Weddings, birthday party, and my new toy

What a week I seemed to have worked almost non stop. In between juggling my 2 jobs, school holidays and my normal daily stuff, I helped a friend decorate for her boyfriends' 40th birthday party. Little did the majority of the guests know but there were to be an announcement to surprise one and all. First there was the "Thank you for coming, oh by the way we have just got engaged!!" and "Don't expect a wedding any time soon." Half and hour later walking into the room was the civil celebrant....."With the power etc...." and then they get married. The couples parents had no idea so there were a lot of screams, yells and tears. It was great night.

The only "down fall" of my busy schedule was that it prevented me getting intimate with my new toy
I brought myself a new Janome 6600p. I am still playing with it to figure out what it can do and I can do with it! But I competed my first project. I sewed a label for the quilt I have been working on and off for 2 years.

This quilt was made of scraps from my Bendigo signature quilt. Hundreds of scrap pieces joined together in long pieces, squared up then black borders placed around each block then cut on the skew. The quilting is a design the DH had played with using auto cad...just geometric shapes forming diamonds, stars, squares and kites.

Did you miss me?

The rain is falling outside, quite heavily too, I must get up and turn on a light but this is the first time in a while I have managed to get time in front of the puter long enough to side and update the blog. So I will and sit by the light of the monitor and continue to type.

Last weekend I have a get away with 9 other good friends. We went to Collingully, in Meckering, http://www.collingullycottage.com/, a wonderful "little" quilt shop with accommodation up stairs. We arrived around 330pm, after having to buy a new rear tyre in Northam, it had a 4" nail in the tyre that had eroded the inside away. Lucky to not have a blow out on the way, and of course the spare was in the boot, which was full with quilting essentials.

On arriving, after unpacking the car, I proceeded upstairs to put on my PJ's, of which I remained in all weekend!!! I showered Sat and proceeded to put on clean PJ's. Between us all we catered for the weekend, so every now and then we would get up reheat the next meal and then continue with the sewing.

On the weekend I manage to put together the majority of my scrappy oriental coins, need now to add borders. I then started to cut out the bits I needed to make the block for my Applewood BOM, "Pinwheels and Posies". I made 4 blocks of each. I then started to work on the Hydrangea flowers, 12 in total plus 72 leaves (not pictured).

I also stated to piece a bolster pillow that Lynley and I are working on. We will be working on it Saturday afternoon.

This last week I have started to decrease my antidepressants, I am hoping that I can come off them all together. My life style has changed a lot as well as my mental out look, and I feel that I am in a good place to try. I will have to go back to the Drs when I am on the lower dose to check my progress. At the moment I am alternating two doses to cut down, in another week I will be on the lower dose totally, should be interesting...that will be when I am hormonally challenged!!! Bring on TKD and the boxing bag!!!

Oh speaking of TKD I had grading two weeks ago and I am now a Yellow belt 2. Zach is a Red belt 1 and Sarah a Blue 2. David is a white belt in Kick boxing and has had his first lessons in the class....he was a little sore afterwards...oh I can empathise with that......I had days after I started fitness that I had trouble walking! The things we inflict of ourselves!!

Withdrawal

I have written about the retreat before. A month ago we had our retreat here in Perth. Lynley, Lyn, Stephanie and myself were the core committee for the retreat. Leading up to the retreat we were getting together weekly, preparing ourselves. Since the retreat we have gone back to having our fortnightly quilting GTG's.

I had been feeling that something was missing in the last few weeks. Finally put two and two together. I was missing my friends. Today we were all at Lyn's to help her make a quilt for a friends child, and we were all in the same predicament. It is amazing how small things that seem every day can make such an impact on your life when they are not there.

So this is to and for all my friends that have and continue to impact on my life.......sisters and family of choice.

Epic admissions

What a week. I feel mentally exhausted. I had a go at my dear DH last weekend. I spoke, nay, I told him off for his continuing lack of enthusiasm, or joy in life itself. His ease at irritation at the children, basically his overall apathy of life in general. He does not sleep well, nor does he look after himself.

