Good Tidings

I've had two pieces of good news today.  First up was the word about about my Father in Law.  He was in surgery today to remove 'Bertie' - his not-so-fond nickname for his cancerous tumour.  Bertie is gone, and my FIL is awake, alert and doing well.  Phew.

Second was the very exciting news that my peace and quiet is about to be shattered.  By diggers and concrete trucks.  Finally, finally, finally, work is beginning on our shed extension and veranda.  Wednesday is the big day. 

This photo was taken way back in November last year - a whole year ago we were preparing the site for the new shed, it's been a long time coming and will be appreciated more because of it. 

And this junky cluttered space is out the front of my house.  I know I live in a converted shed, but I'm tired of it looking like a converted shed.  I want a nice space to come home to.  And finally there is light at the end of the tunnel!  There will be a five metre wide veranda roof all along this front.  That sounds wide but it will have clearlite (a clear roofing perspex) in it over the window and doors to let in light and it is also a really high roof line, so I don't think it will be dark and gloomy underneath.

Then I aim to landscape the area underneath - I'm thinking a deck and/or some pavers.  Then a little bit of lawn in front of that out to the tyre/plant pot line. (I've already been planning!  Those are my markers.)  Some herb planters along the edge.  A retaining wall on the bank to the right.  One day the last bay of the shed will be clad in and fitted out as a sewing room/office/spare room .

But we're doing it slowly, paying for it as we can.  It's hard sometimes not to feel a bit hard done by when I look around at some beautifully finished houses and gardens.  Then I think about the stress of a large mortgage and think I'd rather do it like I am (and anyway, you don't notice the mess after a while!).

Another Finish.

I'm on a nightie roll.  This is my second one from the Sew Mama Sew! tutorial.  Another op-shop sheet and the purple fabric used to be a pair of pyjama pants that, er, split in an unfortunate manner.  I was even able to use the drawstring tie as the shoulder straps.  I think I'm almost ready to tackle a garment that gets worn in public.

Healing Hearts

These are my two Healing Hearts blocks.  I patched together some blue scraps of fabric then ironed on some fusible webbing with two hearts drawn on it.  Then I cut them out, ironed them to 6 1/2 inch calico squares and satin stitched around them with a tearaway stabiliser on the back.  I know that these quilts will never bring back the people that have been lost.  But I hope that in some little way, they make a difference to someone.

Pike River Mine.

I'm not feeling very festive today.  Yesterday New Zealand had a terrible tragedy.  There had been 29 mine workers trapped for six days in a mine after an explosion.  Nobody had been able to get in to attempt a rescue or even to see if there was any sign of life.  Yesterday afternoon there was another huge explosion and they believe nobody could possibly have survived it.  They have switched from rescue mode to recovery mode. 

My heart goes out to the families who have had the most unimaginable week. 

Please take care everyone.

Edited to Add:  If you would like to do something to show your feelings, Shirley Goodwin is receiving Healing Heart Blocks to be made into quilts for the families involved in this tragedy.  You can see here for instructions and an address.

The Roar.

This is what I'm doing today.  I've already done another fish bin of weeds (only sixty thousand left to do), fed the animals and done some washing, but it's getting too hot to slog in the garden so it's time to work on my Father-in-Law's quilt.

When I'm building a background for an applique figure, I tend to work on a calico foundation to give me the size of the finished block and then I free cut shapes for the ground/hills/sky before pinning them and then sewing them down.

(Friends suggested I add a red nose to him, 'cause he looks like he's singing Christmas carols!  I probably won't.  But I will be adding an eye, an inner ear and inner mouth to give him a bit of definition.)