Post 381 Mostly on my laptop, recovering.

I said last week that a quiet week at home was called for. I kept my word, staying in and watching the garden grow by day 

and the moon set slowly over the city at night.  

There have also been some charming sunrises.

As a result of this physical inactivity, my ribs have substantially healed. The damaged spot is still slightly tender to touch and needs to be protected from pressure, but it's otherwise fine. I'm planning on returning to my Pilates class this Thursday. Thank you for all the good wishes.

I had plenty to occupy me. Edwin, who designed my website and has managed its licensing and maintenance over the last ten years has finally moved out of the web business to focus on his video business. This has meant moving the hosting of my website, which, with his help, I have managed to do. I have not, however, managed to find a web maintenance service to help me keep the site up to date. The one recommended by Edwin has not responded to my message. I suspect my requirements are too small to be of interest. I don't want to do a great deal with the site, but I'd like to maintain it as a legacy. I feel a bit old and out of the loop of web support to manage it on my own.  I hope I can find a solution.

This has given me even more incentive to push on with converting my Conversations with Baby Boomer Teacher blog into a book. I've spent much of the week organising the Conversations into groups,  uploading them into a single file, editing and hopefully preparing to upload it into publishing software. There's still a way to go, but I'm close to having the text of all 49 conversations organised in a single file. Rereading them reinforces how good the stories are, and the importance of making them accessible. I will push on.

Writing and website anxiety took up more time than embroidery this week, but I did manage to finish the Fisherton-de-la-Mere pouch, working the needlelace on the back of a small cushion.

I skipped the picots. I'm very pleased with the result. The photo reminds me that I need to add a pearl button.

I also worked the design on to the smaller piece of linen suggested in the class description for making a needle case. I used the back to practise the eyelets and add my initial and the year. I have the edge yet to work, but I'm  pleased with the eyelets.

The shawl has grown, but isn't finished. There is probably wool for a couple more inches before I cast off.

I picked Niamh up from JEMS on Saturday and cooked most of Sunday - pasta bake for Monday night, lamb shanks and soup for myself.  I enjoyed the soup tonight after taking the girls to netball training.

In the coming week I have an appointment with the renal specialist my GP wants me to see to monitor the health of my single kidney. Several of my friends have had medical issues requiring attention in the last week. We are fortunate to have access to good medical services.

On Saturday I am teaching Icelandic Embroidery to the Guild's Certificate Course. I'm well prepared - but nervous. 

There's still no news on the re-scheduling of our electricity outage. The forecast is for a wet week - never a cause for complaint in Adelaide!

Post 380 Ups and Downs

The World Embroidery Study Group of the Embroiderers' Guild met last Wednesday. It was our second meeting on Mend and Make Do, led by Lori, who based her presentation around this book. She had quite a few examples of flour sack dresses and furnishings.

Her presentation provoked much discussion and many stories from the 9 members present. It has proved to be a topic very dear to our hearts.  Many of us grew up with post WWII shortages.

Several people brought along examples.The jacket on the left was made by Pat from a knitted top by the addition of some bright textured fabric. On the right is one of Barbara's fabulous nightshirts made by combining parts of Tshirts. 

Andie brought along a Noro coat she had bought (right) and a sleeveless top she made from a man's suit.

I took along some of my grandmother's hankies, made from my grandfather's shirts, one of her coathangers and some of my bags made from my old jeans and pants.

I was delighted to receive an email from Genevieve in Brussels. I'm really pleased to hear she is now fully vaccinated against Covid and that their swimming pools and indoor restaurants were about to open. She has been knitting a Kate Davies design - amazingly one I had been looking at myself the same week! She has also completed this component of painted thread  embroidery from an online class with Jen Goodwin. I think it's truly beautiful. Even more exciting, in a few days' time, Genevieve is heading for la Baie de Somme in Northern France for a holiday.  That is such a step forward. I do hope it goes smoothly.

At the end of last week's post I reported on the fall I had in the Central Market carpark. The immediate impact was to my knees, left hand and arm. By Wednesday it dawned on me that I had cracked a rib.  I cancelled my Pilates class on Thursday and took things very easy. It was difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position but I managed reasonably well. On Friday I rang my doctor's rooms, but there were no appointments for the next week. I was invited to ring at 8.00 am on Tuesday morning if I needed an emergency appointment.

On Friday I met Jennifer for lunch at Mr Nick's at Frewville. We had a most relaxed and pleasant lunch. I am pretty comfortable while sitting in a chair and leaning slightly back. I had grilled salmon - and an affogato.

On my way home I called at Create in Stitch for the needles I needed for a weekend class at the Guild. It was a long weekend here for the Queen's Birthday and I had booked into a two day class over Saturday and Sunday.

The class was in Fisherton-de-la-Mere taken by Christine Bishop. I had done the class before, in 2016, making the green pouch on the left. I really liked both the class and the result, which I use for a jade and pearl necklace. I had taken a lot of trouble to find the blue Permin linen to make another one. 

There were 8 of us in the class - and it was really enjoyable. I managed the outlines and bullions OK, but my eyelets were terrible. They weren't very good on my green one either!

Unwisely, I spent the day in a plastic chair looking down at my work. By the time I left in the afternoon, I was in pain. Not only did my rib hurt, but each breath was painful. I cancelled going to Katherine's for dinner, took some paracetamol and settled into a chair with plenty of cushions and my feet up. I was, I admit, a bit scared. By the morning my breathing was no longer painful although I was still very sore. 

I went to the second day of the class and sat in a padded chair with a slightly sloping back. Everyone was helpful and solicitous. Christine even found me a lectern on which I could rest my work to practice the needlelace edge at the level of my face. 

I had an early night and spent most of the Monday holiday reclined in a chair reading. I ventured to Frewville to get a few supplies in case the electricity was off for periods on Tuesday and the lift not working as more work is scheduled on our electricity meters. In the afternoon I unpicked the eyelets and reworked them (left). Much happier.

This morning I did not ring the doctor. My ribs and knees are still tender and my arm a bit stiff. I am, however, recovering steadily and not in need of emergency treatment. My electricity went off at 9am but back on at 10am. I've spent the day completing the buttonhole edge on the Fisherton-de-la-Mere piece and reading TheBaby Snatcher, the last of Ann Cleeves' Ramsay series. 

I've cut the edge, ironed it and pinned in the lining. I'm now in the process of stitching the lining in. I'm planning on adding a needlelace edge, perhaps not with picots. 

I haven't decided whether to use white thread or  blue to match the linen.

This evening I answered a call to take the girls to netball. I hope they got some practice in before it bucketed down! I managed to stitch in one side of the lining before I had dinner and switched to my knitting.

It's coming along although I had to undo a couple of rows - better to keep going on a roll with this one. It's not a difficult sequence to remember, but easy to switch to  automatic pilot and miss a change. I'm guessing I have wool for another 10--15 cm.

I might get it done this week. I think a quiet week at home is called for.