WIP Wednesday

I had less time than usual to work on projects this week. Thursday I had the service at the aged care home and then I did my 2 RE lessons. I usually do these Friday but Friday morning I flew to Brisbane and didn't return home till Sunday night. I have done some work though.

Sombrero Stars

I made the backing for the quilt using the brown fabric from an old mattress cover and a linen table cloth centre. I cut the edges off the tablecloth as it had a pale green pattern in them which just didn't go with the front. I know you don't see the front and back at the same time but... it just didn't seem right. However I had to add some extra fabric to both the width and the length as the brown and cream just weren't enough. I had some pieces from what I had used for the sashing on the front of the quilt and added two strips to the width and one across the middle for the length and it ended up looking quite affective. I had hoped to get up to the quilting rooms during the week to pin it out but ran out of inclination so got it done after the meeting. Now to find the time to get it quilted - hopefully by Sunday night so I get to count it in my weekly stash report. I'm getting tired of not having any finishes.

Disappearing into the Blue
I had hoped to get some work done on this today at the club rooms but got involved with another project that our group needs to get done. I did get the remaining two sides of the white sashing sewn on. There is always next week to work on it! I am up to the pinwheel borders next

Chrysalis 
Last year I made a banner for our church which featured a vine going the length of the banner. During Lent we put "grubs" on the vine and then on Easter Sunday morning we changed out the grubs for butterflies. 

The vine banner.

This year I thought that I would try to make some chrysalis  to add to the banner. I used some hessian from old stretchers. I used the part that had already been sewn to go through the sides of the stretches and just hemmed one end, stuffed them and then tied off the tops.\Not sure that they are working. They look like hessian bags. Maybe if I sew the bottoms so as to round off the corners it might look better. They can't look worse ! Not my most successful crafting effort

         

Sunflower banner
Each year our town holds its local "Sunflower Festival" over Easter. We are twinned with a city in Canada that also has a sunflower festival but at a different time of the year. The prize for the local winner of the Sunflower Princess competition is a trip to Canada for their festival and likewise their princess gets to come visit us for ours. Our patchwork group has been asked to make a wall hanging to give to the visiting princess. Due to some delays and stuff ups we only just started to make it today so we are working against the clock to get the wall hanging made by next Wednesday night. Another lady and I worked after our meeting to get the fabric cut for the project. Another lady did a little bit of sewing for us. We will meet again tomorrow to sew some more of it. We have someone who has volunteered to quilt it and then it will be getting the binding, the hanging sleeve and the label made. It involves some hand applique and I have bought that bit home to try to get done tonight. I am going to be busy!

The stem and leaves of the banner... my evenings entertainment

stitching stitching stitching

See more WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Tuesday Muse: My weekend retreat

I had a great weekend away. I flew down to Brisbane and joined a group of women I have known for over 12 years through my links with Australian Breastfeeding Association. This is an association that supports women who breastfeed and promotes it within the community. It is a marvelous organisation that is celebrating is golden anniversary this year.

I was a counselor for almost 20 years and these women were current or former counselors too. We "met" on line via an email group for ABA counselors who wanted to talk "off Topic". We were all on the official ABA email group but we were the ones who were most often off topic- discussing things not related to our work as ABA counselors. So our list mum set up this other email list for us to chat about our lives, husbands, kids, lovers, food, craft, gardening or what ever took our fancy. 



Many of us had never met in person when we joined "Buddies" although various state and national conferences run by the association in the time since we formed have enabled many of us to meet up. Sometimes when we travel on holidays we have arranged to catch up for coffee or lunch and have even stayed with each other. 

We have become very close over the years and supported each other through a number of terrible crisis and tragedy. 2 women in the group have lost young adult children in car accidents in the time we have been a group and a couple have been widowed. Some of the women have been divorced. Others have had babies and many more have become grandmas. We've built houses, changed jobs, experienced depression, had children marry and and divorce... the whole gamut of human experiences. This group of women have sustained and supported each other. 

