Marchalong... final report

Marchalong is almost over... the month when people tried to quilt or do something quilting related for 15 minutes every day. Not sure I managed it this week as I was so busy but if I put my mind to it... I probably did. I wrote my last update on Tuesday of last week

Wednesday 26th was our groups sewing day so I was down at our patchwork room from about 9.30 till 1 PM. I made great progress on my Disappearing into the Blue quilt. (see my WIP Wednesday report for details) I forgot to take a photo of the quilt laid out so you get this

Thursday was my birthday (happy birthday to me) I visited my LQS and fabric was purchased (see Sunday Stash report for details. I also did some sewing at home as I was taking a break from my preparations for the afternoon tea I was hosting on Saturday. I started sewing together the blocks for my Sombrero Stars.

Friday I did some more sewing on the Sombrero Stars once I established that I had done all that could be done for the Afternoon Tea up to that point.

Saturday was "The Afternoon Tea" I ended up hosting 23 ladies and 4 children in my backyard. The morning was spent in lots of the on the day and last minute preparations stuff and the afternoon... well  Much yummy food was consumed. Fangirl and I took great delight in getting out and using lots of our lovely china that we both collect. (We both love English China and collect cup saucer and plates) We use real linen table cloths but do go for paper serviettes 

However after the guests had gone and the washing up was done and the stuff cleaned up as much as needs be... and the church had been cleaned (yeah... it was our weekend on for that... not good timing) well then I settled down and did some more block putting together on Sombrero Stars.

Sunday The morning was all taken up with The Rainbow Run - a colour run where people walk or run the course and every kilometre you get powder paint thrown at you so that at the end of the 5 km course your white clothes have all turned pretty colours. (and your skin.... and hair if you don't wear a hat...) 

Before

After Sorry... no full body pictures yet. I was running on my own and didn't have anyone but the official photographer to take photos. I pick those up tomorrow

And then a quick shower and turning up 30 mins late for church... then church and afterwards encouraging people to eat eat eat the leftovers from the afternoon tea. But in the afternoon ... I got to sit down and do some more sewing and by the end of the day I had completed the 30 blocks and they are now spread out on my floor.

Monday - today... nothing done yet as I write this. I have been looking at the blocks spread out over my floor and I have written this blog... I am working out what to sash it with (or indeed whether or not to sash it at all.) And the backing too. My aim is to use repurprosed fabric only in these quilts but it is getting harder to do. I have a table cloth that will go nicely for the backing. Actually it was originally an Indian sari my parents bought back from a visit there. Its very simple fabric and I used it mostly as a table cloth although it is very narrow. It must have been designed for a very short person.

So that is my Marchalong wrap for this year. Hopefully I will do it all again next year. More Marchalong madness and mayhem at 

Fitness Friday

Not a lot to report this week.

Haven't run at all. Monday I felt like I was getting a cold so didn't run. Tuesday I slept in and didn't have time to  run before going up to the Vet to talk to him about our 9 year old dog Annie who was very ill. Fixit Guy had taken her to the vet on Sunday morning because her belly was so swollen. Xrays had revealed one of her lungs was completely compromised and the vet doesn't think that there is anything that can be done for her. I bought her home after our consultation. She isn't able to walk with us, but she wants to so I have obtained an old baby stroller and for the last two days when I have gone for my morning walk with our other dog Jack Annie has come too in the pram.

I have been very busy this week in the afternoon as I have been preparing for a charity afternoon tea I am hosting on Saturday. Fangirl has come over after work each day and has been helping me with preparations. This has meant that there have been no afternoon walks. 

I also mislaid my fitbit charger. I thought that I had lost it in Brisbane as I could not find it anywhere. Of course my fitbit went flat and I really missed it. I tried to use the pedometer on my phone but it wasn't the same. Fixit Guy found the charger under my bed... it must have come out of my bag when I got home and got pushed there. Its charged and back on my wrist now.

Weight wise  I have put on a little but this week I have had a trip to Brisbane but lots of walking and mostly good healthy choices meant that I didn't actually put on weight. Less walking, no running and a bit of nibbling on the goodies we have been making PLUS yesterday was my birthday and we went out to dinner and there was wine and desert.... so this morning I was up .5kg on the week. 

I did say MOSTLY healthy choices. This was my Max Brenner Choc Brownie Sundae

I am wondering how I will go on Sunday when I go in my first public 5 km run. Its called the Emerald Rainbow Run. 



Having not run all week I have decided that I was tapering :) Yeah... good excuse but I'm going to run with it

WIP Wednesday

Have had a busy week but no finishes. Still have sewn and done lots of creative things so that is good. Guess my Marchalong report from yesterday would really cover today but....

I currently have 3 quilts in progress.

