Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I have da Whoopy Cough :(

For all of you who got upset last time I wound out a story about my personal illness only to tell you at the end I was fine, you'll notice I've been up front this time. The outcome is in the title. I wasn't being deliberately  mean in the previous post, I just enjoy building the drama. I'm hoping at some point for the writing equivalent of an Academy Award for best dramatic performance. Please feel free to drop my name to the writer's guild or someone else with the power to make my unfulfilled dream come true.

So... the doctor phoned me Monday morning and the verdict is back. I have whooping cough and have had it for a while, which explains why I've been feeling like crud for much of winter. Aside from the fact winter sucks , that is. I am much more a Spring/Early Summer  person.  I've taken  this week off work to get over the "I'm constantly tired" thing. I  have been pushing myself for too long and need to rest. Before I fall down. I bet you're all glad none of you have been in my immediate vicinity lately or you'd likely have da whoopy cough too.

The bummer of having a week off work is that I had a massive week planned, none of which will now come to pass, because this is about rest and relaxing , not about stripping chairs, and sanding desks  and making quilts.  We'll see how I feel towards the end of the week but at the moment, I'm content to trawl through Blogdom, surf the Internet and hit the online fabric stores. Mr. P is less impressed with the "hitting the online fabric stores " partly because so far I've managed to buy this fat quarter bundle to go with the 7 yards of Picnic Parade  I already have.


I love Jenean Morrison fabrics. Did you see her California Dreamin' range? Spectacular.  

And I scored these vintage butterfly and bird appliques off US eBay.  I know I said I would never do another applique quilt after the last one almost killed me (there goes that dramatic licence again folks )  but I need something to do when I'm not at the sewing machine or in front of the computer reading your fabulously interesting blogs. I'm planning for this to be a very long term project. I've been dying to do something with a 1930's feel and was contemplating a Dresden plate quilt but frankly that just seems too hard. I think I can get the feel I'm looking for from these vintage fabrics.




Beck over at Sarcastic Quilter posted this gem in the last couple of days posing the question "What is my sewing/quilting/crafting/recipe making schedule"? Frankly until she jogged my memory I had no idea we were anywhere near Christmas. I was serenely minding my own business and blissfully ignorant.  Now I have been jolted into realising  it is scarily close.

I'd like to get everything on my WIP list done by the end of the year but I fear that is a lofty ambition that will not come to pass. So, I'm going to set myself following goals and anything else I get done is a bonus. 

1) Complete desk re-do
2) Complete meat safe re-do
3) Finish computer room revamp (yeah I've kept that one quiet)
4) Finish Little P's Love U Quilt
5) Finish Indy and Lola's Quilt
6) Finish the Christmas Coin quilt

I love the idea of a handmade Christmas and Jenni at Baa Me Kniits talked about this in a recent blog post. The last couple of years I've said  I'm only going to give handmade and every year I cop out. It's hard when half your family doesn't really appreciate handmade. I don't want to waste my time and creativity giving a gift that will get chucked in a drawer after I hear fake "that's  beautiful " comments.   So...here's my question for you because I really need to pick your brains  - what are your ideas for great handmade gifts and  whats your ultimate given or received gift? I have a few ideas that I think might fly well but I can't say publicly what they are in case the recipients are reading my blog!

I'm off to hit the Book Depository....

16 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry to hear about the Whooping Cough! It's on the rise here in the States. I really hope LittleGirl doesn't bring it home from school! Get lots of rest and take care of yourself. Do you have a vaporizer/mister? That always seems to help soothe the lungs.

    I love the fabric! I'm not a big online shopper, but Fabric.com keeps sending me these wonderfully enticing advertisements. I may have to give it a try.

    What is the Book Depository? Is that a Lending Library? Truly hope you feel much better soon. Hope the doc gave you some good drugs to fight the cough too! :o) Larri at Seams Inspired

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  2. Get rest. Feel better. Ignore Mr. P when you are buying lovely fabric, or just tell him it's therapeutic treatment, ordered by your doctor.

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  3. SOQIMP says:

    Spill the beans..I'm watching you lol

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  4. Oh Dear Whooping Cough!!! Bugger :-)
    Jodie over at Ric-Rac had whooping cough and she coughed so much she was sick in the street....( check out her blog she has a wicked sense of humour http://vintagericrac.blogspot.com/) I hope you are not that bad! Rest up and take it easy....plenty of time to browse the net and tell Mr P that the aussie dollar is 94cents now so its perfect timing...was meant to be! Got to be some rewards for feeling so crap :-)

    Thanks for the link and my idea of good handmade presents are something that is useful so my lot are getting slippers, washcloths, teacosies, scarfs, beanies or just a cute toy! I have to tell you though that the boys are getting OTHER materialistic presents as well...I can just see their faces if they got another knitted rabbit...Waaahhhhhh :-)

    PS Nice fabric purchases!

