Monday, February 10, 2014

Back to sewing

Oddly, it was a job of embroidering labels for equipment at work that got me back to my sewing machine(s). I came home with a large box of sheets that can be placed under bedfast patients and attached to a device to lift the sheet (and patient) and reposition them in bed...usually higher up in the bed because people are always slipping down (due to gravity etc.) where raising the head of the bed "bends" them at the wrong spot on their torso. Keeping bedfast patients with the head of the bed elevated has important health and safety implications. It can also tax the care givers backs severely so these lift devices can be a huge help. We have been told for decades that proper body mechanics will prevent injury to the staff. "They" have finally figured out that isn't actually true and so now we are finding better ways to try and help patients without hurting ourselves so much.
Hence the lift sheets...


So upstairs I go to my little Bernina 180 E that was purchased about 15 years ago :-)  This machine has gotten less usage than my beloved 1090S. It has a great blanket stitch but for piecing and general sewing, I prefer my older mechanical workhorse. I have done some embroidery but it definitely takes a back seat to making quilts and I'm not that interested in combining the two.
Here's my work station.
 
Here's the labels
And here's the label on the lift sheet. This helps make sure that the sheets come back to the right hospital after being laundered.

Previously, I sewed some embroidered labels on other lift equipment that required more info and some difficult hand sewing as it was just too thick etc. for machine work. These were easy-peasy by comparison. And useful to getting me back to sewing.
I have all the blocks sewn for my Blue Ridge Beauty variation and need to find fabric for the borders to complete the top. I have backing fabric ready to go for the quilt and so the quilt will end up about 50" by 60".
My next post will be my 200th post :-) which sounds like a great time for a giveaway to celebrate! So when I get that idea worked out, I'll be back :-)
(I would put a heart here at the end..if I knew how to put emoticons here!)