Day Three… and Not a Stitch Was Sewn

 Day three of four turned out to be a bit of a bust as far as sewing was concerned. The whole day slipped away into chores and a little burst of happy news.

Mid‑morning the phone rang: Sally Skyline had returned from the spa and was ready for collection.

Well — that was that. I dropped everything, grabbed my keys, and was out the door. I was home again in under thirty minutes, feeling rather pleased with myself. Once Sally was safely settled back into the happy room, I picked up where I’d left off with the chores.

That’s when I discovered a huge paper bag sitting in the porch. A friend from club had mentioned she’d drop off some books, but I never heard the doorbell. Either it was a very quick drop‑and‑run, or she called while I was out rescuing Sally.

I set the bag beside my chair, finished the last of the chores, and finally sat down for a look. What a mixture — books and magazines, some definite keepers, and the rest will be passed along to new homes. I spent a very pleasant couple of hours browsing and reading about patchwork and quilting. But not a single stitch was sewn.

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A Closer Look at the Keepers

Among the books was a magazine that immediately caught my eye. The cover design with the daisies and poppies — had it firmly in the keeper pile before I even opened it. 

Singular Sensations was another one that had a lot going for it before I even looked inside. Maybe it was that blue design on the cover. 

You know me and blue. One quick browse and it went straight onto the keeper stack.

I took a little more time with Rose Windows. 

There are some truly stunning designs in there. I’m not sure I’d ever make one, but there’s a tree‑skirt idea that has possibilities… so into the keeper pile it went, at least for now.

It’s joined by Bakers Dozen by Jen Kingwell 

and Simply Stars 

the latter has several different approaches to creating beautiful star quilts, which is always useful to have on hand.

A few books landed in the “maybe” pile, and there were a few definite non‑keepers. But all in all, it was a very pleasant afternoon of browsing, dreaming, and discovering.

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And that brings us to today — my fourth and final day off. Believe it or not, I still have one or two chores to achieve before I can sew. Not least another good tidy‑up in the sewing room. If I’m to make a pieced back for Kaiy’s quilt, I’ll need to clear the clutter off the table so I can work with large pieces of fabric.

All those new books will need to find homes too.

I’m off to get busy.

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Day Two of Four — Gardens, Gifts, and Kiwis

Today is day two of my four days off, and before I could settle into my room there was garden work to be done. Tony pulled out the edge trimmer and lawn mower while I headed into the big greenhouse. The tomatoes have slowed right down now, and although there were still a few green fruits hanging on, the vines themselves were looking very tired and brown.

I picked off anything with even the slightest hint of colour and lined them up along the kitchen window to catch the sun. Then it was time to pull out the exhausted plants. After that I gathered the ripe chilli peppers and three courgettes. That was quite enough for one session. I handed some of the bounty over the fence to the neighbours, then headed indoors.

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Once inside, I made a beeline for my happy room and got busy with the Kiwis. I had some precut strips left over from a previous project, they were ready to go, so I started sashing the blocks, then cut a few more, and before long I had them all joined together. With the sun shining so beautifully, I decided it was time for a walk. I popped a bag of produce together and wandered down to Debbie’s house — she’s always delighted to take a share of our surplus.

Back home again, I turned my attention to the borders for the Kiwi quilt.

As you can see, I opted for the caramel colourway for both the sashing and the borders, with that narrow black strip giving the eye a place to rest. That’s it for this one for now. It clamored to be at the top of the list and I listened, but next I really must get a back made for Kaiy’s quilt — and give it a name. I’ve toyed with Inkantations, since she’s an artist who works a lot with inks, or maybe Spellbound. I’ll let the right name come to me once I’m quilting it.

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Meanwhile, I promised to show what I worked on at club yesterday. It was a very quiet gathering, with only four ladies attending. By 1.30 two had gone home, leaving just myself and President Ann. We decided to call it a day and head off early. I’m happy with my progress though.

I had dithered about what to take and, in desperation, grabbed my hexie box as I dashed out the door. I’m so glad I keep a stash of ready‑made flowers and basted hexies — perfect for grab‑and‑go stitching.

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So there you have it. Time now to think about cooking a meal and settling in for the evening. I might be back tomorrow with news of my antics on day three of four. 

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Four Whole Days Off.

I have four whole days off, all together, in a row. What a luxury.

Today was patchwork club day, and I really wasn’t sure what to take along. At the last minute I grabbed a bunch of hexagon flowers and stitched a few of them together. I’ll show that progress another time, because first I want to show off something else.

