Listen to the Sound of Silence

Bliss! Absolute bliss, I tell you. Have I done a lot today. Nope! Do I care? Not one iota. Because I have done not much of anything in silence. I had a long, long chat with one of my bestest buddies on the phone - and no one interupted. I did a little sewing. I read blogs until my eyes near dropped out my head. I did a little sewing. I chatted online to friends. I did a little sewing. No iPod. No television. No computer games. Nothing but the sound of the wind blowing nasty weather around outside.

Yes, most definitely bliss!

What I did manage to do was check off two items from my To Do list. It is nice when you can draw a line through something on a list and know it's completed.

First I made a block for Kat's cheeky quilt. Kat is the sort of person who happily does things for others and then is surprised when people are happy to do things for her. Silly sausage! I hope she likes her block. She wants scrappy, and bright, and slightly wonky. I think I fullfilled the brief.

Next on the agenda were a couple of wonky stars for Judith's Bee Blessed charity bee. You would think I had wonky stars down to a science after making a whole quilt of them but that would be pretty wishful thinking. I did have to unpick several times but I got there in the end.

While we are on the subject of Judith, have you been over to her lovely blog - Rags to Bags - and entered her fantabulous giveaway? If not, hop on over there. 10 FQs of Momo Freebird are up for grabs! You wouldn't want to miss out, would you?!

Judith isn't the only person with a generous giveaway this week. Laura Jane, over at Needles, Pins and Baking Tins has a great one too. While you are in the mood, having entered Judith's giveaway, I would highly recommend that you pop on over to Laura's giveaway and enter that too. You could win 10 FQs of the most gorgeous fabric. Silly not to really! (Why I am telling you about these giveaways and lessening my chances is beyond me. All this me time must be mellowing me!)

So I survived the first day on my own. Think I will give it another go I loved it so much. Oh the joy!

Susan

Bring on Tomorrow!

I am linking this post to Quiltstory for Fabric Tuesday. Have not linked in a few weeks due to the summer holidays taking precedent and it is time to get back in the swing of things. I'm off to read some posts from other people who are linked too.

What a day! I came close to tossing my dummy out the pram, or just plain losing the will to live. But here we are, posting late (for me) and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. That light is the one that is on in the school, waiting for my children to arrive tomorrow morning. I love my girls, but I'll be shoving them through the door tomorrow morning with a grin on my face!

We had to go into town this morning. I was required to renew my drivers licence. Apparently once it is ten years old you need a new photo. Pain in the a**e? Most certainly but (and I mean this most sincerely) I so needed a  new photograph! The last photo I looked like a prisoner who had just been given the death sentence. It was grim! Easily explained when I tell you I was 38, in the early stages of my second pregnancy and my less than one year old was a goat. She could climb just about anything in the house and sleep was a superfluous activity. I looked like crap! So new photo it is. I may look ten years older but surely it can't be as bad as the last one. Can it?!

While we were in town Emily suddenly remembered the school bag I had made her (to her design I might add) that just did not work as a school bag. 'So, Mummy, why don't we pop into the charity shop and find another pair of jeans and you can make me another bag to use tomorrow?' Why not indeed?!! It was at this point that my day went down hill quickly. But I will return to the subject of book bag shortly.

On our return home I found that no one had pieced my Across the Sea QAL blocks while we were out and that they were still taking up a large percentage of the floor space. I considered returning to the computer and taking notes about Hadley's and Sarah's design suggestions, but realised deep down that they were only messing with my head (right ladies?). I had a quick shuffle around and came up with this -

Almost as quickly, I sewed them together, before I could change my mind again. Too much pondering can be a problem some days when you do not have the time for it, so I nipped it in the bud sharpish. While the girls made sushi for tomorrow's school lunch I did this -

I thought I was all caught up on the Across the Seas QAL until I read some posts this morning and everyone is supposed to be moving onto their borders now. Yeah, yeah, soon!

Then there was the school bag. I knew it wasn't going to be as easy as before when I took the time to read the label on the jeans, something that I should have done in the shop.

