Sorry for the absence

Where has the time gone?

Christmas came and went in a swosh of medication, fever, hallucination and nastiness.

A very nasty flu virus has swept the valley where we live, and because of the time of year, people travelling to families etc, it has gone nation wide.

Norovirus has also made a recurrence in the NHS hospitals, not so good for my Grandfather who is very poorly and has been since before Christmas, when he was found on the floor in his bungalow by the cleaner.   That was a water infection, then he had a stroke, then Noro Virus got him.... What else can he be hit with?

Thankfully he is a strong man and will come through the other side.

I, without thinking of anything but the poo storm that would erupt if we didn't go to visit my family, took all of us on Boxing Day to visit, and stay over with my Mother for a few days.  I was still very poorly, but just couldn't not go. Family politic's are hellish in my family.

Mother, I believe has now got the virus that had us all and blames me totally.  Which is OK. What was not OK was that she told me in no uncertain terms that we were not staying there two nights.  As we had arranged.  

Her own daughter ousted out of the house that I once called a home.  That summed my Christmas up.

I hope your Christmas' were fantastic, as they should be. This year, our Christmas will be good. All the children will be here (the eldest two are born of my Ex husband). We alternate years.... it can be very quiet when its not our year... 

For now though, a New Year, New beginning and all that... I have found a new passion.

No, I am still with my partner, I have discovered... piecing, paper piecing, foundation piecing, seminole, bargello, stargello etc... you name it, I love it!

Though I do find putting fabric's together something of a chore... I just don't have the eye for it... or a big enough stash of fabrics yet?

Rear of my Eldest's wall tidy

Pocket of wall tidy

The entire front of her wall tidy

My youngest daughter's wall tidy.

A fuzzy middle of the wall tidy...

Paper pieced heart

Bargello cutting board bag

board bag

Practice foundation pieced log cabin

Practice

one of four final pieces.

same one,

same again....

Gaia's wall tidy...

the back of Gaia's wall tidy

The top rear of Gaia's wall tidy

Bargello - Batiks are some of my new best friends

My paper piece design heart, sat on my journal - part patchwork/quilting diary and every day diary...

Why do I enjoy piecing so much?  
I don't know....
it looks very intricate, difficult, and when you are actually doing it, you realise just how 'easy' it is. Of course there is a huge issue with perfection.  You have to place things and sew thing's just right, otherwise it isn't placed, or pieced properly.  One other thing I have been doing a lot of is, unpicking.  However, as I have gone through and done the undoing, I am learning to go slow when I need to.  Take it easy, don't rush because that's when I miss little instructions on patterns and that is when I have to either re-do or live with a less than perfect end result.

I love the wall tidies though and am in the process of designing my own foundation pieced heart pockets so they can be sold for Valentines...
Better get a shoofty on though as it's too close to ignore...

I'd best get a card for the love of my life.... and one for Simon... ;-)

Take care lovely people and happy quilting, sewing, or what ever crafting you are doing x
J