I'm really trying...............

.......very ...... hard .... to .... keep ... up!!
 
No - don't say it.  Really.  Don't.  Okay.  I'll say it then.  Before you do.  If you haven't already said it! 
 I am very trying.

I know I try hard not be, but somehow it just happens.

Anyway, I digress... again....  What I was saying was I just can't keep up, everything goes so fast. I feel like everyone else is on 'fast forward' and I'm just about avoiding the rewind button!  An example? On the rare occasions Ralph and I are working in the kitchen together (now that's a whole other story!!!) I just seem to stand there doing ... whatever... and Ralph is rushing around me doing his version of ... whatever... like a spinning top.  It makes me dizzy!!

Here's an analogy for you. A treadmill test.  Nothing to it? Yeah ok! A white knuckle ride if ever I had one. Hanging on to the bar, gritting your teeth, gasping for breath, jelly legs.  You get the picture? I thought I was in a marathon. (Me) Can .. you .. slow .. it .. down?  (Nurse) Errm  it wont go any slower. (Me) How .. long .. was .. it .. for?  (Nurse) Errm 28 seconds.  (Me) What the ...........??!!!

See what I mean? I can't keep up! 

So what started this ... rant?  Birthdays.  Of course.


First it was Ralph's, a year before a significant one.  So to remind him that next year we'd be going out for picnics and such like on a weekday, not just for weekends. I made him a patchwork picnic blanket. You know, to go in the car we've decided he's getting as a retirement present. :-)

Lovely Butterscotch and Rose by Fig Tree Quilts backed with an old picnic rug

and hand tied instead of quilting.

 

I've had the fabric a while and knew how I was going to make it up. I was just waiting for the right occasion. I used a pattern from Camille's book Simplify.  It took a charm pack and a honeybun and made up really quickly. I decided to add an extra border using up the off cuts from the honey bun.

 

Now, here's my question.  How did it happen?  How did we go from

 

this

 

1982

 

to this ?

 

2013

 

In what feels like the blink of an eye?

 

I kid you not, this is taken at the top of the drive of the house we are renting!!  I tell you if it turns up at the next house I shall be convinced the kids did it !!

 

And speaking of kids, that was the next birthday.  Oliver's 30th.  Now look, something is just plain wrong here.  I can remember distinctly what it felt like when I first snuggled him into my neck at a few minutes old!!  I don't need to tell you it was bliss do I? 

 

It seems like only yesterday that he was like this

 

1983

 

and now he's like this

 

2013

 

with his own precious little one,

Mackinlay.

 

Don't get me wrong I have loved walking alongside Ralph all these years and hope to do so for many more.  And I'm so proud of my kids and their partners and children, so very proud.  But, in my head I don't feel like I've lived all those thirty odd years.  I go to tremendous lengths to avoid looking in the mirror but once in a while.  Out of the corner of my eye.  I see.  Someone looking at me.  Who is that  woman staring back at me???   I've got that dress!!  Well, who'd have thought it?  It must be me!!!!   

 

Like I said.  It takes me a while to catch up! :-)

 

So, before I go, a quick update on Correne. She's doing ok, it's a slow process for her, healing.  She's still mostly on her bed, rather sore still and vertigo rears it's ugly head on too many occasions. But she's going in the right direction. Thankfully.

 

It was so kind of you to drop by and chat or should I say listen to my ramblings. I'd be pretty lonely here talking to myself if not for you.

 

Take good care of yourselves and happy sewing. Xxx

 

    

 

 

 

     

    

Home and Resting

Hello again folks.  Thank you so much to all of you for your comments, encouragements and concerns for Correne regarding her surgery.  We have passed them all on to her and she asked us to thank you for her, until she is able to do so herself.  I am pleased to tell you that she is now back home.  The journey was pretty awful for her, painful and her vertigo conspired with the travelling to make her be very sick.  Now she is safely tucked up in her own bed and hopefully that will settle down for her.  We are all delighted to have her home and hopefully her recovery will be problem free from now on.

Jess and I have spent the last two days together, keeping each other's spirits up, sewing and chatting. For me, it was the best part of the week as she is delightful company. :-)  And, because the blog post yesterday seemed odd without pictures, here's what I was working on to while away the hours.

Hand quilting Correne's Quilt

 

Hopefully it will be finished by the time she feels ready to venture downstairs!

 

And when I started to melt and come over all 'unnecessary' under the above quilt, because it was so hot, I picked up my Antique Flower Pastel Quilt.

