Retired and raring to go!!

Look at that dessert!  Had to fight Mark for it!

This has been a long time coming I know - disappeared down a dark hole there for a bitty, however, I hope I'm back for good. It didn't help that my lovely gentle Diva Dog Mitzi died leaving Jock and me a bit bereft but we've shaken down pretty well except he is as fat as a pig - I must be feeding him for 2!!  But enuff gloom - this is bonus time and I am hoping I can put it to good use - and give something back for all the people who helped me.  Anyroad, that's the plan, Stan.

One of the things I have done is finally renovated and upgraded my little home space.  You'll find the photos on Facebook - look under Albums.  I am totally in love with the look of the whole place, as well of course as the opportunity to invite people to my home and do the Australian lifestyle thing of outdoors, etc.  Yes, I am trying hard to be "normal" - LOL
I have to admit it's really freaky not to have to work anymore - I still have the urge to get the 1.00pm bus to work!!  But after a fortnight of sitting watching TV, I'm refreshed and rejuvenated and want to sew the stack of stuff awaiting me - and which I hate to say has been waiting since late 2011!

So wish me luck as I go on my newest adventure!

If it's Saturday, it must be quilting ...

Displaying focus block

Focus block with border

Puppies got me up and about at sparrows, about 5.30 am so after I woke up with coffee, I was awake and raring to go. I wanted to be able to show Caro when she got there what the centre focus block looked like so had a fun time picking colours and sewing them together and using them as a pieced "border" to the centre embroidered block so that it was 18" which is exactly double an ordinary block in this quilt.  I was really pleased with how it looked - Caro was estatic and I suggested we really make it stand out and use this gorgeous Santee marbled blue to border the block - it really made it "pop" tho in typing that I just realised the border makes it a 20"block so it's now not exactly double! LOL  But as you can see from the photo at the right, it surely makes a beautiful block!!

11 sets ready for Block A (12th set wouldn't fit!)

 We spent the entire day - Caro choosing combinations and sewing and me cutting into sets (and at the beginning unpicking where the machine took over and ran her off the seam  (as has happened to all of us) and this is such slippery fabric - even with stabiliser on the back)  In the end, we had the 12 sets ready to put blocks together for Block A and we were both exhausted so made it an early night this time - learning as you go is a tough job but Caro coped very well (and I made sure I didn't take over but let her do it herself by cutting out sets of hearts for Lolly. I also cut out 2 sets for myself, ready to sew and stuff, so I was on a roll too)

Mitzi reclaiming HER chair

Xmas hearts

Jock retired to his bed but Mitzi was right in amongst it and didn't think twice about rest among the strips and our super focus block - the background is actually a tablecloth I bought the other day from Sterling Mail - but she does make a pretty picture.

Before I went to bed I finished Lolly's heart sets ready to send tomorrow while I watched TV - but was asleep in the chair by 8.30 so staggered off to bed to sleep in comfort.

At the engagement party

Was another great day and I really have my groove back so today I'm onto cutting up myriad A4 pages to get at the pattern I downloaded for Vonnie as a basis for her wedding dress - after I cut off the "white space", I have to glue them together in the right sequence!! - I'll make up a "sample" in one of the calicos to get comfortable with the pattern and garment sewing again, but don't really foresee any real problems.

Quiltfest weekend and Jasmine

The jasmine is blooming

A very successful weekend!  I had promised my good friend, Carolyn, to make her a memory quilt from her Mum's clothes to remember good times and what with one thing and another (8 months in hopsital didn't help), it never got done so in the intervening time, she decided she would get more fun out of it if she did it herself with a little bit of help from me as she wasn't a quilter, tho she is a crafty person.  Caro's Mum was a small person but it is surprising just how much fabric you can get out of clothes so we had more than enough for Yellow Brick Road (76" x 85").  Mum's favourite colours were pinks, reds, whites, creams and some blue and as you can see from the first block (that took until Sunday arvo to get to), it is working well.  She also loved what I call slippery synthetics so most of the fabric had to be stabilised.  Liisa from The Quilter's Corner who's a great lady always willing to help sent me some samples of Weaveline cotton stabiliser and it works like a dream, gives the fabric stability without extra thickness or stiffness -

 After a full day of rotary cutting, we ended up with the required number of strips and a very tired Caro - well, not quite a full day as we adjourned for lunch at Norths (first fish meal I've had forever and with the vegies, was just the yummiest!)  We didn't waste time, and were soon back at work.  I spent the first day destroying blouses and saving embellishments from them - we even managed to incorporate some of the beautiful embroidery into the strip sets, so nothing went to waste!

