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My winter stitching plans

I know, I'm posting twice in twenty four hours...unheard of!  (And it's probably never going to happen again!)

After reading some of the summer sewing round up posts and hearing that Sarah@Fairyface Designs was planning a winter version I decided it might be just the thing for me - I love lists as they always make me feel organised and stop ideas whizzing round in my head.  I'm afraid that some of my plans are a little woolly as I usually find Christmas exhausting and as I'm going through a bit of a bad patch at the moment I have no idea how much stitching I'll be able to do.  (For those of you who are new to my blog...I have ME/CFS and am unable to work due to the condition - sewing keeps me sane (ish) but I can't do as much as I would like due to my low energy levels, etc.)
 

FairyFace Designs



So, here's my slightly woolly and fuzzy winter stitching list (in no particular order!):

1&2.  Add backs (cord?  Velvet?) to my knitted and crocheted squares to turn them into cushion covers

Must remember to block it first!

3(Not sure this counts but I'm adding it anyway!)  Finish sorting my scraps so that this...

 turns into this...


4.  Make my BQS Pillow Fight cushion for my secret partner (deadline = 21st November)
5.  Make a cushion for a friend (deadline = as close to 21st November as possible!)
6.  Finish the Twelve Days of Christmas red work garland for my mam (deadline = Christmas day!)
7Start the blue and white snowball and nine patch quilt that my mam wants me to make for their spare room  (Dad doesn't get a choice!) for which she's collected these fabrics

Rebecca, if you're reading this I know you're laughing at my neatly drawn plan!
8.  Decide what size to make my Christmas quilt and firm up the design (embroidery or raw edge applique is the debate currently going on in my head!) PLUS create some (all?!) designs for the (multiple) embroidered panels.  The quilt has been inspired by these


The pegs I use to display my Christmas cards
and I've collected mysteriously acquired these fabrics for it



9.  Make some more hexies - maybe another four dozen, which will almost take me to the halfway point.  (Not all of them have to be pieced as I need some whole hexies to balance out the completely scrappy look!)

There...nine items on the list, doesn't seem too bad, especially compared to some people!  And only three that have a definite deadline - I do hope I can accomplish more than that, I'll let you know in the round up post, due sometime in mid March I think.

And it wouldn't be an ATWD post without a few photos of the man dog himself.  We went to the vet this morning so he could have some blood taken (he's getting scared of going now, poor thing) so they could check his kidneys and liver, etc. and he looked so cute with his yellow smiley face bandage that I wanted to share some photos with his fans!

Look into my eyes...you want to give me a biscuit...
...you know you want to give me a biscuit...
...if I'm not getting the biscuit then you're not getting another photo of my bandage
Look, poorly leg...that definitely deserves a biscuit!
If you're still reading and haven't fallen asleep then well done!

I've removed the bandage now and can *just* see a tiny needle mark - no bald patch or anything!  Brave Archie!  The vet has just phoned and all his tests bar one absolutely fine.  One of his liver enzymes is slightly raised but nothing that's unusual in a dog his age (11.5 years) so we just have to go back in six months for another test.  He can stay on the Metacam (anti-inflammatory) for as long as he needs to (reading between the lines I think it will be forever) and he's allowed to slowly build up to a thirty minute lead walk.  When he can cope with that he can come off the lead for five minutes at a time and that can then slowly build up.  If I'm sure he's under control and not going to be jogging then I'm allowed to let him off the lead so he can sniff and mark his favourite trees - yeah!  I'm also allowed to move his medication to an evening so that he no longer has to have half his tea for breakfast (and so he won't think he's being starved, he's not daft, he knows when he's being fobbed off with a carrot!) and I can have a slower start to the day which I desperately need at the moment!  Good news all round!


I'm linking up with Sarah's Winter Stitching List post, click on the button at the top of this post to see what she (and many others!) have planned for the coming months.

Thanks for popping in (sorry you had to stay longer than you expected!!) - hope you're having a wonderful day!


Comments

  1. Metacam has made a huge difference to two of our dogs - and taking long term seemed to be OK. He looks like he would have nibbled that bandage off anyway!

    Pomona x

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  2. Ahh! Poor thing! Of course he deserved a biscuit :-)
    Glad he is on the mend and hope you feel better soon.

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  3. I am loving the knitted/crocheted cushion covers! Gorgeous :) The list seems reasonable to me. Glad Archie is on the mend and I'm sure he'll love sniffing around! My winter wish (is there such a thing, i don't know, but there is for me now!!) is for you to have plenty of healthy days :)
    xxx

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  4. Awww, bless him, he looks sooo cute. Good luck with your list!

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  5. 1 Did Archie get his biscuit?

