Carry on Quilting, and the Pink Ladies

It’s been a matter of “Carry on Quilting” as I’ve been slowly quilting around each letter of my alphabet quilt.  Pinning, stopping , and starting, then sewing in the ends, it’s been a long slow grind.  And reflecting, that if I had mastered the organic wavy lines which I tried earlier, the machine quilting would be well and truly completed by now. I really need to try this technique again, as I was not pleased with my first attempt.  I think the secret to success is to have the quilt well supported so that it does not pull against the needle.

Machine quilting around each letter

Today I went to my first monthly meeting with the local Pink Ladies Support Group.  This group supports  ladies in our community  with their breast cancer journey, and the local businesses very generously support the cause.  I was presented with a lovely gift basket from the Pink Ladies group a few weeks ago, full of all sorts of gifts, goodies, and vouchers. 

From the Pink Ladies Support group

Included in the basket was one of those lovely little heart shaped cushions to tuck under your arm to ease the discomfort after undergoing surgery and radiation treatments.  My quilt club, Town and Country Quilters had been asked to provide heart shaped pillows for Breast Cancer patients, and we were happy to rally to the call – read about our sewing night to help out here.   Call it fate, or karma, but I received one of the cushions I had made!  And I was more than happy to welcome it back.

Back home again, my very own heart cushion

I continue to be humbled by messages of support and Get Well cards, they mean such a lot.  Quilt club member Kaye heard that I was unwell and called around with a little gift to cheer me up.  Inside the pretty blue gift bag was a cake of home made berry soap, which smells good enough to eat!  Thank you so much Kaye, I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Get Well gift from Kaye

LIttle Letters…..again

The UFO dice roll stopped at number 4 this week, meaning I get to work on my Little Letters quilt two weeks in a row.  Not that I’m complaining – with any luck I might just get a finish by the end of the week.  Wouldn’t that be great!  Last week I stitched in the ditch around most of the sashing strips.  I’ve now finished that job, and have started to stitch around each of the alphabet letters.

The Letter K

This little quilt is a riot of colours, with all the letters being constructed from my scrap box of 2 1/2 inch strips.  Some of the fabrics I recognise, the music fabric on the black and white “K” was used on a quilt I made for my son’s 40th birthday.  But other fabrics are a bit of a mystery.  I don’t remember buying them, or using them, and can only conclude that they were scraps I picked up somewhere along the way, or maybe even small pieces gifted to me.

Relaxing with a great new Book

Look what the postman brought me –the book which everyone is talking about in blog land.  I’ve just received  my very own copy of Crafted Applique, by Lara Buccella.  I entered a competition on Cynthia’s blog called “Quilting is more Fun than Housework”, what a great name.  I was so thrilled when Cynthia got in touch to tell me that I had won a copy of this book.

Delivered by the postman

I’m all set to relax on my Lazy Boy (recliner) chair, with a coffee close to hand, and start reading my new book.  It certainly arrived at a very opportune time, as I’ve just returned home from an overnight stay in hospital after my second breast cancer surgery.  A review of my scan showed another small area of concern, and the surgeon advised another small op, just to be sure.  Can’t complain about my medical care, and I’m just so pleased that the team is so vigilant.

So what better way for some R&R than to sit and read an exciting new book, or even, just relax and doze off for a while.  Here’s me on my return home, hospital bracelet still firmly attached, and my neck and chest slathered in bright pink antiseptic paint.

Happy to be home again, pink neck and all

And the Dice rolls……UFO number 4

With my (current) UFOs listed from 1 to 6, it’s been interesting how often the same numbers appear week after week.  Not so this time, the roll of the dice called up UFO number 4, which hadn’t been worked on for a while.  This is my “Little Letters” quilt designed by the Temecula Quilt Company and offered as a free pattern sometime last year. This colourful letters on this lovely little quilt were all made with scraps from my 2 1/2 inch box.

Ready to quilt wavy lines

The top was completed, it was all pinned up ready to quilt, and I wanted to try the “Organic Wavy Lines” type of quilting.  Lorna from Sew Fresh Quilts uses this design on many of her animal quilts, and it always looks great.  So I gave it a try, and had to admit defeat.  My effort pulled at the back, and didn’t look good at all., sadly, although I was using my walking foot.  So out came my trusty unpicker, and I spent ages undoing 8 lines of quilting.

Have to unpick these lines of quilting

So it was on to Plan B, which entailed stitching in the ditch around the sashing strips for a start.  All nicely pinned to stop any movement.  I’ve recently purchased some new pins, and one of these days I’m going to weed out all those nasty bent and damaged pins and replace them   with nice new ones.

Plan B quilting, all pinned up

Needless to say, with all the extra time it took me to unpick the earlier quilting, I haven’t done as much today as I hoped.  But never mind, I've got till the end of the week to  keep  plugging away at UFO number 4.  Then I'll roll the dice again!

