Tidying up April

Well here we are into another month and once again I have fallen behind on my reporting.

In my last post I was busy working on blocks for my Bear baby quilt. I've made it this far —

— and I feel like I am on the homeward straight now.

I have, however,  just realised that I need another fabric to use in the border. As my bears and paws blocks are basically just 'odds and sods' fat quarters this may slow me down. Hopefully not too much!

Also slowing me down a little is that I had a DrEAMi moment this past week. Suddenly my overflowing scrap bins started screaming at me. 

Drop Everything and Make It!!!

So I've started another scrap quilt project.

This one uses 2" squares. I hope these will chew more scraps up than my Omigosh blocks which only use 1" squares/strips. 

Anyway I'm making 36-patch blocks, using neutral coloured Moda solids as the alternative patches. I have a lot of these as well - trimmings from bigger stitchery blocks, etc, etc.

AND while I am at it, I'm trying really hard to cut up my scraps using Bonnie Hunter's scrap management ideas. I've always shied away from doing this ("What if I want fabric cut in other sizes!!") but feel ready to do this now. 

This DrEAMi moment has caused me to slow down on my bear blocks but it is extremely satisfying, and just a little bit addictive. I'm hoping that as I settle into this (long-term) sewing-of-my-scraps, it will become my leader-ender project.

Thank you to Sandra of mmm quilts for helping us celebrate these moments of madness when we just have to start something new.

Another wee distraction over the weekend was to sew a pillowcase for young Odie. 

There's a delightful story behind this. When I saw the fabric I just had to buy some for our tractor loving small boy Odie. It was still draped over a chair after I had showed it off to the MOML.

Nek minnit (apologies to the non kiwis) -okay- next minute, young George is visiting and asking if it was for him and can I please make something for him out of it. "Of course" I say, mentally adding another metre of it to my shopping list.

Next day, Odie is visiting, and that fabric is still waiting to be put away. He grabs it and spends quite some time carting it around the house while saying "Gandad tractor","tractor" and so on!

So I made him a pillowcase (he is using the ones I made his sisters long ago) —

I used the Burrito method but added an inside flap. I'm going to change how I do these as, no matter how much I fiddled, there was still a raw edge inside the pillowcase that needed neatening, and sewing down.  I love the burrito method but adding the flap just complicates it! Next time I want one like this I will give myself some time to play to work it out better. 

It's fair to say the pillowcase was a huge success. There was great excitement last night when he received it and he carried it around the house until bedtime exclaiming "Tractor! Tractor!" This morning he was still playing with it —

#whyImakethings

This pillowcase was my one and only finish for April.

I had a brilliant walk this morning, up the hills across the road —

You'd be forgiven for thinking we had another flood event happening! I am enjoying the misty starts to our autumn days.

I walked over 4 kms up these hills so am feeling pretty pleased with myself.

But the day has now turned a bit cooler and wet so I'm going to spend the afternoon sewing sashing and sorting scraps. Fun fun fun.

'til next time,

Happy stitches,