Hey-ho, hey-ho, it's off to work we go...

Well, in my case this has actually meant working from home for most of the last 2 1/2 weeks! The boys are still at home, the youngest starting tomorrow (TG!), middle DS next Tuesday, and oldest DS is supposed to learn from home this year with his application getting completed today - fingers crossed he will get some work sent soon :)

The boys have been scrapping heaps, it's really about time for them to go back to school! I am looking forward to getting back into my schools, too, I have been to a meeting and held a workshop but I'm not one for doing the 'sitting-around-getting-paperwork-ready' for too long...

My nerdy playing-with-computers persona needs to be balanced with some more creative endeavours, so here are some pics of what I have been up to lately:

Tokyo Subway Map Quilt in a few pieces...

... and as completed 'flimsy' (at 100"square, flimsy doesn't quite seem to fit?)

Completed baby quilt

- with fleece backing from the always so generous and helpful Suz! -

 - because the ordered backing, the minky with the peace symbols, arrived on the day of the baby shower...

My latest project had my scratch my head lots, trying to piece my QAYG hands into a 49"square wall hanging...

Trying to achieve a balanced random look is not that easy...

Lots of trial and error for the connecting strips; the irregular sizes of the blocks meant lots of calculating!

I bought a new pattern, too - wouldn't that be great for a retreat??

Happy Sewing!

When the cat is away...

When DH is on late shifts or on night shifts, I often get a bit of sewing done:

1) Tokyo Subway Map: All blocks are completed - yay! Suz was once again a step ahead of me and has all her blocks pieced together, so far I have joined blocks 1, 2, 6 & 7 without major head aches.

2) Fireworks: I am aiming for quilting 'one bobbin full' most daysnd I am making good progress:

(Can't remember if I have posted these before, I'm a few bobbins further now).

3) While I haven't started the 'hands' yet, I have taken the safety pins out of my basted blocks and spray basted them instead.

4) With a close colleague due to have a baby next month, I whipped up a baby quilt top last night and finished piecing it tonight:

(Can't get to the pic of the completed top in my Photostream for some reason?) 35" square. Now I just need my fleece backing to finally arrive!!!

Here are some of the contents of a parcel I received this morning, isn't it simply delicious?

Caitlin McIntyre runs a lovely little store on etsy, called "i don't do dishes". I can highly recommend her, lovely selection and great service! She makes sure you get your money's worth out of the now quite expensive postage from the States! Caitlin blogs here at http://caitlin-mcintyre.blogspot.co.nz/ and please go and look her shop up on etsy!

I leave you with a photo of my AWESOME xmas prezzies from Suz (hers is still!!!! in transit somewhere from the US...) - I couldn't imgine a more perfect mug rug for me:

THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Happy Sewing!

Last two blocks....

This morning I finished block 8 of the Tokyo Subway Map Quilt, and I have just set out the last two blocks:

My little tags 9&10 are the wrong way around on this photo, sorry! I ran out of space on my design wall, so the last three columns of block 10 are just pinned on top of each other. I added one 'stop' (black swirl on white) as I couldn't be bothered to cut just one more black square - hopefully there is a Subway exit at that location lol!

Now off to do some fmq on the Fireworks....

Happy Sewing!

New Year's finishes

We have had absolutely fabulous weather these last few days, with the unheated (!) pool getting to 32degC this afternoon! My absolutely most favourite time of the year! 

We bought a wicker set for the fale at the pool so the hammock finally needed a bag for when it's down:

Following Svetlana's tutorial on http://sotakhandmade.blogspot.com/, this little drawstring bag, slightly enlarged from her version, now keeps our Mexican Hammock tangle-free.

Our boys have outgrown their dinosaur print Venetian blinds, and when we looked around Spotlight last week, we couldn't find what we were looking for. We ended up buying a roller blind replacement set (basically a cardboard roll with spring inside and attachments) and with a bit of trial and error, I came up with this Make 1:

I bought the fabric at Ikea in July, and it definitely needs lining still - Suz and I had look and we think buying some black lining would be best (it's great to have your friend just up the road!!!). It needs to come down a bit more once we have bought some anchor bolts. I am not overly fond of seeing the roll when the blind is down, but I wanted the width; I have seen some box-type covers before, will go and check at the hardware store.

Once it's all done = Make 2, we will let the other boys choose if they want this style, too :)

I have a bit of work to do, but I hope I get my Subway blocks done before I go back to work! And then there's the quilting of Fireworks, and the Hands.... No rest for the wicked!

Happy Sewing!