Wonky Stars Cushion #1

Sticking with the what's on the shelf theme, I still had one Treehouse Textiles Cushion Society kit on the shelf from last year. It was one I wasn't sure about, even though I should know by now to trust their selections!

I modified it a wee bit as I could not be bothered precisely cutting the pieces. I re-found an old wonky star tutorial and used that. That meant I had to add a few fabrics off the shelf.

It is now another new favourite.

An Octagon Cushion

I didn't care for one of the patterns supplied in last year's Treehouse Textiles Cushion Society. It was too unsymmetrical for my liking. I repurposed some of the fabrics into an octagon cushion inspired by another  of the Treehouse patterns.

I took the paper pieces and fabric home for Easter and then left it there as I was working on my Circle Game quilt at the same time.

I finished it when I was home during the school holidays, and left it there to live on the couch at my Mum and Dad's new house.

I have one kit left from last year. I am looking for an alternative way to make the stars. That is. a faster way to make the stars!

Finished Cushions

This is my latest Treehouse Cushion Society cushion from 2020 just finished. Think I will gift this one to my sister-in-law for her birthday later this month. I have ordered a wool inner for it.

And here is the other one I finished recently with its inner and in location.

I have two left to make. I don't like one of them so will use that fabric for a different style cushion. And the other requires sitting at the sewing machine. Sometimes that feels like work, so it can stay on the shelf a bit longer.

Current WIP

My fourth Treehouse Cushion Society cushion from 2020. It is very pretty.

I like have some hand sewing on the go.

Treehouse Cushions

Probably this time last year, I signed up for Treehouse Textiles cushion society. I only got two of the six made in 2020, but these hols got another one done and I think it is my new favourite.

Love the frill.

Lockdown 2.0

The first I knew about our current lockdown was a late night phone call from a colleague. Emails between our leadership team then followed for the next hour as we made plans for the next day. And here we are a week and a half later with four days to go all being well.

I re-started running and that lasted the first three or four days. I really don't like it and I couldn't talk myself into keeping it up. I have replaced it with a short strength workout (using equipment I didn't return to the school gym after the last lockdown!) on days I start work at 8 or 8.30am and a round the block 7.4 km walk on the days I don't need to be online that early. I got the walk down to 64 minutes this morning - it's usually around 67 minutes. A big chunk of it is up hill so my heart rate gets up and I can feel my lower back and butt muscles by the end of the day! As always, I am grateful for good health and being able to exercise.

For the first three days we had one learner at school so I was on supervision duty with one other. Then he didn't show after the weekend, so I have been able to work completely from home over the last week. I have decided that a five hour work day at home easily equals a nine hour day at school. No interruptions!

I have made time in the afternoons and evenings (and of course the weekends) for sewing. I have caught up on my Treehouse Textiles cushions.

My big sewing goal for this lockdown is get at least five NICU quilts quilted and bound. I unpicked my Moda Modern Sampler last lockdown for this purpose. It was a huge quilt top that I didn't need. So far so good. 

Also on the go is quilting my Proverbial Quilt. I am procrastinating a bit there and doing these other smaller projects. It's not even hard work, and it's pretty quick. So no excuses. I just need to knuckle down as I need to get the quilting on my cousin's 50th birthday quilt started in the next school holidays to meet the January deadline.

The PM is making an announcement on Monday about the current lockdown. I imagine we will back at school Thursday but most kids will choose not to re-start until the following Monday.

Treehouse Textiles Sunflower Cushion | Day 2

After a run, Metafit and school work this morning, I settled into hand quilting and Netflix this afternoon.

I am now calling this cushion top done.

The great little gym I go to is now doing their group fitness sessions via zoom. Yesterday morning, I tuned in for Boxing (on the deck) and this morning Metafit (on the grass after discovering the deck is a bit hard on the knees). I think these virtual meet ups will be even more important as the time in lock down goes on. So on my grateful list today is technology. It's allowing me to still be a teacher and keep up with my gym friends. Circuit tomorrow am!

How quickly things change | Day 1

I spent last Saturday doing my school work for the week ahead. Sunday happily sewing my Treehouse Textiles Sunflower cushion. Monday lunchtime we watched the Prime Minister announce the country was going into full lockdown by midnight Wednesday. The last two days at school, without learners, were weird. I almost felt teary at the conclusion of our google meet Wednesday lunchtime with our boss (who was already in self-isolation after returning from overseas) and then again driving out of school and seeing the go home, stay home, school closed sign. I did a last minute shop at Spotlight after fearing I may run out of thread and machine needles. Priorities. (I can live on eggs, weetbix and toast for a while I reckon!) I also took the opportunity to buy some batting for the FWSG quilt ... not that I have any backing fabric. However, I feel much better today after not listening to the news/radio all day (Day 1 of the lockdown) and unfollowing people who post drama and rubbish. I plan to do some sewing most days, as I do in my usual weekends and holidays.

I have been working on the Treehouse Textiles sunflower cushion for the last three weekends. It's been years since I did applique and made hexagons! I noticed how much my close up eye sight has deteriorated in that time. It was a bit of stab in the dark with the needle sometimes.

I will add a little bit more hand quilting and then the top is done.

One of the things on my grateful list today is the warmth from the sun. It was a beautiful morning. I am very glad we are not locked down in the middle of winter when it's cold, dark and rainy.

I have decided I am going to use the next four weeks to learn to run. I quite like the idea of running - no idea why. Never been a runner. Even as a kid I was slow. So I started this morning. Thought I would get to the top of the road and be puffed and have to stop. But I stuck with it for 3.35km up the road and back. The last 500m are downhill. I am pretty stoked with that effort. My plan is to run that distance for the next five days and then add maybe 500-ish metres for the following five days, etc, etc. I would like to get to 5km. I will see how that goes.

On my run this morning I saw eight people out walking (just one had a dog), one man exercising on his front lawn, one young man in hi-vis gear waiting for the bus and an older chap out jogging. There were several cars out and about and truck-trailer units on the motorway.

I have also decided I am going to live like the ancestors and get up with the sunrise and go to bed with the sunset. Keeping it simple.