cats + sewing = trouble

Sometimes I feel like I'm just not getting anywhere fast. I have a stack of things to do, most importantly 2 quilts to bind. If I could just get the motivation to sew the binding on I could spend the next couple of evenings happily hand stitching away on an evening. But for some reason I can't muster up the energy.

Maybe it's the summer holidays, which are turning out to be dismally wet, and therefore we are stuck in the house instead of doing the fun things I had envisioned. Ginger has his friend round most of the time, they take turns in going from our house to theirs (which is just across the street), but mostly ours. That involves a lot of mess, as boxes of toys are tipped out onto the floor, cushions from the sofas join the toys, the boys roll about and make those really loud shouty boy noises.

I have managed to bribe them with 20p if they tidy up though, and this appears to be working. Fortunately they are both too young to understand that 20p doesn't get you anywhere, Miss G would just look at me in mock horror if I tried to bribe her with 20p, and probably disappear off laughing hysterically.

But, really, could we have a less wet week next week? Please? It's getting beyond a joke now.

My best friend's Mum turns 70 this September, and had hinted that she wanted a quilt. I feel really rather honoured to be the one making it, I know you can quite easily go to any shop these days and buy something that 'looks' homemade for much less than it costs to actually make something. But Sascha asked me, and chose the fabrics to suit her Mum's house (lots of American Jane - my favourite). She also asked me to make something similar to the one I'd made before, so a simple nine patch it is....



I'm waiting on some wadding to arrive before I can quilt it. I bought it from somewhere other than I usually do, and it's taking a little longer than I had hoped. So much for buying it because it was a little cheaper, I'd actually prefer prompt posting to a 50p saving, to be quite honest!

And then, there's the cats. They are really trying my patience this week.

I had just got this quilt sandwich out to start quilting when the phone rang, so I went off to answer it, and NooNoo decided he'd have a little sleep.

When I tried to move him, he bit me. It was a proper big teeth into the hand bite as well, not just a warning nibble.



Maybe the wet weather is testing his patience too? He doesn't like to get wet. But taking his frustrations out on my quilt backing is just not acceptable....



BooBoo isn't much better. He thought it'd be great fun to sleep right next to my sewing machine. I tried to move him, but he just kept on climbing back up and flopping his fat body down.



*sigh*

catch up week

Last weekend's hospital visit has kind of thrown me off balance, and I really need to get caught up on the quilting bee blocks I am late or almost late with. So this week is the week of the bee blocks.

10make2's block (number 1 of 2) for Louise. I love this bento box pattern. It's so simple, but in a whole quilt looks amazingly effective. Like this beauty.



These ones are VERY late. They were from June's 8two8 group. Free pieced basket blocks for Lynn



Moving swiftly on to the cottage quilting bee and Adina's strippy triangles. I could not for the life of me get the strips to match up. I unpicked 3 times before I noticed that she who is by far better than I will ever be didn't match hers up either. I'll hang out with her any day. We can be in the not matched up strips club.



Lastly (for now, at least) are the blocks for Emily and the sewconnected2 bee.
The (wonky - oops, first attempt, and I tried to wing it too) spiderweb was just to use up the leftover scraps I couldn't bear to throw away, that were too small to send back. It'd probably make a cute coaster, I guess?



And that's it so far. I still have another bento box to sew together, and I am waiting on a few blocks for the quilt around the world bee. Plus it's almost August, and the whole thing goes round again.

Does any one think I may have signed up for too many groups? Nah. Not a chance. There's another one due to start in September, the Euro Bee. I'm sure there are enough hours in the day, just as long as no-one gets rushed to hospital in the meantime!!! Oh, I also am hoping to join in with the Christmas Block Swap Beth is organising. It's always good to keep busy, right?

An update on the little chicken (Eby, not a real chicken). She didn't have swine flu after all, but appendicitis. After much deliberation the doctors decided to whip out her appendix anyway, which was a good move - seeings as once they cut her open it burst. That was on Sunday. She came home this morning, tender, but glad to be out of the nasty hospital.

And the bat - well, he hasn't returned, but I have made sure windows and doors are kept closed after dark, just in case (there's not a chance the stupid cats could have brought him in - they are lucky if they catch a spider).

a bat, a swine, some sushi and a dino

Where do I start with the past 24 hours?
Friday night was spent watching house of the flying daggers, whilst the husband snoozed on the sofa.
We went to bed at about 11 pm, and just as I was dropping off the phone rang. Now, unless you are some kind of party animal (I am not) the only calls you get at that time are family ones and bring bad news, so when I saw it was my best friend on the phone I was a little panicked.
Apparently she was just on her way to the hospital, following the ambulance that was taking her daughter (Miss G's best friend) into accident and emergency with chronic stomach pains, which she was presuming was appendicitis. Would I come to hold her hand?

Of course I would. That's what best friends do, isn't it?

Up I jump, dash to get dressed, and just as I am doing so the husband starts hollering 'there's a bat in the house'. A what? 'A bat - LOOK!!!'. Sure enough, flapping it's leathery little wings around the bedroom was a bat. How the hell do you get a bat out of your house? The husband suggested a net. Sadly we are lacking in emergency bat catching nets, so I suggested he chased it out, and dashed off down to the hospital.

When I arrived at the accident and emergency department - eerily quiet for a Friday night. Maybe as a result of the recession? Not so much cash for nights out = less chance of drunken accidents. I might have stumbled upon something positive to come out of this strapped for cash situation we all find ourselves in.

Anyway, I'm digressing...Sash (my best friend) greeted me with a mask to put on. Apparently Eby was showing signs of swine flu as well as suspected appendicitis. Plus a water infection as well as the throat infection she already had and was on antibiotics for (that girl - when she's poorly, she really likes to get her money's worth).

