Treading water

The last 4 days, I’ve found it hard to keep my head above water.

On Friday, I had some surgery. Oh, nothing serious, and actually, something I’d been waiting to have for some considerable time (think years, not months). I waltzed in cheerfully, but crept back out like a geriatric snail – with apologies to all the snails out there who are currently rather more speedy than I.

Each time I’ve had surgery, and there have been a fair number in the past 3 years, I’ve found it harder and harder to haul myself out of the black hole it dumps me into. Which is why, dear bloggy friends, I have nothing very much to show you by way of creativity, achievement, jobs done and deadlines achieved. I’m getting through the day and the chores with the aid of copious naps and pain relief, and that’s IT. There are two projects in the pipeline to which I have given what energy I was able to summon up. I’m still trying to decide which one I want to finish first!

One is a hexagonal sewing box with fold out sides, beautifully designed by Lynn of Tialys. I’m one of her lucky pattern testers, and in honour of the occasion, I’ve dug out my last remaining piece of Amy Butler fabric, the design called Josephine’s Bouquet from the Cameo range for Westminster Fibers, in the dark grey and pink colourway. The floral medallion repeat in this fabric is the perfect size for the lid of the box. It was meant. I haven’t made much progress beyond cutting out all the card pieces and the outer and lining fabrics, but I shall take it to the sewing group tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll make some progress there.

The other project is a quilt for the Husband’s truck. He’s one of three drivers for the large and powerful beast they call ‘the office’, officially known as No. ECC44: Always Safe II, and known to me as Big Girl. She hauls 51,000 litres of diesel 250km to the mines three times a day, twice in daytime and once at night. I’m dismembering work shirts from all three of the guys, complete with their embroidered names, the embroidered company logo, reflective tape and buttoned pockets. There’s not quite enough fabric in 5 shirts (which is all I was given) to get really creative about it, but it will be unique, distinctive, personalised, and best of all, comfortable on the plastic covered bunk behind the front seats when the guys want to take a short break. Because the quilt will be made of old workwear, it doesn’t matter if it gets dirty – I know it’ll come clean again. A bit of creative piecing is needed to achieve the size they want: 72″ wide by 60″ high; I’m cutting 12″, 6″ and 4″ squares with extra seam allowance, and this makes good use of the available fabric pieces. The size allows them to lay the quilt on the bunk and then throw the top layer over themselves if it’s cool, or have a double thickness layer underneath them if it’s hot. I’ve also made an iron-on transfer of the truck’s name and the dates of operation; this driving team has migrated across from ‘Safely Home’ to ‘Always Safe II’, so both trucks are commemorated.

Tomorrow is delivering my baking to the coffee shop, followed by a morning at the sewing group. But Thursday’s all mine, and look out for slightly more impressive progress after that!