Dual Purpose?

Last week I finished making a bag to carry my quilting equipment to and from class. I used it for the first time on Wednesday and it was great. I didn't have bit of rulers poking out all over the place and threatening to slide out of my hands. All the cutters were safely tucked into their little pockets. I was rather pleased with my efforts.

One of the complications of self-healing cutting mats is that they need to be stored flat--really flat--otherwise they take on the shape of whatever they've been stored against. Lumpy bumpy cutting mats are not a good thing, and I don't have many flat surfaces available in my sewing room, so they ended up (carefully) on the floor. That's where my dear dog came into the picture:

I've mentioned before that he likes to be near me as much as possible, but he also likes to be comfortable, and the floor in my sewing room has no suitable soft spots for a dog to snuggle into. So when he found this piece of padded fabric on the floor he decided to put it to use. What better use than as a spot for him to lie while I get on with my sewing tasks! I turned around to find him well settled. He was a bit less sure of himself by the time I'd picked up my camera, but he wasn't letting go of his comfortable spot. So my equipment carry bag was doubling as a dog mat--not quite what I intended, but I guess it's all a matter of priorities.

Have You Any Wool

My next consignment to CCCK--the wool shop in Northcote--is well and truly overdue. While I've been going crazy with quilt-making they have been selling a steady trickle of my handspun wool. I spoke with Andrea there yesterday to tidy up my teaching schedule. I'm going to have to fit in at least two more quilting courses this year! But I want to make sure I keep up my knitting and crochet classes too, so I had to do some clever juggling with my calendar. Anyway, Andrea said they could really do with more of my yarn, which is a nice problem to have. So I sat at my spinning wheel a while longer than usual yesterday, and this morning I have this to show: Two bobbins of multi-marle merino in sea-spray colours. I have to do some quilting today, but I'll intersperse it with plying up this wool--both activities can be hard on my muscles if I do them continuously, so hopefully if I alternate the two I'll be ok. There are already a few skeins in the CCCK box, so this will give me a couple more. Then all I have to do is get my paperwork organised. The final quilting class in this course is tomorrow night, so I should be right.

Un-finished Object

What is it about quilters and their UFO's ? I pulled this one out of its bag yesterday to show my beginner quilting students. It hasn't had a stitch added for at least six months, so that makes it "officially" a UFO: But I have hopes--aspirations even--of changing its status. All it needs is a row of eucalypt leaves quilted around the last border and I can bind it. Then it will be finished!. I started it, maybe 7 years ago. There are lots of things I would do differently if I were starting it now, but I still like it enough to finish it. So for now it's not going back into its bag. It can just hang around and call me for a while. Hopefully that will spur me on to do that last bit.

Shopping Trip

I just got the go ahead for my Patchwork by Machine class at the local Neighbourhood House. Seven students have signed up and there are a couple still making up their minds. This is a first for our Neighbourhood House. We've had a "do your own thing" Quilters' Circle for several years now, but no beginner classes.

My aim in planning this class was to make it really easy for new people to get started, so they can enjoy the craft and potentially join a group. So I designed a simple 9-patch lap quilt which has been on display. I'm also going to be providing a class set of equipment so students don't have to spend a lot of money up front before they even get a chance to make anything.

Which brings me to my shopping trip! I need to buy a couple of cutting sets: rulers, mats and cutters. I'm about to open an account at a habedashery warehouse. That's a new thing for me. I've made a list so I won't be tempted to buy the place out on my first visit. At least, I will be tempted to buy the place out, but I'll have the list to restrain me.

This is the sort of thing I'm after:
It just so happens that one of my favourite discount fabric stores is in the same suburb as the warehouse--and in the last few years they've taken to buying in silk fabrics as well as the more usual variety of dress fabrics and quilting cottons. I'm planning to visit, but I will be selective. There, you have it in writing, "I will be restrained in my shopping".