 

Joining the hexagon diamonds and flowers together with the background fabric.

 

It took me months to decide what background to use for this one.  I think it will be ok.  Especially when I've done a bit more and given it a bit of a press.  At the moment it looks like it's been in the rag bag and I'm too tired to iron it after unpacking it when I got back from Correne's!!

 

And when I was bored of cutting and sewing the gingham hexies I played with these.

 

Tiny, tiny hexies from Helen 

 

Helen and I arranged a little swap and I've had fun deciding how I wanted to use these hexies.  They are really tiny, about the size of a sixpence, but perfectly formed and there are masses of them!! Thank you Helen they are keeping me nicely occupied. And I love the Aviary fabrics from 3 Sisters that you made them out of.  I think I'm going to be totally traditional and join the diamonds together with a white Kona solid unless anyone can suggest something else? :-)

 

So that's what's been going on over here in South Derbyshire.  I have to say, we are all very relieved to be at the end of the week and in a happier frame of mind than at the beginning.  I'll be back again soon and promise to make an effort to be more entertaining then. 

 

Oh, actually I did just remember one funny thing to tell you.  When Correne was coming round from the anaesthetic she kept asking the nurses 'Have you booked my taxi?'  'I need my bags to take home' 'Is it time to go home yet?' over and over again!  Now, it's a standing joke between us that whenever she's had to go into hospital she usually says something like:

 

'I'm not staying' - to the nurse who was admitting her, 

 

 'They won't keep me in, they'll give me a pill and I'll be fine' - when she phoned up work to let them know .....'I'll be a bit late' 

 

And to me when I was driving her into the hopital, many years ago  'You can leave my bag in the boot I won't be stopping'!!!! 

 

Clearly, she doesn't have to be conscious to voice those ideas. :-))

 

So, on that note. Take care of yourselves and happy sewing. 

 

 

 

 

Update on Reene

Hello all :) Jess and Yvonne here!

We thought you'd like an update on Reene. She had the op yesterday and it all went okay, she was the first one to go in, thankfully! She's tired and rather sore but she's doing okay! Even managing a little bit of Twitter, the rebel! She may be coming home tomorrow if the doctor is still happy with the way she's recovering, which is good. We'll let you know when she's out.

Speak soon and happy sewing! xxx

Chock a block

In preparation for my stay at Costa del NHS, and the following period of inactivity, I've been churning out blocks, Chock-a-block style. In the process of uploading photos I found one I hadn't shown you in July. This first one was for Tanya's July HipBee block. We were asked for trees...on reflection I'm not really sure how tree-like this is but Tanya was kind enough to humour me ;)

 Fiona sent some rather lovely Amy Butler for her August HipBee block and left us to get on with it.

Sarah kicked off the second round of HipBees by asking for 2 concentric box blocks.

  I think this is going to be a really striking quilt.

 Then I've been working on blocks for my Amish with a twist BOM quilt. There were many, many half square triangles!

I've still got 36 log cabins to make for August's BOM but they'll have to wait until I'm up and doing again because I was utterly determined to finish a hand-sewing project that I started last year in June! I'm ecstatic to be able to show you my completed Love Spring Carnival cushion :)

I'm ridiculously pleased with this cushion! Love by Amy Butler is my all time favourite fabric range. It was the first designer fabric line that I purchased in its entirety when I started patchworking seriously in 2010. Crazily the majority of my stash was used in projects that were gifted to other people so to finally have a substantial project in my possession is very exciting! I used an Amy Butler Rowan thread  in a green to quilt it.

I can't decide where it will live permanently so for now it's been auditioned in the family room...

 and the living room. It's fair to say that this cushion will be my friend whilst recovering from surgery. It's a mammoth 24" square, so perfect for propping me up in bed :)

Confession time: I've recently tracked down the majority of the Love range and bought myself a new stash :) I'd like to say I'm sorry for doing it but I'm not in the slightest!

So there you have it, I've got one more full day at home to finish binding a wedding quilt and cook a zillion meals for the freezer for post-op mealtimes. I go to the Costa del NHS on Wednesday and am expecting to be there for at least 3 days, possibly longer. Yvonne will no doubt keep you updated on progress at some point as I'm not expecting to be up to blogging or anything much else for a good few weeks. Positive thoughts, prayers and other good wishes will be very welcome for the op and recovery. See you on the other side x