still waddling on!

No pictures togo with this entry! I got a bit of a shock a couple of weeks ago when I went to see my GP. I've been diagnosed with a parathyroid adenoma which needs to be removed sooner rather than later. After a week's wait, I got a date for outpatients, which is May 21st, 9.30am. Initially I was very calm but then began to sress over everything. Now I've got the O/P appointment, I'm less stressed, but still have 1000s of questions. I'm going to write everything I think of down in a notebook to take with me.

The only good thing is the O/P is so close to the date of my next half I'll be able to do that with no medical worries! As O/P is a month away, I'm guessing they don't want to see me for surgery straight away so I'm banking on doing the half on June 22nd as well.

Quilting wise, I'm working on the 1930s Irish chain. Taking it along to H's ballet class means I've had loads of compliments along the "amazing, beautiful, tiny stitches" lines. Should be able to get it finished before the end of May. I've decided to bind it in light yellow marble fabric.

I've planned exactly how to quilt Dear Jane now as well. I was going to do it by hand, but realised this would take far too long. After looking at people's quilt pictures on webshots (great site) I've settled on simple X with >
Having the backing fabric already, I need to order some more wadding from lady-sew-and-sew. Fabulous company, prompt delivery, reasonable charges!

Now with Jane sorted, I need to think about Lilibet. back backing fabric. follow the applique pattern round in red. Copy the tulips in the pieced blocks and then FMQ in all the gaps. I'd really really like to get both Jane and Lilibet done for the exhibition in August, but with this operation looming over me I don't know what time I'm going to have. How long to recover from GA and time off work can't all be spent quilting!

Pics to be added later of 1930's quilt, Jane and Lilibet!!

Another UFO done!!

This weekend I finally finished my siggy quilt. I swapped blocks for the 2007 Dear Jane swap, then some more for the European swap and also some that I swapped one-on-one. Anyway, I ended up with a whole pile of 5" blocks in a huge range of colours and styles. I knew I wanted to piece them in a rainbow style, and googled for all I was worth to see how other people had assembled their quilts. The top went together reaaly well, and I had 4 blocks left over which I decided to use in the borders. Because I want to improve my mitred corners, I thought the best way to use these blocks was in the centre of each side, so I could mitre the 5" border.

Because the blocks tell their own story I quilted in the ditch in a grid pattern around each block and drew in a simple rope pattern in the border, using a tool I've had for years but never used. It's a guide for drawing plaits in either large or small curves or points by Angela Maddern that I bought in Tavistock. I'm trying to iprove my machine quilting too, so this gave me a great chance.

If I'm being honest I'm not happy with the puffy way the blocks have neded up but I couldn't press them too hard once the top was assembled in case I damaged any of the embellishments. Still if you don't look too critically, it's passable.

Working hard...

With the show coming up in August, and the sale stall, I needed to make some small items to add to the group stash. Debbie gave us all some pieces of fabric with hearts on in muted colours and the challenge that she'd give a prize to the person who makes the most unusual thing from them.

Here's my effort with the heart fabric.

I was on a roll, so carried on and made some more smaller things using fabric out of my scrap bag.




That's my jeans on the chair in the background!

So...3 heart needlecase, 4 mini Christmas stockings, 3 pin wheels, 8 heart shaped pin cushions and a dozen coasters made from fabric not from my scrapbag, but from a panel I bought at Country Threads in Bath.