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In my last post I mentioned that I’d made a decision about which of my WIPs would get attention once Kaiy’s quilt was completed. Well, today that project jumped straight to the top of the list.

After I got home from club, I wandered into my room looking for something to play with. I should piece the quilt back for Kaiy’s quilt, but that job involves crawling around on the floor, and I didn’t much feel like doing that today. I’ll save it for Monday, once Tony is back at work.

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So instead, I pulled out my RSC Kiwi blocks and started playing with them again. I auditioned a few fabrics for sashing and borders, and I think I’m getting close to a plan. I ran out of time to start cutting and sewing today, so that will be tomorrow’s job.

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I do have some garden work that needs doing tomorrow, but hopefully I’ll still have plenty of time to play as well. I’ll be back soon with an update.

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A Finished Quilt Top.

Some projects seem to grow quietly in the background, don’t they — a block here, a seam there — until suddenly you stand back and realise you’ve stitched your way into something whole. That’s exactly how Kaiy’s quilt has felt.

Today I sewed the final seam, pressed the last row, and spread the quilt top out across the floor. Tony did his acrobatics at the top of the ladder again to get this image. All those magentas, teals, pinks, purples, and blues I chose using her mood board as a guide, have finally come together, and they’re playing beautifully with one another. It’s bright without being loud, cheerful without being chaotic — very much a quilt with personality, just like its intended owner.

There’s something satisfying about this stage. The top is done, the colours are settled, and the quilt has taken on its own character. Now it’s time to turn my attention to the backing fabric. I'll get to that in a few days.  But for now, I’m simply enjoying the moment. Another quilt top finished, another step closer to wrapping someone I love in something handmade.

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I also made a decision about which WIP will be getting some attention very soon.

More about that soon.

 

Zooming along.

I had planned to get a few chores done this morning before Joe and the family arrived, but those plans went out the window the moment I spotted a Zoom invite from Chooky. That was that —most of the chores were forgotten, and I headed straight into my sewing room to play while we chatted.

I carried on with the blocks for Kaiy’s quilt, adding more black strips to the long sides. I also had a little tidy up and even managed to do some ironing, in between blocks. Partway through adding my black strips I discovered I’d cut some of them too short, so I took the time to cut a fresh batch at the correct size. Once that was sorted, I made some really good progress before Joe and co arrived.

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We had roast chicken for dinner, followed by frothy jelly. For anyone unfamiliar, frothy jelly is simply a jelly mix with yoghurt, cream, or milk whipped into it once it has cooled — I’ve also heard it called Jelly whip or flummery.

After lunch we spent some time outside. The children love having a run around the garden, and today they found a visitor, so Grandad was summoned to help.

Closer inspection revealed that this beautiful dragonfly had lost a leg and another is damaged. Grandad gently popped him onto the BBQ cover, and we watched as he made his way slowly down the side and tucked himself out of the wind.

He’s still sitting there now, several hours later.

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Once everyone had left, I went back into my room for another round of sewing. I was having fun, so I decided to get the blocks made into rows — and since I was still enjoying myself, I kept going and started joining the rows together.

Here you can see the first five rows. There are two more to add: one still needs to be constructed, and the other doesn’t yet have its black strips.

I’m back to work tomorrow for what will be a very busy week, but I’m hoping to get those final two rows completed, and maybe even stitched on. I might have to give some thought to what I might work on next!

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A Good Push Forward.

 Our busy weekend is going ahead as planned, though I’ll admit I almost wished for rain this evening. We’re due to head out to an outdoor concert this evening, and while the forecast looked a bit dodgy, it seems the weather is going to behave after all.

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My chores were dispatched in short order this morning, which meant I could head to my sewing room for a couple of hours play this afternoon. I’ve been slipping in there before work all week and found I could comfortably make two complete blocks in the time I had, so there really wasn’t much left to finish today.

And finish I did — I sewed up a storm and completed the last of the 5×7 colourful blocks.

Next up was cutting a stack of black strips to sew onto the long sides of the colours. I didn't cut all of them as I was eager to get the first few on straight away.

While I've been putting these blocks together, I’ve been fossicking through my thread collection and pulling out bits and pieces of pinks and blues. I managed to use up a few odds and ends along the way.

I'm sure there are a few more reels, but I'll have to fill some bobbins soon. 

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Now it’s time to cook some tea and then head out the door. With a bit of luck I’ll get another chance to sew tomorrow, though Joe and the family will be here for Sunday lunch, so we’ll see how the day unfolds.

