The kettle is boiling...

...the lights are on and the welcome mat is out on the doorstep of the 'Blank Page'...

After just shy of 3 months of non blogging I thought I would give it another go... Thankfully I am feeling more myself and I am improving in body and spirit as the weeks pass...

'M for Melanie' is finished - after 2 years of stitching it on and off - I finally got myself into gear and finished it in time for her birthday in a couple of weeks... It is off to the framers tomorrow and I have already discussed it with them what I would like - we spent quite a bit of time and a few different looks before settling on a more classical look... I shall post a 'finished' photo once it is framed...

So what to do next - unfortunately my break from blogging didn't decrease my 'to do' stitching stash - so there is still plenty to get on with... Never a dull moment...

The CQO6 RR is still in progress but slowed down somewhat - I am desperate to get up to date with that before Xmas hits in earnest... At the moment I have three blocks to 'add my bit to' before sending them on their way - whilst I know what I am going to add I just haven't had the space of time to actually get 'up close and personal' with them...

This year has been a bit of a blur and it has made me determined to strive towards definite results from now on... I am not waiting until the new year - I have started now... Life is too precious to take for granted or waste a moment of...

But enough... Thanks for stopping by...

Just to say...

I have decided for my own reasons to take indefinite leave from blogging... I will however stay in contact with my CQRR mates via their blog... For anyone else please email me if needed... AnneS and Miss Eagle I have changed my phone number. Please email G @ Patra's Place for it if you need to contact me... So for just awhile 'I'll be seeing you'...

Finally...

...J's block is finished and ready to be on its way again... Unfortunately the photo doesn't show the block at all well... Bur here it is J - dandelions and a butterfly... I have loosely tacked down the wings with a coloured cotton until the block reaches home... J will then be able to untack the 'restraints' and 'shush them' to make the wings stand up a bit...

Another addition/edition...

Firstly I would like to say thankyou to those of you who have left comments on my blog... Unfortunately between working full time, still being not 100% health wise and the general hurly wurly of everyday life I have had little time in which to either contribute to my blogging life or respond to your comments... To those who have asked me questions I will reply in due course - I believe you Calidore wanted some instructions for the Seahorse - I haven't forgotten you and will get there soon...

It seems 'resistance is futile' - to coin a well known saying... This latest find (above) was at the local art shop where it seems of late they are also stocking some needlework books... The designer uses crewel embroidery in less traditional ways and infact I am 'borrowing' one of her ideas to finally complete jam_mam's block... I am itching to have a go at some of the ideas she presents and it is looking good for the CQRR blocks which are 'gliding' through this address...

But funnier still - this book fetish which I seem to have - is was that last weekend I had a call from a friend whose sister had had a 'if I haven't used it in (use your own time frame here) out it goes'. As it turns out she as relieving her craft shelves of numerous books - her sister- my friend saved them all for her friend - me... When K told me she had some books for me she neglected to say she had a lot of books for me... I now have needlework books, soap making books, a clay jewellery book, a felt making book a couple of quilt/patcwork books, general craft books and numerous 'Anne's Glory Box' magazine type editions including a largish book which seems to a collection of her projects and last but not least a collection of various craft magazines... K said she knew that they would be going to a good home when she gave them to me... Please don't get me wrong I am more than pleased to have been given these books/magazines and the majority look like they have just come from a book shop and are in better than new condition - but oh the temptation I have now - all these books just waiting to be explored... P now just nods his head sagely when I announce I am not buying another book!!!! I haven't had a chance to have more than a brief look through them but what I have seen so far doesn't disappoint me... It is suggested that 'money goes to money' I think I might edit that to 'books go to books'... The way I am going I coulds start a second hand craft bookshop be well stocked!!!!! Now there is an idea... Just kidding...

