Lucy Progress.

As you know, my progress on anything quilt and sewing related has been slowed considerably by the second and more intensive stage of my studies for work. Also plenty of extra shifts at work as my colleagues succumb to the virus that has so far left me alone. Those of us covering their absences are becoming tired and over worked. I did three extra shifts last week and have more rostered this week. 

I was very happy, when on my one day off over the weekend, I discovered an invite from Chooky to zoom with her Chookshed Stitchers.

I had been very busy with domestics that had been neglected due to study and work so was more than happy to sit and sew for a while. 

Poor Chooky has had the virus and is still coughing, so she muted her microphone and listened to the rest of us chattering as we all sewed. I didn't stay for the whole session as I still had more domestic duties to complete, but in the time I was there I made up some more of the edge blocks for Lucy Boston in Blue. Time I think to add a few more to the edge of the quilt, so that I have a better idea of how many more I might need.

Sunday I was off to work in the afternoon for one of those extra shifts, but not before I printed and cut out some of the new shapes I'll be needing for the edge treatments on Lucy.

These are just two of the four shapes required to complete the edges. 

This morning I completed the biggest of the papers that are required for my stage two studies. I have gathered and submitted a bunch of evidence with it. Fingers crossed I get an achieved score and can put that one behind me. I had a look at the next paper and got myself all set up to begin work on that very soon. Not today though.

I may or may not make some progress of some sort with Lucy before work this afternoon or I may just make a cuppa and relax for a while.

Thanks for the invite Chooky and the discussions ladies. Always a great time and progress made when I spend time with you. 

Rewards.

Debbie and I spent the day studying yesterday. Although we are both working on different papers, we still managed to inspire each other. Today, as a reward for all of our hard work, we went shopping.

A visit to The Quilting Shed was a must for both of us.

I was looking for some threads for two quilting projects. Of course I found extras.

Hmmmm, thanks Blogger, for the sideways pic. 

Oh and the cone is not as blue as it looks here. It's actually a very delicate opal/pearl colour.

After I had paid, I spied the very last beautiful bundle of batiks sat all alone in a box. I had to have them and give them a loving home.

Sew pretty....

And here they are all lined up.

Almost good enough to eat, but I'll just stroke them and caress them for a while, then sew with them.

Debbie bought two smaller fabric bundles, one a kit for a memory project and another was topping up some scraps to make a quilt top.

After a lovely lunch back here in town we paid a visit to an op shop.

Look what I found......

A new friend to add to my collection of toy machines.

And at an amazing price.

I didn't get a chance to have a proper play yet, but it does run. The book says it makes a chain stitch.

She seems to have lots of little secret hiding places.

And what is this???

She does have a manual, I'll have to have a read and see what this does.

I think it's meant to add press studs or something similar. 

I'd love to have a play, but I've picked up some extra shifts and have to go to work this afternoon.

maybe tomorrow, before work. LOL

Time to have a cuppa, then get in to my scrubs. 

Moving slowly along..

More work, more study, more domestics, more life

But I have made a little time for some sewing too.

If you remember way back in May I purchased these two fabrics. I made myself a work top with the poppies almost right away. You can see it here. 

This past week, the cup cakes finally had their turn. 

I think the residents at work like to see me in my bright tops, I got lots of approving comments.

Sorry it's not a great picture, I did my best before running out of the door to head to work.

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As I mentioned above, I have done more study and had another unit signed off complete and achieved, only 10 more to go. The one I am working on now is the largest and most complex. I have a meeting next week with my assessor/supporter which will be good.

Let me see what else has been happening?

Some slow stitching has taken place, I spent a little time working on Lucy, adding some more of the border blocks.

I've been reading blogs and commenting here and there, and that's about it really.

I'm hoping to get some sewing time in today, before I head to work. But that will only happen if I get all my other chores done first.

Time to get motivated. 

 

Have you seen my sewjo?

It seems to be AWOL at the moment. I've done plenty of study and had some more papers marked which is good, but I don't seem to have much to show in the way of needle work. 

I picked up my cross stitch the other day and did a little more work on my brothers regiment badge, but forgot to take a photo. 

Something that did take up 3-4 hours was a work challenge. The welfare committee challenged us to talk to our residents and ask them what would be the light at the end of their tunnel, then to translate that in to a decoration that would fit on to their room doors.  

Hmm, it was on the tip of my tongue to ask if the welfare committee understand the meaning of the term 'end of life care'? But I kept my mouth tight shut until I sat and chatted with one lady. She misses her son, who lives a long way away. The light for her is a visit from him.

So I drew her a tunnel and after snapping this picture I added a photo of her boy, smiling at the end of the tunnel.

She is delighted with it and has thanked me many times. 

It's my weekend off work and you would think that I would find time to sew and although there has been time, very little has been done. In fact today, Sunday is the only day I have lifted a needle. I finished my August Churn Dash blocks. 

And also cut out the blues for Septembers blocks. 

I looked at my scrappy triangle blocks, the foundation papers are there, ready to begin sewing, but that didn't appeal. On Monday I had completed sewing the last of my Christmas ornaments, so I've put them in a safe place, I just hope I remember where that is in a few weeks time when I'm ready to mail the first ones out. LOL

I have my box of Lucy parts sat here by my chair, but have done nothing to them all week.

Hmmm

My sewjo is missing...

Have you seen it?

 

Quilted and Bound.

