I have spent hours and hours of precious sewing time dithering around, flicking through my gazillions of quilting books, all the articles I’ve cut out over the years…..I finally came down to Carrie Nelson’s Simple City pattern and just as I was about to start cutting I noticed some very fine pencil marks in the margins of the pattern, and realized that I must have made it before. Sure enough, it was the quilt I made for my god-daughter in France last Christmas.

Now in my book, unless a pattern is unbelievably amazing, life is too short to make the same thing twice over…

So I kept up my search…

…..and finally decided on something that caught my eye just last week. Camille Roskelley’s new Fireworks pattern (oh, the joy of pdf patterns!). It’s a bit Swoony, but the blocks are a little smaller, so I get to make 16 rather than Swoon’s 9. Camille used a white background fabric, but I’m going to only use my Rouenneries Deux fat quarters, three per block, with the lighter fabrics as the background.

Here’s my first block.

I can report that it’s do-able and interesting enough that I won’t get bored. What I didn’t notice at first glance is that  it’s rather sneakily made up of two of my favorites – stars and flying geese – so how could I not like it?

15 more to go. I’m liking this a lot!!

Helen

This is my next project. Isn’t it so good you could eat it? It’s Rouenneries Deux by French General. I love, love, love the combination of the browns and beiges and that lovely rich red.

I’d actually set this afternoon aside to get started.

And have I?

Nope.

All I’ve done is dithered around looking at pattern books and not making my mind up. This is such a traditional fabric line that I just can’t see it with anything modern. I can’t make stars again. Well I could, but I’ve rather done stars to death over the past couple of years and a little variety wouldn’t be a bad thing…..

Watch this space. I’m determined to do SOMETHING this afternoon. I need to stop the faffing and make a decision!

Helen

Thank you so much for all your great suggestions on what I should use my beautiful boxes for…..so far I’ve used three of the boxes to sort out my threads (which were previously in a horrible jumble in a great big box where I could never find what I wanted)……

Don’t they look nice? I feel all organized and together – which is never a bad thing.

Before you tell me off for being to threads what Imelda Marcos is to shoes, I should add that these are in part the result of three house clearances, and one elderly aunt had all her mother’s threads and sewing supplies from the early 1900’s. I’m very slowly working my way through them all! You’d actually think, looking at all this lot, that I’d never, ever need to buy thread. Wrong! I’m forever running out of white and cream and almost invariably for dressmaking I don’t have the right colour!

After a lot of thought and deliberation I decided I had to have two prize winners – one for the most varied suggestions – that’s you Julie, and one for the most original suggestion, which I’m awarding to Paige. Ladies, you’ll be hearing from me! Thanks to all of you who made suggestions – I’m now feeling really inspired!!

Today I also finished up this EPP star for Marguerite from the EEP bee I’m in. It looks a lot easier than it was – this little piece finishes at 9″, so some of those little pieces are really weeny and there are an awful lot of points coming together – those were tough. I hope Marguerite will like it – and I’m sure it’s going to be part of an awesome quilt!

More from me tomorrow…

Helen

This year for Christmas pretty much everyone gave me gorgeous toiletries…..I’m a girl who loves to bathe, so they certainly hit the mark….

The bath goodies all came in the most fabulous boxes. Really sturdy, fabulous, too good to ever throw away boxes.

Any ideas for what I can use them for/ turn them into?

There may be a prize for the best suggestion!

Helen

OK, now be honest with me….

Who joined me in feeling a great big sigh of relief when the last family member went out of the door this morning?

Phew.

I love the lot of them, but it felt SO good to be in an empty house and have some time to myself again!

I was really raring to go this morning. It felt like the start of something new, and I was in Mrs Super Efficient mode…..so I’ve edited a couple of surveys, sent off my CV into the ether and maybe in the direction of that new job I mentioned, taken a yoga class, washed floors and cleaned bathrooms…..and it feels great!! I’m still not completely over my flu (can you believe it’s been a whole month?), but I’ve had enough of it and it has to go, so I’m having a real health and fitness campaign!

My prize for getting all that lot done was a little sewing time….the January blocks for Nicole (Follow the White Bunny) for Sew Euro-bee-an. Nicole had asked for these + and x blocks in black, white, grey and a strong colour. They are going to make a really striking quilt! I loved using some of the really cool lettered fabrics I’ve acquired recently.

OK, so what’s next? There might be time for something else before the munchkins get home 😉

Helen