be prepared!

I'm not sure how it happened. Well, no, that's not true. I know exactly how it happened. I've been helping out at the Chook's Cub Scout Pack for about the last 6 weeks. It started with the making of the Fimo punkin keychains. And then I spent a couple of weeks keeping an eye on Miss Clumsy after the tooth disaster under the guise of helping out  (10 days til our next dental hospital visit - oh, joy) and then a few weeks just having fun and helping out. And now? Well, now I've started training to officially become an assistant Cub Scout Leader.

It's a LOT of work, y'know!! You want to see the modules I have to do, never mind the safety checks. But it does mean your kids are left with properly trained, safe adults which I think is a great thing. So the sewing will most certainly be taking a back seat over the next wee while. I'm ridiculously excited about the whole thing coz I've really been enjoying my time with the kids. And I get a cool name from the Jungle Book and a uniform with a woggle! Dyb, dyb, dyb!!

strings and stars

The time really is just scooshing past just now, innit? I should really be elbow deep in gift sewing but I just can't get in the right frame of mind currently so I'm diddling about doing everything BUT sewing for others. Like this string block.

It's a test block for my Scraptastic Bee. It's my month and after a loooong time agonising what to do and being thwarted left, right and centre by out of stock shops of all varieties I decided on this mix. Strings (which I LOVE but haven't the patience to make a whole quilt) and some strips of Moda's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" from a scrap bag. If you haven't seen one of those they are awesome! Lots of selvedges if that's your thang but (more importantly for me) loads of half WOF strips in almost all the fabrics in a range. I'm hoping to end up with a vintage looking quilt. The fabrics I sent out were green/blue/faded red/butterscotch and some Moda grey (like Kona Ash) so we'll see what the girls put together for me! There's only 4 strips of Tiffany's in my block and I love how it looks.

In other Bee news, I finally put together my wonky Christmas stars from the Quick Christmas Bee.

Now the only debate is whether to put in a final white border. I'm tempted to leave it as is - I'm not a huge border fan. I love how it looks, though! Possibly my favourite quilt ever!

junk jars

I've started on the festive creating. I've actually not got a big list this year. Some mug rugs (nicely anticipated, Missus Wookie!!) a cushion and a table runner maybe for some family and I think maybe a few of these guys.

I saw a tutorial here on making pin cushion jars from baby food jars. They are as cute as anything but too small to be useful for my giftage. So when I saw kilner jars in Tesco last week (I think they're half pint ones) I knew what I wanted to try!! Spouse came home with what I thought was a new drill but was actually a cordless hot glue gun (squeee!!!) and I have been having a play. The fabric/glue/glass combo isn't fantastic but I think I may have glued it into submission. And we need to make more Fimo pins since those ones up there are mine. And the jar is just filled with junk lying about my desk (I think sweeties may be the order of the day) but you get the idea. You could totally make a wee sewing kit for someone with needles, cotton and scissors, a gardener's one with seeds and a pair of gloves, a golfer's with balls and tees, a baker's with cute cupcake cases and measuring spoons, a girlie one with make up..........and they've a cute jar to keep all their rubbish in afterwards!!

Fingers crossed that the glue is still in place in a week and we're good to go!!

a pretty crayon roll

Did I tell you I'd become an aunt again? The Spouse's youngest brother and his wife had a bouncing baby boy a fortnight ago - the first Grandson for my in-laws after 4 grand-daughters! We're going to visit them tomorrow and have bought the usual irresistable baby clothes for the new arrival. He also has a 2 year old sister, though, and I couldn't resist giving a crayon roll a bash. I didn't follow a tutorial coz I couldn't find one with the flap over the top of the crayons like I wanted. Else, don't your crayons fall out if you hold it upside down? And I forewent the usual tie closure for a velcro strap that she'll be able to do herself. One less thing for Mum to have to do, tieing a bow on her toddlers drawing implements!

 Crayola washable chunky crayons. Don't care what anyone says, they are THE BEST. And not just from a parents perspective - theye have the best coverage for colouring, too.

 I knew that princess fabric would come in handy for something!! That blonde on the right looks like she's got some attitude, no?

So there you go. A very cute (if I do say so myself) and practical gift in less than an hour for no money. Well, two quid for crayons and a colouring book. Sorted!

No progress on the christmas stars yet. I. Am. Rubbish.

bee blocks

I've been in a 6x3 bee for the last few months called Bee Mental. It basically entails choosing ONE style of block and making it up in 6 different colour schemes which are supplied by your fellow bee mates. I made sure to pick a nice achievable block!! I've also received 2 of my own back already - it's going to be a fantastic collection of blocks!! These are mine that I sent out.

 And in October at the Scraptastic Bee, Tami sent us a square of Halloween fabric and asked for any block we liked. It's to make a quilt for her Halloween mad daughter. I kept it simple but used lots of fabrics.

