A Mini Break

 Don’t tell Nicola but we paid Freya a quick mid-week visit in Glasgow... Nella’s doctor said it was a good idea since she had never seen where Freya moved to last September. We were very careful to avoid busy areas. Nella and I have both had two doses of Covid vaccine and we always wear face-masks. The studenty flat is great, although on the top floor, up 77 steps and counting when you have to take a Scottie dog out for a wee. It is in the West End and even has a Waitrose about 2 minutes walk away. The surrounding streets are actually quiet and rather posh. There are super cafes and shops, selling everything from organic veg to vintage clothes. The Botanic Gardens are close by, which is where we went three times a day with Nessie. She encountered a bold squirrel and a bagpipe player for the first time. 

There was an exciting parcel waiting for me when I got home. I felt compelled to copy a Facebook friend who recently purchased a 1980’s Bernina Nova machine. I just happened to look them up on Ebay, put in a bid and bought one myself. I am delighted with my purchase. It is a simple, small, mechanical machine and it arrived in a clean, well maintained condition, although it was missing a few of its original feet and the outer plastic case had yellowed in the sun. After a little internet research, I discovered that you can coat the plastic with peroxide solution, cover it with clingfilm and “develop” it in sunlight. Amazingly, it has lightened quite a bit so I will give that method a go on other suntanned plastic, such as my overlocker. I would like to keep this handy machine in the house so I need to think of a small, easy project;)

I hosted a Zoom lesson for a Qmatic customer which worked without any technical hitches. I was able to screen-share my Qmatic computer and let her see the whole quilt frame plus my rear view using the Go-Pro on livestream. I expect I could add another camera to talk to the pupil face-to-face. I would like to record some basic processes such as setting up a quilt so the participant can re-watch those sessions later. 

This week I hope to keep up with customer quilts, enjoy the better weather and take Nessie for a pre-summer hair-do. If I can also fit in some German practice and some sort of mini project, it will be a good week:)

Business as Usual-ish

 This week felt almost like the old “normal”. I got 3 customer quilts done with all-over patterns and sent a box of quilts back to Frances in Cardiff.

I did a basic longarm lesson by phone for a new Q24 owner, just so she could have a little play before our official Zoom lesson. 

I have tried to keep on top of my online German courses. I have now reached the end of Babbel but hit a bit of a wall with Busuu as all of the grammar explanations are now in German and I haven’t a clue what is going on. I know a lot more German than when I started but would probably still speak German like a two-year old who knows a few big words. I could really do with a visit to Germany to get some proper practice.

It has rained and rained all week here. I think the jet stream is stuck and spring/summer is on hold. I had to order Nessie a waterproof jacket because she was getting muddy every time she went out. I cannot believe it is almost June weather-wise and indeed, where has 2021 actually gone so far...?

I still have no projects on the go, just dealing with day to day stuff and chipping away at a few customer quilts. I am painting Nella’s room one wall at a time so I don’t have to move all of the furniture at once. The room has very low ceilings so it is quite easy. The original ceiling paint is white and shiny, whereas the new paint is white and matt so it is obvious where I have missed bits. Still, anything is an improvement after 14 years of blu-tack and drawing pins have left their mark!

A Good Week

 Freya has been home this week and it has made such a difference having her around. We had a trip to Rosemount in Aberdeen where we trawled a couple of charity shops, visited a niche houseplant shop and had coffee in a vegan cafe. Nella has become a little braver at going out for coffee and having a snack with her sister instead of just me. It is all a practice for venturing to Glasgow, where we hope to spend a couple of nights in Freya’s flat. In the charity shop I was sad to see a collection of pieces by a local textile tutor who died. It really made me think about what might happen to all my “stuff” when I am no longer around!

I was able to knuckle down and catch up with a few customer quilts while Nella and Freya did some sisterly things together. I have now completed all 6 of Frances’ colourful quilts. Normally she visits her sister in Aberdeen a couple of times a year and brings her quilts to me for DIY quilting but due to Covid she has sent them up from Wales in a big box instead.

I did a test Zoom call with a new Qmatic user, successfully sharing my computer screen and had the GoPro live-streaming a view of the quilt frame. This could be an absolute game changer for me as it could mean that I will not have to travel in order to teach the basics. What I need to do next is record some sessions so the pupil can re-watch them later. Despite having all the gear throughout last year, and the whole country doing Zoom quizzes,I had not got around to any Zoom lessons while Nella was so ill. 

I even entered Rainbow Warliors into FOQ which is scheduled to go ahead at the end of July. I had been putting it off as I had not come up with a blurb but in the end, the online entry form only allowed 130 characters which is only a couple of sentences. I have not achieved so much in one week in ages;)

Mundane is Great

 

As I sit to write my weekly blog during this long Pandemic, I wonder what I have been up to all week. My life is not as busy and chaotic as it once was. I have not posted anything on social media for weeks. I don’t have any competition quilts under construction. 

BUT for the first time in 2 years Nella and I are enjoying going to the supermarket and having coffee in a cafe. She is still tormented by anorexia but seems far more positive about the future and is engaged with her recovery process. AND I am pretty content with such a slow life if the eventual outcome is normality for Nella.

Apart from our little outings this week, I have also managed to complete 2 customer quilts. The patterns I chose stitched out a bit slowly but I think they are worth it. I have half a dozen more quilts to do so if I get 2 done each week I will be “busy” until the summer.

After a whole year to get my act together with Technology, I have finally committed to giving a Zoom lesson to a Bernina longarm customer. I want to do the sessions using 2 cameras so I tried to do a dummy run before the actual lesson.Typically, the internet was not functioning in the workshop and the camera battery was flat so I am glad I decided to iron out the kinks before scheduling a real lesson. I seemed to have spent Lockdown buying cool recording equipment that I have not yet used so it is high time that I got  it all sorted;)

Mini Milestones

 It may still feel like winter here but otherwise things are looking sunnier. Freya has been home for a visit for the first time since Christmas and Nella managed to order a drink in a cafe in Aberdeen!

We had a lovely few days just hanging out with each other and it gave Nella a boost to look forward to a trip to Glasgow.

I got 2 customer quilts done with simple all-over patterns, kept up with my German exercises and paid off my virtual mortgage in “Animal Crossing”. 

Apart from that - I am trying not to feel any guilt about the slower pace in my life and just concentrate on Nella’s recovery journey:)