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Monday 29 July 2013

Warning: blogging with prehistoric computer

I will be interested to see whether this blog post comes out more or less badly laid out on the page than the previous iPad post.  On the plus side, it is a 'proper' computer ; on the downside, it is so old that it might possibly have been found in a cave in France along with troglodyte art and perhaps a fossilised mammoth.  Typing leaves huge pauses while the computer has a little think and then suddenly posts three-quarters of a sentence with some bits missing.  So if any of this post makes less sense than usual, it might (for once) not be my fault.

Something that is squarely my fault is that I didn't take my camera to FQR.  Another thing that is my fault is that I was so late sewing on the binding to my last Sample Swap mug rug that I didn't take a photo of any of them before I swapped them.  Happily, my swappees have more brainpower than I and so I have a photo of one kindly sent to me by MammaFairy Rachel:
Once I have charged my camera up (oops) I will post photos of the lovely sample swap goodies that I received too - 3 lovely things that I have been using every single day and that make me smile every time I pick them up!

I may have done more chatting than sewing at FQR but it has definitely re-ignited my sewing mojo.  The morning after I got back, I sprang into action (possibly the knowledge that it was my last child-free day for the next 6 weeks may have spurred me on too).  By school pickup I had pieced the majority of an Improv quilt for Siblings Together.  I now have one last seam to sew before I have a quilt top.  Definitely a record for me.


(PS - see this post on Lily's Quilts to see some of the fab Siblings Together quilts that were handed over to the phenomenal lady who runs the charity, Delma.)


If this post works then I shall go back and re-edit my disastrous iPad post.  There still won't be pictures, but there may be paragraphs! 

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Pictureless FQR

Just a very quick post to confirm that I am still alive (apologies for recent blogging hiatus) and to say thank you to the many lovely folks I chatted with at FQR (more chatting than sewing if I'm honest) and who made a good weekend into a great weekend.

Unfortunately my desktop exploded (literally) when I got back from FQR which means I am tapping this out one-fingered on the iPad. I don't know how to get photos onto the iPad so this will be a pictureless post.

Anyway, back to FQR! So glad to catch up with Helen & Moira again and to meet Di & Liz for the first time - thanks to you all for some lovely lovely chats. It was also so nice to catch up with many of my Bee members - some for the the first time (Kate, Mary, Carol) - and see the 2 Siblings Together bee quilts in the flesh.

Inspired, on Monday as soon as the kids were dropped off I knuckled down with my offcut Bee blocks (more of which later) and Portholes from FQR, and whipped together the majority of an Improv quilt destined for next year's Siblings Together. Hoping to finish this next week although we are now in school holidays so my sewing time reduces from 'not much' to 'almost nil'.

Also a big thank you to Rachel Pinheiro who kindly refitted my Amelia dress bodice onto me so that I can move onto the next stage. Without her help I think this might have been consigned to the scrap pile so I am extremely grateful. When my computer is up & running I will do a whole blog post on this.

Another thing that will get its own blog post is the sample swap - I got some gorgeous goodies from Nicky, Rachel and Anna and I hope they weren't too underwhelmed by my mug rugs. I am such a donkey that I didn't even take a photo of the mug rugs I made before I swapped them. Rachel has sent me a photo of one so once my computer is back to life I will have a picture to post.

Anyway, I shall sign off here - too many words and not enough pictures! And why won't my iPad do paragraphs? Trying again....

Edited to add some links and some much-needed paragraph breaks!