I was more than pleased to find this ( below) amongst the pile it is one in a series I have been endeavouring to collect... Funnily enough it contained a chapter on whitework and its origins... LOL jam_mam the chapter suggests that whitework is to show one's prowess with a needle - I hope my attempt doesn't disappoint you!!!!!! It seems that whitework is more about the actually application of embroidery stitches rather than as I have done used other white bits to fashion the piece... Still I am doing Crazy Quilting and there are no rules in that... Well, that is my excuse anyway... Since having jam_mam's piece I have never had as many cuts etc... I am so careful as it is an all white block, and like with any of other people's work that passes through here, keep it well protected and handle it with the greatest of care... But with it all white I am extra careful to the point of obsessive!!!!! Speaking about jam_mam's piece reminds me its lift off date (well overdue as it is) - is Monday so I had better get to it and finish it!!!! Bye for now...

Jam_mam's block...

Not quite completed - but getting there... I used the dandelion as a symbol of both time and distance... I will give a fuller explanation at what I was trying to achive further on...

An update...

Life, lately has been very busy - I feel like I hit the floor running when I wake up in the morning... I scan the blogs in the morning as I eat my breakfast and that is about as far as it goes for my blogging life - except at the weekends when I d try to fit some time in...

Work has been busy with the stocktake and the sale as well. N has gone down with the flu - only K has managed to 'forgo the pleasure' so far - both their boys are down with it too... Both N and K are the owners and work pretty much full time at the shop so you can imagine that things can go awry when one of them is 'missing in action' for an extended time... It appears to be a nasty strain of virus and I am keeping well clear of anyone that looks remotely off colour... On the home front P too has had some cold/flu type thing and had a couple of days off work... Me - I am just bumping up the dose of vit C keeping warm and hoping for the best...

Yesterday I bought some wool ( see previous post) and last night I sat and 'played' - there is something very comfting about the process of knitting... I am not a very good knitter - scarves are about as complicated as I can do - but I am content to do just that...

J's block is coming along nicely in as much at last I have settled on a theme which I would like to pursue - now down to the real work - putting those ideas onto her block... The trouble is though I get all these ideas I would like to experiment with further - but as usual - not enough hours in the day... After work and once we have eaten and I have done a couple of things I am too tired to think about anything other than my bed. And the weekends seem to be an endless marathon of 'doing'...

The idea of studying this half year has been shelved - I am having trouble just reading what I do so I can not begin to imagine reading anything else re study...

Although on a more positive note I have nearly weaned myself off those dreaded tablets - only two more weeks to go - three at the outside... I have felt quite weird at times as I have lowered the dose - I can understand why one cannot just give them up cold turkey... At times I do see a light at the end of the tunnel and I appreciate being able to breathe again although my asthma has worsened a little as I have come down off the tablet - but the doctor warned me this may happen... Once I am off the tablets completely my weight need to be addressed as it has ballooned while I have been taking the tablets - the added weight makes me feel quite unwell at times - if that makes sense.. And while I am certainly no athlete I would like to be able to gain some strength and wellness in my body again... Perhaps I have really begun to see the sense in looking after one's self properly and keeping as fit as one can... Just walking to work everyday ( about a 20/25 minute walk) has given me a sense of wellbeing - I arrive at work ready to start the day... Plus there are the added bonus of perhaps seeing things others don't... The other morning I was lucky enough to see three hot air balloons making their way across to the landing point about 2 kilometres further away... As I walked the second ballon decended slightly as it moved overhead - I stopped to watch and as I did someone from the balloon waved to me... That thrilled me as I have a bit of a thing about hot air balloons - I waved back and they waved again... Just that small incident kept me smiling for the rest of the day and I am so glad that I had the opportunity of adding to some unknown person's day as they did mine... I guess life throws us curve balls at times - and to a degree it is what we chose to do next with them that can make all the difference... I am endeavouring to stay positive and enjoy those little things in life that count for me... Of late I have started to see the world a little differently - perhaps that comes with age or just experience I don't know which - but it has certainly made a difference to the way I have previously thought...

E has her interview for her course this Wednesday so we all have our fingers crossed for a positive outcome....

Well that is about all I can think of at this point... Take care all where ever you are and I hope that whatever you are doing you enjoy it...

And...

... I have been bitten by the knitting bug again... This is fairly true to the colour of E's new winter scarf... I have the idea I might knit in my lunch break... Well - that is the plan anyway...