Moving Forward at Last

The hand hexi blocks I cut for the trip to Spain have been slowly coming together.  I managed a couple on the trip but I was otherwise a little busy.  I don't want to rush these as they are great for taking to my Ladies group on Wednesdays and I know I will be kicking myself for some other handwork if I go too fast! Each hexi side is 1 inch and they are in a range of fabrics I picked up as a set from Cupcake Cottons when I went to a class there a couple of years ago.  I know I will be setting them in a dusty blue to off set the pinks but I've just noticed the blue stripe in the rug that the bottom right hand block is pointing too is about the shade I will be looking for! 

Last week I received this lovely book from Maggi, thank you so much Maggi!! Doesn't Kaffe use some wonderful colour combinations?

Chris and Sian spent a few days down in Cornwall and came back with this pot of delights.  It's all great stuff especially the brick, pottery and rare blue, white and brown pieces of glass. Some of the stones are fab too and I may just put them in my tumbler to see how they come out.

And yesterday I had a day with my friend Jan doing a workshop with Alison Board learning about adding texture to surfaces.  I have several ideas to try and take forward with this.  (You have to love it when the 'what if's' start to happen!)

We had to chop up what we made blind, from the back.   I have already stuck the cut pieces in my journal and really love the two below the most.

I've been feeling much better this week and even managed an Aqua-fit class with Elsa.  There was always the option of just wallowing rather than doing but it was good to be doing again!

Have a great week.

.

Alexandra Palace 2012

After the events of the past week or so I wasn't even sure if I was going to make the Knitting and Stitching Show and, unfortunately, I didn't have the backup of Elsa with me this year. But I survived!! I listened to my body and when I felt the wobbles coming on I found a nice place to sit and recharge for a few minutes.  Mind you finding anywhere to sit around Ally Pally is a challenge in itself!  I had been sensible and bought my own food and drink so the queues weren't a problem. 

I had a plan of attack worked out and first port of call was Dale and Ian Rollerson from the Thread Studio.  They are busy very quickly and I only wanted some flimsies and a quick hello again.  Just to show how small this world is I have a couple of pieces made by Nicole Burton in California.  She buys her wool slushies for felting from Dale and Ian who are based in Perth, Australia.  So there I was in the UK wearing a US made scarf in front of the Australians who had provided the materials. *Big grin*.

I then made a bee line into the main hall for an appointment with Liz of the Cotton Patch as I am going to be selling on my Avante 18 Long Arm machine.  I love it to bits and have had a great time using it but I just can't do the standing at the frame for ages thing.  So if you know of anyone who may be looking at a longarm for Christmas I will be putting it on eBay in the not to distant future!! 

Some of the other pieces I bought were a couple of bags of Goldwork ends from Benson & Johnson at a bargain price, two balls of baby wool for knitting into bonnets for the local premature baby unit and 68000 metres of smoke invisible thread.  (I'm sure Elsa's eyes have now lit up reading that!)  I will have to put some Hugo's magic tape around it to try and control it though.  I can find absolutely everything in my studio, some things need an hour or two to surface though.

Also some light modelling paste, some extra pins after all a girl can never have too many the new DVD from Jan Beany and Jean Littlejohn and a couple of lovely shawl pins that caught my eye.  This seems to be the next thing as there were quite a few stands selling them.  I was going to make my own but sometimes it's nice to treat yourself!

I was totally shattered by 1pm and made my way out of the halls by 2pm with a nice mug of tea and found somewhere quiet out in the grounds to admire the view and report in to home.  I think I was asleep in the coach before we'd even hit the north circular!

Thank you for all the well wishes.  It was a duodenal ulcer bleed which, in itself, has been healing nicely with the right pills and causing no other problems.  The anaemia the bleeding caused however was a real side-swipe   Blood iron is now at 90, should be 130, but everyday with more pills and John's wonderful care my strength is returning.  Today is a good day!

Have a wonderful weekend.


.

And.... Relax

I've not had a good week.  Last Sunday we had a few problems to sort out and I become a little stressed.  On Monday I certainly was not my usual self and by Friday John insisted I went to the doctors, it does tend to take me an age to convince myself I may need help.  Doctor had me sent to Salisbury A&E under threat that if John couldn't drive me there quick enough he was to call 999 to go via ambulance.  Many hours later, x-rays, blood tests and an endoscope it was confirmed I have been bleeding internally and was very anaemic.  I'm home now and John is stuffing me with red meat, green vegetables and Guinness!  Boy oh boy do I feel tired though, falling asleep at the drop of a hat.  I'm fed up with the vertigo and the vagueness of sometimes not even knowing the simplest word, but things are starting to improve!!!

 

I've not been able to do much in the craft world, well not as much as I would like considering I have been very much in duck mode!  I have just put a little paint on the piece below.  This has been on my wall for an age and I am so hoping to finish it!  I had a bit of a block with a certain part of it but all will be revealed in good time.  It will have to talk to me a little more first. 

 The Christmas top has had a little of the quilting done.  Instead of feathers I have stitched holly leaves, you can just make them out.  I will give these a little lift with paint too at some stage.

And the bliss of my favourite season is lighting the fires.  I think everyone else seems to agree too.  Ruger is on the rug in front of these three.  It's not a bad place to try and recuperate really. 

Have a good week ahead.


.