All Quiet on the Techie Front...

These last few weeks of school holidays have been hard work.

A second big C&S block for a special friend, that I omitted to blog, sorry.

So I have decided to ease the load, and take a full technological break for the next fortnight.  So nobody worry; I will just be clearing my head, working on a commission and relaxing, well as much as the kids allow.  I need some time without that end of day blogging angst, you know, the 'what to show', 'have I got photos', 'is anybody really reading over the summer anyway'?

I will also be avoiding emails, stepping away from Instagram and spending all that reclaimed time wisely before we all get set for going back to school and work, and then it's full-speed ahead to Birthdays and Christmas!

So have a good couple of weeks folks.  Missing you already xxx

#IGminiswap

Are you on Instagram, are you in?

I haven't been in a swap for ages, but it appears that every quilty instagrammer and their wife are up for this.

If you are on Instagram but have missed all the buzz, check out Sandy's blog for the details.  He has mustered enough swap-mamas and papas to cover 1000 swappers.  Yes, 1000!!!

Follow curly_boy1 for tips and pics.  Sign ups close on August 23rd, just saying.

Here's to the biggest mini-swap ever!

Hexing about...

Plaster applied, I made a few more hexie flowers today, and for the second day running we have been to the park and been rained on!

So sat on the concrete under the Leisure Centre shelter, I stitched on whilst the kids ran about until we all got too cold.  It's August for goodness sake!

9 down, 11 to go, maybe.  Plans are there for changing, right?

Handy...

I managed to finish my flower block today, multi-tasking a Percy Jackson DVD with the kids, whilst a thunderstorm clattered about outside.

So here are all my hand-stitched blocks together thus far…

Not masses, but I am quietly pleased with myself.

I also pieced a few hexie flowers, but one wrong move and I am now suffering from a rear-entry needle wound, so I'm indulging in a little R&R and putting a packet of plasters on my shopping list x

Passing glance...

Today we were back at the library first thing, for the last of the summer reading challengers to receive her medal and bounty, and then we made the most of the morning's nice weather and headed up country to the adventure playground…

Oh how I love that I no longer have to keep both eyes, and the ones in the back of my head, glued to the kids as they go off and play.  This has been the first summer when I have been happy to just locate them every once in a while and know they will be back when they are hungry; which admittedly is about every 5 minutes, but coupled with my wish list of hand-sewing, it's been a blessing.

Today I went from this…

… to this…

Almost done.

I really do need to think about where I am going with these blocks.  I haven't gone with the actual pattern block sizes, so I will have to stop sooner rather than later and then start again, properly.  I am thinking more pillow than cushion or maybe even the most labour-intensive tote bag in the world.  Time will tell.

Good 'un...

A little while ago dear husband asked for a pencil case to hold his drawing pens.  OK, he may have had to ask a couple of times, but yesterday afternoon I grabbed a quiet half hour and got stuck into my Spoonflower/Heidi Kenney Nuns!

I obviously used my method for the flat pouch as per this month's Love Patchwork & Quilting, adjusting the measurements to fit the pens, and it turned out rather nicely.  It's gone down very well too,  and that's what matters.

Today there were haircuts for the girls, a trip to the Library, an afternoon in front of the TV and I have just prepped another little block for my Ode to STGB…

Today another light went out; RIP Robin Williams xxx

Success!

In, fitted, all 3, out in 15 minutes; Clarks, you did us proud!

The evidence of a successful trip, including school lunch boxes, and the kids all bought themselves storage cases for their loom bands - I am particularly liking that!

Love a Smiggle freebee!

Happy, tidy and shod kids; and I had a little sewing time, happy mummy xxx

Much ado about nothing...

Today was all about the cleaning and tidying, and maybe a little secret online shopping, and then it was tea-time before I knew it.

So I have nothing new to show you!  I know, shocking behaviour.   Here's the little bit of shopping I indulged in yesterday though, a Moomin wallet…

… and if I can't buy fabric, then stationary is second best!

My feet have almost recovered from doing London, just in time to go on the annual school-shoe expedition tomorrow; it's all go around here.

London Fun!

Today we took a family trip to London.  We spent the morning at the V&A, played with a couple of Glass activity backpacks, had a nice wander about and elevenses in the courtyard…

We then went to Hamley's, never again; even the kids recognise a con when they see one, or a whole shop-full!  A potter around Covent Garden, and ending up in the geek-ville that is Forbidden Planet, before heading home.

A little hexie stitching on the train, but now I am good for nothing, my feet ache and my head needs to hit a pillow soon.

I am trying to block out the fact that I have missed all the fun at FoQs, but I am seriously doubting that my walking and talking stamina would have been up to it!!

Stuck!

Last night I basted all the pieces for my Cartwheels EPP - the glue pen worked a bloody treat; so fast!

I did lay them all out on the table today and started pondering whether I could use them on a bigger project!

So I will make my four blocks and not be too hasty about making another cushion.  I am thinking about appliquéing them onto a background and then taking it from there.  Maybe.

