Quilting Retreat and another Tub Session!

I was only able to afford one official quilting retreat day (yesterday) without kiddies, as without family or Dave here these days, I have to pay for my alone time during the day! But it was lovely to have 9-4 to devote to sewing. I got my 20 blocks done for cousin Chrissy's quilt and started on my DJ triangle border!

I hope to get more done today on the tri border and maybe get a lot of the sashing and borders cut for Chrissy's quilt. She is still not much changed, opening her eyes a few times but not seeming to recognize what is happening to her. They have moved her to a nursing home for long-term care...it is so sad...I better make sure to label the quilt well and make sure that it doesn't go walking!

I had the girls over again for another hot tub (read drinking) session. Now I am a lightweight when it comes to drinking, compared to my friends here, look at all that Miller lined up on my deck! I drink a watered down Bacardi and Diet Coke! But I'm willing to learn, LOL! I should have started these hot tub sessions ages ago...is fun to have one night with the girls during the week...would have to have babysitter otherwise! 

Some Finishes to report!!

My Dear Jane center is DONE!! My life is busy these days with kids, work and I always seem to be too tired to get too much done, but I squeeze in quilting when I get a chance and over the last week, managed to do a few things!

My weight, however, is the worse it has been since I was pregnant. Do you think I can focus on weight loss again when my family are all back together again (and I can join a gym to do my favorite swimming...which has a creche for kids!). I feel out of control, but stress and tiredness make me reach for food. I feel guilty and then a vicious circle starts! I lost 70 lbs before. I need to lose at least 30-40 lbs now to get into 120/130 range I like (5 foot 1)... I really wish I could focus on it. I keep starting and failing, and that is just self-defeating. Oh well...sorry for that brief interlude into the dark recesses of my mind, LOL!!

My cousin's little baby's quilt is done, and very wrinkly looking in this photo, but I'm happy with it. It is very cute and completely from my stash (and Barbara and Hanne's!) I am plugging away on my cousin Chrissy's quilt...have all 20 block centers done and 10 blocks completely finished. It is those HSTs that always slow me down! She has apparently been opening her eyes a bit more, but nothing more than that... I hope she is fighting hard, I bet she is!

Tonight I have some friends coming over for a dip in the hot tub...two of them have been in before, but it will be a first for one of the girls...very decadent...drinking bacardi and coke in the hot tub watching the sun go down...very late tonight, nearly 11pm!! We might be selling the hot tub, but I'm angling to keep it in the smaller less private garden...if people want to look at my lumps and bumps while I soak...I say, let em!!

So...I plan to keep working away at my cousin's quilt, and then start contemplating my triangle borders for the Dear Jane... There are so many projects I'd like to do, just need about three centuries to do them! 

Sorry I've been gone so long!

I've gotten some lovely comments from folks wondering how I am, and how my cousin is. Quilters are good folk!

We had an Irish heat wave, which means we broke into the 80s...that is tropical here! So most of the last few weeks have been spent outside with kids and their friends!

Look at my DJ...one more row to go...it is too big to take a photo of it on the floor without moving furniture! I'm so excited to see it taking shape!

Another crafty friend surprised me with quilting fabric from the States today! She loves to yard sale in the summer and is keeping an eye out for me for quilting fabric...they are great, and the pinks and greens are perfect to go into my cousin's scrappy quilt!

Teddy quilt is quilted with binding sewn on...will get the quilt done over the next while.

We have gotten the other house in Ballina, Co. Tipperary...will be a great location and a big house. You can take a sneak peek here if you want to see it! Will need a bit of updating, but it is such a big house for us! It is still just going to paperwork now, where everything fell apart last time, so keep your fingers crossed.

My cousin is much the same, but opened her eyes for a brief moment last week...haven't heard any more, but a good reason to hope.

Days here are full of dressing up, trampolining, refereeing fights between a 2 and 3 year old...the normal stuff...but am looking forward to getting settled again!