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The Pin That Sent Sally to the Spa

My one day off this week and I had grand plans: sew all day long, cup of tea at my elbow, Sally Skyline humming happily, and Kaiy’s quilt blocks coming together like a dream.

As you know, plans can go awry.

To be fair, I did get to sew — a lot. Things were going beautifully… right up until I tapped a pin.

At first it was just the odd skipped stitch, here and there. Annoying, but manageable. Then, despite everything I tried, the problem got worse. I rethreaded top and bottom threads (twice), swapped threads and bobbins, changed the needle, cleaned the machine, and even tried sewing at a snail’s pace. Sally was having none of it.

Janice suggested I use a spare machine.

LOL. I have one or two.

Bluey, the baby Elna, was sitting on the shelf giving me the side‑eye, so I pulled her out and dusted her off.

That was fun for about five minutes — she’s noisy and slow — so back she went, and out came my trusty old Silver. The last time I used her must have been when I made Charmaine’s bridesmaid dress; she still had a spool and bobbin of dark green thread in place.

Once I swapped out the threads, she ran much smoother and faster than the Elna. I managed to finish the blocks I’d started this morning.

I wasn’t really paying attention to how many blocks I’d prepped. I just pinned rows until I ran out of pins, sewed until I ran out of pinned units, snipped them apart, and went back to pinning. Then sewed and sewed until… well, you get the picture. I was going great guns and was delighted to find that I have just under half of the blocks made up to this stage. Now they need black strips added to each long side.

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I booked Sally in for a service, but of course when I tried to reproduce the problem on scrap fabric, she behaved perfectly. Never mind — I explained everything at the shop and told them I suspected I’d tapped a pin. 

They agreed with my diagnosis, that needle is probably a little out of alignment. The threader no longer works, and the cutter will only snip the bobbin thread, two more indications of misalignment. She’s in for the full treatment. I should get her back in about two weeks, give or take.

In the meantime, I’ll be using the Silver to keep working on these blocks. Not the day I planned, but progress is progress. 

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I’m back to work tomorrow, but I’m hoping to sneak in a few moments of sewing before and after each shift. It’s going to be another busy weekend off, so every little bit helps. With luck, I’ll get a few more blocks made. I’d really like to finish this stage before I start cutting the black strips — it feels good to be moving forward. 

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Scrappy Hexies — Finished at Last

As you know, I’ve been happily stitching away at an assortment of scrappy hexagons for quite some time now. The pile has grown from all sorts of places — my own fabric scraps, treasures from op shops, oddments from sales, and even a few flowers that were already basted when I found them. Others were just cut shapes waiting patiently for papers. I’ve enjoyed every minute of working through them, sewing them into cheerful little flowers.

Over the last few weeks the project gathered momentum, and on Thursday I put in the final few hexies to complete a lap‑size top. Friday was a busy day, but I still managed to trim the edges and start auditioning border fabrics.

This morning I made my decision, stitched the borders on, and pulled out a cosy fleece blanket to use as the backing. Onto the frame it went — no batting required.

For the quilting, I wanted something simple and gentle, so I chose clamshells, another lovely design by Kerryn Emmerson.

Being a lap size, the quilting didn’t take long at all. Before it was time to make dinner, the binding was on. After the meal I sat down to close the binding, and once the last stitch was done, I called in the holder‑upper for an outdoor photo shoot.

So here it is — the finished scrappy hexie quilt, posing beautifully in Old Man Tree.

And of course, the mandatory holder‑upper shot:

And one more look at Old Man Tree, because he wears a quilt so well.

Another scrappy hexie quilt completed — and with a whole pile of extra flowers waiting, I suspect it won’t be the last.

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Though I still have a cheerful pile of hexie flowers waiting in the wings, my focus for the foreseeable future will be on Kaiy’s quilt. My roster is a bit of a jumble at the moment — swaps, extra shifts, and general chaos — but I’m hoping to get all the blocks completed and joined before the end of the month. With a bit of luck, I might even get beyond that.

A great start to February.

My days off started with my usual rhythm — I’m sure you know it by now. Up early with Tony, then once he headed off to work, out came the cauldron and in went the veg and tomatoes. Uncle Ruffie’s sauce today. Once I had it bubbling away at a good steady simmer, I could leave it to do its thing and slip off to my sewing room.

I’ve been picking away at my squares here and there since my last post, so they were already sewn into strips of four. 

