I finally forced myself to sit down and get on with some sewing this afternoon.

The result was one more Fireworks block.

It was a bit of a slog if I’m honest. I love the effect of these blocks and I know I’m going to absolutely adore the finished quilt because the Rouenneries Deux reds and browns and beiges are just a heavenly combination. But making it all happen is tough. The blocks are big and made of a lot of pieces – 73 each if I calculated correctly. That means a huge amount of cutting out before I can start each block – about 2.5 fat quarters a time – mostly cut into pretty small squares and rectangles. (And between you and me…but don’t tell anyone else…that’s a bit boring..if I’m being really honest).

Also sewing the blocks one at a time just makes the fabric feel a bit same old same old. I’m just not feeling the love…it’s more a case of feeling the self-discipline. I absolutely know that I will love it all once its done…but right now….nah….

Maybe it’s just a bit of missing mojo, not helped along by a lot of teenage issues….but today I’m feeling a lot more satisfaction from hot baths and plain vanilla knitting. And the garden, mustn’t forget that. When the rain stops, being in the garden is an absolute joy. I guess that’s where I should be focussing my attention.

Maybe my Fireworks blocks are trying to tell me something.

Helen

I had meant to do a little sewing yesterday….but we finally had one day of spring! (Don’t worry, it’s raining again today!). I spent the whole day outside weeding, planting, puttering and making a little dent in the chaos that my garden is trying to turn itself into. It’s a bit of a hopeless battle, but it felt good to be outside in the sun and doing stuff.

This is the proof that even though the weather is mostly horrible round here at the moment it really, truly is spring….they say when the apple tree blooms, that’s it, the sign of spring.

Things are starting to flower, we’ve passed the Eisheilige (the days in mid-May after which it’s supposedly safe to plant things that aren’t frost resistant) and really, summer should be on its way.

I have my doubts, but it is a little warmer and I’ve taken the bold step of packing away my winter clothes and mentally moving into summer mode…cut off chinos and short sleeves…which is a little chilly, but I guess I’ll harden up fast!

I hope the sun is shining where you are…maybe you’d be so kind as to send it my way!

Helen

PS And of course the big plus is that I’m indoors and sewing today!

Well, I found the missing camera finally…..where was it? Behind the chair in my sewing corner, where it ordinarily lives and where I had looked oooh at least three times. I don’t know if the fairies have been up to a bit of naughtiness, but I’m just glad to have it back. It wasn’t quite as bad as the lost handbag feeling, but not far off.

So here’s what I have to show you:

Two more Fireworks blocks in Rouenneries Deux by French General…big blocks with lots of bits…73 pieces per block by my calculation. They take a while! I now have seven, but need at least 16 and am starting to wonder if the fabric will stretch that far! The one on the right above is possibly my favourite so far.

Two blocks for Christine  in Germany for the Sew Euro-bee-an bee…..she’s making a quilt to go with her orange sofa!

Two hanging baskets.

they each contain…

• Lobularia ‘Snow Princess’
• Glechoma hederacea
• A hanging petunia with small flowers
• A petunia Surfinia – that is the one with the big purple flowers.

Years ago I used to buy hanging baskets, but they are the easiest thing to plant up yourself and are great value all summer long. This year I invested in these lovely wicker baskets, to replace my rather dilapidated metal ones.

And here is the lovely mother’s day gift my husband picked out for me at the garden centre yesterday. (Ladies, let me tell you, it’s worth dragging your husband to a garden centre on the Saturday before mother’s day – and not just to lug the heavy stuff!).

As my son has now come home from 4 days away camping with the scouts the rain has now stopped – there is an awful lot of muddy laundry to be dealt with. I’ve had to seriously fight the urge to rescue said son all weekend, who despite the deplorable weather seems to have had a great time. I guess he’s not such a little boy any more

Have a lovely evening and a good start to the week.

Helen

I’ve been doing a lot of sewing the last few days – bee blocks for Christine and French General blocks for my fireworks quilt….and lots of trouser hemming and clothes altering. I also had a trip to the garden centre and have planted up my hanging baskets for the summer and have been popping plants in the garden in between torrential rain storms.

The only problem?

I have lost my camera, so I don’t have a single thing to show you. I’ve also spent loads of lovely sewing time looking for it. To no avail. It was last seen a week ago and must be in my now tidy house somewhere..but who knows where?

Why is it that as soon as you clean the house you then lose everything?

Bah!

Helen

x

Hopefully back soon with lots of photos…a blog without photos is really no blog at all :-0

It’s a public holiday here in Zürich today  - for Ascension Day – and without trying I have five days in a row off work and one child less (he’s away at scout camp – and it’s raining :-0).

There are no plans beyond a couple of runs and friends coming for dinner…..five days pretty much unscheduled. How blissful is that? If I’d tried to organize it I’d never have managed. But there you go, sometimes I just get lucky.

I had planned to get a lot of sewing done, but somehow so far that hasn’t materialized. I have however done loads of other things…

• cleaned the house (very overdue),
• had a 110litre chuck out and reorganize in the laundry room – mainly so that I could actually get to the ancient cupboard that houses my shoes
• switched over winter and summer clothes in the process coming to the conclusion that I have WAY TOO MUCH and vowing never to buy new clothes ever again (this will be a tough one as I have a business trip to London next month!)
• spent copious amounts of time in the garden digging out weeds, weeds and more weeds. No matter what anyone else says, I can see the difference.

I actually feel like I’m on top of my life, for the first time in months. I probably shouldn’t say that because it’s asking for disaster to strike, but it’s a good feeling and I wanted to share!

So tomorrow is self-indulgently going to be a me day.

I’m planning on a lot of sewing – although quite a lot of it is boring stuff like hemming trousers – and a trip to the garden centre to get some plants to fill the holes where all the weeds were.

Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Why don’t you pop by and see how I get on?

Helen