Not So Sombre Stars

The fabric is all cut for this and safely tucked into a clear plastic box waiting its turn to make it to the top of the working pile. I love using the plastic storage boxes for my WIPs. I haven't done it before this last month so its a new thing for me but I just love it. I can see easily where the projects are and if I need to add something to the project that is easily found and done. eg I bought some buttons on the weekend at the Craft Show I went to that were for my Tea Shop quilt that I am going to make one day (found some lovely buttons featuring little cakes. Perfect!) I was able to find the box that I have that project in and add the buttons.

My Project boxes. Top Tea Shop Quilt. 2nd box Sombrero Stars, 3rd Not So Sombre Stars and bottom Christmas Stockings. (I have to make my son's partner Earthy Yu)

Sombrero Stars

Not only is the fabric all cut but all the flying geese for it made (120 of them) AND I have put together the first block. I knew I wouldn't have time to sew this week so snuck in the time to make one last Friday before I flew to Brisbane. I left myself very little time to have my shower and finish getting ready to leave for the airport but we made it. AND I have a finished block as well!! The goodies for this quilt are all in their own little box as well

Disappearing into the Blue

As usual I worked on this at our Patchwork Group meeting today. I didn't spend as long up there as usual because of my busy week here at home (more about that later) but I was able to get the sashing for the blocks cut and the blocks sewn into rows. It was great to lay the quilt out and try to arrange the blocks in a pleasing way. It is hard to choose how to lay the blocks out. There are 30 of them - all different shades of blue (only one repeat) Trying to get a spread of the really dark blocks and the really light blocks plus some blocks are heavily patterned and there are few unusual blues. I am sure you quilters all face this dilemma too each time you have to lay out a scrappy quilt. I must admit I tend to give up and just go with whatever in the end. As soon as I move two dark ones away from each other I find that I have moved a heavily patterned one in next to another heavily patterned one etc etc. Then after spending ages agonising over the arrangement when I pick them up to sew the strips together I seem to get them mixed up and end up with two similar ones next to each other anyway!!

I nearly didn't stay at patchwork. I found that I had left my sewing box at home. I had my project in its box and my machine stays in the car all the time. The sewing box has my pins, thread, scissors, seam ripper, rotary cutter etc in it. I thought I might just cut the sashing fabric and then come home but decided to duck home (only 5 minutes away from our sewing room) and grab what I needed. I took time to put the washing into the dryer whilst I was there, check on the dog and grab my sewing box.



Why I am busy

On Saturday I am hosting an "English Afternoon Tea" here in my garden (or on my patio if the current rain we are experiencing keeps up) Not sure how many people are going to turn up. I've got about 15 definites and maybe another 15! Hopefully numbers will be clearer tomorrow when acceptances close (and even clearer as people respond late on Friday and Saturday morning) Its a fundraiser for School Chaplaincy which our church helps support. 2 of my friends are school chaplains here in our town so its a cause dear to my heart.

Fangirl and I have been cooking up a storm all week and I am supposed to be cleaning up the house and the garden... yeah... supposed to be.

And what else?

My dog Annie is very unwell. She's a 9 year old Australian Terrier cross who belongs officially to my youngest son. Whilst I was in Brisbane on the weekend Fixit Guy found that her belly was very swollen so took her to the vet who admitted her and ran some tests. Whilst x-raying her to check what was going on with the swelling in her belly they found that there is a large mass of some description in one lung. She has been very breathless for a few months. We had mentioned this to the vet at her check up but they couldn't find anything at the time (no x-ray then as we didn't push it ) and we all put it down to increased age, the heat etc. Anyway they aren't sure what is going on with the lung. It is is full of fluid which could be pus, but not likely since no other indications of infection. It could be blood but blood tests have indicated that unless it is a very slow leak into the lung that isn't it. The most likely thing is that it is a tumour and the fluid is associated with that. The vet is getting a second opinion on that. He could extract fluid with a syringe but didn't want to go ahead without advice. The x-rays showed that she is extremely constipated. He gave her a laxative but it had minimal affect. The next thing to try is an enema but that apparently would also require sedation and at the moment with her lungs so compromised he doesn't want to do that. The swelling did come down somewhat. I bought her home on Tuesday (yesterday) and spent a good bit of the day sitting with her and cuddling her. She was bright enough when I picked her up but then refused to eat (hadn't eaten at the vets much either) brought up what she did eat, and laid around the yard doing nothing all day.

She was brighter last night and was interested in food and trotted about a bit. This morning she even wanted to come on a walk with our other dog but the vet said not to exert her at all. She ate a bit from me when offered (had to get her tablets into her... antibiotics and diuretic) However has been very quiet and laying about the yard again not doing anything. Her belly is very swollen again this afternoon. Not sure when the vet is going to get back to us re the specialist. I will ring later this afternoon and check. She doesn't seem very distressed or in pain. We will play it by ear. I won't let her suffer but whilst she has some quality of life we will enjoy her company and say good bye when the time comes.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced