Not Quite What I expected!

Well....It's all in the title really. And if you look closely at the photo below, you'll see exactly what I mean.

That's right.....not a spot, dot or flower of Cath in sight. And I truly had every good intention of cutting into those lovely Fat Quarters today. However, it would seem that my stash and rotary cutter had other ideas. I've had the Christmastime (by Anni Downs) fabric for a couple of weeks now, and a few other bits of Tilda in complimentary colours in my stash, and I was quite itchy to see what might become of them. Flying Geese is such an easy pattern to come together, with half square triangles, so before I knew it, here I was.
I just need to buy a bit more of the Christmastime fabric (such a hardship!!) with which to make up the borders, to this central panel, and it'll be chocks away. If geese have chocks.
And speaking of which, mine will have to be on their way too, as I'm now late for The Son's swimming lesson. Again.
See you soon. xx

Something for me?

Hi! Did you all have a lovely weekend? Mine was a bit squiffy. My son's team lost their football match (try telling a group of 8-9 year olds that winning isn't everything, that it's the taking part that matters!). And then I had to take Daughter No 2 back to Uni in London, which I'm STILL not very grown up about!! Suffice to say I cry. A lot!
But, the high point is I finally finished my WIP, and just scraped in on the deadline. YAY! Which means just one thing....I'm free to start another project! Hooray! And I think this one might just be for me...

If you remember, at the end of the last school year, my fabulous parents treated me to some Cath Kidston gift vouchers. Actually, when I say "my parents" I don't mean Mum and Dad......I mean the parents of the children who attended the Pre-school where I work....That's not to say that Mum and Dad weren't fabulous...they just didn't buy me Cath Kidston vouchers.......Hmmm....Does that constitute a deprived childhood??
Anyway, with said vouchers, I treated myself to this bundle of Fat Quarters, which un-bundled into these....

Aren't they lovely? So surely to goodness, it's time to make a quilt for me? I'm not sure I'll use the cowboy print in it, as I grew out of my John Wayne crush a while back now, but the rest have definately got my name on them! Now it's just a question of finding the time to spend on me....perhaps between 3am and 4am? Who needs beauty sleep anymore, anyway? It'll certainly take surgical skill to help improve any beauty I may once have possessed.....sleep just won't cut the mustard nowadays! So watch this space, and let's see what early morning stitching can achieve...
Thanks for popping by. xx

I'm still here!!

I am! Promise! It's just that it's been one of THOSE weeks (you all know the sort!). I'm desperately trying to finish my one remaining WIP, with a big, fat deadline looming fast.....You will get to see the photos-just that it'd be better if I finished first.
On top of that, I'm preparing for my patchwork workshop, which will be my first in my new venue....well I say "my" new venue....it's actually a friend's new shop, but it'll be the first time I do a workshop there......you get the gist....
And I have to say, if there is one job I REALLY don't like (other than emptying the bins, emptying the dishwasher etc) it's cutting out fabric for patchwork! I use a rotary cutter, but am saving hard for an AccuQuilt. At the rate I'm saving, I should be able to treat myself for Christmas.......in the year 2027!!
But the major crisis of the week, and the REAL reason why I've been so quiet on the blog front, is that The Faithful Laptop finally died. It has been poorly for quite a while now, but was bravely struggling on, amidst quite heated discussions between The Partner and me. However, on Tuesday evening it gasped it's last, and no amount of cable wiggling was going to persuade it otherwise.
So, I'm sitting typing this on quite a swish, spanking new, electric blue model. I have had to wrestle it from The Partner's protective grip, and stretch the umbilical cord over to this side of the table, and let me tell you, The Anxious Partner has been hoverring ever since. And as I can only type with two fingers, he is now having to practise his breathing control techniques.....You can only BEGIN to imagine....
I'd better go now, as, if I take much longer, there could very possibly be a rather uncomfortable outbreak of hives. Hope you all have a lovely weekend. xx

The Official Unveiling....

Ta- Da!!

I'm not at all sure what the green tinge is, on the middle photo! It's not on the real thing, so can only blame the camera (it couldn't POSSIBLY be MY fault!!).
And, yes, I'm still squiffy about it. It's not horrible.....it just isn't doing it for me!!
Since finishing The Squiffy Quilt, I have been trying a slightly different method of free-motion quilting, which was a bit stressful as I just COULD'NT get the tension right, and then JUST as I was getting there, I had to stop in order to collect The Son from school. Very inconsiderate of school, if you ask me.....all they had to do was find him a football, and he'd have entertained himself quite happily, until I had conquered the tension and was ready to get him! Anyway, I finally managed it (Hallelujah!!)......even if we did cut it a bit fine getting to the swimming lesson. I think that this new method will - ironically - cause less tension in my shoulders and arms, and also enable me to quilt a little faster. Yay! Double whammy! Time will tell....
That's about it for now. I'm working on another project at the moment, which I can't show just yet, so I'm afraid you'll just have to contain the excitement....Steady now...
I'll try and find something a bit more entertaining for you tomorrow. Thanks for popping by. xx

Almost there....

Still no photo of the latest quilt, I'm afraid. This is partly because it's not quite finished (just a bit of binding to hand finish), and partly because I'm not sure if I like it or not. I realise that when it IS finished, I WILL post a photo. Maybe even two. And that the posting of said photos won't actually change my view on it, but by not posting the photos yet, it's like I can make things ok!
And I'm not even really sure why I'm not sure about it! The size is ok for crib size......but could possibly be a fraction wider. The new wadding I've tried out is ok....but could possibly be a little less puffy. The colours are ok.....but could possibly zing a little better......You see? That's the problem! It's an Almost Quilt!!
Still I expect someone, somewhere will like it, so all will possibly end well. Watch this space!!
xx

In Denial.....

I am. Totally. In denial. I do not have to go back to work tomorrow. I have not just had a 6 week holiday. I do not need to be dressed and out of the house by 8.15am tomorrow. The list goes on....
In fact, I'm sssoooo much in denial of being forced back into routine, that I was a whisker away from forgetting to pick The Son up from his first day back at school. Fortunately, they were all late getting back to their classrooms after assembly, so no-one was any the wiser. Or they wouldn't have been, had I been waiting outside the right classroom.....
I'm off now to try and find a bucket of sand (possibly should have sourced this sooner!) in which to bury my head......
xx

I went...I saw.....I conquered....er....nothing...

I have literally just arrived home, after attending my very first New Forest Quilt Group meeting! You know...the one that I was sssooooo excited about, but then had my bubble popped by that fateful word....football...
Well, I was granted a night off for good behaviour, and this particular Cinders went to that particular ball. And it was everything I'd hoped it would be and more! I was surrounded by like minded women of all ages, shapes and sizes, all bound together by a common love of cutting up bits of material, only to sew them all back together again!! Heaven.
The speaker for the evening was Sue Dawson, and if anyone ever deserved the title of Master Craftsman (I'm guessing that should be Craftswoman, or Craftersperson....or possibly just Crafter....if I'm going to be politically correct) this was her. She took your basic homespun needlework and transformed it into pure artwork. I actually don't possess the vocabulary to even begin to do her work justice. It was a case of seeing is believing........which has now left me in a sorry state. If I were to live FOREVER I'd still not manage one iota of her level of work.
I completely understand that everyone works to his or her ability and enjoyment. That if a quilt makes you happy, then you've made something to be proud of. But even so.....AAARRRRGGHHH!
I shall leave you , while I go and soothe my frustrations with LASHINGS of chocolate, with my latest quilt top offering....

Thanks for popping by. xx