Stretch! Arrghhh! I don't do stretch - well, I do in the trousers I wear but not with the stuff I make. Never. Not stretch, not shiny slippery stuff, not velvet or anything that doesn't say 100% cotton - that's my general rule. And (a little plug for M&S) these things were made really well. The bits where I needed to pick out stitches when I was deconstructing the jeans were not giving up without a fight.

Eventually I got on with the sewing. And I sewed my little heart out. I pinned for England to keep the stretchy bits from getting the better of me. I pushed my machine to its limit and beyond. When I was sewing through very thick layers of denim like when attaching the shoulder straps my machine was not happy. It didn't sound right. I worried. I may still be a bit worried, but I will give it a wee clean tomorrow, a drop of oil and speak nice to it. Hopefully that will see it through this hiccup.

All this happy sewing was done to the cheerful sound of my children in the background. Highlight of their various conversations? Had to be - 'Oh yeah, well your armpits stink!' Lovely little ladies, aren't they?!

Due to the fact that I did not use a pattern for these school bags I had no instructions to review. Which might explain why, after I sewed in the lining, I found the shoulder strap to be firmly esconced inside the lining and completely useless. Needless to say I had stitched and back stitched several times to make sure that strap was very secure. The seam ripper earned its keep.

I sewed the thing back together again. And I still got it wrong! Honest to God, if I only had a brain! So I ripped out stitches, again. And I sewed - again. Is it any wonder my machine was getting a little unhappy? Four hours after I began we had a new school bag. I don't like it! Secretly I do, but I am so pissed off at it, and me, right now that I could sling the thing in the bin.

With my luck the shoulder strap will fall off the second day of school.

Same lining as the previous two bags.
I have a lot of that blue stuff!

A bit of top stitching for added detail.

It's a good thing for the girls that there was enough leftover curry in the fridge to feed them for dinner because I have no idea what they were going to have otherwise. Food preparation got forgotten somewhere in the day. But, new uniforms are all laid out and ready for the morning. Book bags too! 9am tomorrow I will be doing a happy dance.

Susan

Shameless!

Yesterday himself made a comment on the state of my oven. Imagine that - the cheek! I readily admit it is disgusting. But I argue that the only way to keep a clean oven is to not cook. And I cook, quite well most of the time and lots of different types of food. The price to pay is a vilely dirty oven. Well, it is in my books.

He followed up his comment by showing me the new improved interior of my oven, because he cleaned it while we were away. I think he was trying to shame me into a future of more regular cleaning of said oven. He failed. Because all I could think was, 'Result!'

Now I am contemplating when I can go away again and what other much ignored chores should I steer him gently towards. I am shameless!

Today has been a busy one. I went about those necessary post holiday tasks like copious amounts of laundry, and the daily tasks of feeding them lot. I tried to keep the warring daughters from killing each other. Overtired and over emotional. (Them, not me!) Not a good combination. Between these joyous moments I started playing catch up.

Today I decided to have a go at the Across the Seas QAL quilt. Before I went away I managed to cut the fabric for the crosses. Today I accomplished much more.

Background cutting.

Chain piecing.

Lots of pinning.

More sewing.

And now layout pondering.
Not this one.

Not this one either.
I'll keep pondering some more.

And that is as far as I got today. A few steps closer to catching up with everyone else. I feel good for what I managed to accomplish today. Wonder what tomorrow will bring? What kind of day did you have?

Susan

Summer is Officially Over in this House

That's it. I'm done. No more motorways for a while. The endless stream of holidays is over. I am knackered. In a good way, but all I can say now is Bring On School! I need - desperately need - some sewing time, some me time, some all by myself time.

Our week on the island was fabulous. The weather was kinder than we could have hoped for and we did lots, without overdoing it. Lots of time with friends, relaxing, laughing and enjoying life. Just what a holiday should be. The girls did not want to leave. As the sun shone down brightly yesterday, and it was hot, I have to say I would rather have been at the beach too. But now we are home and all we have left to do is show off our holiday photos.

