Blog comments, Sashiko Lab and Tony update

 I want to start off with, what is going on with blogger and their comments. I am not receiving any via email, like so many of you. I have just gone through a lot of them by reading back a few posts. I really appreciate them, especially at this time when I am house bound. They have made me smile. I am sorry I have not replied to them but remember that they mean a lot. So keep them coming. I am not able to leave Tony and go to my sewing group so the blog is what is keeping me going.

Thankyou to everyone for all your well wishes and kind thoughts about Tony. He is improving. Walking a bit more but only in the home, eating better and talking better. His feet are still in excruciating pain but, the infection seems to have gone. At this stage he still has all his toes. A slow progress. Any progress is good. We have had so many appointments the days are flying by. 

I have actually started to do some hand stitching.

So, while I was in Japan I was lucky enough to have a stitching class at Sashiko Lab.

Sashiko Lab blog

Sashiko Lab courses

We walked through Kyoto back streets which were very interesting. We saw many beautiful traditional homes with very tight car parking spaces. They can park their cars in the most amazing smallest spaces.

Arriving at Kazue Yoshikawa’s home for a Sashiko class

 

and first thing I noticed was this beautiful sink made with the most stunning tiles.

There were 6 of us doing the class from our group. That’s all that could fit.

We were to make a specially designed piece which gets finished into an envelope style pouch that ties closed.

So we started

Maxine kept working on hers in the motel room. She is hooked. Completing the plaited ties.

And I have been working on it at home.

I have since added a 3rd colour. It is looking good. 

Here we are after the class. All very happy

Yes, I did buy some threads, the cute little scissors and marking pen refills.

It was a wonderful class.

It’s the end of January. Where has the month gone.

 This month has been hot. The car temperature got to 50 deg Celsius. Did I say it’s been hot. I really haven’t been in the mood for sewing, crafting, blogging or anything really. I’m not sure what is going on with blogger but I now find I cannot comment on half the blogs I follow. I go from one to the next comment then the next one won’t allow me to. So please know I am reading them but cannot leave a comment. Work has been extremely busy. So thank you Chooky for the chance to have a few short zooms.

While on Zoom I also started knitting another teabag scarf. Photos on another post to come. But for sewing I made another zippered placemat. It went together very quickly. I have started another one for a demonstration/tutorial I am doing at quilt group. 

I am using all the scraps from left over from a mystery quilt I made.

Having fun sewing them altogether.

Zip step 1

Zip step 2

The zip is in

The top is all together

I’m ready for quilting

My red table scraps don’t meet the criteria with the snowmen but they are red.

https://thejoyfulquilter.blogspot.com/2022/01/january-2022-table-scraps-challenge.html

Sewing along with Angela and my red scraps 

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2022/01/scraphappy-saturday-week-5-wrapping-up.html

And yes, you were right Deana. This new placemat will be a gift for a friends birthday soon as she really loved mine when I showed her. She also goes on a lot of picnics so it will be used a lot.

I have had the grandsons for overnight where we had pancakes and icecream for breakfast. Their dad thought I was crazy. They boys loved it. We have also celebrated the youngest grandsons 11th birthday. It was fun. Sorry . No photos of that..

I idi a little sewing job for a friend and sewed some patches on his leather jacket. I said a bottle of wine would be a nice Thank you gesture. Well, he got the message and gave me 3 dozen bottles. I think I owe him a huge thank you.

Also had a great all day sew at our quilt group. I worked some more on Bonnie Hunters RT mystery. I have not got very far. I also made an accordion purse but it is not completely finished. The girls on zoom got to see where I was up to.

My daughter has been a bit sad after hearing news of a friends decline in health. Friends have started a go fund me page as they need help to make what’s left of her life a little easier. A lovely 40 year old with a loving husband and very young son has to deal with the terrible disease, Alzheimers. I had one completed charity quilt left to donate and my daughter wanted to pass it on for comfort and later on as a memory of her. My beautiful scrappy BUTTERFLIES. So tonight I sewed on the label and it’s ready to be delivered.

Please help out if you can.                  https://gofund.me/426383ff

Look at the perfect matched label.

Well I haven’t been able to find a finished photo so must get one before it gets sent of to its new home.

If you have reached the bottom of this post… Thankyou.

I have not felt like doing a post for a while so it is all in one. If you see my side bar the last 2 years I have not been up to where I normally was. Is this due to covid.

Looking forward to February 

Comments aren't being emailed and privacy policy is here.

As we are all experiencing this annoyance of comments not being emailed we have to put up with it until it is sorted out. I hope you know I am reading your comments but can't reply easily.

I have also added a privacy policy tab at the top of my page.

Not sure if it covers everything but I have tried.

https://jobutterfield.blogspot.com/p/privacy-policy.html