While I was sewing all those squares together, I spotted the most beautiful watercolour landscape hiding in one of the fabrics. I can see fields and paddocks separated by hedgerows and taller trees way over in the distance on the edge of a lake, with a far green shore and the sky beyond. 

Or is that just my imagination?

Seeing it set me off thinking about the whole bundle and wishing I’d taken photos before I cut into them. There were some real treasures in there. One looked just like those photos of Jupiter, with swirling clouds and that great storm rolling across the surface. Another reminded me of an octopus releasing ink into the deep — soft, drifting plumes of colour blooming through water. And a third had the softest pink glow, exactly like a winter dawn sky. Little pieces of all of them kept appearing as I stitched, tiny glimpses of whole worlds tucked into each square.

Today’s plan was to turn strips of four, into strips of five. I stitched about a third of them, then scooted back to the kitchen to stir the cauldron and tick off a couple of small chores before returning to the machine for the next batch. And then again — more stirring, more chores, more squares. By the time I’d added the final square to every strip, the sauce was ready to ladle into pots for the freezer. Yum.

Once the kitchen was sorted, I took a seat and snipped all the chain‑pieced strips apart. Then came the pressing. It took me a full hour to get them all flattened and lined up (tidily‑ish) on my cutting table. The next job will be to turn them into blocks of 5 × 7 little 2.5‑inch squares — but that’s a task for another day. Fabric sudoku may take a while.

Next, I headed into town to finish my errands, grabbed a quick lunch, and now I’m back in my chair with a cuppa. It’s almost time to settle in with my hexies. With a bit of luck, I might even get the top finished today 

I have two more days off, but Tony will be home for both of them and weather permitting we're hoping to have a working bee out in the garden, there are one or two jobs that need taking care of out there.  There is also another 50th Birthday party to attend. 

And now I’m off to play with my hexies for the afternoon. I hope everyone’s February plans are unfolding kindly — mine certainly are, and I’m feeling very happy with my progress so far.

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Anchor Me.

It’s done. It’s finished. Well… except for the label.

Anchor Me is Inspired by this quilt, 

But I didn't buy a pattern, I made my own way, designing it in my head as I sewed. 

It measures 96 x 104 inches.

When I suggested to Josie she and Jiffy would be anchored together, she loved the idea. So the Name came before I even started.

The very first fabric pull for this quilt happened way back in April last year, when I realised I didn’t have quite enough blues and greens. Batiks are hard to come by in New Zealand at the moment, so I shopped around here and found very little. Later, in Bathurst, enabled by Janice I hunted down more, and between us we gathered what I needed.

Those fabrics then sat quietly in a box on my cutting table for months, whispering at me every time I walked past. Finally — with a bit of encouragement from several people — I began cutting in the first week of January 2026.

Chooky had suggested using 4‑inch squares, so I cut them at 4.5 inches to finish at 4. There are 580 blue‑green squares in total, forming the background and the outer border. The inner border is a 4‑inch strip of Moko, a Māori‑inspired charcoal‑on‑black fabric. 

It isn’t a batik, but it sits beautifully with the blues, and I used the same fabric for the anchor itself.

As you know, I played around with scrap paper to get the proportions right before drawing the anchor freehand onto Vliesofix. I’m very happy with how it turned out — bold, clean, and exactly the right presence on the quilt.

Last week, on my days off, I layered and quilted the top using an E2E design by Keryn Emmerson called Waves. It felt perfectly appropriate. Yesterday I trimmed it and added the binding, stitching about half of it down by hand before heading to bed. This morning, I finished the last of the binding and then waited for Joe and family to arrive so he could help Tony hold it up for a good outdoor photo.

The back is a huge piece of wide back in another kiwi inspired fabric called Kiwiana Koru Frond. The binding is more of the Moko fabric. 

It was an absolute delight to make. There’s something so satisfying about the simplicity of squares — the calm rhythm of straight lines, the ease of nesting seams, none of the drama of bias edges or tricky angles. Just fabric, shape, and flow. These blues and greens sing together exactly the way I hoped they would, each one adding its own note to the whole.

And there, sitting proudly on top, is the anchor — bold, steady, and unmistakably the star of the show. The quilting design, Waves, felt right not only for its name but for its gentle movement. It adds texture without stealing the spotlight. The anchor may shine, but those blues and greens hold the whole story together, the perfect sea for it to rest upon.

