Not a very exciting post!!!

 Almost four weeks since my last post and I'm afraid my quilting has been pretty much non-existent.
It's been a difficult few weeks, in fact a difficult and stressful year so far and I could even say two years, but things can only improve if a positive approach is taken, at least I do hope so.

My achievements since my last post have been: dealing with scraps

this box is 16" square and I have two of them, after removing larger pieces that I didn't want to dispose of

I ended with five bags each holding approximately 4lbs of scraps!!!

It gave me a real feeling of relief to see those empty and really good to iron these pieces to be kept and discover treasures long forgotten - a small helping below.

I have six drawers more of scraps still to be dealt to, these are each around 16" x 14" and are pretty well packed.

New stacking system was bought with fabrics still in the process of being colour sorted, these are holding 1/2 yards in one set and 1/4 yards in the other.

I'm trying to finish up writing this before heading for a visit to the dentist - my worst nightmare!!!
Two root canal fillings this morning and at 11.00am I shall be swallowing a cocktail of drugs.
Amoxicillin 2grams are needed because of my faulty aortic valve to protect my heart, and a Lorazepam (Ativan) tablet because I have a real fear of dental treatment, I only need to sit in the chair before I'm all ready to leap out again! A lot of this is really because of the fact that I have PTSD resulting from major surgery many years ago during which I came around during the operation, details of the experience I will not repeat here, suffice to say it was horrific. Any procedure at all has memories resurfacing.

I suspect when I return home I shall be just ready to reach this little beauty down and have a cup of tea

and be feeling like the withed orchid below

I shall enjoy a cuddle with this little beauty below

and if the roses were still blooming I would be enjoying the perfume of this glorious one

I think this one is Sharif Asma one bred by David Austin.

So, there we have it, hopefully in a few days I will have something to show you, although I am going to be hampered somewhat with the amount of time spent quilting as I now have only70% use in my left hand due to the damage from the broken wrist bones and my right shoulder is limited in movement, particular so if I try to rise my arm out to the side - not possible really and nothing more to be done as the torn tendon/muscle is not attached to the bone, I shall manage with limitations as do many people. Short spells of time with my sewing.

I'll finish up now as my tranquiliser is working rather quicker than I had thought and John would't want to come in my sewing room in 30 mins and find me totally out of it slumped over my keyboard!!

Keep well all of you and stay safe and I really do hope to be back in a few days.

Maureen

Sunday - catching up

There are quite a few photos in this post, warning you ahead of time, my intended post one week ago never happened so I'm making up for that here. Towards the end of the post I make mention of the story of a quilt back in 2015, hope you can make it that far!

Fabric: I bought a pack of Tula Pink Tiny Beast range packed with little critters and some not so little.
She also brought out a collection of tiny dots and thin stripes in bright colours, these were added to my stash.

Current Project Progress: I'm plodding along slowly with my 16 patch in yellow/orange, the collection is growing nicely, here are the latest ones and this quilt could fit with the latest prompt from AdHoc Improvisational Quilters apart from the fact that it's definitely not improv! I do have a few other ideas for something quite different though.

   

Of course I'm also working on Slashed Squares using the tutorial by

Lynne at The Patchery Menagerie. Check out the Tutorials heading top of her blog page to be directed to purchase details, you'll also see a heading for Slashed Squares Quilts giving photos of quilts Lynne has made. 

The blocks for this quilt are going together so quickly, I can't wait until I reach the 'slashing' stage.  My latest batch are below

you can find the first seven sewn  in my last post HERE. I'm going with 25 blocks in all, at least at this stage I am but I'll review that when I'm nearing the finish line.

I've been so, so lax with machine quilting tops over the past few years and at last count I gave myself a huge shock - 24!!!! Some were more wall quilt size and truly it wouldn't take long to work through basting and machine quilting although there are a few which will be hand quilted. Here's a photo of the first one up for the machine, basted now.

