Sunday, March 4, 2012

February...gone

We took off for a month. So we missed February. We took off in search of sunnier climes. We headed south to Victoria and had a lovely time camping with our little teetering terror. Camping with a baby is great fun, but quite tiring as you might expect. As long as you're able to turn a blind eye to normal daily hygiene standards here and there.
This is my new-old Janome. It's a special quilting machine and is quite fancy with computery displays. We are getting along quite well although it has taken a bit of getting used to. For a while there every time I wound and changed a bobbin I'd have all these error readings - it's super sensitive to threading. I haven't got the tension quite worked out yet either.




My sisters friend saw the patchwork cushion I made her for Christmas and asked me to make a pair for her. I charged her for materials only.


Pretty pretty!

All folded neatly and ready to be sent out. I do hope that she likes them.



The little labels I made for the cushions. I reckon they're sweet.


A little pouch I made for my sister. Just cos.


And a Noodlehead Go Anywhere bag. Heather Bailey, chambray/denim and some gingham.



I found it hard to part with this package but I already have two of these bags for myself. I bet she got a surprise when it arrived.


The above is the first attempt at wonky, improv block for the SBS QAL. I went way overboard. It ended up being huge, another oversight so I started trimming. Then I couldn't bear to trim away all that valuable fabric that I am running low on. I put it aside thinking it might make up part of the back of the quilt. I decided to retry and use the above for a cushion cover. This required adding more strips - argghhh, after all that trimming!
This block was just too busy and big for its own good. But I now have it as a cushion to remind me always that it pays to stop and think about things. Man, it's ugly!

This is my block 25 of the QAL. It's a kind of variation on the theme of log cabin/square in a square and wonky. I'm much happier with this block which seems restful and calm next to the chaos of the first one. That's me up to date.

I do have quite a few things on the boil. I have finished and bound the 'Pips' quilt. Pics to come. I am about 1/3 of the way through hand quilting the HST/zig zag quilt and have also got a few scrap cushion covers basted and ready to be quilted. Plenty on my plate to share in the next updates.