I didn't do a huge amount of anything over the weekend. Chooky called a meeting of the Chookshed Stitchers on Zoom, which I attended late as I had been out very late the night before, (celebrating not only my own birthday, but three others also. It was a big night). I didn't do any sewing, just chatted with everyone until it was time for work. Then when I got home, another session was in progress, so I joined in to chat again.

On Friday I had made time to pop in to town to look for a binding fabric for Edyta's Garden and found a lovely red check that seemed to be just right. I cut my strips and joined them on Sunday morning before Tony took me out for lunch. Once home, I set about closing it.

It was very frustrating to get about eighty percent of it done before I had to head off to work again. I was itching to get home and finish it, which I did, just in time for bed.

A very quick photo shoot before curling up under my blankets.

It's not beautiful, but it will keep some one warm. 

There has been lots of very cold, sleety rain yesterday and today, so I didn't think I would get an outdoor photo shoot done, but there was a brief window of sunshine and I ran out quickly.

First stop, my old rocking chair as I knew it would be dry, tucked in to it's corner.

Then I ventured up on to the front lawn where I was surprised to find that old man tree felt quite dry.

I quickly popped the quilt on to one of his branches and snapped some more pictures.

As you can see the clouds were gathering ready for the next wintery assault, so I quickly ran back in doors. Today is really not a good day for getting artistic out of doors. LOL  There is no more rain yet, but it is very overcast and I'm sure it will come.

After getting a quick picture of the binding, sorry I forgot to snap one before I cut it in to strips and sewed it on, I made myself a cuppa and sat down to write.

Now I'll need to have a look through my box and decide what to quilt next. I think they are mostly smaller pieces, and of course the Fairies, (Scroll down) but I'm still waiting for the light bulb moment on them. 

 

An Early Birthday Gift.

Tony has commented more than once that I am working in my own shadow when I am at my cutting table, no matter if I have the ceiling light on or if I'm relying on daylight. There really isn't a better way to arrange my room to allow more light on to the table so I have just muddled along. Recently he bought himself a great light for his own work table in his play room and he thought it would work out just fine on my cutting table, so he purchased a second and gave it to me as an early birthday gift. (It's my birthday tomorrow on the fifth), but he gave me the lamp last week.

I have to say it is pretty good. It really doesn't take up much space.

It all works with the tap of a finger tip, I can dim or brighten it as desired, I can even set it on auto and it will decide how bright it needs to be!

You can see the difference it makes here as I prepare to construct some more Churn Dash blocks. I have such a lovely thoughtful husband. 

I have only made two blocks so far this month, hopefully I can get more done over the weekend I have all of the pieces cut, I just need to find time to put them together.

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The fabric I ordered to bind Edyta's Garden is way too bright, so I'll have to go on a wee shopping spree and see if I can find something else. Maybe tomorrow, I'm off out for a birthday lunch with some colleagues, I'm sure they will indulge me and let me shop too. LOL

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That's all my news. Have a happy weekend. 

The weekend that was.

I left you on Friday, with this image.

I was full of optimism that I would have plenty of time to play over the weekend and that I would get the quilting completed on this project quite quickly. 

Boy was I wrong!

I had plenty of time and was busily quilting away and having fun. I stopped to have a chat with Chooky, because I can't quilt and chat at the same time, once the chat was over, I emptied another bobbin and then things went down hill fast.

No fair.

My top thread kept snapping every 2-3 inches of quilting. I was stopping and starting, burying threads and changing bobbins and re threading the top thread over and over and nothing seemed to help. I kept telling myself, one more try then walk away, but had a lot more tries. LOL

Tony appeared wondering what was going on, all the stopping and starting couldn't be a good thing.

He prescribed open heart surgery and took the machine off the frame.

There was some fluff in the bottom, but not lots.

There was some more fluff caught in the greasy underparts too.

Blogger, why did you turn my photo upside down?

After a good clean with a soft brush and the vacuum cleaner,

everything was reassembled and I tried again, within seconds the thread snapped.

AAARRGH!

But I persevered, and rethreaded again and again.

Eventually after open heart surgery and three hours of frustration all came good.

I don't know how or why, I certainly didn't change anything that I was doing, but the machine stopped snapping my thread and I was able to carry on quilting.

But it was now pretty late in the day and time to get ready to go and meet friends for dinner. 

I continued to quilt on Sunday morning without problems.

Until the bobbins ran out!

What a frustrating place for the bobbin to run out. LOL

I quickly wound just a small amount of thread on to another bobbin and finished that last little bit. 

I was able to take it off the frame before lunch.

Here is a look at the quilting, front and back. 

I ended up using two different colours of thread for the back, as I am using up leftovers from other projects but that's ok. 

All of the excitement was too much for Miss Belle, she had to take a nap.

Problem with that is, she was resting on the dust cover for the machine.

It would be nice to say I'll get the binding on today, but sadly I don't have the perfect fabric in my stash. I had to go shopping.

I know, shame.

I've ordered what I hope will be perfect, it should be here in a day or two.

What will I do to keep myself busy until it gets here?

I'm sure I'll find something. I managed to keep myself busy on Sunday afternoon with cutting fabrics for the next batch of Churn dash blocks and then I prepared some more Lucy papers and even sewed another border block in to the Lucy quilt top.

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My working week is all messed up this week as I have swapped two of my shifts with a colleague. I must attend the funeral of a friends father today and then help that same friend celebrate her birthday, and my own, on Friday. And I need to get on with some study and make time to play.

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I hope your weekend was as successful as mine, without the frustration.