Cats Stop Play

I was looking forward to making more progress on Mum's Quilt this afternoon - I took a coffee upstairs, turned the radio on, made sure the heating was on, re-threaded the machine (after turning up a couple of pairs of trousers in the week) and settled down.



I doodled away at the border daisies for an hour or so, making good progress, but then started to feel the quilt not moving as well as it should under the machine - like it was snagging on something.






Ah, yes.

Closer inspection revealed Oliver cat also enjoying quilting.

No matter, I didn't want to disturb him, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to cut the background fabric for the Christmas QAL - I'm behind here as I changed my mind after February's QAL session, and so could do with getting the fabric out from the fabric crate and getting that done.

Ah. Perhaps not. Domino cat has found the fabric first.

I'll add 'brushing black cat hairs off cream fabric' to my list of things to do...

Christmas Quiltalong 2012 - Mar pt3

I didn't manage to finish my 4-patches for the Festive Mystery quilt last night - but I have done them today.

I couldn't persuade either of my cats to model them like Sunny did over at Sand and Sunshine, but here they are anyway.

Joanna was talking about her favourite high school band yesterday - my high school years were the early eighties, the biggest bands were Micheal Jackson and the New Romantic bands like Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet, and of course George Michael and Wham!

Nothing jumps out at me as being one favourite band or song from that time - but I will share what is my no. 1 song of the moment from Jethro Tull (but dating from 1977) which I have on all the time!

Christmas Quiltalong 2012 - Mar pt2

So when I settled down with my sewing earlier, I made festive chains of 2" squares and draped them across the ironing board until the two piles of fabric were all matched up.

Then I went for a run, ending up at mum's house where she cooked an early dinner for my brother, two nieces and me. It was homemade roasted butternut squash soup, followed by chicken supremes with broccoli in orange sauce with veg, and then meringue nests with raspberries and cream. Yum!

You would have laughed if you saw me running - I'd borrowed mum's ladle which she wanted back for the soup, and of course I didn't have a bag on me, just my running kit, so I ran 4km carrying the ladle in my hand as I ran!

And home again, I've separated all the chain-sewn squares and pressed them all ready for matching into four-patches.

I'm not sure I'll have time to finish these tonight - I want to have a look at what you're all up to, then I must have a shower, and I'm going out later for a beer or two...

Christmas Quiltalong 2012 - Mar pt1

Today is the Christmas Quiltalong Saturday for March, and our host for the day is Joanna at Needle Thread Happiness.

I have the second set of instructions for QuiltSue's Festive Mystery quilt, and I am all set to go! Especially as I have now dusted, vacuumed, done the washing & hung it out, put the dishwasher on, cleaned the bathroom and spent an hour or so out the front painting the railings to match the new drive gates.

Phew!

I've just been round the world to see what everyone is up, and now I am ready to quilt!

The Christmas Quiltalong is Here Tomorrow!

It is Friday evening, a glass of red is on the go, and as it is the second Saturday of the month tomorrow, it will be the second installment of the Christmas Quiltalong! Hurrah!

Our host - Miss March - is Joanna at Needle Thread Happiness and I can't wait for her to reveal the second installment of QuiltSue's Festive Mystery Quilt! (*ahem* - that is after I have finished the cutting for the first installment...oh! I have a busy day ahead!)

So I'll be winging my way over to Massachusetts in the morning - you know, I don't know much about the state (apart from the obvious Bee Gees song) except that it is quite small, it has got a lot of history from the early settlers, and Joanna's photos show it can be jolly cold in winter.

Maybe Joanna will tell us more - so you will all come out to play, won't you? It's going to be terrific fun!

So see you all tomorrow - pip, pip!

A Self-Indulgent Whine

OK, so I have not fallen off a cliff into the fathomless void - but I am frustrated with regard to the lack of sewing opportunities that I have had in the last couple of weeks or so.

The problem is that there would appear to be a distinct lack of enough time in the statutory 24 hours per day.

Namely, I struggle to fit in what I do to pay the mortgage; keeping the house (& self) in a state on the right side of having the Environmental Health called in; putting enough E-less grub on the table; working off enough of the E-less grub exercising; playing around with a bit of dirt; and not becoming a hermit and seeing friends and family.

I do love the work that I do, but what with 'times being tough' and consequently having the nose adhered firmly to the grindstone, I occasionally have (and I am not proud of this) distinctly uncharitable thoughts toward those FORTUNATE ladies who are not tied to the work wheel and can devote more of their SPARE TIME to their hobbies including sewing and travelling and generally HAVING FUN and ENJOYING THEMSELVES.

All I have managed in the sewing line is to turn a pair of trousers up, and to make the tiniest progress of Mum's Quilt. I have done the SID around all the borders and had a little play with the daisy chains up the sashing - and I do like it very much. Hrrumph.

*Ahem.

And - breeeeeeathe. Ommmmmmmmmmmmm.

So. I am very much looking forward to being able to have 'a day with the girls' on Saturday - for the very good reason that it will be the second of the Christmas Quiltalong days for 2012 - hurrah, hurrah!

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to tripping off the Massachusetts to Joanna's place for the day where the second installment of the FESTIVE MYSTERY QUILT (courtesy of QuiltSue) will be revealed, and I just know we will all have a warm welcome.

And if we are all very good, Moxie cat might come and say hello - but I think we might keep our threads and scraps to ourselves before she joins in!

Oh - I'm not ready!! I'd better get cutting! I had a change of heart on the background fabric...