This quilt is finished and will be given away tomorrow. The binding was easy to put on compared to doing one in a batik!
Don't know why the blues look so washed out and blurry, as this quilt has some nice color to it. Maybe it needs a second attempt in outdoor lighting.
I called it "Blue is not for feeling blue, Blue is for looking up" and already gave the recipient this wonderful quote from Jamie Anderson:
I had a pacemaker put in on September 27 and am often letting pain win over thanksgiving by feeling sorry for myself. However, this is Canada Thanksgiving weekend... and I need to be looking up! The Lord is good and loves me even if I whine, my family is sympathetic and helpful, and the sun is shining.
Still, I cannot quilt for a few weeks nor do much of anything else. Idle is not easy for me!
Making a long thankful list! May your weekend be joyful!
The binding is on Scott's king-size quilt. Another lap quilt is being bound. I'm not certain about getting anything done for a few days though because September 27 is pacemaker day.
I've felt rather slow, not too ambitious for the last couple of months and am taking it easy. The pacemaker offers hope for change, but it will not be
hooked up for a few weeks after being put in. The reason is that the offending electrical impulses in my
heart are in the two upper chambers meaning that they must be zapped to put
them out of commission so the lower chambers and the pacemaker can take over.
This zapping (ablation) cannot be done until the pacemaker is in and healed, likely in the first part of November.
Both procedures are done without anesthetic, just local freezing.
I've a few tops ready to quilt and can run my longarm using a panto without too much stress. And sewing on binding is a lovely way to pass the time!
The past two months have been a challenge, but quilting is good therapy. So are naps and this is why this quilt is taking so long. However, now that the blocks are done and all the other parts are cut and labeled, it is going together -- at last.
The corner and first block are sewn together. The sashing and next row of blocks are just pinned to the design wall. I'm usually into artsy rather than making a zillion pieces, but this was fun and I'm loving the way it looks so far.
I made an enlarged photocopy and have been sketching quilting motifs and ideas, so when the time comes to get stitching, there will be some options to select.
Btw, I'm feeling okay, have lost the few pounds that were mostly water, and my heart is beating normally. Yet I'm aware that each day is a gift, so taking life (thankfully) one day at a time.
This is another Celtic Table Runner that I just finished for my daughter. She saw the first one and asked for it in black and cream. I've never made the same thing twice, but for her... It is named, "Love Knots for Karen" and is about 16 x 40" with the bias strips sewn on by hand. I quilted beside them with invisible thread. Then I used twin needles and made a rectangle around the Celtic knots and finished it with a small meander on the outside edges. This gives those outside 'borders' a nice texture. Also, I put on a facing instead of a binding.
Health update: Heart clinic here says that my a-fib is caused by an enlarged atrium which was caused by a leaking mitral valve. No fix. Valve replacement is too risky. They put me on three medications, all of which have side-effects. I have not felt well and couldn't do much, but something amazing happened last Thursday. I was praying for strength for the day and suddenly all my symptoms and side-effects left. Don't know exactly why that happened, but I've never felt so good for a long time. It could be that my body adjusted to the meds and at the same time, they really kicked in. As Charles Spurgeon once said, "God never uses miracles when He can use ordinary things!" That is fine with me — and I am very thankful.
