Mojo Rising

No, I haven't suddenly turned into Jim Morrison (although I'm now going to have that running round my head for the rest of the night! But it beats Kenny Rodgers' The Gambler which I've been humming all day!!) but I'm been making stuff.  I know!  I'm shocked too.

It started with this, how to make a quick blocked piece by pressing squares onto light interfacing.  It stayed in this pressed, but unsewn stage for a few weeks then I sewed the seams together and I now have a rough finished cushion top.  (which i do have a photo of, but it seems to have vanished at present!)

Then I bought the book in this picture Lynne Goldsworthy & Kerry Green's 500 Quilt Blocks which I've wanted for a while and it kind of got my mojo going.  Plus the fact that I am part of a bee for the Siblings Together charity and my month was fastly approaching and not only was I behind on my block for others but I hadn't decided what month was going to be!  (I'm also doing some quilt maths in this photo)

So a little visit to the Scottish Quilt show in Edinburgh last month ended with this purchase, a much needed new rotary cutter (which is brilliant by the way) and the need to try it out.

For February Pat asked for bright string blocks.  I think these should do the trick, the photo isn't great.  The rubbish weather is not good for taking decent photos but you can get the gist!

These are the blocks for March for Susy who wanted nautical themed blocks based on nautical symbols she had found on a piece of fabric.  These are my takes on her theme - the colours haven't come up very well but I really like the top left block which is aqua and pale orange.

 So tomorrow is the start of my month as Bee Mama (eek!)  I've never been part of a Bee before so it's daunting and exciting all at the same time.  Will my instructions be clear, will they think my blocks are easy to follow or too complicated, or too boring?

I've gone with green, blue and low volume/pale neutrals as my colour scheme and the economy block as my theme and come up with this

I'm really looking forward to see what everyone else comes up with!

There is some other things bubbling away but maybe I'll save that and maybe blog more than once a month!!

A Quilt Along and a Finish Along?

Following on from my last post about doing different/new things this year I have taken the plunge and decided to join in with the latest round of Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along (or ORBC quilt along for those in 'the know'!).  This is round 15 so it's been going on a wee while now, since 2009 I think.  I've seen lots of people joining in and it looked great fun but I never really felt I could/had the time, etc.  But this round I am, it is called 'Angled Frames' looks a bit like a log cabin but with a twist (ha! no pun intend). 

Now this called for some purchasing of fabric - trauma! - so I duly went trawling through websites, bambozzling myself in the process but did find some fantastic half metres in a rainbow pack.  I've decided I'm going to make this a quilt for Megan so something nice is bright is great.

I've also decided to link up with Katy at The Littlest Thistle and join in the Finish-a-long she does every quarter, so this is quarter 2 (which is kinda messing with my head as deal with budgets and stuff at work and it's actually Q1, but hey that's life!!).

So my proposals for finishing in quarter 2 are my quilt for the ORBC quilt along,

this quilt which started life as a mystery quilt along with Sheila at Bluepatch Quilter in ....... 2011 I think(?).  The plan was to have it finished by last Christmas as a gift for my dad and stepmum as the top is very nearly finished (I've only got 1 and a bit strippy bits and 1 block to do then the borders) but the run up to Christmas was a bit mad, then I was ill over Christmas/New Year which then prolonged into January.  And well it's still unfinished.  So I must get this done soon!!

And thirdly I'd love to get this finished

I started this cross-stitch when we lived in our flat.  We have lived in this house for nearly 8 and a half years.  I attempted to get started again after we had to get our beloved Jacky monster put to sleep last June but I got too upset every time I did (silly woman!).  But the end of this FAL will coincide with nearly 1 year since he died.  So a fitting tribute to aim for I reckon.  Still miss the litte bugger every day too!!

So there we have it a QAL and 3 proposals for a FAL - go me!

Ooops!!!

I've had a small hiatus!  I knew I hadn't blogged in a while, just slipped my mind the last time I blogged was November.  That was last year! and now we're very nearly, just a kick in the bum away from March.  That's a nearly a quarter into this year.  Flippin 'eck :o

But life has been busy, so it's all good.  The end of last year involved housey stuff (decorating, finishing stuff started ages ago), then it was Christmas and all that malarky, then we had an 'ill house' over the festive period that cleared up for everyone but me (yay!) so the rest of January/early February was dealing with health stuff.  That promptly brings me up to the last 2 weeks, just like that!

I have had a very luxurious 2 weeks off work, luxurious in that work is hectic at the moment and who really takes 2 weeks off in February?  One week for school mid-term but 2 weeks is a bit cheeky :)

In my defence I had annual leave to use up (ain't losing that for nobody) and the week after our mid term was my little pumpkin's first birthday.  Yes it's hard to believe, but our little girl has gone from this (where frankly she looks like a little doll)

Euan trying to look enthusiastic about his baby sister!

To this little person, who is constantly on the go.  She really is the giggliest little munchkin, it's a rare sight to see her upset thankfully.

I'm also massively thankful that her big brother loves her to bits.  I don't know what I'd do if there was any jealousy to deal with.  Parents who have to deal with that must have the patience of a saint.

So the last two weeks have involved 2 birthday cakes (2 separate birthday teas!), lots of attempts at cake pops - not as easy as I thought they'd be! and my first ever attempt to make macaroons (or macaRONs according to the Great British Bake Off!).  They weren't as scary as I'd expected them to be and even seemed to impress my very own Paul Hollywood (ie my dad - fussiest foodie ever!) who asked if I'd bought them ;) 

I've also managed to squeeze in a little bit of sewing

 (granted it doesn't look like much but it will become a revised Mariner's Compass!)

 (playing with hexies)

and even a visit to the Spring Quilt show at Ingliston yesterday where I picked up this fantastic panel - 'Hello Tokyo'

It's a rubbish photo, but you get the idea and I discovered while 'surfing the 'net ' that there are coordinating fabric too.  Yay!!!  This will be made into a quilt for Moo but I'm in 2 minds what to do with it - keep it as a whole panel, or cut it up and do some applique or something.  Needs more planning!

Right off to have a quick cuppa for me but I will be back soon :)