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Of course, no quilt around here gets finished without a little “help” from Tony. The final photo shows him unpacking his shopping all over my ironing board, happily showing me fishhooks and bits of tackle while I was trying to sew rows of squares together. He has an uncanny ability to appear exactly when I don't need interruptions, but he does it with such enthusiasm that I can’t help but smile as I roll my eyes.  

The rest of life doesn’t pause for quilting, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I can't wait for June!

January Round‑Up and February Goals.

They say you should start the year as you intend to continue, and I was lucky enough to do exactly that. I rang in the New Year with Chooky and the girls on Zoom — stitching, chatting, laughing, and easing into 2026 with good company and a pile of hexagons. I was working over New Year’s as well, but the Zoom, the sewing, and the familiar faces are what stayed with me.

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Deana is running her Chookshed Challenge again this year to help everyone tackle their UFOs (and, let’s be honest, anything else we feel like throwing on the list). I’m not officially taking part this time, but I have committed to making a small list each month to keep myself focused. So here’s how January went.

January Goals

1) Keep working on my scrappy hexies

I was hoping to get them to lap‑quilt size and maybe even quilted and bound. I didn’t quite get that far, but I’m only a few hexies away now and very happy with the progress.

I’ve actually added a little more since this picture was taken.

2) Finish the poppy quilt and get it off the frame

It didn’t get finished… but it is off the frame. It’s currently folded and sitting in the naughty corner. I’ll get to it one day.

3) Make a start on Jiffy and Josie’s wedding quilt

I’m pleased to say I made more than a start — the top is finished, it’s quilted, and it just needs binding. Hopefully I’ll get to that later today.

4) Decide on this year’s ornament and hopefully make a start.

Well, I decided! I even pulled out some supplies… and that’s as far as that got.

One goal smashed, one politely ignored, one shoved out of the way, and one nearly done. 

Honestly, that’s a win.

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What Else Happened in January?

My girl Kaiy will be on the island for her brother’s wedding, so I decided she needed a quilt too. (Yes I know, I said no squirrels, but this squirrel is very important).  A rummage through my batiks drawer revealed more than enough in her favourite colours. All the cutting is done and everything is ready for sewing.

The majority of these fabrics have now been cut into 2.5 inch squares honest! The rest are sitting in reserve, just in case I did my sums wrong. LOL

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Tony and I finished a few jigsaws. Always fun. 

We also had a week away with friends. It was relaxing, full of good company, and we even brought home the fish we caught.

Back at home, the greenhouses and garden have been producing beautifully, so I’ve been busy in the kitchen making sauces and relish, and I even pickled some onions for Tony.

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February Goals 

Time to put some February goals down and see where life takes me.

1) Bind the Anchor quilt. and make a proper label

Not just my wee Loulee label — a real, grown‑up, proper label for this one.

2) Make huge progress on Kaiy’s quilt.

All the squares are cut, and the sashing fabric is sitting on the table. I just need to make a start and keep the momentum going and figure out a name for it.

3) Make a start on the ornaments.

It would be lovely to deliver three of them in person in June when I travel to the island for the wedding. There’s plenty of time… I just need to get busy.

4) Finish the hexie quilt.

A job that really shouldn’t take long if I get myself into gear.

No squirrels. No side journeys. Focus!

 

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Back on the Frame Again.

 Yesterday started just as planned, with a cauldron of relish bubbling away on the stove. I was up with Tony before six, so the pot was on before seven. It needs a good 90 minutes before anything else can happen, so I took the chance to relax and catch up on some blog reading.

Once Tony headed off to work and the cauldron had done its time, I moved on to the next steps of the recipe. While it bubbled some more, I set about loading the anchor quilt onto my frame.

I'm happy to report that there was plenty of backing fabric this time. 

With the relish still simmering, I wound four bobbins and got myself organised. When the relish was finally poured into sterile jars and the dishes were washed and put away, I treated myself to a quick cuppa before starting the quilting.

I was glad I’d chosen a simple design — it’s been a while, and I was definitely wobbling a bit. A practice piece might have been wise but never mind. It is what it is. The smell of vinegar still hung in the air, and it wasn’t a day for wide‑open windows, so a headache settled in and refused to budge. I decided to step away from the quilting at lunchtime.

I spent a while looking for this year’s Christmas ornament and I think I’ve found it, so the afternoon wasn’t wasted. Hopefully on my next days off I’ll have time to gather the supplies.

By the time Tony came home I was already back to quilting. I did a quick turn while tea cooked, then finished the quilting after we’d eaten. As you can see, it’s still not trimmed — that’s a job for the next round of days off.

