Off the beaten sewing track

I Quilt. 

That's what I said, right?  Not this past few days though, I've had all sorts of distractions....all good fun however.  First some sewing for the Youth Club I help out at.  Who could say no to this kind of thing........ you know we've all wanted to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid or wear a Pink Ladies/T-Bird Jacket from Grease...... don't deny it!!  So one of the little dudes was swimming in his extra-large jacket so I had to take the T-Bird Logo from the back and re-attach it to a smaller size.


I'm much more comfortable with straight line stitching and would rather throw an item out than have to mend a hole.  My brain still tells me that I'm not able to do things like that - then my husband reminds me that I have learnt to sew and do own a sewing machine and really shouldn't be dumping skirts that have one inch of hem hanging down!! I did use the hoop for this little job though and did it by hand, it was just easier!

Next I moved on to the Mermaids Tail.  I wasn't sure at all how I was going to do it.  Then, last Tuesday morning, I had 4 workmen sitting in my kitchen - my husband, 2 of his work colleagues and some rep from Dublin.  They were taking up space in my kitchen when the notion grabbed me to make the mermaid right then so I popped out the newspaper, grabbed a sharpie and made myself a template - with the audience looking on, asking what I was doing.........but I really didn't know, I just hoped I would have something relatively mermaid shaped at the end of it!!

As it happened, it was much easier than I expected.  I did have a sprinkle of half broken sequins all over the kitchen floor after sewing the sparkly material but I had two little helpers collecting that "treasure" so that wasn't too bad! 

 

Less than half an hour later........!

In the meantime, I did get some of my own work done.  I managed to get the name attached to little Donnchadh's blanket and it was gifted to him last Wednesday to a very happy mum, so I'm told :)   With the unusual spelling of her little boys name, she wasn't expecting to receive anything personalised!

I still have not perfected using Minky or Plush fabric but I'll get there!
Every attempt is a learning curve right now and each time, it sits a bit nicer!

It's a sure sign however that you've been burning the candle at both ends though when you wake up one morning and find items in your bed that definitely don't belong there.  And worse still, you slept like a log all night and didn't even feel them, despite them being under the covers with you! I don't remember sewing in bed, because it's one bad habit I don't yet have so I must have brought these to bed with me when I collected my phone and glass of water to head to bed!  Whoops!

I do sometimes enjoy a nice glass of red wine after an evening hard work though so maybe that was to blame!  Speaking of which, what do you think of my gorgeous wine stopper?  Made by the wonderful Thistlepatch.  I got one of these from her last year and I still get a kick out of it when it's in use!  Great excuse to keep a bottle open!

I can't get the daft picture to turn the right way up for me.....it's turned the right way up when I select it to put it on the page but then comes in sideways.........anyone know how to change that?  All input or suggestions gratefully received!


Till next time........!