Summer Snippets

 Summer has arrived and I have to say it is not a season that Larry and I really look forward to and we still have three months to go. The heat seems to create unwelcome fatigue and apathy with the added bonus of puffy feet and ankles!! Sadly our state is suffering another drought - apparently the worst for the last 15 years. Living in a rural community it is very evident both in local chatter and viewing the surrounds. We feel for the farmers and can only hope they are able to continue. So now I have had a grumble it's time to say hello to friends both near and far. I still get emails from time to time enquiring about access to my patterns. I have many scanned digitally that I am more than happy to share but I am no longer providing them to my wholesaler. But do continue to enquire and I will try my best to please! I'm not designing new patterns at the moment but I do continue to stitch as I find it restful ...even on a hot day! My recent pieces were made as prize giveaways for our village Christmas dinner. The angel pattern came from the latest Inspirations Magazine and I ended up making nine of them to give away.......

Since my last post Larry has completed his first round of weekly immunotherapy, so now he waits for the next hospital admission on January 9th so the next treatment plan can be decided........

I'm still trying to get through the never ending stash of fabric so I managed several more hospice quilts, 52 cutlery holders that were requested for the village dinners, and even some new shirts for the wardrobe....

I made the shirts way too big so they now have either darts or pin tucks so they don't look quite so baggy like the photos......

Recently a neighbour asked if I could make his wife a table runner that he could give her for Christmas. He was unsure what he wanted but decided on Autumn tones. This is the result and those of you who have done the Bee Mindful Quilt might recognise some of the appliqué (including the blue wren on the tea towels that you saw earlier in this post). I decided to make some placemats to match the runner as well.....

At the end of October Wade turned seven, so we decided to have a picnic in the parklands to celebrate, and it was also a venue where he could experience tree climbing. This was a first for Wade and he managed the challenge exceedingly well. We were all a little nervous on the ground but Maisie who has done it before encouraged and helped him each step of the way especially when the tasks became more challenging........

As each challenge increases the safety nets disappear and the climbs become higher. The way Wade and Maisie both handled that final log was incredible to watch...........

On the home front (apart from the stitching), we've enjoyed beach walks (not as many as we should and we forget it is only a 5 minute car drive away!), and we have had a bumper crop of sweet smelling sweet peas that we are now collecting the seeds from......

Just last night I did a two hour workshop making a wreath. Being Christmas most participants followed that theme, but some of us decided on a wreath that can hang all year round. It will be interesting to see how it dries in the coming weeks. The venture was in an space that was redeveloped by the daughter of the late Mark Pearse, a local potter and artist, and her late Mother who was also an artist, and where Mark produced his ceramics. It is a credit to Ruth to have created this amazing space in their memory and is now called Lot 50......

Photo Source

And the result of my two hour workshop that is now hanging on the front door.............

I think that is it for now so I hope my next post in Autumn leaves the drought and heat behind us. We hope you enjoy the Christmas break doing what you like to do and may 2025 be a year of good health and happy memories for all x 

It's Spring and time for a catch up 😃

 I received my Spring newsletter this morning from a South Australian author that I follow: Tricia Stringer. I always look forward to her correspondence that is full of life's highs and lows but sprinkled with joy and delicious recipes as well. So it prompted me to do this post to you our friends, quilters and Morris devotees far and wide. So maybe this is also our Spring chat and we will come back when Summer starts. It is almost three months since I last posted and an awful lot has happened. I might get over the "low" side of it first and finish with some "highs".   The daffodils will give you a hint as to what is to follow.......

Just over 5 weeks ago we were given the news that Larry has bladder and kidney cancer. The specialist told us it is "complicated" and has continued to use that term ever since! Larry has had four procedures under anaesthetic in the last month and 10 days ago two surgeons spent a very long and unexpected seven and half hours operating on him. We were told it would take three hours and they didn't start until 6pm as that was the only time both surgeons were available, so it was a very long night for me sitting by the phone. Apparently it is very rare to have two different primary cancers at the same time so it has been a rather challenging time. We are being optomistic and know we are in good hands. It is almost four years to the day that I too was diagnosed with cancer and I can completely empathise with Larry knowing it will be a long and challenging 12 months or more of procedures and treatments ahead. Larry has two more stints in hospital over the next week and then in six weeks he will start immunotherapy. So together we will face what is ahead putting on a brave smile and taking it one day at a time. We are so grateful for family and special friends and were extra grateful for our son in law Brett's cooking skills....what a thoughtful thing to do for us so the freezer is now full of nutritious meals......

Larry received some very special cards including these handmade ones from Beau and Maisie and take an extra look at Maisie's words.....so precious and they certainly say it as it is......

So that is the low part so on with the "highs". Larry actually had a very special birthday back in June and I am so glad we didn't know what was ahead......

Maisie also had a birthday in July and being school holidays she spent it with her best friend and cousin Wade. They are all growing so fast and Beau is now 5 feet 6 inches and way above me and he's only twelve.....

 

I've kept myself busy as it is good for the mind and I've become quite obsessed with making these wool felt bears from a designer on Etsy that you can see here: Amuru toys. They have made great gifts for special people.....

I also found a lovely owl pattern that I reduced in size and gave to a special nurse in hospital. You can find that pattern here: My Felt Room

We've also had the SA Quilters annual quilt show in July. I haven't entered a quilt for over ten years but this year decided to enter as it was the 40th anniversary with a theme of Red. Larry actually decided on what I should make using William Morris' Brer Rabbit pattern that he also produced in red and white. I was chuffed to receive a 1st place and we took Maisie and Wade to see it all......

I've also been stitching goodies for our Local Red Cross branch to sell at our fund raising events.....

Our small friendship quilt group are always busy and I made a doll/teddy themed quilt for one of our members for an event coming up for her. I've also finished quilting several quilts for palliative care and completed the pelican quilt designed by Julie Haddrick that one of our members never finished before she died. That is now going to be a prize in the Red Cross raffle.......

One of our group had a sale many years ago when she was downsizing and moving and I bought one of her woollen wall hangings that I am embarrassed to say has languished in a cupboard for many years. As we all get older there seems to always be things we need to get rid of and I really didn't want to get rid of this quilt. Having no room on the walls I decided to cut the hanging up and I had just enough to make each of our group a small zippered purse. So we all have a little bit of Lessa's handiwork that is in Morris' words..... useful and beautiful......

I've been planning in my mind which special things I will leave for the grandchildren so I had a talented woodworking friend make me these beautiful memory boxes. I will fill them with photos, letters and special trinkets and memories from our lives and their great grandparent's lives. I was so thrilled with how they turned out.....

I will leave you with some images of a local florist's window in a nearby shopping centre that we saw some weeks back. Mr Morris seems to pop up all over the place! Until my Summer post take good care........