We decided we had to have something to show Alan, her better half, so quickly sewed up a block and from just that one block, it's obvious that the shine in most of the fabric and the silkiness is going to show right through and it's going to be a most beeyootiful quilt and a fitting memory of her Mum.  I was as chuffed as she was with the result!  So during the week, I'll get to and stabilise the pieces we need and next Saturday we start on the actual piecing of the blocks!

Proud new quilter - it's a start!

I had such a good weekend that when Caro had gone home last night, I sat and sewed myself - I think last time (which was back in May - life sort of intervened in the meantime!) I said I wasn't really sewing much but doing preparation work - well that continued so that now, if I finally have gotten the enthusiasm back, I have all the Xmas presents I need plus more!  But last nite I finally did the changes to Viv's polar bear tote so after teasing her with photos way back, she'll finally get that LOL - then I'll just grind through the rest - the hard work (preparation) is done so the rest should be a case of sit down and get at it!

Once Xmas is over (only 9 weeks to Xmas, can you believe it!) my next big job is my daughter's wedding dress - she surprised all of us by getting engaged and setting the date (12 August 2012) so I have the honour of making the dress - hadn't better stuff it up, had I!! The engagement party last weekend was a huge success and I have never seen her so happy - quite warms the cockles of this cynic's heart!

So there we have it - if the buzzy enthusiasm keeps going - who knows what I'll accomplish!  Get back to you ...

Update on Quilting and me ...

Thought I'd better update in here as I've been holed up for a little while now, really just enjoying my own space and no desire to quilt, communicate or anything else except enjoy some good health and really enjoy the love of my daughter and my puppies!!  And I feel really well ... except being overwhelmed by doctors who insist on trying to frighten me by saying I still have a chronic illness and have to be careful, etc etc whereas I feel super well and lots more energetic than I was feeling, but GP is worried about blood tests, have to go back for a check up with the hospital thoracic consultant on 9th of next month - and on and on it goes.

GP is a worry wort but he is also a great diagnostician so I tend to listen to him a bit, so am doing what I'm told and getting these blood tests -  which I am sick of - one time my white blood cells are up then my red cells are up and whites are normal, ya da ya da - that happens when you're on strong arthritis drugs but normally with one blood test every 3-6 months the fluctuations aren't as noticeable as it is with one blood test every month.  People don't seem to believe me when I say I'm feeling grand and apart from wishing the physical rehab would go quicker and I can get more fit (which really needs a bit more help from me), I am breathing well, heart rate and oxygen levels are totally normal and only increase normally with exercise, so I wish they'd stop trying to make me be an invalid!!  But it does have its effect so I've gone back into my shell (and own head) a bit to protect my fragile belief in my own feelings - surely I'd have some symptoms if things were as chronic as they seem to want to make out - and have no symptoms at all - I think that my body is taking its own time to adjust itself to the past year and that is all that's wrong.  Will see what consultant says on 9th.

I've taken work's advice about not hurrying things and still doing 3 hours a day, 3 days a week.  I must admit I love the 3 days a week bit, specially when I have Friday-Monday before I have to worry about working again.  Best idea I ever had.  But in another way, I can't wait till I can get into the office to work and be with people again and part of the whole office buzz.  But am working hard on the stepping up and down from public transport and also the muscles above my knee to help me support my weight more when I sit/stand or step up or down because of course, if I can't get into public transport, ie train or bus, I can't go into town, so am still working from home. 

I'm on a course at the Hospital for pulmonary rehab which runs for 8 weeks this course - I'm enjoying the hell out of the gym especially as the hospital transport cars pick me up and bring me home so I don't have to make any effort or pay out any money to go! (That must be the Scot in me - )  We're almost half way thru but I'm going to see if I can go to the next programme too which will make it even better.  I know it's working as I've been stiff in the right places for the past couple of times and that means working muscles!

My next trick is to get the gutter fixed and the car fixed properly.  I'm keeping the car - it turns out my great nephew is just too tall and "Bingham built" to fit in the bliddy thing, his knees would be up on the dashboard, and they couldn't have afforded to get it fixed mechanically either, so after conflabs with his father (my nephew, Malcolm, whose an inch shorter than his son at 6'5" and he couldn't get in it either - LOL), we've decided I'll keep it.  And now I've been home for 4 months, I realise if I don't have it, I don't walk places, I just stay home!!  Or get Vonn to take me - which will grow old with me (and her) pretty quick, so am quite pleased I still have it!

So there you have it - Mitzi and Jock are fine-o tho I'm feeding them too much, Mitzi is becoming her butter ball self she used to be before she fretted about 4kgs off her small frame, so soon they'll have to both go on a diet!!  Life just goes round and round doesn't it - hee!  She's still having separation anxiety if I have to go out and wants to sit on my lap more than she ever did, but apart from that, things are back to normal!