The Northern Lights

  This quilt was made in 2015 - yes folks it's been languishing in line all that time.  Long time readers here   will have seen it before, I first posted at the time I took part in a Quilt Along with  Cultural Fusion Quilts, this was my take on Rail Fence. I wrote the back story behind     this quilt  you can find it HERE, hope you can find time to read,  our stories behind the quilts 

 we make can be every bit as important as the quilt itself.

Books: do I need more books I ask myself, I love books as much as fabric and two new ones arrived at the door

Congratulations if you've made it to the end of this post!!!

I have an appointment next week for the cortisone shot into the torn tendon in my shoulder so

it may be another couple of weeks before I get around to posting - see you then.

Keep safe and well and happy quilting.

Maureen

Getting into the quilting swing of things again - hopefully

I feel the past six months have been a nightmare on the quilting side of life but hoping that I can now begin to spend more time with my fabrics and my sewing machine.

I've been trying to really make my sewing studio organisation easier to work with and put aside one project in order to deal with a squirrel which arrived yesterday so  things must be improving!

Last post I had made the fortunate discovery of 16 patch blocks tucked away and began making more, still more strips ready to cut on my Accuquilt

I had also begun on the blocks earlier in the year on a  quilt for eldest grandson

and whilst I was enjoying stitching these I decided that with the number of 8" blocks needed I  would put on hold and go with something using larger blocks, I turned to the pattern for Slashed  Squares, tutorial purchased from Lynne at The Patchery Menagerie, made a start and love these large blocks for the initial stage. Great tutorial by the way.

The blocks you see above were the result of my time at the machine yesterday, in total I'll be making 30.

I made mention above of sewing room organisation, the room is quite small so do I really need to find another basket in my fabric racks for even more fabric??? I decided that yes, I could make a little more space and bought a few of the latest Tilda range 'Chic Escape', I have in mind a few pillows for around the place and possibly a small throw size quilt. Perhaps I'm being too indulgent and maybe feeling a little sorry for myself over the past few months but what the heck, we only live once and I ain't getting any younger.

This is my favourite

Just a few more
 

And I fell for the new Tula range Tiny Beasts, hopefully these will be here over the weekend or Monday.

Guess I should end this post here but must share with you a photo of a few regular visitors

hoping that a certain someone - guess who - will be kind enough to give them a little breakfast.

It is duck shooting season here in NZ, a practice I abhor, strong word perhaps but true for me, so we have lots of ducks around this area right now all trying to escape the mayhem. This happens each year, there are even signs here and there by the road side  - Caution, Ducks Crossing!

That's all from me, back to tidying and storing, see you soon.

Happy Quilting

Maureen

Serendipity

What could be better than a stunning sunrise to begin the day - 6.55am.

A busy week but not much quilting happening although I have to tell you that my 16 patch blocks using the vibrant raspberry pink found a new home in my parts box!! I had nine blocks sewn and up on the design wall, stood back to see the overall look and was horrified, the pink was still overwhelming and I just couldn't carry on. So, lesson learned and off to the parts box with ideas buzzing around on what to do next.

When I opened the box I had a nice surprise - you might remember the photo below from a September post

the beginning of an orange/red/yellow 16 patch with a hint of pink. I had stitched up five blocks and had other strips sewn and cut into rows but for some reason decided to stop, needless to say they have now been resurrected and I'm off to a good start with this 16 patch! I'm not sure how many blocks I need right now, not wanting to make a large quilt, just throw size probably. The blocks will measure 8" finished.

 That's all I've achieved on the quilting side of things although quite a bit of fabric folding and tidying has been going on.

I bought myself a new desk for my computer, adjustable height and perfect for me to rest my right arm to avoid the drag on my shoulder, seems to be working well but I can only spend short spells here.

