Chilly weather

The weather is getting so cold. It's almost cold enough to light the fire.

Life as always has been busy. Work is full on, and I've been putting in extra hours recently. The down side is that I have less time to spend on activities at home. Anyway, in the last week I've attempted to make progress on Mum's quilt. The fabric has been sewn onto paper, in sections. The sections have been laid out so that you can get an idea of how it will sit together. The centre hasn't been cut out yet.



I'm currently piecing the outer arc. Very time consuming. Each arc takes about 2-3 hours to make. Another 7 to go.




The circle will be squared up with the cream fabric. Then a border will be added (still mulling over ideas on that one). The finished quilt should be about 60".

On Tuesday I posted my siggie swap blocks - all 190 of them. Exciting. I hope to receive a bundle back in early July. What a big job for the co-ordinator to undertake. I hope everyone gives her the thanks she deserves.

Sewing organiser

In an effort to be more organised, and create less chaos in my life - well in the sewing department, I've been thinking about making a portable sewing organiser.

My theory is that I don't need a lot of stuff for the basics bits and pieces that I do, those being; hand piecing, and hand quilting. If I have the basics with me, then I'm not locked away in a cold sewing room, or having to pull over my sewing box/kit to track down random items. Sounds good in theory :)

So - what do I want my organiser to contain? Hmm... I'm thinking:

• thread (1 spool)
• pin and needles (size 12 betweens for quilting)
• thimbles
  
• small scissors
• threader / cutter
  
• pin cushion
• quilting markers and refills
  
• mini ruler
• spare pocket for odd bits and pieces (like small quilting templates)
  
• mini "rubbish" bag, for used thread etc
  

Can you think of any other must haves? Remember I'm thinking light and portable.

Siggie swap blocks

Last night I started sewing the siggie (signature) swap blocks. I was surprised at how quick it was to sew them together. But I must be honest - I did have a secret weapon. I used the Angler 2 (by Pam Bono). That helped me guide the fabric through at the right position. Sped up the process no end.

If you are interested, I found two reviews of the Angler 2. They can be found at Sister's Choice Quilts blog and at BlackBird Designs.

So here we have it, 192 blocks sewn. Now I need to sign them all, and trim off the surplus fabric :)



To those astute readers out there - you will probably recognise this fabric. Yes, it's the same fabric as the mock cathedral window quilt. I bought 7 metres of it when it was on sale, and I'm looking for every opportunity to use it up. In this case, I'm sharing my good fortune with the world :)