Hand work and surgery

I'm going to have surgery on Monday and get a kick out of the reaction of quilters who seem to have no concern whatsoever about the stitches going into me but are very concerned lest I have not enough to do during my recovery. "I hope you have enough hand projects!" they say.

Well, I do. I have a quilt half hand quilted and a Hawaiian applique project underway.

These days the medical establishment sends you to surgery class. You get to ask questions such as "how long until I can drive?" Of course, what you really want to ask is how long until I can use the sewing machine. I guess the line is less in terms of when you get off the heavy pain pills and more about when you feel less fatigued.

Birds of a feather

I really like making things for Paula (a coworker buddy of mine) because she genuinely gets a kick out of them. She also has some identifiably favorite things (in this case, crows) so it isn't hard to select fabrics.

I've made a pair of predominantly pink ones for Bob and Marie and a blue one for my son. It's been a varitable aviary in my sewing room.

Bird finds favor

My son and husband were not impressed by a phase I went through some time ago making enlongated Christmas elves. In fact, they find most dolls eerie so I moved on to other things. No use freaking the family out.

This little bird (pattern in the recent Quilt International magazine) has passed the family test. They like him and have okayed the production of more.

Quilt retreat top finished

This top is from a pattern (name not in front of me)--not someting I do very often. The pattern was the project for the Smith & Owen quilt retreat 2009 which I attended a couple weeks ago. Lessons were learned--some great ones that will improve my handwork (I know how to start and stop blanket-stitch properly now) and that you need to bring your own proper chair to retreats or risk back-ache by plastic stacking chair.

Doll Quilt

This simple doll quilt is approximately 20" square. It's a gift for a student worker in our office who is having a baby soon and has decorated in green and ladybugs. That makes something like 6 baby gifts in the last 18 months. Phew! I'm still making progress on the blue & white quilt promised to my son. Really I am.

Boutis Booties

These boutis booties will bring to mind for some the cover of a great issue of Inspirations magazine from some years back. As this is almost my first try with the French technique boutis, I simplified these a little. Less difficult than I thought (quicker), but I would not use pencil again--a water soluble marker would have been a better idea.

These are for the frist grandchild of a coworker of mine. A little girl is expected in November.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds

This fun border fabric inspired this 45" square baby quilt depicting the children's rhyme about 4 & 20 blackbirds baked in a pie. The cherries are inspired by the cover of a Fons & Porter magazine, but otherwise the design is mine. Machine quilted. Rickrack in the binding.

This is, I think, my 10th baby quilt (4th in the last year!). Time to get back to the one for my 11 year old!