The other good news is that after at least 5 weeks of not being bothered with quilting, tho I have a myriad of things to do and to finish, I think I can feel the stirrings of enthusiasm so will set myself up outside so as to take advantage of sewing where I'm right in the thick of everything, so that bodes well for those people who are patiently waiting for promised articles!!

Anyone for Placemats??

It's been Quilt City around here the past couple of weeks - have gotten my sewing groove back and getting lots done - have lots of squares cut from scraps: getting 5", 4", 3"and 2" squares and 5"x1½" rectangles going and anything else goes in the bin - I'm trying to get sorted and clutter free!! HA! Trying, I said. I am also listing some Quilting notions and lots of fabric on quicksales (used to be Oztion), so if you are itching to spend, drop in - I am planning to get rid of half my stash (only so's can buy more fabric of course!!) and have been doing some each day. I have a wardrobe - make that 2 wardrobes - full of fabric - and it'll all be at very cheap prices (there you go, my commercial plug for the day)

I finished (on schedule too) the first of the SCQ Christmas Swap - and as I've now given it to her, I can put a photo up. The one on the right is her "Xmas Bag" to me - I fell in love as soon as I saw it. It really is gorgeous. I was pleased with mine because I’d never made a tote bag before and this was easy peasy and looked so nice! I have started April’s, just waiting on some webbing to complete it. I have ideas (and bought some stuff for all bar October and November, so all sorted really.

Luana Rubin of eQuilter sent out a request for hearts for the Christchurch earthquake victims – to the right is my contribution. The idea was to actually have ornament “softie” hearts so people could pick which ones they liked. I liked this idea because rather than hang them up, as I found for myself, you can easily use them as a pin cushion too :o) – and as you can see below, my friend Viv scored one too whilst I was in the mood and the polar bear fabric was out!

Ideas for the Christmas Swap have been flowing, helped by the fact that I agreed with 4 of my Facebook friends that we’d make a handmade gift each (ie each of us send a gift to the other 4 people) and the first one (from Anne) was a drink bottle holder which is such a natty idea and very useful for a person who has to walk every day even tho some days I don’t!

This is where the placemats come in – my first placemat which I loved was my present back to Anne and I love that fabric (Metro Market by Robert Kaufman. Looked so groovy, now I’ll have to have my own. I use Insulbright as the back which is heat-resistant so hot food is fine.

My next trick was to make not only a heart for my good mate, Viv, but I also made her a tote bag too. She’d told me her favourite thing was Polar Bears and guess what I had in my stash? Yep – the results are at left. I was really pleased with the bag and I hope she will be too. Will post off tomorrow.

My little owl friend on the right here is going to be a potholder for some lucky recipient. The fabric is by a hugely talented Australian designer Saffron Craig whose designs are just funky – do go and look – and I’ve found I’ve gotten very fond of owls (maybe brought on by Harry Potter books!!)

I haven’t finished them yet but am making a present (or 2 or 3) for Kellie, Viv’s daughter and one for Helen (who’s Viv’s sister) so it’s all in the clan of what I dub my “Adelaide friends” I was a resident of Adelaide in 1970 and actually lived with Viv, her Mum and Dad and other 2 sisters for a few months, so it’s my pleasure to make the gifts.

Next on the list will be to finish both a “Think Pink” quilt for raffling at work for the Wesley Hospital Kim Walters’ Choices, "Think Pink" Morning Tea we have every year. I missed out last year and 2009 so am going to make a beaut for this year – I think this is modern funky and vibrant, and I’m the quilter so what I say goes - and make a quilt with the “Birds in the Air” traditional block in muted tones of the darker side of the colour palette (browns, olives, maroons, purples, etc). As my own preference is for bright, vivid colours, it will be interesting to see how my colour sense holds up so far out of my comfort zone.

On the work front, I can’t start my authorised 2 hours a day until I get a visit from the Occupational Therapist people, HR check with sundry medical personnel that I am OK to work and IT update my laptop. I have been sent my chair from work so my bum is much more comfortable so guess that’s a start…. In the meantime, I’m having a great time playing in a couple of online casinos (shock, horror) but like at Norths, I get bored quickly so it isn’t a problem (yet! ) Of course, I guess I could do housework, washing, wash puppies, mending, washing up

Block 2 and other applique ...

Even though it was hot to boiling point on Sunday - the humidity was horrendous, I shut myself in the "craft room" (it's got air-conditioning) and got on with things - Block 2 of Toytime Circus got fused in place and I also had a play with appliquing a tea towel with a chook and another one with a pear and a flower.  I haven't blanket stitched them yet but they should look good when I'm finished.

