A few things I have managed

I have made the February block for Granny's Hankie.

I am really very slow.

I have had my computer down for a bit as my Modem collapsed and I had to get another, so I have been without internet for a while.

Just as well, as I am not comfortable sitting here for long.

Mal is doing remarkably well and apart from being a bit tired and unable to do the things he used to do without effort -he is back to his normal self :)

His operation was completely successful and the tumor is not expected to return!!

However it has all worn me out!

Mal relaxing at home after his time in Perth with our eldest daughter Fiona.

Andrea is more or less well - home with another nasty cold. at present.

I have also put together my whole cloth quilt - hand basted it!

Rolling up the front and backing prior to basting

Progressing accross the front lower section of the quilt.

This curved needle was REALLY helpful as I couldnt manage it with a straight needle.

Miracle it that I was able to find it :)

All hand basting completed. 

I began to sew with a cream silk on top and a beige aurofil in the bobbin.

I hadnt sewn for a while...and need to do a hepa more practise.

I frogged all that I had sewn...didnt like it at all and thought it was best to do that before much more was done.  THAT took a while as the stitches were tiny!

Then I looked at it for another day...nearly ready to throw it all in the too hard basket.

However....

I have now got some of the design drawn - trying out some markers that I have

and this will be my practise piece.

Just have to put that together now ... and will spend some time getting back to to hopefully where I was.

I have been watching everyones blogs...sometimes trying to make comments - and having problems with Blogger...

So I have been a silent lurker.

Hope to be back to normal soon.

Lots of resting between times.  I seem to be sleeping a lot!

To complete my blogging after soooo long

here is a photo of our Wisteria in bloom.

A give away from Melody.

I have just visited Melody's blog ....

 http://thehouseonthesideofthehill.blogspot.com/  and she is

having a wonderful giveaway. 

She has been blogging for just over a year...

and this is to thank all her wonderful blogging friends :) 

Practice piece and Zentangling

I did a small piece for practise on my Granny's Hankie BOM

and have managed to get most of the February block  done.

Cant finish it at present as my back is still not good and I guess I realy shouldnt have been sitting and sewing.

So now I am back to reading -

and not doing much

and here are some more Doodlings

My DH is improving daily :)

Andrea had only one migraine last week-

Now I need to improve or something,

Have a great week.

FNSI, Designs and family

I managed to get a small (tiny ) bit of FMQ done for FNSI

Was not able to sit for long...but its a start.

                                                             As I said - just a tiny bit :)

 some drawings I did while sitting with Mal in hospital

My younger DD claimed this one to frame...

I call this one my sea monster

Elder DD wants this one

and maybe this one.

I actually did this on Wednesday ...and this is the carpet that was in the hospital...

It makes a great filler design for quilting.

And Andrea, in her new dress.... and shoes

Amazingly she is now 15!!

Thats it from me.

Pleased to say Mal is improving somewhat slowly .. has good and bad days

but we struggle on :) and keep positive.

Designs

This is some of what I have been doing while keeping my DH company.

Playing at quilting.

Zentangling

Some more play.

I have also finished another scarf which has already gone to one DD.. and have started another.

The good news is that my DH has recovered from surgery..results are all benign and gone!!  He should be back to normal and just needs to gothrough his recovery and be good when he gets home!

What a relief!!!!

Home and Family

Last post for a while...

Forgot I had made this a week or so ago...

Before Andrea had her current illness she made up some recipes and we had some lovely meals.

            We loved what she cooked ...hopefully she will do some more when she is better.
                                       It was so nice to have someone else do that cooking :)
                                                  Hoping she is well again soon.



Playing with FMQ

Yesterday I got some more of this done.

Its my own designed feather Piece.

I havent been able to sit for long to do this... so it was great to actually get some done.

A lot of it is more micro-quilting, which I love. 

I did get a bit muddled in a couple of places, but I think thats OK.  I still have a long way to go, and it takes quite a while to do.

I am using a batting I have never used before and I think its a bit soft

Time will tell I guess.

It is pouring with rain outside and the wind is about gale force...

We have had one front after another roll by us here

and the wind has been dreadful.  It always seems to happen at night. and that seems worse.

Well I am off to get some things done now. 

Maybe I will get some more of this done later - if I am lucky :)

FMQ

I have actually managed to get some sewing done today - a small amount.  I completed the samples I had started for the Free Motion Challenge.

First was the drawing I did

Then the sewing

Sample fillers which I had done previously

The completed sample piece

Including my practise sashing

Its all sewn on 'Nessie',     my Bernina 820,  with the top thread silk and the back one Aurifil. 

The tension was 1.75 for the bobbin, the needle was a 75 Microtec

I used a wool wadding and a cotton one to see what the double batting would be like.

The border one I used a lights greenish beige...as I was thinking of doing that colour on my Whole Cloth Quilt - if I ever get it together

Thats my days quilting - not much,  but a start.

Now I will be off to bed soon.

FNSI

A little bit of sewing for FNSI

Goodness - another sideways photo!

I did a very small amount on the border of one of my POTC blocks - am up to the fourth and fifth rows...am sewing those ones together in a double line - then I will sew the third row onto that....... there

are 9 rows altogether.



Family

Some photos of the past weekend

Andrea and her brother Patrick busy in the kitchen

Andrea cooking Monday nights dinner...she did a great job!

The wine was mine - not hers :)

Good news and bad.
The good news is Mal at last has an answer to his pain problem...the bad news is - it is a benign tumor in his spine. The Doctor doesnt think its malignant as he would have been paralized by now...

but he needs an operation ASAP to prevent that happening,  so that is in the very near future.

