Some fabrics bought from Lappemor

Some time ago Lappemor sold all her fabrics in her quiltshop and gave you half the price as normal. Anne Heidi (the owner) had been to Houston and bought a lot of new goodies, so she "shared" with us by letting us shop cheap.... :-)

My good value buyings!

Foggy walk by the lake. Sewingweather?

I got this artice from a very dear co-worker and I thought you might be interested also

Breast Cancer May Be Gone, But Pain Lingers

Nearly half of patients have chronic pain, researchers find

Posted November 10, 2009
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter


TUESDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Even three years after finishing treatment for breast cancer, almost 50 percent of women report long-term pain, a new Danish study finds.

The research, published in the Nov. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, strengthens earlier findings, said study senior author Dr. Henrik Kehlet, a professor of perioperative therapy at Rigshospitalet at Copenhagen University. But this work indicates which women are most likely to experience persistent pain.
"Several previous scientific reports have shown a risk of chronic pain after breast cancer surgery," said Kehlet. The strength of this study, he noted, is the large number of participants -- more than 3,000 -- and the evaluation of many types of treatments.
Kehlet's team reviewed questionnaires filled out by 3,253 women who had undergone breast cancer treatment in Denmark between 2005 and 2006. Their treatments varied and included breast-conserving surgery, mastectomy, radiation, chemotherapy and dissection of the lymph nodes.
The women were asked whether they experienced pain, in what areas of the body, how bad it was and how often they experienced it.
In all, 1,543 -- 47 percent -- reported pain in one or more areas. Of those, 52 percent reported severe or moderate pain.
Among those who had severe pain, 77 percent said they had it daily. For those who reported their pain as light, 36 percent had it every day. Pain was reported in the breast area, the armpit, the arm and the side of the body.
The research was funded by the Danish Cancer Society, Breast Friends and a private organization that funds science research, the Lundbeck Foundation.
Women under 40 were more than three times more likely to have chronic pain than older women, the researchers found. Those having radiation therapy were more likely to have pain than those who had chemotherapy. Dissection of the axillary (under arm) lymph node was associated with increased likelihood of pain compared to dissection of the sentinel lymph node (the first node to which the cancer is likely to spread).
Why does the pain linger?
"There are multiple mechanisms to explain the risk of chronic pain," Kehlet said, "such as young age, risk of nerve damage during axillary dissection, radiation therapy or a general pain hyper-responsiveness in some patients."
More research is needed on the pain mechanism in those who experience high levels of discomfort, he said. The focus for now should be on identifying patients at high risk for pain and providing preventive treatment and nerve-sparing treatment when possible.
The results do not surprise Dr. Robert H. Dworkin, a pain specialist and professor of anesthesiology, neurology, oncology and psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York, who has also published on lingering cancer pain.
But the findings may come as a surprise to oncologists and others who treat cancer patients, he said. "Women tend not to tell their surgeons about this continuing pain," he said, citing clinical experience. Why? "They fear that the fact they are in pain might mean a recurrence, and they don't want to deal with it," he said. Or, "they don't want to hurt the oncologist's feelings."
A third reason is "they don't want to distract the physician from thinking about the cancer," he said.
Even pain specialists can't say for sure why the pain lingers. "We have little understanding of what causes this kind of pain," Dworkin said.
A woman in pain after breast cancer treatment "should not be shy in talking to her physician about it," Dworkin said. He advises such women to ask for a referral to a pain specialist.

Giveaway from Sweet Home Quilt Co Blog :-)

Melisa is in a "cleaning mood" and offers this great giveaway.

The fabrics are Cinnamon Stars by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda!

The giveaway includes 65 – 5×5 inch charms, plus 3/8 yard of the gold and 1 3/8 of the large brown

 floral. Remember to sign up before next Friday. (Go here!)

