The Best Laid Plans…

My slow stitching plans for the week didn’t really get off the ground. Instead, I have spent my time looking after a poorly 10 year old boy. Thankfully, he’s starting to feel better now. As always, when someone in the house is ill, we took the opportunity to watch The Princess Bride.

It’s always good for taking your mind off things 🙂

At least I did manage to finish off this star. It’s number 33. Maybe today, I will even find time to press it and take the middle papers out haha!

Do pop over to Kathy’s Quilts and see what other slow stitchers are up to this week.

Slow Stitching Stars & Triangles

This week’s slow stitching will involve adding some background pieces to this star (which, when completed, will be number 33). I also intend turning the black and white fabric into as many triangles as possible so I can work out how many more stars to make. I am sure there is a more scientific and mathematical approach I could take but I’m more of a lay-it-all-out-and-see-what-fits kind of girl 🙂

Do pop over to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching link up to see a gorgeous array of quilting, applique, cross stitch and embroidery. And then on to Life Under Quilts to see what other EPPers are up to.

Triangles

I’ve been basting triangles in my setting fabric so I can work out how many more hexagon stars to make. I took advantage of a sunnyish day to lay it out for a “see where I’m at” photo.

I reckon if I stick to 40-ish stars then I’ll have enough of the setting fabric. This will be a smallish lap-size quilt but I’m happy with that! Although I might consider adding borders…I’ll just have to see where the muse takes me 🙂

In the Hoop at Last!

Today’s Slow Sunday Stitching will consist of making a start on quilting my hexagon scrap quilt. Yes, it’s in the hoop at long last!

Last week’s lone star has transformed into a lone star in a hexagon. It’s number 32 so far.

Do pop over to Kathy’s Quilts and see what other Slow Sunday Stitchers are up to!

(Extremely) Slow Stitching

It has been One of Those Weeks, with very little time for stitching, so all I have to share for Slow Stitching Sunday this week is this lonely star:

I hope to find time to get the outer pieces on soon!

Linking up with Life Under Quilts.

It’s All About the Hexagons

I have taken a break from my stars this week and finished off this pincushion and needle book for a friend:

The hexagons are English paper pieced and appliqued by hand. I basted them without going through the papers this time, which meant I could leave the papers in for a nice crisp edge when appliquing and then cut away the back to take the papers out afterwards. I would use that method again for small hexies like these.

I have also *finally* made a start on basting my hexagon scrap quilt ready for hand quilting.

Here it is all laid out ready to baste:

And here’s a progress shot:

I am looking forward to hand quilting this over the winter months – a favourite way to pass the dark, cold evenings!

I’m linking up with Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and I am pleased to see that Life Under Quilts Monday Morning Star Count is back too!

Dotty for EPP

I’ve had a reasonably productive week of English paper piecing. Putting the photos together, I’ve noticed there seems to be something of a dotty theme! It wasn’t intentional 🙂

Here’s star number 30:

And number 31:

I’ve also been back on hexagons, ready to make a pincushion and matching needlebook for a friend. The pincushion hexagons are 3/4 inch per side and the little flower is made of teeny tiny 1/2 inch hexies. Hopefully, by next week’s Slow Stitching Sunday I’ll have the finished articles to show you.

A Slow Star and Some Big Magic

This week I have a single star to share with my fellow Slow Sunday Stitchers:

I have also done a little cross stitch this week, which you can see here.

And I have been busy reading this rather wonderful book:

Elizabeth Gilbert talks about creativity and fear, and giving oneself permission to be creative. I like that. Sometimes I struggle with the “yes, but what’s it for?” nature of questioning (both from others and from my Inner Critic!) as well as wondering if I shouldn’t spend my time being more – well- useful! As a result of reading the book, I have discovered there is an accompanying podcast, and I have enjoyed listening to the first of these, especially as it enabled me to come across this quote from A S Byatt:

I think of my writing simply in terms of pleasure. It’s the most important thing in my life: making things. Much as I love my husband and children, I love them only because I am the person who makes things. I am – who I am – is the person who has the project of making a thing. And because that person does that all the time, that person is able to love all those other people

I don’t know about you, but as a mother (and probably doubly as a home educating mother) I struggle with the guilt that comes from the thought that I am not giving 100% of my attention to my kids; that doing things (quilting, cross stiching, drawing) that are for myself is somehow taking away from them. This podcast and book has helped me see that it is because I take time to myself, to do the things I feel driven to do, that I am able to give my kids the attention and love and care they need. Gilbert states in her podcast that “if you model martyrdom your kids will grow up to be martyrs”. I don’t want my kids to be martyrs. I won’t them to be creative and joyful, and that’s what I want to model to them!

Wow, I have gone off on a tangent from stitching today, haven’t I?!

Slowly Stitching

It’s Sunday, so it must be time for a slow stitch update!

Here we have hexagon star number 28:

I have also basted a stack of triangles in my setting fabric. I'm even more unsure now as to whether there'll be enough of the fabric, but I do have a few ideas up my sleeve of how else to put the quilt together so I'm not going to panic!

Do check out Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching group for more progress reports on others’ slow stitching projects.

Perfect Fabric Find

This week I am back on track with two stars made:

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Plus, I found the perfect fabric for my setting triangles! Rafe & I went for a shopping trip to nearby Norwich. I usually park in a particular carpark but it was full so I tried a different one. This led to the discovery of a previously unknown-to-me sewing shop, which happened to have just the fabric I needed. There was only a metre and a quarter left – I don’t know if that will be enough, but if it’s not then I’m sure I’ll wing it somehow or other, as usual :-). I haven’t cut into it yet, but laid some hexagon stars out on it to gauge the effect and I like it:

I am linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching again.