As the tumour is growing - the pain is worse each day.

So ... sewing time is still a mystery to me as I still have my Nurses hat on ..but I am intending to try to get to the FNSI at least.

On a lighter note....

When Andrew was here over the weekend, we were telling him about our frog that spent any sunshine during the day sitting on the rocks...

So he named it Vodka - on the rocks :) :)

Vodka is very timid and jumps in the pond if he sees us coming.

Also doing an online QW couse , which is again time.

My apologies if I have not answered some comments...

Catch up again if I actually get something done :)



Family and Friends

Having fun together.

Part of of what we did today..



No sewing as yet!!

Andrew, Andrea's father ( and my eldest DS ) Andrea , Patrick ( Andrea's brother) and Mal watching the performance of Andrew's radio controlled plane, which he brought up with him for the weekend.  The video is also one of its flightsover and around our house.  It was such a beautiful day!

I have also been doing some of my homework for the Quiltwhispering classes - and playing with Photoshop.

Designs

                                                 Working on the Border

                    Still not quite sure which way to go - here is what I have doen so far.

In the middle is the first  one I drew ...and I was happy with that till I put it up next to the cloth...looked like too many feathers, and the curve was going the wrong way....

So I did the second one  - the far right one.  Wasnt sure about that one either..

So did the third one.  the one now next to the main design. 

I thought one side of feathers only and maybe some 1/2 inch piano keys along the edge...and Dianeshiko or apple cores in the corner, but not sure about the corner bits.

So now I am just looking at them all and wondering if I should draw some more. 

OR just stick to the original drawing! OR the one with lots of feathers and make the center stems a bit smaller..

Decisions decisions.

Designing in progress

Second time round with this!

I have completed the main part of the design.

Fortunately my back allows me to stand easier than sit...so I have been able to do this at times.

Now I have ironed a 6" border of freezer paper- under the fabric to try to work out how and what to add in that 6"s

I need to work out which part of the design to use as a repeat.

Will take a while to think out and to put it on the fabric - IF I can work it out.

DH still has his pain problem, but does small things as he can.

Andrea has been off sick for a week...so we are a household of people looking out for each other :) and doing what we can.

My DH and I slowly got some wood, canvas and cotton wadding together ..plus invested in a staple    gun... and I have made a nice firm ironing surface - with many thanks to Sharon Schamber's very informative video on how to make one. 

The next one :) :)  the wood will be thicker.

But really this one works a treat.

Now I am off to think about more of a design for my whole cloth, while I rest some more.

Please forgive me for not appearing to visit many blogs - but Blogger still is mostly being awkward.  

I am visiting when I can and love to see and read what everyone is doing.  

Designing in progress

My printing has been done for me today, and I have stuck the pieces together...the whole design is now larger. Which is good ...........   I think!

Trouble is that I cant seem to get the design quite square, so have done the best I can for the moment.  I do need to do something with the centre but think I can do that as I draw.

The outside far corners also need something different as the circles dont quite match.

Anyhow - thats it for me just now - back to the couch go I :)

Designing in progress

Starting again!!

Going!

Going!

Gone!!

Even the water went clear!

I am having the design Printed for me and will then glue the 4 pieces together...trouble is thay were not able to print it onto Freezer paper...so I may need to transfer it to that by physically drawing it... or another thought - I wonder if I iron the Freezer paper to the fabric blank and THEN draw the design with my light box. 

Even while resting the mind still works!

The drawings took a day to go, but go they did.Its all a time thing isnt it, and I am a bit frustrated that I have done no sewing in a while.

On the good side - my DH is a little better .. we are still waiting for a diagnosis...2 weeks to wait!

Now I am the one resting :(

We take it in turns :)

Today

 Blogger wont let me add the selected photo

Today was my Birthday - and I spent it resting ....

I have hurt my back putting a piece of heavy wood on the fire yesterday.

Andrea 's Migraines returned - one last week and another on Monday

Between us all - we are not travelling very well.

To add to that - I messed up the drawing of my whole cloth quilt - I should NOT have touched it!!

and it is destined to be washed .

I will need to start again - when I feel better.

We did manage to go and do some shopping... 

 Some frozen meals so I dont have to cook for a day or so :)

I will be missing again for a while..

Friday Night Sew in

Long time between posts , as I have been busy looking after my DH, I have managed to do some sewing for the FNSI.

My heart is not really in sewing at present, but its nice to get even a small bit done.

I have also managed to get almost half the central design of my whole cloth drawn out.

I have no idea how I am going to do the rest - probably draw as I go..or rather do the plan and draw from there.

Sorry I have not been writing comments much on other blogs, but blogger is being a bit silly and I cant enter comments on a lot of sites.

I am also trying hard to get my Photoshop Elements classes done and am behind on that too.

I catch up on sleep when I can and the sewing and other things just have to wait :)

FMQ completed on this one

Another small time limit and I have completed the quilting on this

Most of this I had done for the FMQ Challenge...just needed to finish the fillings on the border feather, so - another few moments and its completed.

Here is the back...some threads showing :(

Some detail of the border - and the lady-bug :)

Now to soak it, then get the piping on , the zip in the back and put it together...maybe next time you see this it will be complete.

It may take a while...but I have some other things to sew if I cant get to this...

 Big belated thankyou to Paul, Desley's ( of Addicted to Quilts ) husband , who very kindly worked out this logo on my photo's for me!!



More Small Moments of time

A small window of time and I did 5 minutes of the fillers in the small quilt ....

still some spaces to do more fillers... Nessie waits patiently :)

... and also managed a few Pin Cushions.

No time for anything bigger just now.