Nothing dramatic to report from up the hill today.

I’ve been doing a little bit of this…

and this….

and this…

and I’ve realised that the FQ Retreat really isn’t very far away at all and I need to get may skates on with my 4 gifts for the sample swap…

Mmmm that’s a tricky one – and there have been some fabulous things already posted on flickr, which had the effect of making me feel like I’m late and that whatever I make, it has to be good! No pressure you understand.

I’m thinking of starting with these…

but haven’t yet quite decided what to do with them. No I’ll rephrase that, I’ll be covering them in some way, but quite how is still a little on the fuzzy side. That’s the project at the top of my list for this week. That and getting my supplies ready for the classes I’m taking.

I had a hard time deciding on classes – and actually signed up my preferences at a point in time when I still thought I was going to be able to take my sewing machine on the plane with me. I think I’ll be fine without – apparently there will be some machines available and if I’m not super-productive it doesn’t really matter – I’m going as much to enjoy the company of other quilters and learn a few new things as for any other reasons. Coming home with beautiful finished projects isn’t high on my list of priorities.

I’m kind of hoping I’ll get to spend a lot of time just hanging out and chatting!

Helen

Today is a blissful hot summery day. Tomorrow the rain and storms will be back again.

On days like this I’m trying really hard to stick to my resolution to try to take time to stop and smell the flowers. I have a zillions things to do as usual, but it’s hot and between you and me, not much is getting done. Other than sitting in the garden, listening to the birds singing, the neighbourhood kids playing and soaking in the flowers and the peace.

I think it’s true to say that where the gardens concerned I have a thing about pinks, purples and blues.

Tomorrow is another day and there will still be time for everything then…..

Helen

Especially the weeds….so guess what I’ll be doing today now that the rain seems to have abated for a while!

Every year it’s the same. I long for things in the garden to start growing….and conveniently forget just how much work a garden is. Don’t get me wrong, I love pottering in the garden, but I do notice that there are less hours in the day for everything else! I think this week is officially the last week when we could still get frosts at night, so it’s time to get some seedlings into the vegetable garden. A major trip to the garden centre is on the agenda. This always ends up being a challenge to see how much I can stack precariously on one of their big trolleys….and then even worse…how the heck do I get all that stuff in my Mini!

Happy mochi is making progress….still small, but growing at a rate of a row or so a day. Can’t tell you how much I’m loving it – it’s so light and fun and summery and since I started trimming down my HSTs it’s going together better too. It’s one of those quilts that is just guaranteed to make me smile!

Here’s hoping you get to be outside in some sunshine today!

Helen

It’s arrived!!

My Fat Quarterly Retreat name badge…

Isn’t it great! I love the Swiss cross theme! And look how cleverly Katy has embroidered all the things I love to do…run, quilt, knit, write!!!

It was made for me by Katy, who you can visit here. (Katy is an amazingly prolific quilter and a talented bear maker!!) I was so chuffed to have it made by one of my blog buddies – we’re in the Stitch Tease Bee together. I opened the envelope from Katy thinking she’d sent me something for the Bee…and then low and behold it turned out that she was my secret name tag swap buddy! Thanks Katy – you did a wonderful job and I’ll be wearing this with pride in London in June!!

Look what else Katy sneaked into the envelope….

Yummmeeee…she knows the way to my heart!

I’m now going to hide this somewhere VERY secret…otherwise you know what will happen!! (It will all end up in the wrong tummies!)

Helen

Today I’ve been making zillions of blue and yellow half square triangles to add to my pink, green and orange zigzags in between weeding and cleaning the house. I’ve changed my method and am now starting with 3 1/2 in. squares and cutting them down to 3 in. once they are sewn to make sure that everything stays nice and square. It does waste a bit of fabric and put another (trimming) step into the process, but it makes piecing the squares much easier and they fit together much better.

I still think that it might have been an idea to work slightly bigger….but too late now….

I’ll be making triangles till the cows come down the mountains at the end of the summer at this rate!

Helen