Blanket Washing Day

It was a glorious day today. Blue skies and a warm breeze. Spring is so close I can smell it.

With the weather like that it seemed the perfect day to wash the blankets. It's not something I do often but it was one of those jobs that's needed doing for a while... Well, the first blanket went in no worries, but as I was hauling it out of the rinse water (standing up on the edge of the bath tub to let as much of the water as possible drain out) someone else could not resist the temptation. First it was just a sock covered toe, but with me teetering up well out of his reach, and not willing to drop the blanket and let it get saturated again, he grinned and...


clothes and all climbed into the water. Thanks goodness it was only the rinse water and not quite as dirty as it appears in the pic! It was almost cold but he sat and splashed happily for several minutes, but protested when I wouldn't lift him out til he was stripped off! Rascal!

My first (and maybe last!) quilt top

Yay! I had my first 'day off' since Bubs arrived 16 months back and, apart from the obligatory hour or two for desperately needed housework, I sewed! My nine patchs were a bit rough, and some were not quite the expected 6.5inches square. I was trimming and ironing and sewing ALL DAY! Yes, I estimate it took 7 hours to get this thing together. At least I am pleased with the result.Of Course I don't have the batting or the backing or the binding yet, so I guess it will go back in the UFO box for a while longer. Might need another visit to mum's for shopping and another lesson on what to do next.

I am wondering if it needs a border, or if it is better left in its simple nine patch state? What do you think?

Arranging Nine Patches

This was the Grand Plan, but it's proved to be yet another case of the amateur being too ambitious!

I am no quilter! But my Mum showed me how to do a nine patch when I was in a patchworky phase a few years back. I ended up making about 50 of them and had a grand plan for a bed quilt. Well, as I said, I started these a few years ago, and it's clear they have not morphed into the bed quilt I had envisaged! I am getting sick of looking at them in my ever increasing tub of UFO's, so have decided to ditch the 'grand plan' and just join the darn things together. Then I'll at least have myself a (simple) quilt top. I'm wanting to join them 'on point' with a plainish cream square between. I think they'll be arranged 6 NP across and 8 NP down. Or maybe 7 x 7... Time to dig out some of the 'How to' books from that phase so I can finish this baby off and put it to bed... or on the bed... or on the couch...

Wednesday WIP

Thrifting! Op Shop finds and scraps from my stash. I am hoping to make a card table cubby for a Christmas gift. If it turns out well it will be for a nephew. If it turns out badly my own son will be stuck with it! I have lots of ideas for it, and have drawn several sktches, and was thrilled to find the pefect background fabrics at our local (tiny) op shop. It is only a cheap poly cotton but I was happy to pay $2 for about 5m of fabric in total. Once I was home I went through my scraps and found several smaller pieces in a similar fabric. I was able to get to Spotlight last week and picked up 4 x 0.5m extra colours in similar cheap fabric. I also debated about some more vliseofix for appliquing a few bits onto the cubby, but ended up getting a can of spray adhesive instead. Not sure if this was a good move yet!! I'm pretty sure the spraying will be an outside job, and that our dodgy outdoor table is going to experience another indignity and wind up in a gluey mess...

Spoils of a visit to the Folks

Have been offline for a week due to a visit to see Mum and Dad. It had been a while so it was lovely to catch up. I meant to go to Spotlight but with one thing and another I just didn't make it.

Not to worry though. Instead I shopped at 'La Cupboard de Mum's' and oh, what goodies did I find!!

A bit of leftover flannelette, just enough for extra PJ pants for my boy with a couple of bits left over to applique onto the tops when I make them.

A few patterns and a sewing book which I am borrowing.

A few transfers she was happy to be rid of, and a dressmaking book from the 60's. Score!

But then we came across a box that had been shoved to the back of the cupboard over 15 years ago. A collection of bits and pieces from my Grandma's small stash. She wasn't known for her sewing but there were some treasures nonetheless. Having lived through two wars and the depression she was a frugal lady so there was some mending patches, hemming tapes and replacement elastic and zippers. There was a heaps of darning wool and crochet thread. Bias binding, a bone needle holder and an embroidered needle book. Several packets of unopened needles that are very old, a couple of patterns from the 40's.

My personal favourite is a UFO, a half done embroidery on linen that she bought in Argentina. It is a bit marked but I am hoping to complete it then see if I can wash out the marks. Lucky for me she had saved all the thread to finish the project too. Yay!