where's the on switch?

After what seems like forever of no sewing, I finally plugged Bertha in and got back on the horse #mixedmetaphoranyone? Here's my MUST DO list (of shame) for the rest of the year as of the minute before Bertha's reboot:

Bee Blocks:
QATWII x 5 blocks
Modern Mavericks x 3 blocks of two
Kinky Bee - just post Gertie Pye's block already
prep for Kinky Bee round 2 as I am up first in September

Quilts:
Rory's quilt - just finish the b****r.  The top was finished in January and it has been basted since March *hangs head in shame*.  It was meant for his first birthday but he will be 2 in October!

The Wee Man's quilt - blocks all ready to go since Christmas last year.  Need to sew them into a top and finish it before he moves into his big boy bed

Modern Mavericks quilt - got all my bee blocks and a vision, just need the time to work it through

Other sh*t
P's skirt - planned as a finish for February, cut out and waiting to be sewn up.  I would like to take it to Scotland next weekend so OMflippingG!
Bag for Maia - promised and also should be ready for Scotland next weekend
2 birthday tops for the wee man's swimming buddies - term starts 5 September so there's my deadline
Weekender bag - so behind on this and want it to be a gift now so no more excuses

There are other things (obvs) but they are not top top priorities.  There will be other things to add as the weeks pass but that's my "I've flipping just got to do it, FFS" list.

And with Bertha's help, I started to make a dint in the list with a small bee block frenzy:

First up (but last finished), Modern Mavericks blocks for Michelle (due back in June)

converging corners in red, gold and black

I got the first one (on the right) done super quick but struggled with #2 - no matter how many strips I added it still stayed at 11".  I clearly need a ruler class or something

Then a blitz on the QATWII blocks:

jewels in the dark for Pam

interlocking geometry for Christine

Prue's Paris for Julianne

I've hit a bit of a bee block block so have stopped for today but my MUST DO list of shame is looking a tiny bit less shameful.  Laughing Boy is out tomorrow evening and at the footie on Saturday so I should be able to get some kid free time for another spurt on Sunday. 

Linking to Claire/Liz for Brit Sewing Thursday

foq meh?

So after it took Dave (for that was his name) about 10 seconds to remove my dodgy wisdom tooth, it was time to rest, recuperate and prepare for the Festival of Quilts.  My lovely MIL Carol and I went yesterday - fourth year in a row!  We got in just after 10 and decided to hit the shops first to avoid the crush at the quilts.  I was very restrained and only purchased one piece of fabric:

total impulse buy!

A tenner for 1.5m x 1.5m home dec fabric that would look great as a skirt I think.  I couldn't resist it.  Other than some fusible interfacing and signing up for the new Love Patchwork magazine, that is the total FoQ haul. #phew

And so to the quilts.... we were both totally underwhelmed by the quilts this year.  There was no "wow" moment and I still struggle with the categories some quilts end up in.  I understand that the quilter chooses the category to submit to but some of the most traditional looking ones were in the Contemporary section and vice versa. There were loads of lone star quilts in every section.  It's just confusing.  Lovely Clare went yesterday for the first time and I think was similarly underwhelmed.  It was difficult to find something that fired inspiration into the soul.  Other than seeing the fabulous Tula Pink of course and saying hi to Charlotte but being too shy to say much else and scarpering down an aisle instead.  I enjoyed watching some really bad customer service and some really good stuff too. Oh and saving a young girl's foot from the claws of an old biddy's trolley bag.

Anyway here are my pick of the best...

my favourite in the show...

 really clever idea really well executed

quilting detail of the quilt above

the title of the quilt explains it well!

This one was very popular with the photogs and it was fab...

what's not to love?

This one is not my usual taste but really caught my eye..

A third place for Lucie Summers (and another triumph)..

Kerry's Wallander looked great..

dodgy photo sorry

The Contemporary Quilts section of the Quilters Guild had a lovely exhibition based on the theme of horizons. This was my favourite...

really badly light, of course

I'm not sure we will go next year. Carol wants to try out the Malvern show.  Of course, we might stop whingeing, pull our socks up and submit a quilt next year *feels faint at the thought*

hobbercrapt

We're back from a week on the Isle of Wight.  A mixed bag weather wise, but the wee man LOVED jumping in the sea no matter the weather.  He also loved asking "what's that?" about a million times a day, imitating the sat nav (turn right daddy) and his new favourite word is hovercraft so he had a grand time.

dig, dig, digging

I'm not so much of a beach person and this was as exposed as I got...

exposed (c)ankles .... oh the shame!

I was left minding the bags and other gubbings whilst the boys went wave jumping so took the time to produce a mahoosive list of everything I wanted get done (sewing wise) by the end of the year. I'll write it up this week but I'll have to revise it already cos when I got home this was waiting for me....

all the way from the USA

A big box of QATWII bee blocks to add to the list - I now have 5 sets of blocks to do in the next week or so.  I've mentioned this bee before - I love it.  The lady that sends the blocks to me has gone AWOL unfortunately and she has a load more blocks so we're currently bypassing her and starting some blocks from scratch again.  There's a chance that we may need to do some angel blocks too.  I do hope she's ok - she's quite lovely and it's not really like her to not get in touch. 

Anyway, back to work this week for today #ouch, then hospital tomorrow for a wisdom tooth extraction #ouchx2 and the Festival of Quilts on Thursday #oppositeofouch.  And inbetween.... a Chinese laundry impersonation and a bee block frenzy!

Tally ho!