Building Blocks Tuesday

So, the move has been made. I have finished unpacking. And reorganising all my fabric storage spaces (to fit the new stuff in - more new stuff on the blog this coming Sunday). And now some part of my brain is driving me to reorganise the flat in big Spring clean fashion... This was not how I planned to start my jetlag. But I will get to that project by the end of this week (the Sew Sweetness Velocity Girl bag!!).

What I couldn't resist doing was photographing all my newly reunited blocks while I tidied the fabric away. These are blocks I'm making on a continuous basis in the background. This is probably the last you'll see of them for another few months, at least!

First up, the x and + blocks I'm making with my Sew Solids Stash Club order from Simply Solids in the UK.

I've loved them as I've made them (I still have to learn some stuff about sewing on the bias), but together I think they are just so much better!! I can't wait till Christmas when hopefully I'll have all the blocks made and ready to go together into a QUILT!!

Secondly, my Lucky Stars BOM. I have failed miserably at this so far. There are good intentions in the pipeline for summer. I think if I stick with it I will learn a tonne about foundation paper piecing. I'll also end up with really lovely blocks, if I can do a good job with the colour choices... and the sewing. Seriously, check out the flickr group!! Amazing! Currently, this is all I've got to show:

I'm not even sure this picture is from it sewn together... It is though, promise!

Finally, my Farmer's Wife Quilt blocks thus far. I really like having these blocks to work on in the evenings and when I'm not feeling well.

If I was brave enough I probably would have enjoyed working on them while flying! I'm too scared to lose my little scissors and good needles at security though. I'm A Ginger Monkey has an article this week about just this topic. I'll be checking it out this weekend when I dream that I have everything organised and more time to read lovely blogs!

I'm linking up to Building Blocks Tuesday over at Quilter in the Closet. An excellent place for snooping on different blocks and colour choices - brilliant inspiration source!

Summer Stash

So, I've realised that my fabric shopping over the last few months clocks up to more than one post on Sunday Stash, hosted over at Finding Fifth. So I'm breaking this up, and just doing a couple of pictures a week. Some of the fabric has a purpose already, and some is just cos I was overwhelmed by the prettiness and couldn't live without!

Because I've left this till late tonight I'm going to stick to the fabrics I can still remember the names of! 

Summersville Spring by Lucie Summers (mostly, I think).

The Grown Up Pyjamas quilt has all the required bits here now (except interfacing). I really love how it's promising to come together!! The white is a Kona flannel, delicious.

Tula Pink Turtle Bay from Prince Charming in coral <3

And finally I spotted these in the Sew Mama Sew $6 section during their sale. I have no plans. but I couldn't leave them there.

Both from Gabbie by Maude Asbury.

I kind of wish I'd found Gabbie sooner and been able to buy more of this, particularly the print of the left.

Hope you've all had a good weekend. I have high hopes of quilting a top this week and doing some fabric cutting. Hopefully two blog posts as well - the shift towards full on Spring is giving me some much needed pep :)

Handstitched Class from Stitched In Color

Last summer, I took part in Rachel's Handstitched Class over at Stitched in Color. It was brilliant. I now incorporate so much more handstitching (embroidery, particularly) into projects just because of that class. I use the needlebook we made there on a daily basis. I never finished the class project. There are reasons. Some of them are really good. But I need to face facts, this quilt is firmly in the unfinished pile.

I can't continue to kid myself that I'm just about to get back to it. Right now I'm on an aeroplane over the Atlantic, and that quilt is sitting in a drawer, in pieces, in Ireland. I won't see it again till September. When we're having the follow-on blessing/reception/party to our January wedding. I plan to finish the next round of the quilt in those 3 weeks. It probably won't happen. But I will make sure that it is the only piece of sewing I have to distract myself with while I'm home. Every time I'm home. Until it's whole.

Here it is,

This round isn't even fully on - the bottom and top strips are a fraction too long which led to procrastination, which led to other projects, which led to right now.

Here's a sort of close-up on the handstitching,

Everything needs a good iron.

And here's all the remaining fabric. I even have the backing fabric in the bag too!!

Every time I take this UFO out I fall in love with it all over again. It was the first time I ever tried to envisage a whole large quilt as a cohesive top before I bought fabrics. The first time I bought fabrics from a mix of collections. I had no idea what I was doing. But I bought things that I truly loved. And I think they're mad, but I also think they work together.

I will finish. Not this year. But maybe in 2014...