Flitting About

This week I had a guilty feeling like when I failed to hand in my homework at school. For ages I have been meaning to make samples for a class of mini Scottish themed projects which have to be sewn by hand, easy yet not naff. I could not get past the mental block that I am machine quilter who usually works on a large scale. I had a go at a tartan pin-cushion in the shape of a fish but heavy wool is not good for making small 3D items. I probably won’t take the tartan fish beyond the prototype stage;) Typically, I did not have the bits and bobs to hand that I needed, such as kilt pins but my friend, Mo, came up trumps and found me lots of lovely tweed scraps to experiment with. 

Since I want to be as economical as I can be with the tweed, I decided to paint some wadding offcuts and daubed on some runny fabric paint to look like a Scottish sky/landscape postcard. I plonked on some tweed pieces as standing stones then got carried away with thread and yarn. I went way over the top with the test piece, using the machine because I wanted to see if it would work. I had a “doh” moment, realising that the mini quilt should have been oriented landscape instead of portrait and it needs to be half the size but I now know it works in principle. And finally, I have other ideas taking shape for other mini-makes.

The school holidays are now beyond half way so I spent some time with my kids. We had a trip into town to buy Nell school Doc Martens and to drop Fergus off at an official band practice. All of us went to St Andrews to collect the keys to Freya’s new student flat, have a mooch around and see Mamma Mia 2. We made an epic trip to IKEA to buy a desk and nobody had meatballs because they are all Veggie/Vegan. Amazingly. I did not feel the need to purchase any fabric, not even linen. 

My “Did Not Hand In Homework” feeling was exacerbated by failing to pick buckets of cherries in order to make jam. In the end I realised that we already have a dozen jars of jam left from last year therefore it was an unnecessary chore. However, I did manage to spend most of a day catching up with loathsome paperwork so I felt I had achieved something. 

I have packed my gear for FOQ and don’t think I have forgotten anything crucial so I will have time on Monday morning to go and buy yet more groceries for the kids to eat on Day One or even potter about starting a new project.