I've spent  some time just sitting in the garden enjoying the last of the Autumn weather, we officially enter Winter today so it's going to get colder pretty soon and preparing for the change in weather Ive been hanging feeders up for the birds,  the tauhou (silvereyes) are loving the filled coconut shells. They're gorgeous wee birds flitting about like crazy.

Happy Quilting

Maureen

Simple Sewing

 So I'm at the computer today writing my blog post, a simple post, a simple project! At least there is a little progress.

My last post I showed a selection of fabrics pulled to make a start on a new quilt, check out here 

https://mysticquilter.blogspot.com/2022/05/im-still-here.html

My intention was to make a simple bar quilt as seen in a post by Penelope Handmade. I started cutting 2 and 1/2" strips

next step cutting into set lengths along with the raspberry pink fabric

which is pretty overpowering, so how about making the solid strips narrower

looking better but still not happy with the overall effect. The pink strips here would be 1/2" wide finished, the first photo would be 2" finished.  I was dreading ironing lots of seams because my iron is pretty heavy,  a comment from Wanda at Exuberant Color asking if I had a small iron jogged my memory, yes I had - somewhere! 

Found it and decided to give myself a treat, visited the patchwork store and bought one of the wool ironing mats, a good size 14 and 1/2" x 17 and 1/2" and I'm thrilled with it.

Still not happy with the strips I thought the pink might be less overpowering in smaller amounts

and definitely much happier with this look, bring on a 16 patch quilt! A few blocks here below and you can see that the pink is a little tricky to show true in photos, comes up darker in this photo.

Slightly straying from quilting now, at least leaving behind fabric for the moment. Quite some time ago during a trek down to the Sandspit we came across what I think could be an ideal patchwork studio in a stunning setting - have a look at this, could you see yourself here?

You would look out the windows and door onto this

and if you feel like a little exercise how about hopping in a canoe and paddling up the creek!

Oh, as we're on a pink theme with the fabric how about this tulip from a bouquet of flowers received 
Mothers Day, just look at the colour in the centre.

All from me for now, see you all again soon.

Maureen

I'm still here!!

Yes folks I am still around and over the past two days I've been spending a little time here and there in my happy place aka sewing studio, following a difficult month. All motivation left me totally, I haven't been reading blogs and had no interest in my quilting, I was completely overwhelmed with all my health issues and especially so with the new problems since January. During this time I have been  attending appointments either at the hospital, hand physio, shoulder physio, balance physio, orthopaedic dept, cardiac dept. my family doctor plus one emergency dept visit and fitting in exercises daily as required by the various physiotherapists - you get the picture!

However today is May 1st,  a new month and the turning over of a page, what better way to begin than a short visit to the beach - love those clouds just double click to view a larger shot - 

and pulling a few fabrics to add to already gathered pieces for a new quilt

lovely rich colour to brighten any day!

As I am only able to work at the computer for 15 minutes at one time before my shoulder packs in I was wondering how on earth I would write blog posts, a dear blogger friend Linda at Art In Search suggested voice recognition software!!! Telephone call to the guy we've worked with for years with our computers to ask for info - turns out it is already set up on my Mac - hopefully in a few days I shall be reasonably proficient, this post is using the keyboard as normal.  Break time now,  back shortly.

The inspiration for the fabric pulls you see above was the combination below

I fell in love with this colourway of Hokusai Chrysanthemums  from Philip Jacobs and by chance I had the raspberry blender fabric on the the table as I unpacked new fabrics. I hope to have progress to show you in a few days time.

You may be wondering what has happened to Fractured 2 which was on my design wall, this is now consigned to the parts box, I just couldn't work on it any longer so there was no point in trying to push myself, better to begin something new.

I've been enjoying not clearing weeds out of the garden beds but sitting on the garden bench watching John take care of this chore! A lot of the shrubs have long since finished flowering but the hibiscus are a joy to behold right at the moment, here's one of my favourites

That's all from me for now, I intend to post again in a few days with a little more content, fingers crossed!

Happy Quilting

Maureen