the "about flipping time" giveaway

McMojo is still suffering from Buckfast withdrawals (let's not talk about the deep fried pizza cravings) so progress is slow but there is progress, which means that we're heading in the right direction.  Anyway, this is my 200th blogpost, which has taken wa-a-a-y longer to reach than I'd thought it would.  By some bizarre co-incidence, I now have just over 200 instagram followers and more followers on bloglovin' than I ever expected.  And I haven't had a giveaway for yonks so, it's definitely time for an "about flipping time" giveaway.

Here's what's up for grabs....

I've had much fun making divided baskets for my friends to use as nappy holders and generally enjoy Anna's patterns so I am offering to make the winner a noodle-head pattern of her choice....

here are the options from the noodle-head shop

 I'll also include the social tote with the options about

courtesy of carolyn friedlander's website

I've tried to do this Rafflecopter thingy so that I'm totally down with the kids, lolz or somesuch!  I hope it works!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Basically, answer the question for one chance to win and for an optional second chance, follow me on instagram.  Simples.  Open to all.  Oh, and I will try really hard to get the finished thing to you by Christmas (McMojo permitting!).

Like others, I'm planning to Go Sober in October.  This will be in memory of the parents of my best friend who both passed away in the same week in September.  I am not collecting sponsorship myself, but if you would like to donate a little something please do so either via https://gosober.org.uk/profile/luiserussell  or Pippa's link https://gosober.org.uk/profile/pippaparsons 

tried to make me go to rehab.....

So as you will know, McMojo has been MIA pretty much all summer. I may have mentioned it all the chuffing time now and again! Whenever she's shown her sorry face round these parts, it's been tough.  All I really achieved in the past month or so was a few skirts as bday gifts for the wee man's friends....

summer whimsy skirts with pockets!  A great free pattern/tutorial from CailaMade

A couple of seriously late bee blocks that nearly did me in....I think McMojo had the DTs!

going to be a fun Aliens Love Underpants quilt though..

I really wanted these blocks to turn out so much better than they did but at least I finally worked out how to use a ruler!

McMojo started to play nice a couple of days later and so I managed to piece the backing for the bonadoochi quilt.  Can you see the join?

squeee!

Some of the birds have bee heads and some of the bees have bird butts; still I am pretty stoked with how it worked out.!

Last week I had a week's leave (well, 3 days) to recover from some serious hard work and a pretty rubbish cold, to prepare for and celebrate the wee man's 3rd birthday (WTF!) and to have some sewing time.  That boiled done to Thursday and one day's sewing to tackle a bee block mountain that won't go away.  I went to find McMojo and staged an intervention.  Rehab baby yeah!

First up, a litre of coffee and some left over birthday cake (chocolate victoria sponge sandwiched with white choc butter icing and covered in choc fudge icing, since you asked) then a divided basket that needed to be handed over as a gift the next day...

check jamiecat's lazy "am I bovvered?" photobomb!

BOOM!

Next up, some more Bumbling Honey bee blocks...this time for Clare

some really neat points there

BOOYAKASHA!  Followed by a quick "Say Yes To The Dress" and cake break.

Finally, I tackled a bee block that should have been done way back in February *hangs head in shame*.  Beth asked for everyone to make a flower representative of where they live as part of the Quilt Around the World II bee so there were many lovely and diverse blocks.  I was the last stop on the journey and they have been sat sitting on my sewing table for a long time.  I was always planning to make a thistle and since it was referendum day on Thursday, it felt right to get it done and done.

shmapplique people!

I should have chosen a darker background fabric but it kind of rocks.  Here are the blocks all together...

pretty neat, huh?

And that photoshoot signalled the end of Intervention Day 1.  Phew!  And to prove that McMojo is on the road to recovery, I managed to do some sewing over the weekend....more bee blocks, of course!  This time for the lovely Sue and rounds off the 2013 Bumbling Honeys bee for me

captured in the lovely September sun

I see a scrap vomit quilt in my future!  I still have three sets of bee blocks to do but at least the pile is less of a Munro.

