Look What I'm Making

I have finally got around to taking a class on quilt making. The evidence of my first session on the Wednesday just passed, are in the photos below.  I was in a class with one other person and we were together for 3 hours being instructed step-by-step though we were at different steps of the quilt making process.  The other lady was not a true beginner. In fact she has made several quilts and was half way through a similar one as mine though she was making one for her nephew.

This quilt is called a Stack and Slash Lap Quilt and is perfect for beginners like me. While the fabric shop had all kinds of wonderful fabric I chose to use 6 fat quarters that were on discount for my first quilt.  Even at that the fat quarters and the trim fabrics came to a whopping $32 (Canadian) dollars and that was after the sale price and the 20% discount.  The tally also doesn't include the quilt batting, binding and backing fabric I still need to buy. I am making the lap quilt as a "welcome home" gift for my mom who will soon be moving into a residential facility for seniors.

On Wednesday morning I made and sewed these squares together.  Here they are on the design wall at the store where I had my lesson.

This is a close up of my "crazy" lap quilt on the pressing board.

This isn't the best photo but the "yellow-beige" strip of fabric in the middle-left of the photo will be my inner border.  The burgundy floral on the far left will be my outer border. I will add a picture here later when I finish the quilt.

I probably need one or two more sessions with the instructor to finish this lap quilt. It will depend on how quickly I can pick up the rest of this project and how long it takes for the actual quilting part of it.

Move! The Coach Potato Gets Serious

Many of you know that I started my new year with a goal of doing more exercise. I have started slowly in an effort to simply get used to moving more. It doesn't matter how long I move, just as long as I am moving.  The key way I do this is through my new exercise bike.  But on those days when I have to go out, I count my walk as my cardio exercise instead of my stationary bike routine.

There are streets like this in my neighbourhood. I  love walking in a city which is full of green space.

I also try to incorporate some stretching and resistance training (weights) into my routine, but this needs  more effort on my part.  I am trying to take things slowly and not worry so much about doing it all right.  I am happy just as long as I keep up a steady effort to move.  What I'm trying to do is establish consistent routines that will be lasting.

There are days when I am simply too tired  because of my health conditions. On those days, I don't push myself to do much of anything.  So far, those days have been few and for that, I am grateful.

If you were reading here, you would perhaps remember that my diabetes group meeting members all received a nice surprise, a gift of a DVD "Move for Life!"

Front of the packaging.

Back of the packing.

I will have a chance this upcoming week to try out this DVD and I'm looking forward to it!

If you're like me (and dare I say at least 30% of the population) and are trying to exercise, you need a little encouragement from time to time. One of the  most off putting things for those of us who aren't naturally thin or athletic in any way, is being pushed by others to exercise far beyond our capabilities.  Especially when we are just starting out. I figure it is better not to bite off more than you can chew and simply take baby steps at the beginning.

I believe that it is far better to do something, rather than do nothing, even if it is only for a few minutes a day.  This way you can build up your strength and interest in doing more.  Just "move" . Once you have got the hang of things you can get more aggressive about things, adding more time and different parts to the program to incorporate cardio, flexibility/stretching and strengthening exercises.

So far in this new year, I can already feel my cardio endurance is much better than what it was in December.  Despite all my efforts though, I still haven't dropped any pounds. It is frustrating as I've been watching my diet since November and I really did not indulge over Christmas like so many people do. I've determined to make even more changes like eliminating coffee and cream or milk, stop baking sugury sweets and  do a cleanse. You can read about my whole body cleanse here.  In addition, I'm adding more antioxidant power to my diet through drinking rooibos (red bush) tea.  Those of my readers from South Africa will know all about rooibos. If you haven't heard about rooibos, you can read more here.

I'm not expecting quick results. I know my body and I know how slow it is to release toxins and weight. My first simple goals will be to feel better and I am encouraged so far. I will keep you posted from time to time on other progress on both the cleanse and the fitness/health regime.