Experiments with Sashing

Been experimenting with some embroidery to use as sashing with my 'hearts' - I have a lovely set of designs called That's Amore and not to be content with them chopped and hacked at them to make a border strip. What do you think of it? quilt

With groups of hearts then the embroidered sashing then an embroidered block then more hearts.

Been able to get back into sewing a little over the past few days, I am making a quilt for each of my sisters (2) for Christmas and have one top finished and need to get stuck into the other. I also want to put my healing hearts together and complete a couple of UFOs (very funny).

I have some lovely designs for quilts with embroidered blocks that I would like to try and a teddy bear made from calico with lots of embroidery on him. As usual I have more than enough projects on the go at one time. At the end of August is the Stitches and Craft show in Sydney (Rosehill) and my son has promised to babysit his Dad so I can go.

Of course, you know what that means - more projects!! Yea!!

Handfuls of Healing Hearts

I have been so touched by the healing hearts I have been receiving, 45 lovely hearts have entered my life and each one is full of love and comfort.



I have received hearts from my online friends in two quilting groups - the Southern Cross Quilters (SCQuilters) and Picking Up Threads (PUT) plus a couple from lovely friends I have made through blogging.

The big decision now will be how to put them together - I thought about making little goups of 4 and then joining them with a machine embroidered panel of squiggly hearts but knowing me I will fiddle and come up with something completely different.

I thought of using a soft green as the contrast colour because it always goes so well with mauves and purples, so my embroidered hearts could have those colours in them also. If I didn't use squiggly ones I had another idea.

That other idea was to make blocks of four hearts and join them to blocks of embroidered hearts similar to these ones.

Still regardless of how I end up putting them together they are going to be something special in my life. Maybe they could end up on my new bed and I could sleep under all that love and cuddles!!

A really big THANK YOU!!

Just a quick post and BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has sent me wishes and hugs in dealing with the latest blow to Philip.

He is doing remarkably well for someone who the Drs thought would only last a few weeks!

He has been on dexamethazone and this has reduced the swelling in the brain and as a consequence he has regained some use of the right side of his body and his speech has improved.

Through the Palliative care unit I have borrowed an electric hospital bed, wheelchair, commode/shower chair so he is all set up in our lounge room - he can lord it over us all. It has been a rotten few weeks with one day thinking it would be over then the next thinking he would recover - driving back and forth from the unit and spending each day there - I have to admit I am really tired and so glad he is home even though it means more work at least I don't have to travel.

The boys built a ramp to cover the stairs at the front of the house and over the weekend they ripped out the bathtub and the handbasin from our bathroom and tore down the showerscreen. Next weekend they are going to lift up the floor tiles and lay the new tile bed down in preparation for completing the makeover the following weekend. In the meantime I can wheel Philip into the bathroom to use the toilet.

I am hoping that I will be able to get into a routine and be able to spend sometime in my workroom each day, but at the moment ut is all rather new to me. Took me until 12 o'clock this morning to give him breakfast, wahs him, dress him, toilet him, strip the bed and make it with clean linen etc. Hopefully I can get that time down once I get into a better routine. I also bought a baby monitor so I can wander through the house without worrying.

Now as well as everything else that is happening Philip has shingles - down the left buttrock, into the groin and it is now spreading down his leg - never rains it pours!

Anyway - once again thank you for your kind thoughts. A big special thank you to my wonderful two cyber friends Ali and Sheila - you girls have no idea how much your wonderful emails mean to me!!

And to these lovely ladies who sent me Healing Hearts a big hug in thanks!
Gladys S
Marlene A-L
Virginia L
Julie MaM
Debbie McD
Jenni
Sharyn
Jane C
Diana K
Carol R
Kelly H-H
Jan the Gran
Sue P
Cait G
Sue McP
Kathleen A
Barbara D and
Margaret A