There are about 50 of us on the list although some are more active than others. Some are completely inactive, others come and go depending on the busyness of our lives. Some comment prolifically, others just read. Me... I dip in and out. Its an amazing group of women. We come from such a variety of different backgrounds. Our commonality is just that we were or are ABA counselors or community educators. Our ages range from early 30s through to mid 60s. We have a range of educational background, professions, financial status, religious faiths. It is interesting to share. Some of them even quilt! Several are my pals on fitbit

Our get together this weekend was facilitated by one of our group who is in the process of setting up a business to run women's retreats and we were her "guinea pigs". It is the first time we have travelled just to get together as a group. 9 of us were in the gathering and we met up in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. We didn't have formal activities most of the time and it was very flexible depending on what people wanted to do. We went shopping, had coffee out, visited a cheese factory, went out for dinner, did some beading, did a session on mindfulness, went in the spa, went for walks and generally just hung out and had fun together. 6 if us were from Queensland, 2 from NSW and one woman flew up from Melbourne

We went out for dinner to a lovely restaurant in Mapleton. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The host (and proprietor) was a real delight. He was very cheerful and helpful and kept us amused all evening and nothing seemed too much trouble. The restaurant doesn't have its own web page but gets lots of mentions on websites reviewing restaurants so the link will take you to them. They do have a facebook page but not much information on it.

The Retreat Group out for morning coffee at Poets Cafe in Montville. The setting was amazing but we did find it rather pricey ($7.20 for my skinny decaf cap.) and the staff didn't seem impressed that we were just having coffee and no breakfast or morning tea

Chatting over coffee

Rikki, our facilitator on left with a member of our party

Beading workshop. We made a very simple necklace which was lots of fun. We all wore them that night when we went out to dinner

My necklace in progress

Rainforest walk. Just beautiful

Rikki is planning a retreat in NZ at the end of the year. I would love to go but initial discussions with my husband aren't looking too promising but we can but wait and see. It looks so good. Sigh. Guess I can put it on my "Dreaming" list. Doesn't it look great? I would love to do it
                                 

Sunday Stash Report- nothing ventured nothing gained

I think this is the first week since I started doing my stash report that I have nothing to report. Nothing finished nothing bought.

I am close to a finish on my Sombrero Stars. Well at least the Top is finished and I am close to finishing off the backing. Then I have to sandwich it and quilt it... owe... well... maybe NOT so close to a finish as I thought. Hopefully I will get it done this week. That is my plan.

I haven't bought any fabric this week. I did walk through Lincraft in the Myer Centre in Brisbane CBD on Friday morning but was strong and didn't even look properly. I didn't need anything so didn't buy anything and I was very proud of myself..

So my stats are the same as last week

Used                               0m
purchased                        0m



Used YTD                      53.06m
Purchased YTD              22.81m

Net usage YTD              30.25

Linking up with Stash Report at Patchwork Times

Friday Fitness

I am very happy with my weekly Fitbit report last night. I averaged over 10 000 steps per day for the week. Woo hoo. Go me.

I have only run twice in the last week. Once was on Sunday. It was my much anticipated first official 5 km run. Good news. I ran the whole way. I made it to the end and felt good. Bad news... due to the wet weather we had in the lead up to the event the course had to be changed and it was only 3.2 kms which was a bit disappointing for me as I was looking forward to my first official 5k event. Never mind. I along with over 1300 other people from babies to Grandmas completed the course, got covered in various coloured powder paint and had a good time. And I have photos to prove it.

At the start. The official photo

My photo of me. In getting my phone out to take this I dropped my license. Someone found it and it got announced at the start of the race that they had something of mine and to get it from the sign in office at the end of the race ... which meant an extra long walk for me cause it was not near the finish place.

With some of my friends at the start of the race. Only Fiona ran at all. She walked some of it too but still beat me home! (She's in dark shorts) The others walked.

Some of the other competitors at the start - some guys got really dressed up. Obviously I didn't

I ran the race pretty much at my own pace although the crowd did at times push me along and at other times slowed me down. Because I wasn't running with anyone I didn't stop to take photos at some of the photo booth type places. I didn't go for the "roll in the powder paint and get as messy as you can" activities either. I needed to get home asap, have a shower and get up to church as I was helping with the singing

my selfie at the end of the run

 The disadvantage of running on my own was I had no one to take photos of me in all my glory apart from the official after shot. Hence pictures of my arms... not really very flash

The official after shot

I made it to church half an hour late. Some of the others got there on time but they went in all their painty glory. Since I had to help with the singing felt that wasn't appropriate... and didn't want to spread powder paint everywhere.