Back to work today, so I might sew a few hexies, or maybe start joining those 2.5‑inch squares here and there before or after work.

The good news is the rain clouds have finally blown away, and the sun is supposed to return to Timaru. With any luck we’ll warm up and dry out a bit. Fingers crossed. I know some of you are hoping for cooler days and a drop of rain, while others are wrapped up avoiding the snow. Whatever your weather, I hope you have a wonderful day.

I Zoomed Along Today.

No work for me today, though I was still up early with Tony.  Once he had departed for work I continued the morning cutting squares for Kaiy’s quilt, but when Chooky opened up her Zoom chat I joined in there instead. I ended up spending a good portion of the day sewing and chatting with the girls. I forgot to grab a screenshot of the group, but trust me — all the regulars were there, chatting and sewing away as usual.

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I still haven’t quite finished cutting my 2.5" squares, so for the Zoom session I switched over to my hexies. This is where I was at when I picked it up this morning:

I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about this piece. It’s a true scrappy concoction — so many different fabrics, some mine, some bought ready‑basted from sales, op shops, and Facebook, and others just odd scraps that have drifted into my stash over time.

But I’ve enjoyed creating the flowers, and I’ve enjoyed the process of joining them, even if I did lose my way somewhere along the line and had to fill in a few gaps with random hexies. Never mind — it all adds to the scrappy charm.

Looking at it now, after today’s progress, I think I might be starting to like it again.

It looks small in this image, but I’m pretty sure it’s as big as it needs to be. Plenty big enough for a crib, or even a lap quilt. I’ll tidy up that right side and call it done. I’ve got a piece of polar fleece ready for the backing, so that part is sorted. I'm not sure when it will make it onto the frame for quilting, I'm hoping to load The Anchor tomorrow and make a start on that.

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During a break for tea, I sliced two bowls full of tomatoes, added 2 kg of onion, and left the whole lot to brine overnight. Tomorrow’s job will be making a batch of tomato relish — the house will smell amazing and hopefully I'll get a great start at quilting The Anchor while the relish is bubbling.

Not a bad way to spend a cool, grey day — with intermittent showers and the sun making the odd half‑hearted attempt to break through. A little stitching, a little chatting, and the promise of quilting and relish bubbling away tomorrow.

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Cutting My Way Through Kaiy’s Colour Palette.

In my last post, when I was swearing about ordering the wrong size of backing for the Anchor quilt, I mentioned an idea that just might use up those extra two metres of fabric. With all my chores completed on Thursday morning, I spent some time rummaging through my batik collection, looking for colours that might be perfect for my daughter, Kaiy. (I hope she's not reading this. She's been known to pop in from time to time. If you are Kaiy....Surprise! I'll see you in June and bring it along). 

I was fairly sure I knew Kaiy's preferences but thought I’d better check. She sent me a mood board — 

and I wasn’t far off the mark. She’s gotten a little brighter in her choices lately. A quick photo of my fabric pull went off to Janice to make sure nothing was trying to leap out of the pack, and then, after some quick maths (ably handled by the co‑pilot), I was off and running. I don’t even have to pull out a calculator anymore; I just waffle at the co‑pilot and it sorts everything out for me. I could get used to this.

Anyway! I told it my block plan, the size of the squares, the layout, and the size of my backing piece, and asked: how much fabric do I need? In no time at all it informed me that I’ll need 1,225 two‑and‑a‑half‑inch squares — about 22 fat quarters. I do have fat eighths and various bits and bobs in the mix, so I suggested aiming for 25 fat quarters’ worth, just in case. Co‑pilot agreed that was a sensible idea. It also worked out how much fabric I would need for sashing strips and binding! Amazing. I weeded out a couple of repeated fabrics and some in very similar colours. I'll keep them handy just in case. I think I ended up with 25 or 26 fat quarters worth of fabric pieces.

Then I started cutting… until my back complained. By that point I had about a third of these pretty pieces done. I spent the next couple of hours in my comfy armchair playing with hexagons. I really should take a new photo of those — they’re coming together slowly.

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This morning before work I pressed a few more fat quarters and a couple of fat eighths and even managed to get one cut before heading out the door to work. I’ll try to do the same over the weekend. Yes, I’m working, but that’s okay — I’ll be off on Monday and Tuesday. And my new piece of backing fabric should be delivered on Monday, so I’ll be spoiled for choice. 

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If you’re heading into a proper weekend, I hope it’s a lovely one. I’ll be working through mine, but there’ll be fabric waiting for me on the other side.

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