On the Brink

I took the girls into town to buy their new school shoes this morning. It is a yearly ritual most parents go through. In the early years it sparked much excitement and happiness. Now it just seems to test how close to the edge of insanity I am, and will a few hours in town be enough to push me over.

Get there early. Take a number. Wait. Listen to your children sigh. And sigh. And ask how much longer it will take, again and again. Get their feet measured. Get told that neither of them have had any significant growth in their feet since last September. Buy them new shoes knowing, without the shadow of a doubt, that their feet probably started growing about that instant. How on earth does a nine year old's feet not grow for a full year?!

Eventually escape the shoe shop and run the other errands. Stupidly (Yes, I shall admit that the following is very, very stupid.) agree to let them wait in the pet shop while I went into the butcher. What was I thinking?!!

Spend the rest of the day telling them why you don't think them getting some gerbils is a good idea. Including their outstanding idea that they share a room and the gerbils get Helen's room. The two children who have barely had a civil word to say to each other all week. Um, yeah, that's a great idea! Finally crack and tell them that they can ask their father, tomorrow, when I am not home. His turn to be badgered endlessly. Best idea I have had all week.

Susan

The Next Step

More socialising of the warring duo today. It worked wonders to have three additional girls here. They played Olympics outside for ages. I didn't care that they dragged my dining room chairs outside to do it, nor found any need to wear shoes with their socks. Peace reigned supreme and that was good enough for me.

When the guests left I started with the process of appliquing my rainbow hexies to their background. I have chosen to put these hexies on a Kona charcoal backing like I did with my framed purse. Actually, I tell a lie there. The person that this eventual cushion is intended for requested the Kona charcoal. I just do as I am told occasionally.

I am happily going around the edge, slip stitching away. Pricking myself repeatedly on the pins holding it all in place. Contemplating how I am going to quilt it. What I am going to sash this block with to make the cushion bigger. Admiring my wee hexies and admitting to myself that I finally have a great assortment of fabrics in bright colours that I love. But I might, just maybe, have to get one or two more this weekend at the Festival of Quilts.

I will be going on Saturday. I know Nicky will be there, and Lucy. I know that Laura Jane, Katy and Trudi can be found working. Deborah will be demonstrating. Who else is going? Let me know if you will be there when I am and we could always say hello.

Susan

Going With the Flow

I'm in summer mode here. Wasting mornings doing not much of anything some days. Praying for sunshine on the days the girls are acting like typical siblings - in other words playing, fighting, shouting, crying, and then repeating again, and again, and again. Sunshine so I can kick them out the house to just let them get on with it, out of my hearing. This week I have made more of an effort to get out to see other people with them though. So sewing production has slowed down. But the inclusion of other friends in the mix has made for more mellow days.

I did get a little bit of sewing done in the evenings. It doesn't look like much, but I have to tell you it took me a heck of a long time. Because I was determined that when I embroidered the bus on my Summersville fabric it would retain the lettering on the side of the bus - Summersville Tours. I managed, fairly well I think, but it did take some concentrating to make sure it was almost legible.

Meanwhile, I have found the time to sign up for a new swap. A charm swap being run by the inimitable Sarah at Narcoleptic in a Cupboard. If you love Japanese farbics, like to do paper piecing and/or fussy cutting, or have an urge to do those cool Polaroid blocks then you really need to be in this swap. (But you also need to live in the UK or Ireland - sorry.) Places are filling up fast.

Here's a quilt Sarah made with the charms she got in a swap last year.

How good is that?! If you are interested in the swap then please sign up with Sarah here. If that is not incentive enough to hop on over there and check it out then how about the fact that she is having a fabulous giveaway too.

Finally, if you haven't checked out who is on the blog hop with Plum and June this week then all the links are here. Yesterday Sarah had a great tutorial for a mug rug and January one for a pouch designed to carry quilt blocks. Wonder what awaits us tomorrow from  Alison and Cathy?

Susan

Size Isn't Everything

She's done! My perle held out yesterday and I finished the quilting on Sew Stitchy. Today I got the binding made, sewn on, and just a few minutes ago I finished hand stitching it on the back. This quilt is not very big, baby sized for a new born really, measuring up about 31" x 41" - but I still love it. Size really isn't everything.

I made the pattern up as I went along. Par for course. Aneela Hoey has produced another winner of a fabric line. Sew Stitchy delivers her blue, red and grey colour pallette, with the lime green adding a fresh twist.

I supplemented the solids that came with the line with some extra Kona Ash used in the backing and the binding. The sashing I used was Kona Snow.

There is a panel available with the line and I used this in the backing.

It features lovely pictures of little girls, birds, sewing notions, etc.

I have talked about my quilting (yesterday) which was done with perle cotton in a random hexagon design. It was easy to do as the quilt was a baby one.

The binding was the Kona Ash, as said, but I threw in a little bit of the blue and red solid to add a little interest.

All in all I am really pleased with how this quilt came out. And pleased to have a finish. I love that feeling!

Susan

Stitching Sew Stitchy

I am sat watching the Olympics, hand stitching my Sew Stitchy quilt. Marvelling at the similarities between myself and the athletes. Um, yeah, right! Well, I am watching the Olympics and it is stopping me from eating, all those fit people with flat stomachs - so something good is coming of it.

I am approaching the last 20% of the quilting task. Am I am still really pleased with how I decided to do it. For me the hexies work with this pattern and fabric. Maybe I just have hexies on the brain these days.

Unfortunately I am a bit worried I will run out of perle before I run out of quilt to be quilted. I may have to place an emergency order shortly.

And this is what the stitching looks like a little closer. (No collages again as Picmonkey is still not working for me. Why?!)

I am determined to stitch today until I am done, or the thread runs out - whichever comes first. Cross your fingers for me that it is the former, not the latter that happens.

Susan