OK, let's do this thing!

I have my list; I have a day off tomorrow, which I intend to use wisely…

I just need to locate the sew-jo, and there'll be no stopping me!

Sunday Unwrapped!

Rather than wrapping up a productive week, and crossing off everything I had hoped to get finished, I came up a bit short...

Mum's hexies are still not a panel; I am about a third of the way there, but as I could, in theory, finish this on Christmas Eve, it got bumped down the priorities.

I made what was intended to be my Brit Bee Secret Santa gift, then had a wobble because it is not Christmassy in the slightest, but then figured today, what the heck.  I love it, made it with my partner in mind, and think she will take it in the spirit in which it was intended, so I am sticking with it.

I finally got to the post office on Friday and mailed my Bee Blessed blocks, Stitch Tease Secret Santa gift and LV Swap fabric; phew.

The wall-hanging is 2/3rds quilted - again, this is to divert attention from the paintwork over Christmas, so it can take a back seat to more pressing makery, but I will get it done in time, I hope.

My Christmas Gift sewing list has been made, and it's not so bad.  Fabric has been ordered for the gents and other things were started today.

And then, I had big plans for tomorrow's Sew Mama Sew Giveaway day, but I am just not ready!  I spent all afternoon preparing and cutting, and generally trying to get myself sorted, and then I ran out of steam.

So if all goes to plan, I should still be able to get finished and link up tomorrow evening, but it might be late, just in case you are interested; but I know how you all hate giveaways!

This coming week then, I am not going to set myself up for a fall, so anything will be a bonus.  If all goes to plan with everyone else, I will get a proper day off on Wednesday and make the most of it.

Oh and no photo today, sorry, what has become of me!? x

Sunday Wrap Up

I hope you have had a good weekend, whether it has been a holiday, a super get-together, or nothing out of the ordinary.

For us is was a relaxing weekend, which itself is out of the ordinary, and hence very welcome.  We have watched family DVDs, The Lorax and The Pirates, taken in some Christmas films on TV and I even made a casserole and apple crumble today; I know in a months time I will be feeling frazzled, so it was nice to have a little time to take it easy.

This coming week we have Parents' Evening, Swimming, Ballet, Cubs, a Beaver trip and Recorder concert all before an Inset Day on Friday, so I am not hoping for great things in the making department.

But having laid out my plans last Sunday I managed to achieve the lot, and more!

I managed to get a couple of blocks made for Bee Blessed and waited all week for better light for the photos, but I had to snap these this morning so I can mail them this week...

All the strips of hexies for my Mum's cushion are now made...

...and I only have one edge of binding on my Retro Flowers left to stitch down this evening - woo hoo!

So this week... I aim to join Mum's hexies into a panel, decide on and make my Brit Bee Secret Santa pressie, mail my Bee Blessed blocks, Stitch Tease Secret Santa thingumy and LV Swap fabric, make a wall hanging for the downstairs toilet so the wall looks less scruffy at Christmas, finalise my Christmas Gift sewing list and make something for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!!!

Easy eh!?

Done!

I can hang up my Birthday hat for another year - all done, and kiddies asleep!

Today's party was good fun, I may have gone on the bouncy castle, but there are definitely no action shots...

Cake with the bunting!

I will now spend the evening making a list of all the things I need to make before Christmas - I sold all the travel trays I made for my mum's friends, so the teaching assistants will be back on the list, mixed feelings on that one.  The sales equate to a third of my FMF fund, so I don't think I can begrudge the TAs too much.

Hope you are all having a good weekend too xxx

Winter Stitching Plans...

... aka 'Setting myself up for a fall'!

It seems apt with the first frost and flip-flop-free day, that I am linking up with Sarah, and so many of you for the FairyFace Designs Winter Stitching shenanegans!