A Trio of Birthdays for the Sew Wots

To celebrate the birthdays of Sew Wot ladies Pam, Helen, and Mary, we met for morning tea at Fox’s Cottage Quilt Shop.  Armed with plates of food for a birthday morning tea, a project to work on, and some spending money, we had a very enjoyable morning indeed. 

I hadn’t been to this (newish) shop since it had changed premises, and what a delight it was.  Light and airy, with plenty of room, and a wonderful selection of fabrics, notions, quilt patterns and knitting wool.  Plus a beautiful selection of hand crafted wooden boxes to fill with your threads or anything else which took your fancy.  The lovely collection of quilts and wall hangings on the walls certainly added to the colour and inspiration of the shop and classroom.

Views of the shop

Birthday girl Pam held tight to the bowl as Rae whipped the cream to go on top of something yummy for morning tea,  both of them laughing away.

Pam and Rae

I don’t know what we had the most of, birthday gifts or plates of morning tea.  Both covered the tables, and the birthday girls had a fine old time opening one parcel after another.

Mary with lots of birthday goodies

The birthday trio, Mary, Pam and Helen

And here we are all together, the Sew Wot Ladies.

What’s a little subterfuge amongst friends

It was a first time visit from Jean and Hugh to our home, although we had previously called in to see them several times for a cuppa and chat when staying at the caravan park in their home town.  Jean (who writes her blog All Points of the Compass) was fabric shopping in  Levin she told me, and wondered if I would be home that day.  “Certainly, come for lunch”, I replied.  So they did.

Unbeknown to me, because of my recent health scare, Jean had been in touch with several blogger friends we have in common, and came bearing gifts.  Robin knew all about this little act of subterfuge, but had been sworn to secrecy.  What a lovely surprise.

Jean and Hugh came with bags of goodies

Mmm, what was in the blue bag, packed full of interesting little parcels?  All sorts of goodies, as it turned out.  Jean’s friend and house guest Joyce, whom I had met a couple of times, had sent a lovely bottle of Anti Stress Shower Gell – that will come in handy to calm the frayed nerves.  Thanks so much Joyce.  And from blog reader Jan, from Wanganui,  came a pretty burgundy hand towel and tissues.  As  burgundy is the furnishing colour of choice in our “home away from home” it will go very well in our caravan bathroom.

Then there were parcels from sisters Peggy and Linda, fellow bloggers and quilting sisters who live in Taupo, and we had met up with them too at their lovely home.  Peggy, who blogs as Kiwi Klippings, had made me the most gorgeous pink applique zipped  fabric pouch, so pretty, thank you so much.  And Linda, machine quilter with panache, who writes as Razzle Dazzle Quilter, sent some home made skin cream and lip balm.  Linda listed all the ingredients in these potions, with the extra special ingredient  being “love”.

Then last but not least, I opened Jean’s parcel, which turned out to be a pretty tote bag made with Jean’s signature batik fabrics, which she loves to work with.  Lots of lovely shades of different colours, green and purple,  with touches of pink and pale blue, Jean made the bag in mind of my future hospital appointments, so I can pack a book, hanky, snack, and whatever else I need to get me through the day.  The bag is just lovely Jean, thank you so much.  All these gifts came with sweet cards from all concerned wishing me well on my upcoming treatment and “journey to wellness”  I like the sound of that phrase.

Tote bag from Jean

Thank you so much to all bloggy friends concerned in this little venture, and special thanks to Jean for arranging it all.  I appreciate each and every one of you – the cancer treatment journey is long and it is wonderful to know so many are thinking of me and sending their good wishes.

After the excitement of opening all those wonderful gifts Jean came down to my sewing room for a little peek at some of my UFOs waiting for their number to be called.  Then we settled down to lunch, and plenty of lively conversation flowed between the four of us, trains, trips, pets, and the great outdoors.  It was a super day indeed.

Mega Churn Dash

The roll of the dice landed on UFO number 6 this week – which is the duvet cover I’m making for our bed.  I’m using the Mega Churn Dash pattern from Kathy Doughty’s book, Adding Layers.

Last time I worked on this UFO, it finished up looking like this.  One baby churn dash block inside a medium sized one.

It started off like this

Then with another afternoon or two sitting at the sewing machine, it grew like Tospy and ended up this big.  That’s certainly a mega churn dash, wouldn’t you say?

Mega churn dash on top of our bed

I’d laid it on top of the duvet cover to see how it was going for size.  What I’ve done so far is just right for the length, and I’ve measured and cut two strips to sew along the sides to make it wide enough.  Then I’ll have to make an envelope, and add fastenings.  Having never made a duvet cover before, I’ll be making it up as I go along.  Hopefully I’ll get a bit more time at the sewing machine in the next day or two.