    2 Stop saying you go on too long Helen ! You don't!

    3 I'm looking forward to seeing everything that is on your list finished!

    4 I'm hoping you have a great evening!

    Can I link up too? Hehe!

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  6. Hey Sweetie, love the pic where arches looks like he's blushing!
    Hope you get some long lies and restful nights :-) (hope I do too.... lol )

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  7. Well have just shown hubby pictures of the bandage we are both crying with laughter, we have had dogs for nearly 40 years and we have never ever seen a smiley bandage for a dog, ....awww bless him. Hey that is good news his tests are okay you can relax now and get back to normal. x

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  8. Yayyyy for Archie! Yaayyyy for Helen- lie ins again! Glad it's good news all round :) Great list, manageable and really not wooley at all, cushions aside! Now rest a while and build up some energy for the winter :)

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  9. Lol, your list is not at all fuzzy, it's very clear! Great pics of Archie and I can't wait to see how your Chrimble quilt works out x

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  10. Aw, now I am not a dog person but even I think those pics are super cute! Your plan looks great Helen - love those Christmas fabrics and your knit and crochet cushion covers to-be are amazing. Can't wait to see how you get on with these projects, thanks for linking up!

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  11. Nice crisp and even Redwork on your 12 days of Christmas Helen. Your Mum is a lucky lady. I didnt know you were a maestro at stitching. Wish I could invite you over to give me some Redwork tips and for your trouble I would give Archie a biscuit (or 3) when you arent looking.

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  12. Oh I do want to give you a biccie Archie - you are so gorgeous. Good luck with the list Helen - sure Archie will lend you a paw.

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  13. lol, "fobbed off with a carrot" ... I'd know that too, and I'll always keep reading if there's talk of a biscuit!!

    Well done on passing the tests Archie. I have to have blood tests for my kidneys every 2 weeks and next week I have day-surgery so they can install a catheter that will at some point soon be used for dialysis... the plus point about that is that it won't restrict my tea consumption when my kidneys finally grind to a halt, and I can do the dialysis overnight, so no great inconvenience :)

    Don't like blood tests though, so I don't blame you for not being keen on the vet (or the carrots!)

    Good luck with the sewing list... I'm going to try and do a short one of these and maybe I'll get something finished by Christmas :)

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  14. Go Archie Go Archie Go! Atta boy we knew you could do it! Portia is sending some love (sniffing, wet nose, licks, the whole lot).

    Sigh, I've been meaning to add my list to Sarah's Winter Sewing! I love seeing yours. You know mine will be ridiculously long and completely insurmountable. Which is probably why I haven't written it yet! Hahahaaa!!!

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  15. Beautiful colors in the needlework and fabrics! Love! Nice list!

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  16. Archie looks like a puppy in those pics, hard to believe he is 11 1/2!
    4dozen more hexies???

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  17. So glad Archie is doing well. And good to hear that you can ease your schedule a bit - might make the difference in having that much needed edge of energy back. Your list is admirable! I'm not writing one because I'll scare the pants off myself!! Have a lovely Friday, Jxo

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  18. Aww! Archie is cute and he def deserved a biscuit lol!
    Great list, great fabrics on there! Look forward to seeing what you do with them :)

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  19. Ahh, Archie is so gorgeous! Glad to hear he's doing well. Great list and a lovely selection of fabrics.

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  20. fab list - and certainly enough to do over the next few months - love your knitting - the colours are gorgeous

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  21. Looks like a great list to me :) Archie looks oh so cute in the last picture..... did he get his biscuit?
    I have to make a blue thing for my mam too ;)
    Ellyx

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  22. Great sewing list and poor Archie - though your photos of him in black and white with that yellow bandage are priceless. I need to up my camera skills I think!

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  23. Great list, I'm too chicken to make a list :)

    Your photos of Archie are just so cute, glad to hear he's on the mend.

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  24. Great to see Archie doing ok. He looks like a very nice dog.

    It's always good to have a list and a plan to achieve it. I once tried listing my UFO's, but stopped at 20. If it wasn't for swaps, I'd probably never get anything finished!

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  25. Good to hear Archies on the mend. :)
    Love the plan! I have one for every project I do, but shhhhh, don't tell Rebecca....

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  26. Oh my heck! They have smiley face bandages for pups?! Life is better than I realized! Lol
    Thanks for checking out my blog! I love it when people stop by.

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  27. Awww, Archie DESERVES a biscuit! The trauma of going to the Vet and needles, Oh My!

    Love the list, can't wait to see your projects!

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  28. Great sewing list and I'm so glad Archie is on the mend :)

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  29. hi there - I've been seeing Archie the Wonderdog comments on quite a few blogs I've been to lately so today I just had to check you out - great blog - Archie is absolutely gorgeous and I love your captions :)

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