Finished :-)

This is finally finished and the sheep cushion front from long time ago, when farm theme was in fashion, is gone. It is so gone I am not even saving it. Back then we had yellow walls in the living room too.

I re-used the buttoned back of the cushion on this one, as it still looks good, in deep wine red with heart buttons. A clever idea. Less work and a good outcome :-)
The cushion is a 14" square.

A slow week

Sewing wise it has been a very slow week.

I ran into a spell of post-op and post-waiting-list fatigue and have felt very drained. I guess it is the next phase after mosquito brain, so all in all I am healing well. I have got my brain back, or so I think. If you think otherwise I do not need to know ;-)

I also started physical rehab exercises at my physiotherapist Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I have a lot of work to do to get this tired body back on track. I have a list of exercises to do here at home too, on the floor and on my exercise bike.

Recognize the Watermelon quilt ?

I started hand quilting it again yesterday, and when I found the rhythm I enjoyed doing the Baptist Fans very much. I have no time schedule for this one, but it would be nice to be done this spring.

The stitchery is done and I got DH to lift my box of CW repros so I could frame it. I thought about hand quilting this one too, but I will do it by machine so I can get it done this weekend. I will make a cushion and change a worn out cushion front. The back of the worn out cushion has not any significant signs of wear, so I thought I can just change the front.

My family really use the cushions. Very nice, as I like to make cushions.

This stitchery was not that nice to do, as the pre-printed muslin did not needle well. It was hard and stiff.
Note to self - check the muslin before buying pre-printed stitcheries in the future, if possible !


One more NI block.

I had plans for the week including sewing a daily NI block.

Well - the best laid plans - you know.

Plans not seen through are better than no plans, right? ;-)

Saturday smiles

3 Nearly Insane blocks can be added to my name :-)

I now have 24 of 98.

Still a long way to go, but who cares, as long as it is fun. I can not lift anything more than 1 kg (2lbs) before the end of March, so these blocks are good "occupational therapy".

I see so many lovely string blocks / quilts and other quilts around in blogland and am looking forward to do more myself, but not before I am allowed to lift my fabric boxes myself!
It is so easy to overdo - and I want to be good and heal well!

Note from The Quilt Inspector, this house's grand-cat:

The house quilter has really been strange lately and I have not had the duty of a lint brush.

When I arrived yesterday, to spend the weekend and some more days, I saw to my satisfaction that she is back in business, sort of.

As you can see I take my duties seriously and am spreading my beautiful self on the sewing table. Purr, purr - life is good again.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all :-)

May Britt challenged us to show all our hearts around the house.

I found I do not have so many on display other than this heart table cloth on the coffee table. I have a soft spot for hearts though and have made many heart in items for gifts.

My needle book has a heart on it too.

I like the the glass hearts you can see in the first photo very much, the colours and the smooth surface. I got the 2 light green ones from DD2 for Mother's Day. I will make them into a necklace soon.I have some heart buttons, but I use more than I buy these days, so I do not have a big collection.

I am wearing the red glass heart around my neck today, goes well with my mood and the day :-)

Small hearts has a tendency to show up in my work without me noticing much - in patchwork, applique and stitchery.

I think it must be a part of the textile work we do - warm hearts, busy hands.
We put our hearts and minds into our work and we give them to our loved ones with our hearts. Sewing caring quilts is also an act of the heart.

DD1 digitized these heart for me last year - they are very cute :-)

Re-bonding

I am re-bonding with my sewing machine and I am having a good time :-)
In the corners of this block you can see the fabric I mentioned in an earlier post, in January. I will use it as the outer border of the finished quilt and I bought 3 meters on the internet. It was a now or never buy and I am very happy about it!
All I had from before was a fat quarter. Civil War repros are hard to come by here.

R & R week

One week, one block - not exactly productivity ;-)

This has been a true R & R week, resting, napping, and watching taped VHSs. I like British crime series, like Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost and such, and had several taped from TV and not yet seen.

I thought for some days there they had "fixed" my brain at the hospital as well, having the attention span of a mosquito, not remembering what I was to do with whatever I had in my hand. Hmmm - sewing - hmmm - would be nice, if I only could thread this needle, hmmm - later - hmmm - maybe....... Get the picture? ;-)

I turned my sewing machine on for the first time yesterday, but now both the machine and I am in on mode I think :-)

The lovely primroses I got from my favourite aunt. They are so beautiful and springlike.

I do not like flowers in hospital, so after coming home I have enjoyed flowers - tulips and the primroses and I have been gifted with money to buy more flowers when I like. Very nice :-)

Yesterday I was out shopping with DH and amongst other things bought 2 pairs of nice jeans with stretch to fit my new (and improved!) body.

I was attending a friend's birthday yesterday evening, even enjoying a glass of champagne.

Today we celebrate Mother's Day here in Norway and we are going to a little coffee and cake get together with my in-laws later.

Life is good :-)

Happy to be back

After a major "redecoration" of my innards I am happy to be home again as from this afternoon.
My body has gone through big changes, but already now I can say I am very happy and very ready for the rest of my life!
The colostomy has been a big turn to the better for me already, and I have already invited the love of my life to go to the movies with me next week to see Blood Diamond, with Leonardo di Caprio.
I haven't been to the movies for several years now......
I will treat him to the tickets and he has to buy and carry the sweets :-)
I am not allowed to carry more than 1 kg (2 lbs) for 6 weeks, so no handbag or anything but the necessities in my pockets or a very small purse for now. That will be a challenge as I do not have much pain - which is great BTW!! I had more pain before surgery.

I am very grateful for all the well wishes and uplifting comments and mails I have got from all my friends around the world, and you are all worth your weight in gold :-)

I am looking forward to start working on my blocks again tomorrow morning !!
I have prepped my sewing corner so I do not have to lift more than what I am allowed to, ready for both NI blocks and applique blocks :-)

Not a stitch has been taken since Sunday evening last week. I have read some the last couple of days in the book Father's Quilt by Ed West. A cute story from the Civil War period. I have borrowed the copy I am reading from a friend.

I have a gazillion blog entries to catch up with and I am looking forward to see what you all have been up to while I have been away :-)