Looking good, aren't we?...



3 hours later, we are told she is to be moved to a different hospital, where all the suspected swine flu cases are, and when there the doctors would take her bloods and test for what was going on. Crikey, what started off as a relatively simple possible appendicitis was turning into a whole different kettle of fish.

I left the hospital at around 2am, when they were getting ready to move her in the ambulance to the other hospital, and returned home to the bat infested house.
Actually, by now the bat had left out a window. I'm not sure how the little bugger got in, it must have snuck in the door when I was letting the cats in earlier. Maybe it hasn't left out a window at all, maybe it is still cozied up somewhere, nice and quiet, ready for another night of flapping around my bedroom. I'll have to let you know.



Today (after not enough hours sleep) we set off on an enforced family fun day for some sushi lunch, and to watch the walking with dinosaurs live show. Ginger thought we were going to the cinema, he couldn't really get his little curly head round it at all. 'Can I kiss them?' he asked. 'Probably not' I answered, they might bite.
The show was awesome, 2 hours long, so not so long that my poor legs were completely crippled by the lack of legroom, or so short that I thought 'well, that was a waste of money'. It was educational, and fun. I'd highly recommend going to see it, if you happen to have a show coming to you, and you have a child. Miss G is not particularly enthralled by dinos, but she thought it was amazing too. Ginger's face just about sums it up, really....



Just look at the tender mama and baby t-rex moment. Sweet.




So, back to Eby and the hospital. Her swine flu blood tests wont be back for a few days, she isn't reacting well to tami-flu, and is getting quite sick from it. They don't think she has appendicitis (thankfully), but think her stomach pain is from swollen glands due to an infection - which could be swine flu related, or something else (like I said, she was already on antibiotics for a throat infection). She's ok, not impressed about being in the hospital, but coping very well. Probably really very relieved that she doesn't have to have an operation. Bless her. Miss G phoned her earlier and they managed a brief conversation, along the lines of 'I love you, I miss you'. On the plus side, she is a room by herself, so the chance of her getting something else whilst in the hospital is reduced. Phew. Hopefully she'll be out sometime after the weekend, although the doctors haven't been particularly forthcoming as to how long they'll be keeping her in for.

Tomorrow I am off to my parents' for a couple of days of catching up with family and friends, so let's hope there's no bat incident tonight. Or, even worse, some kind of dinosaur snuck it's way into my handbag and has come home with us. I don't think there's a net big enough for a t-rex, do you?

return of the giant animals

Backed in cozy pink flannel dots....



Folded and ready to give to my baby niece to be.... (I am so in love with the binding - that prairie gothic check is to die for)



And hanging in all it's super bright, cheery glory on the door of my closet....



Another job done.
I have a set of baby boy fabrics, to make another one. There's a Christening in September, plus another friend is having a baby boy - so I think the giant animals pattern might make a return visit in the not so distant future.

she's home

Much excitement yesterday - I skipped and hopped over to the quilter's house (picking out houses I'd like to live in along the way - does anyone else do that?) to collect my liberty print sampler quilt from the sew connected 2 quilting bee.


Oh joy.


I loved her from the very start, when she was just a twinkle in my eye, and a pile of fabrics waiting to be cut up and sent out. As she grew into a series of blocks my love for her grew also. When she was a pile of blocks ready to be sewn together my love for her was overflowing. By the time she was a quilt top I didn't think it was possible to have any more love...but I was wrong.

Call me a sap, or a sentimental fool, but in the car on the way home, with her sat on the passenger seat next to me, all wrapped in cellophane, I could have burst.

Last night she was lying on the floor being admired and stroked.

I hate to think what will happen when she gets her binding sewn on. Safe to say I will probably shed a tear of joy or two.

This baby is a keeper, she will be used on our bed, probably get covered in cat hair, and will give me immense pleasure for a very long time.


*sigh* I am one happy lady.

if a change is as good as a rest....

...what does a change AND a rest mean?

Just in case you noticed, I've been eerily quiet over the past week. I've been away, on a little jaunt to celebrate the father in law's big 60th birthday/annual family holiday. My crew, plus the rest of the husband's family (12 of us in total) took over a rather wonderful villa in Pollensa, Mallorca for a week of doing not very much at all.




The small fry enjoyed plenty of this...



and this...


(chocolate mousse for breakfast - yes please!)


We all sat round and listened to the wise old Grandad tell us tales of his youth....



(although my brother in law on the left looks like he's heard this tale a few times before)




And did plenty of lazing about in the sunshine (I'll not share pics of us all in our smalls - it might put you off visiting again), drinking, eating and a whole lot of laughing.

All in all a great time was had by all. Roll on next year.

So, I've had both a change and a rest now. There are no excuses, I really do need to get more of the WIP list finished. It's good to go away, but always nice to come home to a doorstep piled with fabric filled parcels and the knowledge that I can back to sewing.

Sunday Stash

Baby quilt possibilities...there's a good few pregnant friends hanging around me at the minute, so I will be making plenty of quilts for the little mites over the next few months. Obviously I really MUST stock up on potential fabrics for the job, mustn't I?

I found these little beauties over at Quilt taffy. It doesn't get much cuter than Minny Muu, does it? That Mama Duck with her head scarf on is so sweet she makes my teeth hurt.

Thank you for the HUGE quilt love and advice on backing. I'm going for a flannel. I found a lovely bright pink with white spot, so now I have to wait for it to arrive from the good old U.S of A. Why can't I find decent fabrics over here? Or at least the fabrics I want. I wish I had a shop of my very own. (don't you dare encourage me - I have thought about it, and even found an empty shop that was so cute and old fashioned looking it'd be perfect for my dream...money and the bottom line says I really should get a grip and ignore the dream, though.)