Feeling blaah

Came down with a rotten cold this week and it's doing a thorough job taking it's time to give pain to all the usual head and chest cold places. Sp progress has slowed on the mystery quilt although it is now all quilted. Just have to add borders and that could be tricky as I don't have much focus fabric to play with. It has extra latice work because I did a quilt-as-you go method. I like this design a lot and these colours I adore (I know this cos I keep seeing and buying similar ones. Must try a different colourway. Orange? Navy?)

Hope to have this done soon as college starts again next week. Yikes! But I won't put pressure on myself because I must get better first.
I have been given the opportunity to learn coaching and mentoring skills so that I can mentor younger women as they develop in their leadership roles. I am excited by this as it seems to me that so many of us have lacked that support/skilled assistance in planning for the future. At least I feel I just put one foot in front of the other and took the next step. First day is in early March so I will see where that leads to. See. Just putting in the next step as it comes. Maybe I will get m ore out of this course for myself than I could ever imagine. Now won't that be exciting?
Cheers Diane

Friday and progress is sloooow!

Taking time out for myself is supposed to get easier once the kids are back in school. No such thing at my house. JJ had her phone stolen (but they left the $200+ wizz bang 2 wk old calculator!) last week so we were out looking for new mobile phones. Apparently ppl change phones every 18m - 2 yrs!! so 4 years was great going! Anyone have trouble figuring out the maths for their quilts?? Believe me, looking at phones and plans is much, much worse! Sales ppl just tell you what they want you to buy mostly, but they were all very friendly (Grin ).
Liam had camp this week and enjoyed all the outdoor activities, especially abseiling. He can have it. I freeze when looking out windows of tall buidings let alone going over the edge of a ravine. Shudder.

He also tried jumping down 10 steps at a time at school later in the week and surprise!! He bruised his heel and is now hobbling. So no basketball match tomorrow and will they or won't they be in finals??
Quilting progress

I thought I'd show you this wall hanging I made a few years ago. Quite busy but I still love it. It hangs in my work/play room to give me inspiration!
The Ann Smith mystery quilt is progressing. I have been managing about an hour quilting a day or second day sometimes. I have it in columns now which are about to be joined. Then I shall see about borders. That will depend on how much of the focus fabric is left. Keeps the brain active thinking about these things and much better than thinking about bills huh?

Saying Goodbye...again!

On the 1.1.10, son Misch left for Thailand for a year, age 19. He's working for an aide organisation. Tomorrow morning my youngest bro leaves Australia to migrate to Canada, to Vancouver to be precise. It's hard to let go knowing I will rarely see them. But life goes on and I hope to be expanding my own horizons by getting a placement to finish my counselling course.
I have come so close after a long hunt, only to have the door closed because my supervisor was offered extra hours elsewhere and so left, then the next one is renovating and there is now no office space for me. I am so disappointed!! Here is where faith v sight comes in. It's a bit if a battle to be sure. I am upset, yet I know I can't make things happen just because I need them to happen. (Sigh).
Meanwhile, today I surfed some quilting sites and found a great BOM from Shannon Baker (I think her last name is)
piecefulkwilter.blogspot.com
Check it out. The colours she has used are lovely.Shannon is very talented and has put some good tutorials up to be able to follow her design. I'm going to start with the piecing after I finish the mystery from Ann Smith. I have finished quilting the squares in the quilt as you go (my variation) method and now need to cut sashings for the back and front and join them up. As I've been sewing these blocks I keep having visions of a scalloped border. It's calling to me. But, I will wait until the blocks are together before I make that decision. I was so pleased to be able to use up leftover batting pieces which were taking up a lot of space.

 

See! Isn't it pretty.

Stash report

I haven't played enough to join Judy Laquidara's stash report yet, but I may have time this week 'cos the kids are back in school, farewells have been said and college doesn't start for another two weeks. YAY

In: Some pretty Japanese prints 5X fat quarters

                                                       1X1 1/4yds (Is that 1metre or close enough?)

                                                     

I found a fabric from 2 yrs back and brought 5m (approx 6yds) in my fav blue. Every time I turned around I was using this blue and I promised myself I would buys lots if I ever saw it again, and I keep my promises (VBG).

And 2 1/3 yds of a green to match up a quilt for which I ran out of the green to finish the borders. Not an exact match but by the time I make a Judy Lacquidara fancy border it will do nicely I think. (And I'm not buying any more if it doesn't!). Judy's site is Patchwork times. Google will find it for you. I am on a 'new' 2nd hand computer and do not have my favourites to copy the link to yet.

But on the bright side I used up a big bag of batting leftovers

and...drumroll....3X 1.5yds of fabric for the backing of the Ann Smith quilt.

Total: 1 yd + FQ

           1 1/4yd

           6 yd

           2 1/3 yd

 =     near enough to 10 and 3/4yds IN

and 4 1/5 yds OUT

This means I have been able to get to quilting for a change YAY!