My second run was Thursday morning when I ran 5k. I ran a different track this time, keeping to the streets. I wanted to see how far our "big" block walk was but realised that it was only about 3k so had to run on past the end of our street and add a few extra blocks on. Its good to have some alternative routes to try.

Whilst I haven't run much I have walked every day and sometimes - often twice a day. With our old dog not well and not long for this world I have not wanted to leave her too much. If I walk she can come too... in the stroller. The other dog loves all the extra walks. We go around the block most evenings (now the days are getting shorter we don't have time to do the river walk in daylight) and I take them down by the river most mornings. No more turtles this week but did see a kangaroo yesterday. It was way off in the distance so not sure you can see it in the photos

the roo is at the end of the road, near the water tower. You can see how much everything has greened up with the rain we had last week.

Weight Loss Progress

Super thrilled to get on the scales on Thursday and to have broken through 88kgs. I was 87.8 after my run so yes I was undoubtedly dehydrated but whatever... I had broken through it and am so pleased. I have been working hard to keep my fitbit stats up this week and its paid off. I don't tend to log my food because... well its a bit hard so just relying on working harder if I eat treats. I do want to track better... maybe this week. I have 7.8 kgs to go! (80 is my goal weight although officially I should get down to 75kgs but I haven't been that since I was a teenager so not hanging out for that)

 I have lost 12 kgs since my heaviest last June, when I was sick with Barmah Forrest Virus. 

Thursday Thoughts

Just in case in the future I want to write something on a Thursday... figured I could call it Thursday Thoughts. Sad but true. I can't seem to have a theme for a blog post but it has to rhyme or have some alliteration with the day of the week its about. Every other blog poster seems to be the same so I don't feel too badly about it. 

The main reason I wanted to put something up today (besides avoiding anything more constructive I could be doing) was I wanted to update my Tuesday musings and I wasn't sure I would remember it if I kept it till next Tuesday. I could have just gone back in and edited the Tuesday post but then if you had already read it you wouldn't necessarily go back in and read it again anyway. So... a new post... and since it was a new day (and not connected in with any other bloggers topics or activities) ... it had to have a new name.

OK... on Tuesday I outlined my planned projects for the month of April. One of the things on my list was to find the pattern from my Tea Shop Quilt. I bought it in the UK in September. I went looking on line and found the pattern... well I think it is the pattern. Fangirl told me the name of the shop we had gone to which was Puddleducks in Sevenoaks. They have an online presence and I found the pattern... only its a pattern for a tea cosy. I dont' recall that at all but maybe I bought it knowing it was a tea cosy but planning to change it to a quilt. I am not sure. But its the same picture. Its by Gail Penberthy and I think it is beautiful

I found many other patterns by Gail and she does some gorgeous ones. I found most of them at Daisy Chain Designs. (when you search patterns go to page 9 as this is where they start)

              

These are two of my favourites that I would love to stitch. The one on the left is Tea and Friends and the one on the right is Tea and Company. Are you sensing a theme here?

Another update on my Goals for April. I forgot about the curtains for the spare room tha I want to stitch and Fangirl has asked me to make coverings for the couches that will be used in the forthcoming play that she is directing and producing (and I am prompting for) They have to be covered in black fabric. They don't have to be done in a proper upholstering fashion... just covered in black fabric.

So my April Goals are (in no particular order)

1. Finish Sombrero Stars (quilt 3 of SOMB quilts... Shirt Off My Back)
2. Finish Not so Sombre Stars
3. Make an Easter Wall Hanging
4. Empty Scrap basket - cut into useful units and put away
5. Look for and hopefully find Tea Shop Applique Quilt pattern 

6. Cover theatre couches in black fabric

7. Make Curtains for Spare Room.

Annie Update

I had Annie at the vet again on Tuesday and they withdrew fluid from her lung which the vet then viewed through a microscope. he discussed his findings with a pathologist. I talked to him yesterday. Basically they didn't find tumour cells which would have been a definitive diagnosis but in the absence of other things that would have indicated an alternative the vet thinks that in all likelihood that is what it is. There is nothing to be done unless we wanted to go in for drastic thoracic surgery (which we don't). She is much brighter than she was so is obviously feeling a lot better for having the pressure relieved. She is more active, is eating better (not great but better) so we are enjoying her company and spoiling her as much as we can. The fluid will build up again and we will decide what to do when that happens. Thanks for all the loving comments

WIP Wednesday

This week I have progressed two of my quilts.

