, it seemed that everything I touched withered and died.

I have never had luck wintering basil. I got into the habit of simply replacing plants every spring. Perhaps things are turning around for me. I am hopeful.

I have had some other minor successes on the back porch as well. Like the Wandering Jew plant that is barely visible in the first picture. That was a huge pot with long trails of leaves. When I got ready to bring it indoors a couple months ago, I was planning to give it a good trim. When I inspected it, I learned that the best leaves were the ones hanging from nearly dead stems. When I trimmed it there was little left. I took all of the healthy parts and stuck them into water. In just a few days, they were rooted. I planted them back into the same pot.

A glass full of plants is usually an open invitation for Ryan, the eldest of our four cats. Like her sisters, she just loves to hang out with my plants. Ryan is unique though, in that she loves water too. When I water the plants she sticks her nose right there for every plant. She just loves water so much that the bathroom sink is her favorite place to hang out. See likes to drink from the faucet and when the sink is dry, she likes to writhe around in it waiting to be petted. We call that 'sink cuddles.'

I also have a couple of African Violets that are still alive. I've always had problems growing African Violets, always marveling at my mother's collection of them. I've always been stumped as to why I always killed them.

These two, plants I bought this summer at an estate sale, are not just alive, but are still blooming and looking good. I should say they are both blooming but only one of them looks good. My horticultural genius again, Ryan along with her sisters have had their way with one of them. It actually looks like a violet tree. Most of the lower leaves are gone revealing a leafless stalk with purple flowers on top. I'm not sure how to fix that problem yet.

Then there is the Christmas cactus--another plant I picked up at a yard sale. It is dutifully budded and awaiting Christmas Day so it can open. I wonder how it knows.

My plants fill a table on my back porch. They are hanging in the windows and some are on side tables. I just love being in that room. It is sunny and pleasant. Every now one of the kitties will walk past and I will get a whiff of sweet basil. Winter in Arkansas can be a very pleasant time.