Here's the plan...
1.  Present for my Grandma's 90th birthday in November.
2.  Man quilt for dear husband's birthday in November.
3.  Sonic Screwdriver case for sonny boy's birthday in November.
4.  Something pretty for the girls' birthdays in November.
5.  Something for my Dad's birthday in December.
6.  7 change trays commissioned by Mum's friends for Christmas.
7.  Duo QAL runner for Christmas at home.
8.  Matching Ayumi organizer basket.
9.  Another grand crafting gesture for our Christmas home!
10. Dead Simple table cloth for Mum & Dad's Christmas present.
11. Zip pouches/pencil cases galore for Christmas, including Mum, sister and teachers.
12. Finish my Mystery Quilt.
13. Learn to paper-piece properly and use my Kerry pattern(s) many times.
14. A Rainbow charm quilt.
15. A Denyse Schmidt quilt.
16. A Little Apples confetti quilt.
17. Complete my Brit Bee quilt (November Queen Bee).
18. Stay up to date with the Bee blocks.
19. Use all those hexies I have been mass producing!
20. Make at least one item a month from my crafty book collection.
21. Make at least one more 241 Tote.
22. Seat cushion cover for hubby.
23. Be a New Year Swap Mama!
24. Run a Brit Fabric swap.
25. Lose weight, a lot of weight!

Some of these are already in progress, so that's a good start.  Many are time bound - November is just a little bit of a busy month, and Christmas needs to be at least 4 months away by my calculations!

For those wondering, the disco was 'fun', I was on 'crisp' duty which was a near escape from 'DJ request' duty as I am sure you can imagine; it meant I missed cakes with the headmaster whilst setting up, but I had biscuits with him in the morning, so that's OK.

And for those thinking I had lost my taste/style/marbles yesterday, I would like to say what a lovely, polite and tactful bunch of folks you all are - I was just testing!  Please check this out!  Someone better be on guard, I am NOT keeping it!

If only...

... everything in life was as easy as sewing a buttonhole!

I thought I should have a practice to make sure I was going down the right route with the '90 Cake', which I am so happy you all love, thank you.  In theory, just in case I needed time to come up with a 'plan B', but basically, I am sorted!

Clip on the foot, pop in the button, press 'start'.

That's it!

OK then cut the fabric and have a chat with the little 'mouth' for a minute, but it literally took no time at all.  Brilliant.

The 'start/stop' button and FMQ idea is another story, which I'll save the photos of for Friday!  But one thing I have learnt and you may wish to take heed or snigger at, polycotton is not your friend.

It might be cheap and you might think using up the scraps you have would be a good idea, but no, it is a slippery, so slippery, tension-muddling, backside-wrecking idea to surpass all others!  Just saying.

It's only Monday, it's cold, dark, blowing a gale so I've got a Winter Stitching Plan to write; I may be gone some time, wish me luck x

Sweet Charity...

Before I present you with some dreadful indoor pics, here are a couple of shots of the Duo runner top in its garden glory...

...there, that's better, and apparently I'm on schedule too!

Whilst I was working oh so hard this morning, I may have had a minute spare to write a To Do list for the week, and top of it I put blocks for Karen, Judith and Sarah, because after my moping on Saturday, I figured I really do not have much to be miserable about.

Karen and her husband are off to Thailand shortly to work in Pattaya, running clinics in one of the children's shelters which cares for some of the thousands of children who have been used in sex trafficking.  Karen's blog gives more details.  She wants to take simple quilts, without batting, to be suitable for the Thai climate and has asked for help.

So here are the four 6.5" blocks I ran up...

... I used some off-cuts from my Across the Sea fabric, which is rather apt.

If you would like to make some blocks too, Karen has posted a tutorial here.

Fellow Bee and all round fab-bag lady Judith and her friend Sarah set up Bee Blessed a couple of months ago, whereby they and other lovely ladies would get together to piece quilts for families and groups in Northern Ireland. 

OK so popping over to Belfast for a Saturday morning sewing would be lovely, but its not going to happen.  So you, me or anyone can still help by sending blocks and more to help. 

This month they are requesting D9P blocks, following Judith's tute here.

So here are the two I have just made; again, apologies for the shocking photos, these really do look a lot nicer in real life!

