Quilts and Driving Holiday

I think I mentioned earlier that Mr Notjustnat and I are heading to Hokkaido for a driving holiday in November. November is almost here already! So we are off in less than two weeks. Can hardly wait!

But before we leave I will share with you what I did in the last couple of weeks. I have continued work on the yellow crumbs quilt. I've finished piecing all 230 blocks and started putting 4 blocks unit together. It looks quite amazing actually. I have also made a lil boro pincushion using the threads keeper filled with off-cut threads. It took me a couple years before I filled the keeper. Thanks to Deanna for a great idea to made it into a pincushion! 

Having stayed at home for two weeks after the surgery I've unearthed many long forgotten projects, one of which is the little 2" x 2" fan blocks I started long ago! To my surprise I actually made nearly enough for a nice small quilt. I only need about 50 more blocks. I'm really enjoying hand applique and hand piecing these fan blocks. I so love the vintage Japanese fabric I'm using too!

Please scroll down to the end of this post to read about our Hokkaido driving holiday...

Boro pincushion made from threads keeper

A tin full of little fan blocks ready for attention

Putting 4 little blocks into a unit

Stack of 230 blocks of yellow crumbs quilt

begin putting units of 4 blocks together

A driving holiday in Hokkaido! After a few trips to Japan Honshu island I thought we will visit Hokkaido the norther island in Japan. We decided to take a driving holiday by hire car. We won't be able to do the whole island, but I think we will see the most picturesque of the place.  

Hokkaido old map

Otaru Canal in Hokkaido

There will be plenty of photos to share on Instagram, FB and Twitter. For both of us this is also a photography holiday. I'm really excited to discover wonderful scenery in towns and villages. Another highlight for me is visiting onsens (Japanese baths). Hokkaido is famous for its natural hot spring onsens.

Will bring back lots of photos to share with you when I return,

Until then

Nat  

Vertigo - Ménière's disease

A few years ago I had never heard of the word Vertigo or Ménière's disease! Suddenly last week I came down with this Vertigo disease. Now the word Vertigo sounds like my best friend to me! Vertigo knocked me literally flat on my back for a week. Every time I opened my eyes the room would take me for a spin for a long moment! The only way to stop the ceiling from spinning was to keep both eyes shut tight. Imagine having to do that for a week. Not fun, not at all! As doctor ordered I was off work for the whole week. I really needed that too. 

I felt a little better on the fifth day. I was able to have a shower while holding on to something. I found a cold shower helped to knock out Vertigo. It's definitely a warm weather disease! 

No question about attempting to do something fine so during my visit up at the treehouse I found some old doilies I has collected to make pincushions. I decided I would make a couple of them. They were long overdue on the must make list. The next day I felt even better so I put on a batch of dye. Dyeing doesn't need any fine tuning skills or concentration. I could do that even when I was light headed!

Pincushions turned out lovely.
I should make a few more!

Dye bundles resting the following day

Gathering odds and ends for dyeing

Little beauty from a friend goes splendidly
with my dyed fabric. 

I'm now well again so returning to work is a must. I only spent half a day for the first day back. Half a day was spent explaining to all my caring colleagues what was wrong with me that made me take a whole week away from work. It was touched to get all that attention and care from friends and colleagues. I'm so lucky to be part of such a wonderful working environment!

Until next time

Nat