Cut, Pin, Sew, Unpick, Sew Again

Overhead there was the buzz of helicopters all morning, and now they are starting up again. They are directly linked to Silverstone and the British F1 Garnd Prix. Arriving earlier and departing now. Seems those with money do not worry about traffic jams. They look down on them, literally. I look up at them and think, 'Yeah, I would do that too if I could.' I got given the control of the joystick of a helicopter in Alaska once. To sum up the experience - it is a lot harder than it looks!! The pilot did not let me retain control for long. But it was fun while it lasted, at least for me, but not sure about the others in the helicopter at the time.

So to the tuneful sound of helicopters today I have been getting on with Project 51. I cut all my red/pink/blue/aqua 2.5" squares yesterday and today I pieced them. I only had one hiccup when I realised that my star block was far bigger than expected. Reminder to self, pay attention! This block did not need a band of white sashing around the star before all the little squares got attached. But I am a clever puppy. And I am very good at using my little unpicking doohickey.

So here are my Project 51 blocks -

I will have these posted off to their next destination in a day or two.

Yesterday, when my family all looked content, I managed to sneak out the door and go to the quilt shop with some of my birthday money. I only wanted one thing in particular. A small cutting mat. I have a huge one that lives on the floor for want of a surface that it could live on. When it is in the way I slide it under the rowing machine which gives me all the more reason not to use it. But when I am sewing and trimming as I go, like you do with HSTs, getting up and down to that cutting mat on the floor becomes a right pain in the a**e. So now I am the proud owner of a cute mini mat which will save all that to-ing and fro-ing.

It would be silly of me to claim I made it out the shop without a tiny, wee little purchase of fabric.

Onto a more exciting note - for me at least - one of our plans for the summer has changed. Instead of sleeping in a tent surrounded by midges with John, we spoke to the girls and asked them if they would rather join the sailing club instead and spend some quality time with their father (okay, me too) on the water. They voted for the sailing club. My back says thank you. I was so not looking forward to a week of sleeping on an air mattress.

Way better than that though - it means I will be able to go to the quilt show in Birmingham. Oh joy of joys! Who else is going? Tell me, tell me, please. Will I be able to actually meet anyone there and put faces and voices to brilliant personalities? Is there lots to buy there? Will I need one of those old lady shopping bags on wheels? Should I be feeding the girls on the cheap until then and squirrelling away the money saved to be spent on fabric? Please tell all. This inquiring mind needs to know.

Well, to bring me back down to earth, I have shirts to iron. Oh yippee! The girls are in the kitchen doing something with flour, water and food colouring. On the promise that they would clean up after themselves (how optimistic am I?) I am ignoring them and the shouts of laughter. It will all be okay. It will!

Hope you have had a terrific weekend. I know I have, and still a barbeque to look forward to for dinner.

Susan