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  5. May just need to add some of that fabric to the stash - I like IT!

    Hope you are feeling better soon - Whoopy cough does not sound like fun, but better than what you imagined - Huh??

    Rest and enjoy your hours of surfing (shopping).

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  6. First of all, Mrs. P. I'm just so sorry to hear about "da Whoopy cough". I've heard it was making a comeback since the vaccinations don't last all of our lives and a lot of people are choosing not to vaccinate their kids.

    Okay, if I were making hand-made gifts (won't happen this year), I'd do something I *know* everyone uses--pot holders, tea towels with added embellishment, special pillow cases, that sort of thing. Not everyone is a table-runner kind of person, and quilts are too large to make on short notice (at least for me).

    Get a lot of rest this week. We need our Mrs. P. healthy!

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  7. I love the handmade Christmas idea. Yep. I don't actually do it. Just admire it. I usually make some. My Mum always has a handmade Christmas so it's sort of a family tradition. Of course, I realised one year that you don't have to make it all yourself. There's always etsy or madeit and that can make a handmade Christmas much more doable. (Especially if like me you have about a hundred children!)

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  8. OMG Please tell me where you got the Picnic Parade fabric. I'm using it right now but I only have a charm pack!

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  9. I've already had da whoopy cough. I wasn't always, in the bright lights of the city of London, no, I was born out in East Anglia which is countryside and moved in at the age of two. The nasty early 70's pollutants and germs in the urban jungle gave me it then.

    I don't really do many handmade gifts either, for the same reason. They are never truly appreciated and it not that I'm looking for the praise but if the reciever doesn't really get the cost in materials, time and love put into them, whats the point?

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  10. Sorry to hear you're being whupped by da Whoopy cough! That's a real nasty bug--hope the rest does you good. Quilting is relatively sedentary, maybe you could carry on a bit with that? I just spent my two days home sick sewing!

    I have done homemade lots of times. Usually I do small things like Christmas tree ornaments or cardholders. We don't exchange gifts in my huge family anymore but I like to make special things from time to time.

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  11. Oh dear, I've never actually heard of anyone having Whooping Cough before. You take care of yourself. I would think stripping chairs and especially sanding would be a very bad idea for your poor lungs. Of course quilting is another thing completely, especially hand work like appliqueing. I love the 30's fabrics. I've promised myself a vintage fabric quilt if I can ever get to making stuff for myself again. Your list sounds doable. I like to make small lists so I can do extra stuff and feel like I've exceeded my expectations of myself.

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  12. My friend just emailed me that she was diagnosed today! And, my brother-in-law and niece had it this summer...his was the worst case in his county! Hopefully you'll enjoy laying low this week - perfect time for Christmas shopping!

    I have done food items (I know, big surprise) - jars of hot fudge, preserves, etc. One year I got crafty and made candles....I think the etsy idea is brilliant! Good luck and keep us posted!

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  13. Feel better soon and I am sure you can fit in a bit of sewing if you have to while you are home. I give handmade to my quilting friends and occasionally to my hairdresser & nail lady. Every now and again family gets a quilt but not very often. I remember I worked for hours on a quilt for my son a couple of years ago, he loved it my husband thought it was a stupid christmas present but basically his views on quilts on beds are a constant thorn in my side (apparently they sap the energy out of you because they are too heavy... yes and before you say it I should have had him committed years ago...this is not his only gem of wisdom he has lots).

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  14. Please take it easy Mrs P, which means lots of rest. I think buying fabric online sounds a lovely way to recuperate, and think of how stress free it is, instead of fighting through the crowds at Spotlight (passing your whooping cough to poor innocent bystanders).
    Absolutely love your purchases, and now you don't have to cut butterflies and birds out, way to go!
    I love the idea of handmade Xmas presents, but I have the same dilemma, none of my family appreciate handmade gifts.
    If you are a crocheter/knitter, scarves, beanies etc are always good, but then it's totally the wrong time of year here to be given either of those when it's a bzillion degrees outside. Pincushions and pot holders are quick and easy.
    So glad to hear you are not dying, would be completely devastated if there were no more Slack Tea Thursday posts from you.

    xxxx

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  15. I know we just chatted, but I forgot to say, thanks forbthw shout our and thanks for no suspense (although I would have understood in this particular post).

    Yeah, yeah, I'm never pleased. Feel better and don't overdo it.

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  16. Good excuse to veg out with movies and daytime TV - fancy a bit of Ready, Steady, Cook ? It might help you with that Thursday night menu !!!!
    Hope you feel better soon.
    Cheers
    Helen

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