January blocks (do. Good stitches)

Made from my scraps in blue and aqua, these are my January blocks. I pulled out the blues from the scrap basket before January started, but it took me this long to get them together. Too much on my mind to sew I think. I love scraps! They are so evocative. I remember all the things I have made with these fabrics. It's nostalgia and a little thrill of excitement and recognition all rolled into one. These blocks were quick and easy to make and the instructions came from the Moda bakeshop site here.

I'm glad to have finished them. I will post them off tomorrow and then I can tick the "done" box! Next up? Quilting.

Did it!

Yay! I finished one of the bags. (If you are related to me, look away now! Lol! I always wanted to say something like that. Let's face it. Such a statement is obsolete if you are me. I am related to soooo many people that no-one could possibly guess if this is for them. Something to do with having a thousand or so children I think!) How cute is it? It is a very clever pattern and went together so easily. I am so glad I have another six to put together. Maybe this week is looking better after all!

You know the dream where you're running....

.... you're running and running and no matter how fast you run the thing you are chasing gets further and further away? That dream? That was my week. It took me all week to do precisely nothing. Hence the no blogging this week. I did manage to go to the patchwork apple's sit n sew on Friday afternoon. I started putting together the log cabin quilt from July? Or August? I think I see a pattern developing here. Run fast, never catch up! Saturday morning was my civil war group at the patchwork apple. (Have I mentioned that I like the patchwork apple?) "Civil war group". That makes us sound like we should be on the History Channel! Does that channel ever show any program not about some war or other? It sounds like we sit around a large table and plan our offensives. Not so. We are making a quilt using civil war fabrics. We meet once a month and have a little bit of homework to do. It is a very fun group with some of my very best people being in the group. This is what we learnt this month. A little needle turn applique. And then we had lunch together. A lovely group!

Every day this week I have woken up sure that I would finish the table runner from the last post. And every day I didn't. Friday morning I thought enough was enough and I actually finished the back of the runner. I ran out of time and didn't get any more done. Today I thought I would finish it. I just thought I would do one thing before I began.....

Sew up a few honey bun strips and make a little bag or two. (Ten strips makes a bag) Great idea! Then I would do the runner. Seventy strips later (Who even knew I had that many honey bun strips?) I layed out the runner and the batting. Guess what? The batting wasn't big enough! So funny! I have been avoiding this all week and it turns out I couldn't have done it even if I tried! Oh well.

These are the strips I sewed today. There is Moda's Spring Fresh, Patisserie, Rounneries and Legacy in this shot. They look much more colourful in real life than this photo. Legacy has a pretty blue colour that is completely washed out in this shot. I took the photo outside in the shade. Thought it would work. You need shade today because Adelaide has finally hit the 30's this spring (That's the 90's for you Farenheiters!) and everything is all glarey outside. Of course, they don't actually look like bags yet cause I didn't get any finished. Maybe next week!

Journal Covers

Miss 17 had her awards day today and is now finally done with school. She wanted to give her teachers a gift so I hit the Moda bakeshop and found these journal covers. They looked much better once I had put an A5 notebook in them! Miss 17 baked chocolate chip cookies to go with the journals. The covers used a honey bun (I think mine was beach house?) which I had never used before and now am madly in love with!!! One honey bun would make 15 of these covers! I only found it necessary to make six, three for girls (top of the photo) and three for boys (bottom of the photo). Hmm...... they were a lot of fun to make and now I am thinking that they would make quite nice Christmas presents. Think I need some new honey buns!

What blogs are good for.

I have often pondered why I keep a blog. (Intermittently of late!) In fact non blog keepers often ask me this question. It's a record of my achievements, a way to stay in touch with like minded souls, and hopefully a vehicle to help me remember things. So, the lesson for today is: I don't like sewing for other people. I actually discovered this truth for the first time about 24 years ago, but for some reason I forgot it. Finished this dress for a year 12 formal today - or so I thought. The year 12 concerned wants changes made. Hmm....... I am totally over it! My own year 12 is waiting patiently for me to start her formal dress, so that will be the next sewing project here.

So, if you bump into me anywhere, remind me that I don't like sewing for other people so I don't get into this situation again! I am looking forward to sewing Miss 17's dress. (When I say "other people" I don't mean my family!) I have been over at the Moda Bakeshop looking at their projects. I fell in love with this one. So, so pretty! Makes me want to rush out and buy jelly rolls, and honey buns, and layer cakes, and...... or maybe not. I kind of want to rush out and buy those things even without looking at the cute projects on Moda Bakeshop. We are expecting 43 degrees in Adelaide tomorrow. Too hot! So I will be spending the day sewing in front of the air conditioner!!!