UFO's & Hospitals

Mary Tolman progress has been happening, I almost have

the centre complete, I am still looking for the perfect centres though

We took the naughty puppy to the beach for a big walk on a 

gorgeous winters day

token dog in the ute photo

Miss Walli having a snuggle

then this happened! Background info is I was diagnosed with 

'indigestion' around 18 months ago, my 'indigestion' attacks

always happened in the middle of the night, always had me up at all hours

in absolute agony, occasionally I was violently ill from it.

Mid July I had an 'indigestion' attack that would not go away, after suffering for

10 days of constant pain I finally caved and went to the doctor, he sent me for a CAT scan

which showed a rather large gallstone, I was given a referral to see a surgeon and

made my appointment, the next day I was in even more pain, living on painkillers and 'indigestion' pills, eventually I asked Paul to take me to the hospital to get checked out as I couldn't get into my GP until late that afternoon and I wasn't able to eat or drink without becoming ill. After sitting at the hospital for 3 hours I left and came home to wait for my doctors appointment.

Well he promptly took one look at me, called the emergency room and informed them I was on my way, a very uncomfortable 45 minute drive and I was admitted for 3 days of antibiotics, pain control & fluids 

day 1 in the ER

day 2

the view from my hospital room (day 3)

another day another drip (day 4)

eventually after 6 days I was allowed home, after my veins

gave out and refused to co-operate. My offical diagnosis was

severe acute choloycystitis and biliary colic aka 

severe gallbladder infection & inflammation along with a 2.55cm

gallstone blocking the duct.

I started work again on my Mary Tolman once I was home

I was home in time to see these 2 girlies get academic awards

for semester 1, not that I could drive myself there, I was dropped off 

and collected 

Mary Tolman is growing

removing all those papers

The centre is joined (finally)

making more hexy diamonds for the corner sections

a corner filler

Appointment with a surgeon, I was hoping for good news

and I got a surgery date YIPPEE

I needed a break from hexagons so I pulled out my Steam Punk blocks to

make some more

the growing stack of blocks

and these are all the blocks I managed to get stitched

plus I pulled out my Confetti quilt to work on

it needed 2 borders and it would be done

sewing the borders on

Ta da

and the rejigged corners, but its not hanging enough on the sides

so I have somethings mind to make the sides hang down further

last Wednesday saw Paul and I head to Canberra, we stayed here

and watched tv in bed after dinner

because the following day was eviction day for my gallbladder

i finally got a coffee at 6:45pm Thursday it was delicious

that night was awful, my BP kept dropping, my O2 levels

did the same so I had to spend the night hooked up to oxygen 

to make it worse I was wide awake from 1:30am

I called into see my Friday sewing buddies, I hadn't seen them for

so long because of my health and came home with some delicious

fabrics, Tula Pinks Slow & Steady line, I'm thinking another EPP

project

and these were waiting for me at home, some new backgrounds for

Steam Punk

on Saturday I felt the urge to do some needle turn appliqué so 

I found Auntie Greens Garden, and got stitching, I have the side floral

borders and a wave border and this baby will be another finish

stitching with Henry

the final flower stems to stitch down

Tonight Ive prepped al the flowers and berries and I'll

start stitching them down tomorrow, day 4 of my 

under doctors orders to sit on the couch, relax and do nothing.

I am following his orders to the letter but I am looking forward to getting

back to my normal day to day life and my Friday sewing girls

Green Tea and Sweet Beans

Was a BOM offered by Amitie Textiles way back in 2008/2009

I was very new to the quilting world but I knew that

one day I would have to make this quilt.

Early last year I was alerted to the fact that the

GTSW BOM patterns had been made into a 

retail pattern booklet and it was on sale

I jumped in and bought the pattern, once it arrived I had a 

read saw that it was a hand pieced mammoth and filed

the pattern away into the way to hard basket, as there was

no way I was going to be hand piecing a whole quilt

unless it was 100% appliqué.

Over the weekend, I found myself home alone (very unusual 2 on a cub camp

the other at a birthday sleepover, the hubster at golf) and as I had spent my

morning decluttering, cleaning and scrubbing, I wanted a new

hand project to work on, my options were 

Gossip in the Garden by Annie Downs

or 

Green Tea and Sweet Beans by Jen Kingwell.

I phaffed around unable to make up my mind,  then while

dinner was cooking I decided the GTSW was it, so I prepped 

appliqué block 1 and voila

 Block 2

Block 3

Block 4

Arrrgh hand piecing time, I had a practice and made a 4 patch

block so I was certain I could do it and yippee those little 

pinwheels are last nights achievment, the bottom one

does need a press.

 and the reverse side

here is the start of the day lily block

and that is where I am up to, I am trying to get a few of the blocks ready 

to stitch because in 2 weeks I am off to see my daddy and 

my brother, my brother is turning 50 and that is a milestone

I need to celebrate with him. He doesn't know I am coming

we told him that it was just too expensive 1 month out from

Santa visiting, but we would be thinking of him, 

but my daddy knows and I can't wait to see his face when 

we arrive at his party......

(I have been collecting text prints for the backgrounds, and it

will be made up from my stash, I may or may not

buy some different lush fabrics to add in)

11/4" hexagons are on the way so are 3" clamshells

they are looking like great things to stitch while

flying.

Keeping Busy

Its 'D Day' today, Mums results of her

fine needle biopsy are being delivered at

3pm

I am very very nervous today

So I have been keeping myself busy sewing

I have finished my 12" mini swap

I have done some work on

(In RANDOM photo order) 

my C.R.A.F.T swap

and my SSCS with Chookyblue

my Mrs Martins Angel Swap

My Lancaster BOM, still working on Month 2,

month 3 is here waiting

and my shopping, well the shopping I could find

from my trip home

This gorgeous book from

'The Needlewoman'

in Hobart

and the Batiks for dh NYB quilt

from

'The PatchWorks' in Hobart

I think I just need to find another stitchery book

and you will have seen my shopping.

I need to buy some wadding desperately, I have used ALL

my scraps, so I will be heading to Merimbula 

tomorrow so I can fix that issue.

and

 for the first time EVER, I have not finished my SKoW quilt

before the cut off, I just need to quilt it, but have had

far to much on my mind to even consider getting it done.

Its on my list of things to finish over the school holidays.

Is it 3:30 yet???