Introducing...

...the thing that's made me totally exhausted and unproductive and incredibly sleepy for the last 5 months!

Friends have suggested that we rethink the name "of no diagnostic value" though!

As we don't know the gender, and I can't buy lots of clothes, I've been fabric shopping instead. Got a bit of a woodland theme going on so far, and Fabric Rehab has now has very little woodland-themed fabric that I don't own already.

First buy was "Fox in the Woods", not sure of the maker but it's a nice heavy duty upholstery fabric, so I'm thinking of using it to cover some cushions for the big chair in what is currently the spare room (the "N" word is still a little scary!)

Then a bundle of different FQ:

Timeless Treasures Mini Hedgehogs; Woodland Pals Fawns; Twit Twoo Owl (maker unknown - only annoying thing about Fabric Rehab)

Timeless Treasures Mini Foxes; Woodland Pals Forest; Timber and Leaf - Tree Rings Gold

I've also bought the last half metre of Fox Hollow "A is for Apple" that Seamstar had in stock

(photo from http://www.monaluna.com/ because I can't find my camera)

And, in a very geeky moment, bought this from the Village Haberdashery in the sale:

  Flock, photo from http://www.thomasknauersews.com/

mainly because I found a little craft shop near home that runs occasional courses, including a lampshade making course. Who wouldn't want a bird covered lampshade in their room! (Hubs just shook his head at this one....)

Any other thoughts on how to use all of fabric this would be gratefully appreciated - baby seems to have borrowed all my creativity as well as all my energy!

Works in Progress

Easter holidays have finally arrived, and brought some sunshine too! As we're off to Cornwall soon (taking both my machine and a tiny bit of work - dislike!) I thought I'm make a list to hold myself to account to! This was supposed to be a WIP Wednesday post - but then life happened.

So, here's what I'm hoping to accomplish, unless the weather is too nice to stay inside!

1. Coursework marking. Nuff said.

2. Finish off Hub's t shirt quilt - no more update shots at the minute, but here's one from the other week (it's looking a bit too messy and unfinished to see the light of day at the minute!)

 

3.  Finish off a Geranium dress for my friend's little girl as a 4th birthday present - I got some of this:

from Annie at Village Haberdashery

4. I'm aiming to complete a few more of my paper pieced blocks - I'm currently three blocks behind, as I've had three more deliveries of fabric from the Simply Solids Stash Club. Hoping that these will be complete before December so that we can have them in the baby's nursery by Christmas when our visitors will all descend.

5. I've also started a little something for le challenge - hopefully I'll have at the quilt top done by the 15th so that I can link up!

6. There's another big WIP ready in October - I'll tell you more about that later ;-)

Mosaics...

... of the last two three weeks, as I really am being a slow blogger!

Some gardening - loving the colours, might have to save this for inspiration:

Purchases and baking:

Big girl knickers time for my first efforts at FMQ.....

And the beginning of Hubs' birthday present:

And if you can't tell, I've succumbed to Instagram - @sarahlousews, although I'm not being very successful at getting the photos off my phone! (Who says my generation is supposed to be computer literate?!)

Linking up with the Slow Bloggers....

and getting out the tissues ready for Red Nose Day - it's nearly as old as me!

Sum total...

... of two weeks' quilting,  including half term:

One more quarter of the paper pieced star, and a randomly pieced set of Marmalade mini charms (which are now packed away in my effort to be tidy - don't know where though, so no photo!).

Pathetic or what!?

So what have I been spending all my free time on?

a) Playing with my new phone :D
 

b) Organising my fabric to get it, to fit back into the lounge after the decorating (please excuse the horrendous photo!)
 

c) Working on a major long term WIP-  our Scout blanket.  Its much easier sewing the badges on by machine,  but the neckers took a lot of unpicking-  which I rarely bother with, so that tells you how bad it was! 

d) Another huge WIP-  will tell you a bit more about this soon.

And now I've finally replaced my white thread (who runs out of that for two weeks?!), just in time to go back to school!

Happy Sewing!

Back to Normal!

We have our house back! The decorators were so lovely and efficient, but it feels great to have our house back, especially as it's coincided with the first weekend this year that Hubs and I are both at home. The photo above is the new colour scheme in the lounge - apparently I have an eye for colour, according to the decorator :D

So how else to celebrate but start to sew? I did these during Wales v France and Italy v Scotland yesterday - a very enjoyable way to watch the rugby! The fabrics above are from the Cuzco bundle that I bought from Eclectic Maker at the beginning of January, and I couldn't resist showing how beautifully they're folded.

These two blocks are the mosaic block and the Greek cross block from the Summer Sampler Series at Freshly Pieced. Yes, I'm starting a QAL nearly two years late! (And yes, the mosaic block is not entirely finished, ran out of white thread of all things!)

Very proud of the neat points in this block! Must remember to press the seams open next time I use HSTs, it seemed to work very well here, as did not pinning, though that might just have been a fluke.

All three blocks completed so far, only nine to go! The next few are paper pieced so have been stalled (as has my Lonestar Simply Solids blocks) by the fact that we haven't reconnected the printer yet - one step at a time!

A work in progress

On coat number 2, looking good so far! (not that I can take the credit, we wimped out and paid someone!)

T- four days and we can get the house back, and I can sew again!
First though, a quick trip to the South West this weekend to visit Hub's sick grandma, so no LMQG for me again - I seem to be an "everyOTHER month" member!

{Nearly} Wordless Sunday

The reason why my sewing machine, fabric and camera have been put away all week....

Hopefully over soon!