Friday 30 May 2008

Off to a show!!

How's this for coincidence?? Tomorrow I'm off to Bristol to a quilt show, which I didn't know about until one of my running buddies on the Runners' World website forum spotted a banner for it and mentioned it to me!

As it's DH's payday I decided I may as well head there and check it out. I'm mainly hoping to be able to compare the work there with my own stuff ready for our own show in August. It seems to be a local grou pwho are exhibiting, so I don't imagine it will take me ages to have a look round. Maybe there'll be a sale table with ideas for our own as well!

Following on from the Half, both second toe nails are now purple! I am at least wlaking properly though. At run club last night I managed most of 4.3 miles, afer walking there, and then run/walk back home.

Pirate kit arrived yesterday so I wore the monaco to run club, but the girly tank is a bit small...looks like more running and less eating for me!

Monday 26 May 2008

Busy weekend behind me.



Yesterday was the Plymouth Half marathon which me and DH were both running in. I wasn't sure how my achilles would stand up to the 13.1 miles, but knew I could always walk if I needed to. Weather forecast was for heavy rain and high winds, great! In the end we had a brief shower at 8am, and sunshine for the rest of the day.

We got to the Hoe, met DS and sorted ourselvs out with baggage drops and meeting the various groups we needed to say hello to. Group photo for the running club great...around 50 of us. I managed to get on the back line, saying I felt more at home at the back ;-)

By the time I'd left the loo queue, I lined up facing the wrong way I was so far back. Nearly 5 minutes before I crossed the line, and I was off. Felt nice and easy, and I hit the first mile point at 10 minutes.

No major traumas and I was feeling great at Saltram. I'd planned to walk the hill there and at Haye rd, and that was exactly what I did. As I got more comfortable and further round the course, I began to target people in my vision to over take. One woman took me over a mile to get past, but she didn't come back after me. I was definitely passing more than were passing me. The other club runner finally got away form me on Billacombe rd, which despite being downhill I struggled with.

Another clubbie supporting boosted me by running with me for a few yards, and I gave him my gel belt in exchange for a couple of wine gums. 10 miles down and still bang on time for 11 minute miles

I kept plodding on overtaking people until I got to the Barbican. Dashed into Jacka's to yell HI to Marge, then walked up the hill. Less than a mile to go and the PB was looking dodgy, but I caried on regardless. As I got to the final turn, I glanced at my watch...my course best was smashed and the PB was still on. I passed a guy with Cooky on his T shirt on the Hoe (last 50 yards) and stopped my watch with 11 minute 11 seconds off my PB (rounded on the official time to 1m 10s off)




yes it was as painful as it looks! Best bit about Plymouth is the runner's exclusion zone with as much food as you can eat, an excellent goody bag, stuffed with freebies. I also got a medal, t shirt, mini mars bars, water & apple juice thrust at me as I crossed the line.



As if that wasn't enough for a bank holiday weekend, I've been quilting as well. Dear Jane is just about finished!!! All the machine quilting is done on the main body of the quilt and the triangle borders. I've just got to darn the ends in and put the binding on. That will be my task for tonight, to bind it.





I'm still doubtful as to whether it might need more quilting, but if I decide it does, I can do it once it's been bound.

So another UFO finished (nearly), another quilt ticked off for the exhibiton in August, another PB. DH got a PB as well, 10 minutes off his Bath time! No blisters and all my toe nails look intact.

Thursday 22 May 2008

and there's more...

Ended a bit quickly there, got a phone call from work asking me to go in early.

The Irish chain is destined for a dear friend who I met when we were both expecting our daughters and at the same ante natal class. I pieced the top and showed her before I told her it was for her! Luckily for me, she liked it!! She's not seen the final thing yet. I need to tell her that although it's finished, I'd like to "borrow" to show in our Princetown exhibition.

At quilt group last week, B asked who of us would be showing a full sized quilt and I was the only one to stick her hand up... I really hope I'm not going to be the only one, or it's going to be a dull show ;-)

I'm also planning to show the siggy quilt, Jane and Lilibet if I get her finished on time. Jane's coming along nicely:



This is her on the kitchen table on the machine. I'm aiming to do some more on her tomorrow evening and on Saturday.

Sunday is the Plymouth Half, so no quilting for me, but Monday is bank holiday so lots then, assuming I can move my foot

Frustration and some hope

So yesterday was my clinic appointment for this adenoma. Arrived early, waited in the consulting room, a little puzzled about why the rectal probes were laid out so expectantly. Eventually the consultant arrived, and lo and behold she IS a rectal specialist. She was confused as to why I'd been referred to her and not the endocrinologist. She took a cursory history, did an examination, declared she wasn't sure what the lump was, but that it wasn't in the classic position for a parathyroid, but by the way my thyroid was enlarged!

Bloods taken, tried to book ultrasound but have to wait for a postal date. Referred to correct consultant now.

Got home and was really cross, contaced the referral team who were as bemused as the doc. They're supposedly going to sort it out and phone me today with a new date, but I really hope it's not another 5 weeks before I see this one!!

On the running front, it's my local half marathon at the weekend, by which time I'd hoped to be feeling more positive about the adenoma and be looking for a good race time. I think shher bloody anger is going to get me round at this rate. And it's forecast to rain!

Quilting is the only thing that keeps me sane right now. I've started quilting Jane. Done the central square, and 2 full rounds out, started on the third one last night, but didn't finish on account of watching the European Cup Final. No photos of that. Will take a set at the weekend.

The Irish chain is finished though!!!! Bound it with a Patrick Lose daffodil yellow marble which I love. It really brings the yellows in the quilt into focus.



And to show the hand quilting:



I took this using the close up function on the camera. I'd kind of forgotten about it, but I prefer it to just zooming in close:

Saturday 10 May 2008

Progressing nicely


I've finally got to the stage where I can baste my Dear Jane quilt! I had some backing fabric from Lady Sew and Sew, and at the beginnning of the month I ordered a full roll of 80:20 wadding. Once again, I'm so impressed with their delivery speeds. So it arrived, DS took it in, and once I was home from work, I cut a piece big enough for Jane to pre soak. Luckily we're having some lovely weather right now so it was able to dry on the line by the next morning. The backing fabric is cream with sprigs of green ferns on, very unobtrusive and I think it's just what I was needing for Jane.

DH moved all the lounge furniture to the sides. It looked like we'd put the whole room in a centrifuge and flung everything to the walls, but it's the only way I could get a space big enough to baste the quilt without worrying about creases, folds and tucks!

So, backing laid out, and pinned to the carpet along the 2 free edges. Next was to put the wadding on top:



Finally pin the quilt top itself to the sandwich. I pinned it with stick pins first of all then crawled all over it and pinned with curved safety pins in each block and at the centre of each border triangle:



Only trouble was I ran out of pins with a row of blocks and the top edge of triangles still to pin! Trip to Co-op today to buy more and it's all but done.

Now much as I'd love to start on it, I must carry on with the Irish chain, or it's going to end up being a UFO with a huge back story! Also, I've not decided which thread to quilt Jane with. I know I want a neutral colour, but I browse websites and get myself more confused than ever. Why can't there just be a shade called "perfect for what you need" that automatically arrives beautifully packaged just when you need it?

Tonight, DH and I are running in a local 10K race so late lunch for us followed by Chinese takeaway once we're back home. For once it's gettable to by public transport! Second race in club colours, and the first local one...just hope I'm not left too far behind everyone else at the end. Photos of that tomorrow...maybe