Yes, you read right. My 35th First Friday Freebie is complete and just under a month late!
With Mr. Painted Quilt's help, I've been able to negotiate Mt. Everest the stairs to my sewing studio where I spent the past two afternoons. The first thing on my agenda was to finish up my FFF which was about two-thirds done before my hip gave way.
All neat and tidy...before I started to sew.
I felt like I'd been let out of prison!
Frankie kept me company the entire time while soaking up the sun's rays that were pouring in through the open window.
I still have to use my walker to get around but not in my sewing room! Everything in there is situated just close enough...some would say crowded... so that I can just reach out and hold onto something in order to get around.
At first everything seemed a little strange but it didn't take me long to get back in the groove. I completed the last stitches last evening while watching the hockey game. Woo hoo!
Not a very original title but here is your 35th First Friday Freebie called Fall Scarecrow. He works up quickly so there's still lots of time to make and enjoy him this year.
In order to download the PDF file which includes the photo, instructions and line drawings, please click HERE.
A little closer look...
Now that Autumn is officially here, the nights and mornings are much cooler which means that Ollie and Frankie are back to their cuddling routine.
What a pair!
Thanks for stopping by and as always...
Happy stitching!
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers as I travel this bumpy road to recovery.
Kudos to all the staff at the Restorative Care Center at our local hospital. Without their assistance and encouragement, I wouldn't be home today. They helped me get to the point where I am now able to get around with a walker which was my ultimate goal in order to be able to return home.
Our house is literally upside down and in a state of chaos. While I was in the hospital, Mr. Painted Quilt moved our bedroom downstairs into the living room because I won't be able to navigate stairs until I am able to walk without the aid of a walker. In order to make things easier for me to get around, much of our furniture has been moved either into the workshop and/or sunroom. It sure looks different around here which has got me to thinking that perhaps this is the little push I needed to think about downsizing and parting with of some of my stuff treasures. I envision a HUGE yard sale in the Spring!
Because my sewing room is upstairs, it goes without saying that nothing is happening in that area. How I miss it!
Unbeknownst to me while I was in the hospital, Debbie, a member of our guild who also happens to manage our local quilt shop, organized and collected fat quarters for me from both guild members and the gals who meet and sew in her shop. I was totally surprised when she came to visit me in the hospital bearing this basket filled to the brim with fat quarters!
I love them all and they will all be put to good use as soon as I can get back to sewing. Thank you again, my friends!
Even though I'm not sewing, I am staying busy. My best friend and quilting buddy Debra told me that it was time for me to get "back in the saddle" and suggested that we make a Baltimore quilt. I've always loved Baltimore quilts and vowed when I started quilting about seven years ago that I would make one someday.
There are twenty-five blocks to this quilt so you know it's going to be a work-in-progress.
We decided to make ours using the raw edge machine applique method using scraps and offcuts of batik fabrics from Debra's stash.
Yes, you read correctly...batiks! I do like batiks but I love my Civil War and reproduction fabrics more. I've never made anything from batiks and this for me will really be stepping out of that proverbial box!
To date we've traced and cut out seven blocks leaving eighteen more to go...but who's counting? *wink*
Tomorrow we are getting together again to cut out and prep another four or five blocks and hopefully more. It is our goal to have all twenty-five blocks prepped in time so that we can start to applique them at our long weekend "Dogpatch" retreat in October.
NOTE * A few of you asked me about the pattern that I used to make the scrappy star quilt that I posted about before being hospitalized. As soon as I can get into my sewing room I'll locate the pattern and provide you with the details. If I forget, please don't hesitate to remind me. I don't know how long this "anesthetic fog" is going to hang around.
Happy stitching!
At the outset, please allow me to humbly thank you for your thoughts, cares and best wishes. They mean the world to me and provide much peace.
This past Tuesday I was transferred to an RCU (Restorative Care Unit) about ten miles from home which makes it much easier for Mr. Painted Quilt to come and visit. This particular unit is one of the best in Nova Scotia and I know that I am in very capable hands to assist me with my recovery.
I am somewhat mobile with the aid of a walker and am getting stronger every day. If everything stays on track and I continue to make progress, I'm hoping to be able to return home in about two weeks. I'm working hard to that end. Hospitals have never been my favorite place, especially as a patient.
I can now access my email through "webmail" thanks to a gal at Apple who walked me through the process. For whatever reason the hospitals have blocked the "ports" that my email uses so I wasn't able to either read or send until two days ago. I could access the internet but not my mail. Frustrating to say the least!
Today is the first Friday of September, the day I would have been releasing my September First Friday Freebie. The project is over half way done and is waiting for me to complete upon my return home. It is an Autumn themed design that I'm sure you will all like as much as I do. It is 'close' to the top of my ever growing list of things to do once I'm back home and promise to release it as soon as I get it done.
Once again, thank you all for your caring and support.
Giant hugs and as always,
Happy stitching!
