Technical Information: 29" x 29" Center block inspired by an antique Baltimore Album quilt. Border pieced using handdyed fabrics. Juried into the 1994 Hoffman Challenge Show.

The story behind the quilt:

In the following article, first published in the Spring 1997 issue of American Quilter, I tell part of the story of my experience with carpal tunnel syndrome. After injuring my hands in March of 1994, I had surgery (carpal tunnel release) on my right hand. This was in the middle of quilting Daddy's Quilt, an activity that was an integral part of the grief process of losing my father. And, of course, I was filled with fear that my hands would never be the same again. Carpal Tunnel Butterflies grew out of that fear.

I wanted to make an entry for the Hoffman Challenge, even though I hated the butterfly fabric. It was too pastel for me. But I had it pinned up to my design wall, next to a piece of baby blocks I'd made from fabrics I'd dyed years before, when I was dyeing yarn to weave a baby blanket. I was trying to figure out what to do with that piece, too. Then one day it hit me--the handdyed colors looked great with the butterfly fabric! Executing the applique was a challenge to my ‘new' hand--could I still do it well enough to satisfy me?

I finished the quilt in time for the deadline, and it was accepted into the show, even though it is by no means my best work. There were a lot of struggles with this quilt; my right hand was healing, and my left hand was still numb. But I did it.

I had the CTR surgery on my left hand the following October. My hands are not as good as new, as many people report after their surgery; BUT--I also have fibromyalgia (I didn't know that then) and FM tends to zone in on scar tissue. I plan to write more about how my FM has affected my quilting, but that will be on another page. For now, here's my original article on CTS and quilting:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Firsthand Account

I hate winter. I'm one of those people who gets really blue and sad in the winter, and there's not much to do for it except mark time until Spring.

The winter of 1993/94 was especially bad. The weather was brutal--lots of snow and ice. My father died in January. So when we had a break in the weather in February, that day when the sun came out and the temperatures were in the 50's, I was out in it. I had lots of gardening to do. I had ordered five blueberry bushes and had no place to plant them. So I dug the blueberry bed, by hand, removing sod with my trusty D-handled shovel. I needed some compost to dig in, so I turned the compost heap with a pitchfork, even though it was still partially frozen. I needed some good leaf mulch to dig in, too, so first I mowed the pile of leaves, then raked them back together and hauled them over to the new blueberry bed. When the day was done, my muscles ached, but I had a blueberry bed of which I was very proud.

A day or two later, my hands and wrists started to hurt. I guess I overdid it, I thought. They got worse. And worse. Until finally I could do nothing--couldn't cook, couldn't button buttons, couldn't brush my hair, couldn't quilt! I walked around all day with my hands nearly frozen in a clawlike position.

I should have known better. I'd had flare-ups of what I assumed to be carpal tunnel syndrome since my first pregnancy in 1987. I used to be a weaver; now I'm a quilter. I work with computers (typewriters, in the olden days). And, obviously, I'm a gardener, too. But like everyone else, this couldn't happen to me, right?

A year and two operations later (one for each hand), I've learned a lot about carpal tunnel syndrome; not just what the doctors tell you, but how to live with it, how to get along with damaged hands, how to make the best of your allotted "hand energy." I think a lot about hand energy. There seems to be a daily allotment of hand energy units, and once they're gone, that's it for the day. I can use my hand energy units to open this jar, or I can save them for quilting and instead chase down my husband to open the jar for me. For every minute spent at a keyboard, a minute of quilting is given up (a difficult problem indeed for someone who works part-time as a statistical analyst).

There are changes I have had to make and things I have learned that I want to share. It would be wise for everyone to take a closer look at the way they use their hands, the things that consume their hand energy.

Get a professional opinion. Don't make any assumptions without consulting a doctor, preferably one who is experienced with CTS. Your hands are too important to take chances with, and there are other problems that can cause these symptoms. Don't take chances.

In your studio: Use the best tools you can afford, and be sure to choose the right tool for the right job. Remember that what is best for someone else is not necessarily best for you. I personally have a lot of trouble using a rotary cutter for any length of time. That means I need to plan ahead; I can cut so many squares at one time, so I need to have X number of days to get this project all cut out. Pay attention to how you sit to work, if and how your hands and arms are bent and supported. The height of your chair can affect your hands, too. I now do my applique work seated at a high table with a pillow under my work. Experiment until you find what works for you.

In the kitchen: How sharp are your knives? I didn't realize how bad mine were until one day I used a friend's. I do lots of cooking, so my new sharp chef's knife is worth its price in hand energy units. The same is true for my new wall-mounted (non-electric) can opener. How heavy are your dishes and what shelf are they on? My everyday dishes are stoneware and are heavy. I purchased a few lightweight Corelle plates to use when my hands were at their worst. Beware of ice cube trays; I try to get my husband to keep the bin full of ice cubes for me. Keep a scissors handy for those nasty cereal and cracker inner wrappers. They use far too many hand energy units. Before you purchase a new microwave, check how it opens. My mother-in-law's microwave has a button that has to be pushed to open the door, and I often can't do it; it's on the wrong side and at a bad height for me.

In your car: Does your steering wheel shake or vibrate? Have the alignment checked and check your tires, both the amount of wear and the inflation. These things make a world of difference.

Medicine bottles: When I had my first prescription filled for anti-inflammatory drugs for my CTS, the pharmacist used a childproof cap that I could not open! Don't waste hand energy units on childproof caps if you can avoid it. Many over-the-counter medicines are now available with regular caps, too.

Gardening tools: I have a hand trowel with a steel handle that will not bend or break; I therefore have strained my hand a billion times trying to do too big a job with too small a tool. Look not only at the quality of your tools, but also the way you use them.

At the computer: Not all "ergonomically designed" keyboards are created equal; what works for me may not work for you. Try a wrist rest, but remember that they don't work for everyone, either (they make my hands fall asleep). Be sure your entire forearm is supported when you use a mouse. Most important, take frequent breaks.

In General: If it hurts, STOP. Immediately. Look at what you're trying to do and see if it can be done differently, more easily, or if you can get someone else to do it. Don't do anything (and that includes quilting, too) for more than one hour without taking a stretching break. Stretch your hands a bit and massage them, too. A friend who is a massage therapist showed me a good routine to do on my hands that I often do while sitting at a red light. I also do a routine every day with three-pound weights in each hand (it only takes about two minutes) that has made a world of difference; but check with a professional first.

Keep your wrists and hands warm. I am attempting to start a new fashion trend: wrist warmers. I make my own from the tops of tube socks, but my mother ordered me a pair from a mail order catalog specialising in long underwear. My hands work so much better when they are warm.

Above all, remember that we are not all given unlimited hand energy. Put your dominant hand in a pocket or inside your sweater and leave it there for an hour. Then imagine life like that. We need to take care of our hands the way we take care of our eyes or our teeth. Take care of your hands today, so that you will still be quilting tomorrow!

Copyright 1994 Joyce R. Hartley