Production Line

While Freya slogged on with exam revision, I worked steadily on a production line sorting out 40 kits for the Norwegian Quilting Cruise. I need to make one from scratch early on Monday morning just to check that I have calculated the quantities of strips accurately. Then I need to find 40 of something typically Scottish to include in a goody bag when the quilters all meet on board the ship. I may have to buy a large tin of individually wrapped shortbreads or several packets of Tunnock’s caramel wafers. I can’t believe that I only have one week to go before I set off on my first cruise as a quilt tutor. 

I sorted out gear for Nell and Fergus to take on their school expeditions either side of my trip then grasped the nettle of the Unbooked Family Holiday. I fixed up my “Day at River Cottage” then found a thatched cottage to rent near Axminster in Dorset and was greatly satisfied to be able to tick something off one of my perpetual Lists. 

To relieve the exam boredom I took Freya to Aberdeen to buy something to wear. We were both disappointed at the uninspiring outfits with a naffly 80’s ethnic theme. We had a look at dress patterns but they were all so dated. She wants to have a go at making something based on an existing frock but I would rather follow a pattern as a dressmaking novice. I found some shapeless garments that I liked online at Merchant & Mills but could not decide whether they would just look like sacks on me. The next dilemma was what fabric to use - it is far too expensive to buy dress fabric then not love the results. I probably want to use patterned linen or some shot cotton. If I could get over my fear of simple tailoring I could probably rustle up all sorts of things. 

Despite admiring my freehand quilting on gold spandex, I have not yet managed to persuade Freya that it would make an amazing bodice on a one-of-a-kind prom dress. I think the gold totem will be my absolute favourite and I have now decided to just do one in gold so the autumn totem will be made from the same bronze spandex as the Coracle. 

I quilted hundreds of quarter-inch lines onto the linen quilts that will become the background totems for the leather skins. Then I will need to quilt 9 circular tops before worrying about attaching them onto each totem with piped bindings. I still have not decided what will happen at the bottom of each one. Working on 9 pieces instead of last year’s 3 seems more stressful. I certainly won’t be hand sewing them shut like the last lot… (famous last words!)