Hi everybody, I'm so happy to have just discovered this. I'm not that computer saavy but I do know how to email so I'm sure I can do this too.

I learned how to quilt for my 50th birthday, 9 years ago. Nobody in my family has ever done it so they are thrilled. It sure is fun to give my gifts.

At first, I learned because I was chair bound with a longlasting injury to my feet. As soon as I could walk with cane from my car to the inside of the quilt store, I signed up for the basic class. Then I worked from home. Years later, I participated in a free block-of-the-month class. From those basic skills and patterns, I have made only 3 bed quilts and many pillows, wallhangings, quillows(lap quilt/pillow) and this Christmas, small landscape scenes put into frames. I started out doing machine piecing and hand-quilting and made 2 appliqued wallhangings.

Then, I got Rheumatoid Arthritis. I had to stop quilting for a year. I needed help dressing, eating, opening everything, could only type with thumbs, etc. Eventually new med kicked in and eased symptoms to a more manageable level. When I resumed quilting, my affected hands and shoulders made me adjust to new ways to do it. Sometimes I have to find other people to cut my fabric and I can only machine sew now. That was disappointing because I enjoyed my hoopwork, which I could do when visiting my mom, sister or daughters. I had another year off when RA got bad again. Then resumed. Last year, I had 2 shoulder surgeries making quilting even harder so I only did a few little projects. Obviously, I love to quilt!

I also love my little dog. I had one as a child and 3 in my marriage. I'm so lucky my husband is crazy about dogs too and willing to have a small one, in fact, he came to appreciate how much easier it was to travel with a small one. Our last one just died in January and I miss my little quilting partner so much. We need to wait awhile before getting another.

I've been married over 36years, have 2 grown daughters who are not married or mothers yet but each have a little dog so I have granddogs. Due to my medical conditions (RA+others too), I had to stop working at my parttime job. I can only quilt 0-4hours/week so I don't get things done fast. At the moment, I have no works-in-progress, only great ideas that I want to do.

Ok, so now you know the basics of me. I will probably not be posting a lot for awhile because I really am not well right now and have a lot of paperwork to do to get approved for SSDisability. But I love to read about quilting, learn more tips and desperately want friends who are interested in it too. I will read what you post whether or not I reply much. I have just started a pain med so maybe I'll feel better soon.

Cathy.....

I just welcomed you on your other thread. Where are you from?

Welcome!

Welcome :D Glad that you found us! There are a number of us here that have limitations, but we too still quilt :wink: I hope that you find the right combinations to be able to quilt more frequently.

Welcome from California! I am in Northern California, how about you? If you enjoy reading about quilts, then you have come to the right place! There is plenty to read, lots of great info and links and wonderful people too! Glad to have you join us!

Hi Cathy! Welcome from Louisiana :D

Another N. Californian welcomes you! Hope you feel better soon!

Sorry about your little K9 baby. We will look forward to pictures when you do get another.

welcome from Canada, quiltswithdogs, love your handle. So happy to have you join us. I just a newbe at quilting, but loving it. The people on this board are great.

Welcome from NE CA. Glad you joined us. Hopefully, you'll be feeling better with new meds.

Welcome from Southern California.

Hi and Welcome from Northern Indiana ! Glad you found this site , it is GREAT and so is everyone here :lol: maybe just being able to look at others work and follow the threads will help you until you can get back in the saddle so to speak.
Sharon

Welcome from WA.. Glad you joined us :D

Hello, and Welcome from St. Louis! I have 2 dogs that LOVE to go in the car with me. They don't care where we go, just so they can come along.
The cats have to stay home! All help me with my quilting in some manner. :lol:

Hi and Welcome from southern Indiana!

Welcome from another Californiaian. You will love this site, wonderful
helpful folks here. Where in Calif. are you? :lol: :lol:

Hi Cathy, and Welcome from SW Michigan!! I'm so glad you joined! :D

You have all made me feel very welcome- thanks!

I live in Sonoma County, an hour north of San Francisco. My sister & mom are in the Bay Area, one daughter is in Sacramento, the other is down south in Santa Barbara.

My husband & I lived in the Florida Keys,'72-'74. Other than that, I've lived in California all my life because this is where my family lives and the weather is usually nice.

Again, thanks,
Cathy

Welcome Kathy from SE Georgia you have come to the perfect place for Quilting,venting,pictures you have it all here.

BillsBonBon

Greetings from Sacramento CA. I hope that you get your disability approved, and that your meds work so you can visit with us.

Welcome from Pine Grove, California!
My two quilting buddies are Molly and Abby, Black Labs!
Glad you can join us!

Welcome Cathy, from central part of Indiana :D
Sorry you lost your doggy they can be such a comfort.
Hope your disability goes through soon, that helps take some of the pressure off of you :-) You can have hours of reading on here and quilts to look at and you can even go on vacation here thanks to all the wonderful members that post pictures. You will like it here. I hope you are soon up and quilting and posting and joining in :D :D

Welcome, Cathy, from Roscoe, IL. I came from So. CA. You sound like a wonderfully determined lady. Losing our furbabies is so painful. It took me 3 years to adopt another cat. Time won't make you forget them, but it will make you open to giving another animal a loving home.

Hi Cathy,

Welcome from another Bay Area quilter!

I hope that you get to feeling better soon and that you and your husband find a new "quilting buddy" to keep you company. My big chocolate Lab is always nearby, making sure that I'm "doing it right!"

Take care, have fun looking at all the lovely pictures, and do what you can...
:D

Welcome from SW Iowa. Hope all goes well with SS and hope you get to feeling better soon.

So nice to meet you Cathy, and welcome! Wish you the best of luck getting your disability approved, and hope you're feeling better soon

Hi & Welcome.

Welcome from Ohio....wow you sure have been hit hard....I was watching a program with Cloris Lehman on it and she said she had crippiling RA when she truned 35 and she quit eating meat of any kind....her RA is gone she was the one on Dancing with Stars.....don't know if that would work for you.....I like my meat but might give this a try myself.....:-)....any way hope you find something that helps you....I have the onset of RA and oweee it hurts....bless you and keep sewing when you can we love seeing what everyone does.......:-)

Welcome! Skeat

gcathie... another famous actress with RA is Kathleen Turner. Remember when she gained weight? It was due to her medication. In an article, she said she never told anyone in the business about her RA and just let them think she was missing work etc because she was drinking. She said an actor can get work if that's the case, but not with a chronic medical condition! As far as the meat idea, fish is recommended, but meat doesn't hurt; it's an autoimmune disease, not a dietary one. Anyway, I only eat red meat about once a week. Thanks for your concern.

Quilting sure is a fun and satisfying diversion from life's challenges.