I finally got an admission from him that yes he does have a problem with his general mood (depression) and he did need to do something about it. It has only taken me 10 years to actually have him admit this. I am so proud of him for finally admitting that he is fallible, unlike me!!!!! VBG.

The children had a tournament on Sunday to trial out for the State team. While they did not make the team they did get a silver (Sarah) and a bronze (Zach) medals. DH was talking to some of the other TKD parents and one of them mentioned to him that he should try Freestyle at TKD.....TKD with out the patterns and self defence component, more fitness and sparring. DH jokingly turned to one of the other DH's and said about joining and this DH (bless him) said you should give it a go.

Something sunk in, with the admission of depression and the encouragement from a fellow male, Dave has started Freestyle, he had his 1st private lesson on Wed and will have another one this coming week. The kids are over the moon that Dad is joining in, this is becoming a family thing.

On the not so bright side I went to see the Dr yesterday to see about a blemish on my breast, she found a lump, that was no where near the blemish. She did not seem to be too concerned but I am having a ultrasound next week with a possible fine needle aspiration if needed. I am not loosing sleep but when I am sitting quietly I am tending to worry a little. On the positive side breast cancer or cancer in general is not known within the family...........................Oh well at least I am busy for the next week, work, work, sewing, TKD, work and maybe a little cleaning!!

Friends, known and unknown

Friends are every where. Sometimes you never will meet them. A friend of mine is unwell, she has cancer and is undergoing radiotherapy whilst still being a normal up and go get them girl . I wanted to make her a quilt so that she could curl up underneath it if, well, she did not want to go get them.

I mentioned to Miss Steph that I wanted to make a quilt. Steph offered me some blocks, heart string blocks. The blocks are made up by strips onto a foundation block, trimmed to 10". The central strip is the same for all the blocks to tie the whole quilt together. Heart strings Quilt project is a yahoo group who make quilts for people in need.

I received 24 blocks plus material for the border from David, who played courier from Steph to me. I sat down at 630 after the kids had gone to TKD and by 1030 had a quilt all together and quilted. I sewed the binding on. I ended up going to bed before I had finished sewing the binding down, but got up this morning to finish it before I went to work.

On giving the quilt a huge hug was received and then told that the quilt would be going to hospital with the lady on Tuesday while she was having some tests and procedures.

So a little love from friends, known and unknown warm the heart of us all

Busy but achieving

Can you believe it??? I know I can't, we are now in June, almost half the year has gone by. This weekend here in WA is a long weekend. A weekend to celebrate the foundation of West Australia.

Well this weekend, to date has been put to good use, I have finished...hang on finished is not a good word to use, people get kinda technical with this word. I completed two projects, one of quillows for a friends kiddly pips, and the other a bag for a friend who is a mad keen surfer and beach babe. She has recently moved to North Beach and is practically spitting distance from the water.

Visited her today and went for a walk along the beach, now lets keep in mind it is almost winter and yesterday was storms +++++, 40mm rain, some hail, gale strength winds, a black day in all. Today the kids, Amanda and I were walking on the beach, in the water and collecting shells!, I even took off my cardigan it felt that warm with the sun on the shoulders.

The other two projects that are not finished but they are completed tops. One Serengety was a project I brought at Collingully Quilts in Meckering on the Tuesday after the retreat. Could not help myself had to get to it. The other is all of my signature squares from the retreat. I have gone with plain and simple this year with the squares. Just trying to work out what I will do with the back or how I will quilt it.

I am really happy with my achievements this last few days, a shame I have to go back to work on Tuesday really, but then I do need to keep earning so I can keep spending!!!.

The Wall

A very dear friend of ours,who shall remain nameless, shan't you Levi, recently viewed my blog and he commented on the fact that we had a good time at our retreat. He then followed this up with a tongue in cheek comment about the wall. So just for you my dear friend, here is the wall.

Dave put the last coat of paint on last night. The book shelf and dresser went back into position last night and this morning I finished cleaning and putting the room back together.

The other side of the wall needs painting too but we are still deciding on colours, and saving up to replace the crappy carpet that almost has a life of its' own plus doors to go on. The room looks totally different now and we are really pleased with the finished effect. Dave had done a wonderful job.