Basket Case!

Today I completed the basket blocks of my Midnight At The Oasis...

They are not quite as the pattern 'suggests'.  My HSTs are the wrong way round, but I can live with that.  The background should be slightly more than half the block rather than split down the middle, again, not bothered.  My flower contrast is not exactly stand-out perfection, but there is so much going on in the quilt, I am sure it won't be noticed, these blocks are only 5" finished.

But my self-made bias strips for the handles turned out brilliantly, if I do say so myself!  I was convinced they would never lie flat or un-wrinkled, but I was so wrong, and to think these were on my miss 'em out, no one will know list until FQR!

That's the appliqué border all made and ready for adding, then it will be on to the teeny-tiny pieced borders.  I am not worried about the piecing, but not looking forward to all the cutting.  Definitely time for a new rotary blade me thinks.

Oh and here's a picture of my glamorous assistant who begged for her photo to be taken…

… don't know where she get that trait from!

Fun with fabric...

Yep, I indulge in that most days; here are some little hand-stitched blocks that are being put aside for my Ode to GTSB…

They need squaring up and stitching together, but that will be part of the fun when I get to trying to decide on a layout.

I also received a speedy parcel from Jessie; ordered yesterday lunchtime, here today!

I am joining the glue-basters, as I am keen to spend as much time actually sewing as I can, and those clamshell templates, well they just fell in my basket in a moment of bravado!!

Today the kids got to play with fabric too, it's only fair!

I chickened out of going the full screen-printing hog with them, so we plumped for decorating calico bags with fabric paint…

There may have been sharing disagreements, and a little upset about going outside the lines, but all in all everyone was happy in the end…

I think they did pretty well; my only role was as brush washer and fabric-presser.

Think of this as a sweetener though, tomorrow they have the dentist to look forward to!

August sorted...

I have completed my August commitments, just in time for the kids to come back home, start wrecking the place, shattering the peace and turning things back to normal!

So I made Ange's Stitch Tease blocks, 8 little ones to help with her master plan!

These were so quick and lovely to make; I pulled the fabrics whilst I was sorting more for my Ode to Green Tea and Sweet Beans hand-sewn mini.  I have been slowly stitching and plotting for that, as well as making a start on the corner baskets for my Midnight At The Oasis and finally coming up with a plan for all the hexies I have basted.

I now have more than enough to keep me occupied for the next month or so, which is great, because I think my time for plotting is back to being restricted to the hours of darkness!

Ho Ho Holidays...

I am still enjoying the peace and quiet, so why don't you pop over to Lisa and Justine's blog as I have been getting in the Christmas spirit, and using some of Simply Solids' fun festive fabrics…

It's never too early you know!  Look out for them if you are going to Festival of Quilts later this week, stand E16; I really wish I was going too.

But I get another FAL tick, so it's all good.
xxx

So quiet!

We have never woken up in our house without at least one of the kids being here, so today was a total treat on the ears!

But rather than make the most of the peace at home, we headed out early to a boot fair, (minus the nagging and wanting that normally occurs!), we picked up a few bargains, including a new/unused tent for £5!

We then went into Brighton for a wander and lunch; total beard-ville, fortunately there weren't any Mr Twits in my eye-line in GBK!

Home to a silent garden, and then I turned yesterday's fabric selection into a nice tidy pile of pieces for the next EEP project…

I am going to resist temptation and save them for holiday; tomorrow I will get Ange's Stitch Tease blocks done, then I have my sights set on some more hand piecing, I am relishing the quieter, slower pace of life xxx

EEeeeeeeeP!!

Yes I know I have hundreds of hexes all basted and on my FAL list, but I want something a bit more fun for the holidays.

A couple of nights ago I cut all the papers for the large version of Reene and Yvonne's Cartwheels block, well 4 blocks, because I haven't had a new cushion for over a week, and I am loving the look of theirs!

This evening I pulled all the fabrics ready for cutting…



Excited!

The kids are away for the next few days at my parents (yay!!), so there will be some much appreciated grown-up time, piece and quiet, time to think to the end of a thought without interruption, what a novelty!

This also means I will be able to spend some quality time with my Inbox; I am sure there are a load of gems in there, but I haven't been able to face the other stuff!  If you are expecting one, a reply will be headed your way soon, promise xxx

What a month, what a month, what a mighty fine month...

Oh July 2014 you were pretty darn fab stitchy-wise!

Fat Quarterly Retreat was the best - two weeks on and I am still inspired to keep up all those new found skills, and you know me, I can change like the wind when a new shiny catches my eye!

So there was quite a bit of FQR prep, a few monthly commitments fulfilled and a couple of long awaited magazine reveals.  Coupled with my FQR finishes, a handful of FAL ticks and the start of the long hot summer, my mosaic is looking rather healthy…

August will be a little more sparse, as the summer holidays get into full swing.  There may be blogging breaks, as well as a possible sewing machine mini-spa and tune-up.  I am hoping to get a load of hand sewing projects prepared for all eventualities, so I better write a list xxx