So here are some of the highlights. My only regret being that I forgot my camera the day I took the girls to a park where they had those giant zorbing balls on a swimming pool and they laughed themselves senseless in them. My face hurt from laughing just watching them. Have to remember my camera and go back there next year!

The beach never loses its appeal.

Picnics.

More ice cream.
Not sick inducing this time, thank goodness.

Emily made up for the 'film' they were making.
(A tiny and very scary glimpse into the future for me.)

The cake baking didn't stop just because we were away.
Helen has the recipe memorised.

Hanging around off the rhinoceros.

Best friends.

I watch. They scream.

And let us not forget the animals that endured an incredible lot of attention -

Some of the guinea pigs.

That Emily loved.

And Basil showed a healthy interest in.

Yes, the wonderful puppiness himself - Basil -
seen here broom wrestling.

Asleep under the guinea pig pen.

Too exhausted to care how he was positioned.

The divinely patient Miss Molly.

Sorry, no photos of the rabbit who spent most of her time hiding from Basil.
Or the hens who just went about their business quietly in their enclosure.

And let's not forget the meals. Barbecuing and pink wine I seem to recall. Especially good when the kids choose to eat at another table, happily not coerced, and we just got to chat.

Carefully choosing a table that the boys couldn't fit at.

Pink wine and barbecues.
Life is good!

There are dozens more photos but I am sure that is more than enough. Now my mind must turn towards other things. Sewing!! Yeah! Oh, the list of things to do is long, but I am feeling reinvigorated and ready to see if I am up to it. Bring on Tuesday. (I really should check that they are starting back then - everyone seems to have a different start date and I am beginning to second guess myself.) New school uniforms are ready, and so am I. Time for a little routine in our lives again.

Susan

Miss September - That's Me!

I have been having a brilliant time in the Brit Bee. So glad I gathered my courage together and put my name down for this bee quickly, because there are only twelve of us in it. If you didn't act quickly you lost out. It is the inaugural Brit Bee. Laura Jane set it up within days of Lynne setting up Brit Quilt. Laura Jane had never been a mama before so she thought she would have a gentle start, so twelve was the limit. I am one of the lucky few.

I consider myself lucky because I am in with a group of very talented women and there are days I wonder if they know the truth - about me not having a clue so often. But I don't regret signing up for this bee one bit because I have met and made friends with the most brilliant, funny, supportive women you could imagine. The fact that I am the oldest is kind of weird, but we won't go there!

And now it is September, and I own September. The fabric has been cut, sorted, packaged and posted. I hope they have it by now because I am about to let the cat out of the bag and tell  you what I decided on for my blocks.

If I hadn't won the Go! Baby I was planning to go for improvised blocks, but I did win and that influences my decision of what to ask for. I received three dies with my baby. I had requested equilateral triangles, hexies and drunkard's path. I might tease a little but, honestly, there was no chance I was going to make them all piece hexies into 12.5" blocks for me. Especially as half of them are already doing hexies in Lynne's hexalong.

No, I went for Drunkard's Path. And I cut contentedly as the Go! makes it so easy.

Curves! I went for curves. I have tried out sewing these little doohickeys together and it is easier than I thought it would be. Thank goodness - I would have felt dead guilty making them take on a task which was a pain in the a**e. I used over thirty different fabrics and a charm pack of Just Wing It for these blocks. I based the fabrics I chose on the colours found in the charm pack (for the most part). I want my blocks to be saturated with colour.

I have asked the bee ladies to piece four Drunkard's Path squares together and surround them with the sashing provided. How they arrange the squares is up to them. The combinations are not endless, but they are up to them.

Circles

Two not talking.

Everyone in the corner.

With sashing.

And that, my friends, is what I have asked for my bee blocks. I have been thinking of a name for this future quilt, and as the block uses the Drunkard's Path I thought I would play on that name and that Alcoholics in a Box might do. What do you think?

Susan