Slowly but surely

For once I have some sewing output to show - not much (blame half term) but a little:

First up, a Bee block for Tracey at QuiltMeHappy:

This is the same Tracey who so expertly long-armed my Apple Crisp quilt.  Tracey sent ready-made HST blocks and asked us to arrange them however we liked - one big block, a couple of small blocks, even all in a big long row!  No matter how wacky I tried to make my block, symmetry kept winning out so I went with this layout in the end.

The other thing I have been chipping away at is my Pervalong:

I have made all of the central blocks now but just need to sew them together into 4 quarters and then join the quarters to make the centre of the quilt.  The thing with paper piecing being backwards (well it is in my head anyway) is that I don't really have a feel of how the quilt is looking as I am going along.  I can't wait to get these blocks all together so I have something to show for it instead of 4 envelopes stuffed with numbered blocks.

Right - off to carry on binding my Apple Crisp before the 31 March comes around and it is still on my WIP list.  Not this time!

All the gear, no idea

Back when I was young and hip (all right, just young) we used to go on a group skiing holiday every year.  It was a real motley crew - various friends of friends - and one of our group always had all the latest stuff - titanium skis, heated boots, de-misting goggles.  However, whilst the rest of our group went merrily sailing down black runs, he usually skied with me on the nice gentle blue runs in what we termed "Remedial Ski School".  One of his mates dubbed him "All the gear, no idea".

I am the equivalent of "All the gear, no idea" in the world of machine quilting.  Take a look:

Supreme slider - check

Bobbin washers - check

Craftsy online class with Leah Day - check

Multitude of FMQ books - check

300 pages of quilt doodles - check

Hideous fabric from remnant shop to be sacrificed in inaugural FMQ attempt - check.

Have I tried it out?  No.

Too scared.