So my hour and a half of sewing this evening has been rather satisfying.  Some hearty ticks there, now for the other dozen things I want to complete this week!

Linking with my virtual twin!

Today I was going to try and not gush too much about my virtual twin, (OK, probably not completely obvious to outsiders, but we are, and we know it).  BUT then again, why not eh!?

I got my first goodie swap parcel today from Sarah-Fairy Face and I am still beaming as much as I was 5 hours ago when I opened this...

I coveted the contents of this package as soon as I saw them in the pool, it has to be said, I REALLY WANTED THEM, and may have mentioned it here and there!!!

Look at all this perfect, beautifully made lovely loveliness in the most perfect colours and fabrics and quite frankly I don't have the words to describe how totally chuffed I am to be the recipient.  Look at the super little buttons and I am definitely going to be using the zippy pouch to hold my phone and keys whilst the small folk pull the trolley! 

OK I should have taken more photos, but I was too excited for that!  Thank you again Sarah, you know I love it all xxx

So then back to my planned post, linking up with aforementioned Sarah's Summer Sewing Plans Wrap Up...  Here's how I did...

1.  Finish the Sherbet Pips Confetti quilt, and not let it just sit there for fear that my quilting will ruin it.  Done... 

2.  Finish my Scrappy quilt completely. Done...

3.  Finish the Boutique quilt, even though I don't like it, then let the kids have it for the garden and not get moody when it gets dirty by keeping in mind that I don't like it!!  Done...

4.  Do something with the mass of batik that reminds me every time I look in my fabric box, that sometimes bad ideas happen to the best of us, (a long story)!  Um...I cut it up, but still not feeling the batik love, sorry.

5.  Keep up to date and do my total best with all the Brit Bee blocks.  Done...

6.  Keep up to date and try not to cheat on the mystery quilt.  Um... I've fallen behind recently, but I will finish this.

7.  Make, and maybe send, at least one of my 'Pay It Forward' gifts... but I'm not telling.  Done x3...

8.  Make my Dad the Union Jack quilt I have been promising my Mum I'll make for him.  Done...

9.  Make my Mum something equally lovely for her birthday.  Done...

10.  Make the covers for the final 2 cushions I have been procrastinating about for too long.  Done...

11.  Cut and hem the 2 pocket squares I promised my husband last year - he bought 2 FQs that I can have the remainder of, IF I get on with it.  Done...

12.  Make a tray for dear son that incorporates a tiny Lego scrap he covets.  Done...

13.  Make a 'little something' for the girls, so that all my time spent at the sewing machine is not totally for other people.  Done... Scrap Bag tags...

14.  Do a Swap - maybe not the first Brit Swap, as having looked at this list, I think perhaps I need to get a few other things ticked off first, but maybe in August?  Done x a few...

15.  Start the 'KISS'.  OK, this is really a winter activity, but I did start...

16.  Not buy any more fabric UNLESS I actually have a need, accurate requirements and time to complete another project, (hmm...may be the hardest!).  Oops, and no photographic evidence today!

17.  Try to expand my quilting skills by joining in with more sample blocks and experiments a la BLG and BlindBob.  Mystery quilt and FWQAL fit the bill...

18.  Master a few more embroidery stitches, especially French knots.  Oh yes...

19.  Plan ahead for Christmas!  Still feeling a bit early for me.

20.  Design and make, and then repeat something I am proud of - not sure what yet, but a real long-term aspiration.  Scrap Bag Challenge tags - yay!!  Next week, the full reveal and a mini-tute, I promise.

So, I can live with those 2 'fails' and 2 'not quites'!  How did you do? 

My final bit of Sarah-love tonight comes in the form of the hand-stitching I will get done on my Across the Sea quilt later; I got over halfway round last night.  I have loved this quiltalong, and I adore the quilt that Sarah and Jennifer designed.  Hopefully I will have it fully completed to show you tomorrow.

Did I grovel too much?  Sarah, are you blushing?