What's been happening

So I admit, I've been a bit absent. 

It's not because I don't love you!! I promise!!  I've just been so busy reading what everyone else has to say that I've had no time to say anything myself.  I've even been very restrained on the commenting. I am reading what you're all up to and loving the stuff everyone is making, but sometimes the only comment I can make has already been said!! Or it seems hilarious in my head, but when I type it I look like a crazy lady so it gets deleted and I have no normal sounding words to replace it with.

But enough with the lame excuses, what's been happening in my world??

Well I have felt like a busy little bee.  I have been working like a demon at my job, staying back nights to try and get things done.  I had a junior girl helping me out and she quit before Christmas so I have been covering all the work.  Nervous breakdown coming my way.  Thankfully we hired her replacement at the start of February so I was very excited to get help.  I forgot that the new girl knows nothing and needs training in EVERYTHING.  OMG this takes so much time. So I am behind on my work because I have no help and the help I have takes twice as long to do anything and I have to constantly stop what I'm doing to show her things and explain things and teach things - this will be worthwhile in the long run, but right now, I am ready to stab someone with a pencil.

And then I spend my nights reading about what all you creative types are getting up to when I get home.  I have seriously got to cut down the number of blogs I follow, because I spend hours every day just catching up with you all.  I'm not commenting, because there are usually 6 screens (minimum) open at once. I just don't know who to cull... I love you all too much! I WANT to know what you're making. I WANT to see what fabulous fabrics your using.  I want to see the glories and the failures and the hiccups and all the goodness of quilting that goes on in all of your work rooms.  It makes me happy!! So I guess I have to become more efficient at reading them :-) lol

But these two time challenges have meant I have had limited sewing time.

I have taken to doing handstitching on the train on my way to and from work, just to keep progressing.  The looks I get from fellow commuters confirm I look like a psycho, but it's time I need to try to keep up to date.

I am loving my handstitched class, but I have fallen behind.  Well behind. So far behind I think I will never catch up.  Luckily I signed up for the level of class where I get an ebook so after the class proper has finished, I'll still be able to work on the projects.

Here's where I'm up to with the centre:

I am still slowing stitching around the centre. I haven't even completed a full side yet!!

I took a day off sick and added my patchwork.  But I still have to do my paper piecing or my applique. And this week we're up to hand quilting, so I really need to get my act in gear.

I originally started the patchwork with just the red, white and black solids.  Then I added in some of the prints, but I couldn't help but think I need some more grey in there to help balance the colour.

Patchwork of black, white, red and some pattern

I sneaked off to my LQS and bought some Stone and I am really happy with the result.

With a little bit of stone.

I am also going to skip the paper piecing on this project. I have done/am doing the mini project, so I've still learnt the skill.
(See look at my pretty hexagon tree!! I'm still stitching them down but I used some of the basting glue to I can take it with me and keep the layout I wanted.)

Pink trees.  Maybe not accurate, but I love the concept.

But back to the quilt.  The storm at sea blocks just don't feel like the right fit to me for the quilt itself.  I'm going to do a second set of dogwood blossoms in the corners.  That will match with the round to come after, so I'll kind of just do two at once.The round after that should come together pretty quickly. So fingers crossed I can knock this off this weekend. I'm so confident I've even added the solid stone ready for the blossoms.

With corner"stone"s - I crack me up!! I just realised this is the only photo of the whole top! Oops.

That being said, I'm also considering not doing the off-set squares for the next layer. Would that be cheating? I'm thinking that if I do some simple borders of different widths, it might work for me.  I think it's because I'm using so much fewer colours and patterns that the slightly scrappy version that is the goal doesn't quite sit right when i lay it out.  I am trying, but I also want something that I love at the end, so I have to do a little bit of compromise.

Too many thoughts, not enough time.

One of the things I'm struggling with with this class is the time frames. Not that Rachel hasn't been generous with spacing the lessons out, but I am not loving having so many deadlines.  A bit of a deadline is good for me to try to get things done in a timely manner.  I am a fan of a deadline.

The problem is that I am trying to do too many things with deadlines.  I want to get each project plus the quilt done on time for Handstitched.  I am in the middle of the Swoon quilt-a-long which is wrapping up in about a week. (hold on for three seconds and I'll update you on my progress with this. OMG you people are sooo demanding!)  I am also ridiculously busy with work deadlines.  I haven't even STARTED by Skill builder BOM. But I can't justify starting another project when I've still got so much left to do... Luckily Alyssa has a much slower schedule. I'm only two...three months behind :-)

I love all of these projects (and the non-deadline ones I have sitting around), But having these deadlines is starting to make this sewing caper a chore.  And I don't like that.

What I have to always remember it that I don't quilt for deadlines. I don't quilt to have something to blog about. I don't quilt for anyone but me.  So if I'm not enjoying it, or I'm not in the mood, or the fabrics are not speaking to me then I'm just not doing it. And bugger the deadline.

I will not ruin a perfect hobby by pressuring myself to achieve beyond what i am capable of achieving.

I love to read what everyone else is making, but ya'll give me a complex at how much and how wonderfully you make things!! I am sloooow. But I am only learning.  I do not have perfect points or seams or quarter inches... But I am getting better. And as long as I am having fun, that's what matters.

And I know you will all love me just the same :-)

E xx

Oops!! I almost forgot to give you the Swoon update!! I have all my blues and cream cut out and sewn into my central star. I have to cut up my browns, but once I do that I should smash through it.  See!!

The start of my Giant Swoon

 (I swear that I did another of those sets of points, but I couldn't find them in my rush to take pictures this morning.  You get the general idea though.)



Up close and personal with my patchwork



Look at these beautiful colours!

Shades of teal

Shades of cream

Shades of Brown

I love it!! It is going to be my favourite-ist of all the quilts ever in all the world!!

If I ever get it finished :-) 

 E xx