What I'm doing these days? Buying fabrics and making an Advent Calendar for my oldest daughter...., you will get a little peek in a couple of days :-)

Take care

from

Another giveaway from Barbara :-)

Barbara at Pinelands Patches and Beadscapes is celebrating her first year of blogging and she is looking ahead to the holidays! Her first blog post was November 15th, 2008. So at midnight November 15th, 2009, this giveaway will end. I shouldn't tell you about it, because it decrease my changes to win. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. Perhaps by telling you it brings good luck to me :-)

Great giveaway from Quilt Hollow

Go here and tell Quilt Hollow what you would do if you won this little quilt.But hurry up; the great giveaway ends at Monday the 9th.

Happy Sunday to you from me :-)

Careerladder

My brother is having birthday!

My brother is turning 49 years today. Big party next year in Bergen....?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, TRYGVE.

Love from

A big great GIVE AWAY from Canton Village Quilt Works

Jackie went to the Quilt Marked and came home with wonderful goodies. She bought home things with a giveaway in mind. What a wonderful lady!!! But hurry up; The giveaway will remain open until Midnight EST on November 2. 2009. Go here to read more and sign up.....

I simply love this giveaway :-)

Give Away.... Give Away from Just Another Hang Up

Go to Just Another Hang Up and see the rules.

"Come join us for a celebration of life and love. In the title of this post it lists this contest as a "Give-Away ... Give-Away." That's because this contest is going to be a little different. You will still be submitting your name for a drawing via a comment below, but the lucky winner will have this tote sent to a person of his/her choosing. That's why I say it's a "Give-Away" (from me to you) "Give-Away" "

Many free stitchery patterns for YOU

Crafty Aveny offers you this freebie among a lot of other funny and rustic patterns. Go there to see for yourself :-)

Happy Halloween everyone!

Kristrun is sewing at my place and a little "How-to-do" free motion quilting

Kristrun in action :-)

She had made two pillow frontsides for her mother. The fabrics are bought in Iceland. Kristrun is born in Iceland but she lives in Norway and is a co-worker of mine.

Not bad for a beginner...

Here are some tips for free motion quilting:

• Start with paper and pencil. Draw the line you want to sew. You practise until you get the motion into your hand! This I do only to get the curves into my head and hand :-)
• Remember to fill your bobbin.
• Don't worry about stitch length or width -- it doesn't matter! You create the stitch length with how fast or slow you move the fabric under the needle, so don't push and pull the fabric. Just steer it.
• If your machine has a speed control, use mid-speed if your stitches aren't coming out even.
• The faster the speed, the smoother and easier it is to stitch. Remember trying driving manouvers in your car and finding it easier and smoother to make a lane change going fast on the highway than it was going slow in the parking lot? Same thing applies here.
• Breathe. I can't emphasize that enough! My free-motion went from scribbles to stars when I began to relax while I sewed. Breathe! And keep your shoulders loose or your work will reflect your tension. Look ahead; don't look down where the needle is but look where you are going to sew.
• Use good quality thread so it doesn't keep breaking. Don't try to learn on metallics, but if you insist, at least use a metallics needle.
• In this method you are allowed to cross your previous stitch lines, so don't worry about changes in direction or getting stuck in a corner. Play!
• Never, ever, turn your fabric while you are stitching. You make direction changes and shapes by dancing your fabric under the needle, not by swinging your fabric around.
• Use variegated thread for a spectacular look on a wall hanging quilt.
• Work with the design already on the fabric to practice. Sew around the leaves and vine stems on the printed material you already have. Practice on pre-printed fabric to learn to follow curves and lines.
• Stop with the needle in the down position so momentum doesn't shoot you across the fabric when you stop.
• Don't beat yourself the first couple of years you try this. You can always re-stitch heavily over an area you are unhappy with.
• Breathe! Have fun!
• Good luck with your free motion quilting :-)

A great giveaway from Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe

Go to Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe to sign in.

Don't forget to tell I sent you there.....

A Fat Quarter Bundle of Red Rooster's Pumpkins & Spice Fabrics by Whimsicals. This is a primitive lover's dream. They are earthy, muted and whimsical...You will LOVE these! Sunflowers, pumpkins, checks, stripes; this collection has it all. I want them sooooo much!!!