Sunday Catch Up

One of those lazy days of summer today, apart from the cooking, the changing of the bed, the laundry and the shopping. That's what I like about Sundays - a day of rest! The summer is nearly over before it began, we have had rain, torrential rain, light rain (what we call a mizzle) but very little sun. Today I was also a little tired, a long day in Dublin for a pre Rugby World Cup friendly between Ireland and Wales. The final result was , well, just lets say, we had a great day out but were beaten. I didn't have time to visit Oscar yesterday, I usually do, so lets reuse an old photo.



the one and only Oscar

There has been frantic times on the home front too. A lot of things all coming together at the same time. My summer tote swap for Modern Quilt Ireland (MQI) is almost finished. Well, just the ends to be sewn in and the extras sorted. Before Thursday. This is a wip photo of the inner and outer.

The tote bag was to be big enough to hold a craft magazine. I've bought a colouring book and thiws fits neatly. I've knit this little guy but have to decide whether to sew him on with a ribbon or tuck him inside. I knit him from a free pattern on LittleCottonRabbits. He looks a little bit twisted, that's just me trying to photograph one handed. Hopefully in a day or two I'll have a couple of things to go with him.

hello Mr Rabbit

My doll swap prototypes are coming along. Miss Red now has a friend, who has a jaunty yellow hat, knitted pink socks and a summer dress. I've based her on the mosaic of one of the other swappers. Not my partner, but a doll I liked the look off. I've drawn the features on Miss Red but have yet to embroider them. There's a big movement on instagram for "creepy dolls" but there is a fine line between creepy and sinister if the features are wrong! Some of the dolls have really wide eyes and blobby noses. Sort of like Les Dawson, or was it Eric Morecambe, I can play all of the notes just not in the right order, I don't like sweet, I'm happy to go for quirky but not keep me awake at night because the doll is looking at me quirky.

Miss Red and her friend

 

 

There's a bit, a lot, a bit more progress on the baby quilt I mentioned two weeks ago and linked up at the time with Molli Sparkles sew my stash. There were a few squares left from this stash from another baby quilt a year or so ago.

Two weeks ago I was at this stage, but half way through the quilting, my sewing machine packed up. A service and we're underway again.

 The first birthday has passed, a bottle of champagne hopefully substituted for a present, for the lucky parents anyway. The family has headed off on holiday and I have two weeks breather to get finished. Quilting is my favourite, straight line kindle quilting, rather than matchstick quilting. A line every width of my 1/4" foot in cream, then a pink row in between. This quilt won't be particularly innovative, but not all quilts have to be inspiring. It is what it is, a baby quilt and simply quilted. A workaday quilt made from stash. And I get the chance to link up with Molli Sparkles again.




baby quilt incorporating leftover pink squares

My last piece of excitement is still to come this week. After the success of the New Quilters Blog Hop 2015, no one wanted it to end. So, the hosts, Yvonne, TerriAnn, Stephanie and Cheryl suggested we each design a block for charity quilts. The fabric was donated by Fabri-Quilt and the designing began. Each of the hosts do what they do best, host, over the next few days from 31 August to 3 September. I'm on the last day with Terri Ann hosting.  We have 6 fat 1/8s in solid colours to play with. And guess what I'll be doing on Bank Holiday Monday, whilst waiting for the tv repair man, that's right, procrastination rules.  Enjoy the Fabri-Quilt New Block Hop 2015.

Helen x
Linking up with Molli Sparkles