And for all of you brave souls who have lasted this long, here's the other reason that sewing has taken a bit of a back seat recently....

either singing or yelling poo...it's always one or the other!

Happy birthday, my sweet boy x

around the world blog hop

The lovely Jess has asked me to join in with the Around the World blog hop...

I usually shy away from some such but (a) Jess asked! and (b) she said I don't need to make anything for it which is brilliant cos my mojo is still hunkered down being the bikesheds, with a bottle of Buckfast and a massive deep fried pizza supper. The idea is pretty simple, answer some questions and then invite someone else to hop on board.  So here goes....

1. What am I working on?
Well, I think my intro answers this question!  What I should be working on is a massive pile of bee blocks, a baby shower present for my friend who has already had the little guy and piecing the backing for my bonadoochi quilt so it can be sent off for some Trudification.  I have a week's leave coming up so am praying that McMojo gets its a**e back here sharpish.

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?
Wowsers, now that's a question!  I am a follower not a leader when it comes to creative things so probably not that much, other than being not as good.  When I started out, I was a slave to others' patterns and initially, I even wanted to use exactly the same fabric.  I guess this is quite common.  As my practice has developed, I feel more comfortable going off piste and have started designing my own quilts - well not in a " design, write a pattern, tell the world" way, more of a "I fancy it looking a bit like this, let's see if it works" kind of way.  The way I'm different is probably that I don't go in linear "plan-choose fabric-cut all fabric-sew all blocks-make quilt top" - believe me I wish I would, it would be far more efficient and far less annoying! I'm a "plan- choose some of the fabric-cut a small amount-start sewing-change plan--buy more fabric-cut some more-sew some more-rejig plan" repeat until finished or dead kind of girl at the moment.

3. Why do I create what I do?
I think there are a couple ways of answering this question.  I have finally found a hobby that makes me feel creative, that I want to keep up with and develop and that pushes my boundaries and makes me feel that I'm more than just a mum/wife.  I also love making things for people.  My house has hardly any of my makes in it, just a couple of quilts, a cover for Nanny Plum, my Kitchen Aid mixer and one small fabric basket.  No cushion covers, no piles of quilts to stroke on the way past, no table runners or place mats.  Pretty much the bulk of what I make gets gifted to someone and this makes me happy (although I'm not sure it has the same effect on those receiving the gift!) 

4. How does my creating process work?
I kind of covered this in #2.  I am influenced my lots of modern quilters (although I appreciate the term modern can be a contentious one). So a lot of the times, my plans are triggered by something they have done. Not necessarily the pattern, more the use of fabrics and colour.  Unlike Jess (who I admire so much), I usually jump in with no firm plan and start sewing before I have even chosen all the fabric.  I get so bored cutting out fabric, that this is done in shifts. It means that I change my mind on the fabric selection all the time and a lot of time is wasted worrying about this and ordering more just in case!  

I've had EQ7 for a couple of years now but really only dabble round the edges.  I am hoping to be more adventurous with it in the future.  

This wasn't one of the questions but this post got me thinking about where I am against where I was and where I want to go, if that makes sense.  It is always easiest to bemoan the fact that you don't feel as good/creative/productive as others out there but it's good to reflect on how far you have come on your own journey.  I started off with little belief in my own creativity and therefore followed others slavishly at first but as I have gotten more confident with my sewing, I can see that I am more confident in my design choices.  I look at Jess, for example, and marvel at her journey.  But we are all different and it's important that you take time to appreciate your achievements, even if they are slower or smaller than those you measure yourself against.  I wish I was more adept and more creative but I am enjoying my journey, even if it is a little more meandering than I'd really like.

I've asked Kelly over at JeliQuilts to hop on - she is flipping amazing,the queen of the rainbow who seems to be taking over the world one flying goose at a time.  Seriously, I love her aesthetic and she's hilarious too...what's not to love?