Disappearing Into the Blue - my disappearing pinwheel quilt that I am making in blue fabrics for my spare bedroom. I only work on this on Wednesday at our quilt groups sewing day up at our sewing rooms. 

We got a new sign for our patchwork rooms today... cool eh?

Today despite having to reverse sew two full width of quilt seams, I eventually got all the rows of blocks put together. My first lot of reversing (unpicking) came when I realised that I had sewn one of the strips of sashing on the wrong way around. It is hard to tell with tone on tone white (especially when your eye sight isn't as sharp as it used to be) 

The white tone on tone of the sashing was a bit lighter than that in the blocks which made it easier to reverse. Grrr 1

No sooner had I reattached that correctly than I realised another mistake. In the whole quilt there are only two blocks made from the same fabric and you guessed it.... I had managed to get them side by side in adjoining rows. Not happy Jan (for non Aussie's reading this... that is a phrase from a television ad popular here a few years ago. The phrase has stuck even though the ad has long since moved on)

Mistake 2... identical blocks next to each other. Grrrr 2

By the time I was ready to leave I had all the rows put together and need only to attach the top and bottom sashing for the centre to be complete. I have pinwheels made for the first border and then plan on a piano key border as well so its still a way off being completed.

The quilt top centre... still missing the sashing off the sides

Sombrero Stars - SOMB Quilt 3. I worked on this over the week at home and am very pleased to be able to say that I got the top finished last night. Yay. Now to make the backing and get it quilted. I had a 2nd hand doona cover I was going to repurpose for this but have decided, in consultation with Fangirl (who came over this afternoon and helped me fix a few glitches in my blog set up) that the colour is not right. I have found some brown fabric that had been a mattress cover and some cream from a table cloth that was my mother in law's, which will be a better fit

Sombrero Stars top all done.

Tuesday Musing

Not sure what I will do on a Tuesday for my blog. I might not end up doing something every Tuesday but when I do... it'll be my Tuesday Museday!!

First Day of April. Time to set some goals for April. Trying not to set them too high so that I won't fall flat splat kerplop on my face. My goals for this month

Finish Sombrero Stars (quilt 3 of SOMB quilts... Shirt Off My Back)
Finish Not so Sombre Stars
Make an Easter Wall Hanging
Empty Scrap basket - cut into useful units and put away
Look for and hopefully find Tea Shop Applique Quilt pattern (I bought it in England in September but managed to lose it)

This is SOMBrero Stars. Finished putting the top together tonight. Now to make a back and quilt it!! You can see my shadow as I stood on a stool to take the photo

Not So SOMBre Stars. All the pieces are cut up and in their box.. Apart from the 5" 9 patches (which were part of the 350 or so I made from the shirt fabrics from the swap) no stitching has been done. But cutting all the pieces was a mamoth effort so it is well on the way

The fabrics and buttons purchased for my tea shop quilt. Finding the pattern is going to be a challenge. After I got back from the UK my husband and I went on a camping holiday in Southern and then Northern inland NSW. I bought fabric for it at several shops. I had the pattern then. Since we got home and I unpacked all my stuff... I haven't seen it. Oh dear.

Annie Dog

I took Annie to the vet today and they removed a heap of fluid from her lung by syringe. The vet is going to check some of the fluid under the microscope and will be able to tell if the fluid is from tumour or something else apparently. She came home after a couple of hours and is happy enough. She refused to come for a walk today (or a stroll... she rides in the stroller) She did come this morning and even walked for some of it. She seems a lot brighter in the mornings. If there are tumours then it will be just care and attention till we think her quality of life is too diminished. If it is treatable then we will treat her. The vet said to give her the diuretic tablets but she is becoming very wily and it was a battle to get them into her tonight... she puts her tongue up in the way to stop the tablet going down but we won in the end.

Annie on our morning walk. She is quite comfortable in the pram and seems to enjoy the outings

Annie and I

Our other dog Jack who is always looking for any extra attention that is going