And, of course, November is MY month in Scraptastic!!!! So my parcels of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and Moda Bella grey strips went out on Monday. I've asked for string blocks since I love them but haven't the heart to make a whole quilt of them by myself!! I'll show you my wonderful wonky stars from the Quick Quilting Bee when I (eventually!) get my arse in gear and get the top put together.

Thank you so much for all the messages of support regarding Chookie and that pesky tooth. Her root canal treatment went really well yesterday - that happy gas is a miracle!! She was SO alert but so incredibly relaxed!! The bad news is the consultant says the outlook for the tooth isn't good. It was simply out of her head for too long for her to be entirely happy that it will take. Still, we shall see. At worst it will fall out and she'll need a wee fake tooth on a plate for the next few years until she can get a bridge and then an implant at 18. There are worse fates!

holycrapholycrapholycrap

The boys are doing it again! Squeee!!!!

Lucky Birds

The latest round of the Old Red Barn Co quilt series was led by none other than Pat Sloan. Her "Lucky Charms" quilt was based around a charm pack and was a lesson in applique. I finished mine at the weekend and I'm really pleased with how it looks. It's small (only about 36in square) and my charm pack was the delightfully 70's inspired "Freebird" by Momo for Moda.

 My backing is another slightly retro feeling fabric from Riley Blake's "Summer Song" range. I loved those birds and trees!

 Most people have gone with (I don't know what it's called) different quilting for different areas. I wanted a more modern all over look so stuck to a medium sized stipple. I modified the applique pattern, too, so it reflected the flowers in the prints and I couldn't resist the butterflies. I WILL get round to giving them bodies and deely-boppers at some stage!

 I had also planned to use a solid red for the binding but it was far too severe for the off-whites. I found this stripe in my stash that was an absolute bargain at the Edinburgh quilt show with Jo. I think it is perfect and keeps the light feel nicely.

So there ya go. Another finish (although I haven't done the initials and year embroidery yet. I will, promise!) and another tick on my list. No more ORB-ing until after Christmas so I'm moving onto my Christmas star quilt with my blocks from the Quick Christmas Bee. It's looking great!!

the deets:
the pattern is Pat Sloane's "lucky charms" for the ORB round 8.
the fabric is Freebird by Momo for Moda. The backing is Riley Blake's Summersong and the binding is an unknown stripe.
It measures 36in square.

a happy (if belated) Halloween!

I'm just SO unorganised just now!! Imagine just getting round to blogging Halloween on November 2nd - especially since the Chook's first party was 6 days ago! SO. In about July she decided that this year she would be Harry Potter for the holiday. "Excellent," thought I, "finally a costume that I can BUY!"  - unlike  last year's unicorn or the year before's "cute, Mum!" bat. And then the homework came home. To make a costume from recycled materials for the class party. Ergo and therefore - no buying of costumes. Rats. I thought we did okay, though.

 The robes are bin liners, wand a garden cane, specs rescued from the charity box at my work and painted black and the wig is an orange net that I lovingly "rugged" with black wool. And Hedwig?

 SHE is all the Chook's own work. Papier mache on a fabric conditioner bottle. She looked up a snowy owl online and even drew the markings on her wings, head and body herself. Not bad, eh? The DVD's were newly purchased for Halloween last week since (because of the tooth situation) she was going to miss the disco at school. And at the weekend she carved er first punkin. I got to do the yukky bits-out-the-middle bit. I hate that bit!!

 But I think she made a really good job of that bat!

It was her Cub Scouts party last night, she was thrilled to win musical chairs since I seem to have passed on the "never-wins-anything-EVER" gene. Sorry, Chook. I haven't even gotten round to replanting my winter bedders, yet! Those poor front door pots - do you SEE how unorganised I am!

We were also at the Glasgow dental hospital yesterday for our first visit about the tooth-that-got-shoved-back-in. It's looking good so far, the blue stuff is off and it is straighter than it was before!! It looks amazing, actually! But we go back tomorrow for the root canal treatment. Eeeep. It's being done under sedation, though, since she made such a song and dance about getting the blue-glue and bracing off. Such a chicken, the wee lamb. And unfortunately because it's a young tooth and the apex hasn't properly closed (check me with the dental jargon - that's the top bit inside your bone to you and me!) they can't complete treatment for about 2 years since it will take that long to close. So we need to go back every 3 months for 2 years to get the dressing replaced. Drat. And bother. No, honest, that's what I said. Really. Positive vibes, please, for a terrified 8 year old and her Mum!!

P.S. I did finish a quilt, though!!!

P.P.S. Have you seen Pleasant Home today? There's some mug rugs there. One of them may be by me. Just sayin'. *g*