Piqray

My cancer has not responded to the oral chemo that I've been on for the last year.  This week I will start a new one called Piqray.  This drug was just approved in May of this year, so it has been a challenge to get my insurance company up to speed.  First they didn't want to pay for the gene test, then they denied drug coverage. It all eventually go straightened out, but in the meantime, I've been off chemo for three weeks.  The doctor's office just called to let me know I've been approved to try the drug.  

According to the website, Piqray has a number of unpleasant side effects:

• Severe allergic reactions: Tell your health care provider or get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, flushing, rash, fever, or fast heart rate during treatment with PIQRAY
• Severe skin reactions: Tell your health care provider or get medical help right away if you get severe rash or rash that keeps getting worse, reddened skin, flu-like symptoms, blistering of the lips, eyes or mouth, blisters on the skin or skin peeling, with or without fever
• High blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia): Hyperglycemia is common with PIQRAY and can be severe. Your health care provider will monitor your blood sugar levels before you start and during treatment with PIQRAY. Your health care provider may monitor your blood sugar levels more often if you have a history of Type 2 diabetes. Tell your health care provider right away if you develop symptoms of hyperglycemia, including excessive thirst, dry mouth, urinate more often than usual or have a higher amount of urine than normal, or increased appetite with weight loss
• Lung problems (pneumonitis): Tell your health care provider right away if you develop new or worsening symptoms of lung problems, including shortness of breath or trouble breathing, cough, or chest pain
• Diarrhea: Diarrhea is common with PIQRAY and can be severe. Severe diarrhea can lead to the loss of too much body water (dehydration) and kidney problems. If you develop diarrhea during treatment with PIQRAY, tell your health care provider right away. Your health care provider may tell you to drink more fluids or take medicines to treat diarrhea

I hope this drug works for me!

Sedona Top Done

My one monthly goal for August was to finish my Sedona top.   There were only 2 rows left to make, but I also had to sew a lot of them together.  I know it would not have gotten finished this month if I hadn't made my commitment to it public in OMG.

I started Sedona because I wanted to learn how to use my Quick Curve mini ruler.  I am feeling more confident with it now, and I made fewer mistakes towards the end of the quilt than I did at the beginning.  I still think this is the kind of ruler that has a steep learning curve, and if you don't like to square things up, it is probably not the ruler for you.

Sedona is 63"x 69".  There is a chance I will add a red border to it to make binding easier since there are a lot of thick seams along the edge.   But I might get lazy and just send it to the longarmer as it is.



Stash Report:

Used this week:  3.5 yards (Sedona Top)

Used year to date: 106.375 yards

Added this week:  2.5 yards (batik neutral sale FQs)

Added year to date: 111.625 yards

Net Added: 5.25 yards

Design Wall Tuesday

Sedona, the red and white quilt, was supposed to be my focus for August.   And I have been working on it.  But I accidently started another scrap quilt, which I'm really enjoying.  It is Kim Brackett's Falling Stars from her Scrap-Basket Bounty book. 

I only have one more row to do for Sedona, but all I want to do is sew with my batik scraps!

Linking up:  https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/2019/08/design-wall-monday-august-19-2019.html

Used this week:  0

Used year to date: 102.875 yards

Added this week:  1.25 yards (batik neutral FQs)

Added year to date: 109.125 yards

Net Added: 6.25 yards

One Monthly Goal, August

I have 4 projects right now that I'm actively working on.  That is about 2 too many.  My goal for August is to finally get Sedona top finished.  Here is how it stands today:

I have two more rows to make and then the whole thing needs to be sewn together.  That sounds like a reasonable amount of quilting to get done in a busy month.

Linking up:  https://www.elmstreetquilts.com/2019/08/one-monthly-goal-august-link-up.html

End of the Rainbow Quilted and Bound

I finished binding End of the Rainbow yesterday.  This quilt is on the cover of Melissa Corey's Irish Chain quilts.

End of the Rainbow is 75" x 75".  All of the fabrics, including the back were from my stash.  Getting the binding right was a challenge for me.  I wanted to do it like pattern, with the binding color matching the blocks as it went around the quilt.  It wasn't really hard, just a lesson in patience (which I'm usually out of by the time I get to the binding).

The quilting was done by Virginia Longarm in Goochland.  Melissa picked the pattern for me.  She has a great sense of which quilting pattern to use on a quilt, and I'm always happy with her choices.

Most of this quilt was made with RSC blocks. I am thinking about making another one of these quilts using whatever colors pop up in the RSC.

Linking up: https://busyhandsquilts.blogspot.com/2019/08/craftsman-baby-quilt-finished-or-not.html
http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2019/08/scraphappy-saturday.html
https://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/08/favorite-finish-monthly-linkup-august.html

Stash Report:

Used this week: 4.75 yards (EotR back)

Used year to date: 102.875 yards

Added this week:  9.25 yards (shop hop trip)

Added year to date: 107.875 yards

Net Added: 5.0 yards