WIP & Wandering Camera

If it seemed quiet around here for the past week or so its because of this!  I may have bitten off more than I can chew when I decided to machine quilt Flower Power by myself on my Janome.

You might remember this one from the 2 1/2" squares swap our IPS branch did last year.  We swapped 375 squares +25 of our own to make a challenge quilt.  I pieced this over Christmas while my Janome was in the repair shop and finally got around to basting this monster bed quilt.

I chose wool batting as I had it on hand from a massdrop buy last year and it was ginormous so no piecing batting!  It's my first time using wool and though it takes a lovely stitch it is quite puffy.

It's been a right pain wrangling it through the machine but it has given my Janome a really good work out and I discovered a few things in the process of quilting this already!

My aurifil pink 2410 (favourite thread!) kept breaking when I moved the quilt back upwards to the left - I changed to a new titanium needle, rethreaded everything, cleaned out every bit of lint and still had breakage in this direction only!  I think it might be because moving in this direction for some reason, I am sewing down on the thread more than any other and I think I might be the cause of it shredding.   Once I finished sewing on the hexagon strips, the free motion background work went really well with no issues so, even though I still hear a clicking sound from time to time in the bobbin, I think the repair has worked and my machine is good to go.  I'll definitely know by the time I've finished quilting this one!

Backing is Tula Pink Freefall 108" extra wide and it took ages to pin through all the layers.  My glutes got a good workout on this one pin basting on the floor!

In other news, a rotten head cold followed the flu which hasn't helped much in getting things done on my to do list- I'm doing a great impression of red nosed Rudolph at the moment!  But it's not all been sneezing and sniffling!  I made some more blocks for my Traditional made Modern course in June - a nested churn dash and some wonky bento blocks - they are keeping it bright and happy by Lara's mug rug portrait of Wilbur and Charly which to be fair can do that on its own.  It makes me smile when I see it!  Lara's new book Crafted Applique is on the way and I'll be taking part in the blog hop in May and can't wait to try her technique.  She has gifted me a copy to give away so stay tuned for more or check out Amazon for a copy for yourself!

I have a Star Wars applique project to get cracking on this weekend too.  My glow in the dark fabric and thread arrived so I'm all set to give Darth Vader a go!  More on that during the week - ship date is Wednesday!!!!

Finally for wandering camera I have the usual monthly update of the furballs and some St. Patricks day photos to share!

My mum and aunt enjoying the parade - 1916 rebellion celebrations featured big with kids dressed up in short pants and the usual groups of girl guides, scouts and community groups kept it really bright and colourful this year!

Back in the day you weren't allowed get married during lent, so my Mum and Dad got married on St. Patricks day!  Yes it is in lent,  but every Irish person knows it's a day off!  Sweets and chocolate you've been saving in tins are broken into, mint flavoured ice cream and shamrocks impressions on pints of guinness are consumed and the priests would allow a wedding or two!

It made it really easy to remember Mum and Dad's anniversary.  My Dad died the week before my 24th birthday which was quite some time ago but had he lived they would have been 50 years married this year so we made a big fuss of Mum.  Our St. Pat's day consists of Mass for some who get up on time(!), parade, pints and dinner at mums!  Even though its her anniversary she insists on cooking!

She does love her cards and its a bugger to find a card suitable as most of them are something like: to you both on your special day....  So this year I found this card of a boy and a girl cow and gave her that with a big 50 and happy anniversary written inside - my aunt thought it was very funny! Mum smiled and put it with the other cards of for you both etc... on the mantelpiece.  Next year I think I'm going to have to come up with something better!

On the furball front Wilbur has been sleeping.... a lot...

Having to steady Wilbs on the sofa as he is prone to falling off at the moment!
Even his eyebrows are going grey now!

We've had to increase his meds as he is still seizing in his sleep - 2 last week.  So now he is on Phenobarbital as well as the expensive, less bad for you, stuff!  We are taking him up to the veterinary college in Dublin next week to see if there is more he needs but for the moment it's seeing what dose works for him.  The meds create a barrier in the brain but they also suppress normal brain activity too so, too much and his hind legs go all wobbly and he's like a dog after a few pints too many - not enough and its grand mal seizure.  Still at the current dose he's been snoring his head off on his favourite spot on the new sofa - yes on the sofa - he has me well trained!

Charly doesn't know what to do - when he seizes she gets confused and tries to attack him so we have been keeping an eye on her too.  Thankfully she is happy once you throw the ball for her.  Though with rain, hailstones and snow this March/April she is less inclined to venture outdoors.  Can't blame her really!  Garden needs a miracle this year!  If there is any chocolate left I think I might try bribing G into cutting the grass!

So thats it for the moment - still here - still catching up on reading blog posts (up to the end of March now and onto April)!  No rest for the wicked - unless your Wilbur!