Sewing Again

My Bernina 570QE finally came back from the shop from her annual “spa” visit. It took exactly a month, but it really was good timing.  I was not sewing during my surgery (right total knee replacement) or the first couple weeks of recovery. Now I’m at three weeks past and can move around more. We will have our regular last meeting of the year for the Church of Bernina here at my house on Sunday. Woo-hoo.

Thank you to the dear hearts who reached out while I was on “sabbatical”. I owe you all letters, and I promise I am working on them. Please be patient with me. I get tired easily, but again, I see improvement week by week, so that pushes me forward. A note to those just tuning in today, I did write a lengthy post yesterday about the last three weeks - surgery, family passing, etc. It’s not quilt related and if you’re not interested, well that’s cool. If you are, you can scroll back to yesterday’s post. For today, all I have to add to the saga is that we received a phone call Friday morning that Bruce’s sister Annette was at the hospital with her husband Glenn who was passing from heart failure. We are on tenterhooks waiting for more information. He is in our prayers and hearts (and tears - they come so easily this month).  This has already become an infamous December in our family (and our country). 2026 cannot come soon enough. 

I do have one finish to share. My friend Ruby has a longarm, and she quilted two of my last Rainbow Scrap Challenge finishes for me this week. I’ve got them both trimmed, but only one is completely finished. I apologize for the picture. It was windy and ominous outside on Friday, and my DH Bruce, with only one arm, can’t hold up my quilts! So I spread it out on our bed and did what I could.

The quilting is random hearts - so cute! It will be a gift for my housekeeper Sandy.

The weathervane blocks were one of my 2025 RSC blocks. The quilt finished at 48.5 x 60”

I love the backing fabric I used, but had to supplement it with a green batik stripe. Do you see the sweet affirmations in the floral print?

I have been taking a monthly BOM (Block of the Month) class with Ruby and Cousin Kim and Niece Jenny, and Ruby’s half-sister Cathy and a lady from our Weight Watcher’s workshop. Even Jenny’s  daughter Lily (age 14) has joined us. It’s a jolly fun group, even if the class is a repeat for Kim and me. We began in September, and have done 4 blocks so far. I will try to show them two at a time for the next couple posts, but couldn’t get decent pictures yet, so that will have to wait.

Next week will begin 2026 and the start of a new year for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I will be participating, as I’ve done for over 10 years. I have one carryover block to continue working on and another 2-3 I may add to the lineup. As well, I have a wedding quilt to begin soon if I ever want to get it done by April! And then there is my box of 36+ self-made quilt kits (kid-sized)  that I’ll be tackling this year, hopefully finishing 1-3 of those per month. I’ll probably start slower than usual, but I’m determined to make a major dent in the stash this year. 

I’ll leave you with a picture of our Christmas Brunch with my son Ryan, DIL Kim and family. 

L- R: Granddaughter Lauren and her fiancé Graham, DIL Kim, son Ryan, me, Bruce

Have a wonderful New Year celebration, and I wish you all good health and happiness in 2026.