I have 4 handmade gifts to make and have chosen 4 different things:  one is a tote bag, one a fabric keyring decoration, one a placemat and the 4th a potholder.  Then of course there's my secret Xmas swap.  I have the rest of the week to make the Xmas sack and 3 presents, although the presents don't all have to be handmade, I can buy if it's around the $5 mark, so with the 2 presents I've already made, plus a couple I've bought and no SCQ swap is complete without some fabric thrown in as one of the presents:  a very modern chook fabric and a novelty frog fabric (Gail loves chooks and frogs - me, I'm an owl person and a dog person.  Janet of JMD Designs has got a challenge going to see how many different types of owls she can get (she is supplying the applique template) using fabric to either make it arty, or farty, or traditional (she's calling it the Eva the Owl Event!) - so if you're into applique, have a go.  In my surfing for chook appliques, I came across Amy Bradley Designs - and fell in love with two, one called Barnyard Skyline and the other, A Blooming Welcome so had to get them (no wonder I have no money!)

Yesterday, Monday, I got no sewing done as it was spent saying goodbye to my mate, Debbie who's flown back to Perth after a quick visit to her parents (and picked the worst week weatherwise) and then my last visit to the hospital for a consult with speech pathologist (very good marks!) and an undignified test (but got the tick of approval there too) and walked outside to a typical "break the humidity" Brisbane storm so of course, had to wait ages for a taxi so once I got home, only had enough energy to sit in front of the TV - 5 hours from home to home so was just too pooped to pop!  No more hospital for about 3-4 months which is wonderful news.

Today, tho I had physio to go to, I also managed to start on my fabric decoration present (can't show you a picture until she gets it cos it's a secret!) and also cut out lots of hexagon paper templates and have now started on dresden plate blades (I bought them by the packet from Lizard of Oz for hand piecing in 2007 and am just getting them cut out!  I also managed to blanket stitch around the applique on one of the pot holders -- so really have the bit between my teeth!  It is so nice to concentrate on other things other than my health and if I'm feeling well or have anything else wrong with me!!

I also managed to find a handyman/gardener/mower to do some maintenance around the yard - at great expense to the management but it will really make the place look great and not only lived in again, but loved as well

Galactic Explosion, Celtic Sew Easy, Toytime Circus and Bonnie Hunter's new book

Well, it took a while but have finally gotten back into it, quilting that is -  I had about 10 days of doctors' visits and tests and but finish them on Monday next week and then hopefully, doctors can go away for a while and I can settle back into my normal life :o).

In amongst all my new stash, I remembered to get the final blocks, borders and backing fabric for Nancy Rink's 2010 free BOM: Galactic Explosion, which I got in the aqua/green/blue colourway. I had begun to collect the blocks before I got sick and I was so taken with it, I decided to continue even tho Nancy now has a 2011 free BOM but you can still download the blocks for Galactic Explosion if you follow the link above.  I love the fabric Nancy picked for the blocks and am looking forward to doing it, though I have to make a Think Pink quilt for a raffle first.

I've got 2 new books too which I know I'll learn heaps from.  The first is Sew Easy Celtic by Angela Madden (I also got her Celtic Masterclass DVD as I learn better with actually seeing it done).  I'm keen on celtic design so am looking forwards to trying Angela's way of doing it. Check out Angela's website at http://www.angelamadden.com/ and see her charming celtic quilts.  The other book I got which only arrived today is Bonnie Hunter's Scraps and Shirtails II.  Bonnie is a legend for her efficient use of scraps and her generosity in sharing with the quilting community, especially in Australia.  One of my favourite quilts in the book was Bricks in the Barnyard - I love symmetrical design and conventional blocks, so this and Goose in the Puddle really caught my fancy - and also uses up a stack of scraps which I have been diligently cutting and sorting, well I got interrupted by 8 months in hospital, but have started again!  If you like making scrap quilts, I do recommend this book.

Lolly, my friend who's been staying to look out for me after rehab, went home today and I was at a loss as to what to do with myself for a bit - I am missing having her company and so to cheer myself up, I managed to get started on Block 1 of Kookaburra Cottage's new BOM pattern, Toytime Circus.  I am doing this one through Quilters' Corner.  It's an 8 month BOM so should be manageable even for me, especially if I actually do the block when they come in the post.  The blocks are quite huge  so will be interested to see the finished top.  Block 2 which I already have and have started tracing the fusible pieces is the juggling bear so am hoping to get that all affixed tomorrow and then I can blanket stitch both of them in front of the TV.

It's almost the witching hour so I'd better go to bed so's I can be up bright and early for my daily walk and then into sewing - it is so nice to be home!!