The Little Picnic Blanket That Could

This is the story of the little picnic blanket that could. It was started more than a year ago. Well and truly more than a year ago. The fabric selection was quick and completely from the stash. The piecing was random and happened quickly.

When I started machine quilting the back and front together - didn't bother with a batting layer as I didn't want any bulk - I realised I had a wonky piece of fabric for the back. Oh well. I just added some "feature" pieces to the edges using the same fabric and you know I'm a little bit in love with the mistake made good.



Then came time to do the binding. I decided I would not cut corners - as I usually do with such things - and so a proper approach was decided upon. You know, sew on one side of the binding then handsew the other side on.

I should have known better. Took me no time to machine sew the first side on. You know where this is going right. But it didn't matter that it took me over a year to finish hand sewing the binding on. We used the blanket anyway. People didn't seem to notice the binding flapping in the breeze.

And finally a couple of weeks ago I finished sewing the binding on. And now spring has sprung the blanket is getting a real work out.

Just so you know I have no issues with shortcutting on binding now.

Blockhead

matchy matchy, originally uploaded by SadieandLance.

In need of some external arse kicking to get me crafting again I decided to sign up for the Chaletgirl Block Swap. And as suspected it well and truly kicked my arse into gear (eventually).

I was on a self imposed crafting ban until I found a place for all my craft materials and miscellaneous junk/paper work/ hundreds of metres of assorted useless cables (thanking Mr Sadieandlance for that one). So when I saw that the other blockheads were putting me to shame I swept up the crap and found a spare drawer to shove all those miscellaneous cables.

I raided the scrap box and off I went.

And my scrap box is pretty on the inside and outside so it's extra-enjoyable to go scrap fishing. But my pretty scrap box isn't the only reason I'm enjoying being back at the machine for, you see, I have a brilliant new sewing desk, but that deserves a post all of it's own (but I should say thank you here to Grandma!)

In case you're interested here's the fabric I sent off to be distributed to the other blockheads.

Can't wait to see what comes back my way - after each participant teams it with their fabric of choice.

Whoops

Whoops I lost the phone cable for uploading photos and on top of that I couldn't be arsed charging the camera batteries. Both photo outputting sources not outputting.

So here's a couple of the craft-related happenings that occurred during the time lost since I lost the cable/battery charging motivation.


Mr S+L, the knitting and I went for an outing to the tattoo shop. We stalked Sydney's best Sailor Jerry tattooist for weeks to work out when we could get in to see him. Don't freak, that one you see in the flash book above is not the one purchased. Oh and this time round it was his turn, not mine.

There was more first bday party action. The quilt top magically turned into an actual, real, no-fooling quilt (with the aid of a very late night, several beers and some last minute stitching while burning down the highway). Due to the stitching while burning down the highway, finished product photo opportunities were limited. So some evidence of the quilting (by machine) and the binding (my first ever proper binding, cause I've been a cheater till now):


The backing fabric (love this), oh and my hips (oolala) and the morning coffee


And a bit of the hand stitching to cover that fark up I was talking about (3 solid pieces all sewn up next to each other, despite endless testing of layouts on the floor)


OK, now I promise to be less half arsed about charging the batteries etc for a while at least.

PS I'm in a glam rock band!

Random

The Smurf turns one on Saturday. I feel the cliche is warranted here - boy the time flies when you have a baby. Can't remember who said it to me, Di maybe, but especially in the early days the days are so slow but the weeks so so fast.


I just joined FBI. When we moved, leaving RRR behind was one of my (many) great sadnesses. However, I'm loving FBI and way way more than I did before we moved to Melbourne. I never got round to showing RRR my love by subscribing, so I'm pleased to have shown my love to FBI today. (I do still stream some of my fav RRR shows tho, thank you internets!)

The Smurf has a cold. A miserable, snotty, whingey, whiney cold. He refuses to eat and will only drink breastmilk, fresh squeezed orange juice and drink water from the 600ml pump bottle. Great. I managed to sneak a cheese roll on him this morning after seeing the Dr though and he obliged, much to the delight of everyone in Coles as there was much exclaiming of 'you're really enjoying that aren't you' as old ladies and geezers peered into the stroller at him.

I also resorted to using a hot chip as a spoon to sneak some pumpkin dhal into the Smurf at lunchtime. He fell for it, for the littlest while.

I've finished another first birthday quilt top. Can you spot the fark up?
Can someone please clean the bathroom? Please? I really don't want to do it. I hate cleaning the bathroom. Worst chore ever.

I'm really inexperienced at roasting chicken. There are 2 sitting in the kitchen awaiting my return after I post this.

I'm really pleased with myself for submitting to Mixtape Zine. My first ever craft related submission anywhere. Holy crap I love this zine.

My to-do list is scaring me this week. It's not the number of things it's the ridiculous details I've gone into...is it a little OTT to have a running list for a 1 year olds bday party? I think the inner-career woman in me is telling me to get back to the working world.

I'm very pleased to be the third ever Curly Pops customer. I'm shitty at my Mothers Group though - no one noticed my sweet new badge when I wore it there last week! In their defense overall they don't seem to be the craft appreciating types. My Melbourne Mum's Group on the other hand, now there's a Mum's Group.

It's really hard to take a photo of your new Curly Pops badge/brooch while wearing it.

I can't wait for Chutney Club! If you'd like to join I'll leave it open for another couple of days.
How can you say no to a couple of jars of homemade chutney/relish?

Organising your buttons is fun!


Some people are amazingly generous and will happily pay to send you half a kilo of fabric they picked up for a steal. It's for The Toy Society.


This time last year (in about 17 hours or so) my waters broke prematurely at 35 and a bit weeks. Predictably I didn't see it coming. I think it's time to write the birth story?

Edited to add: Has anyone been watching Breaking Bad? Americans you're probably episodes ahead of us, here we're just on Ep 2. It's pretty confronting but wow it is so good.

The yellow quilt is off the stash!

Yes, yipee, finally the yellow quilt is properly finished and gifted to a little Popstar. At the last minute I remembered to take photos, sorry the lighting was crap so lets pretend it's art blurr, okay?






I did decide as I bundled and wrapped the little quilt up that I would like to stitch in a blue border around the edge of it like I did with Jake's. But too late, not enough minutes before gifting time so it was gifted as-is.

Oh and PS I totally forgot to mention I met this rockin' lady while in the nation's capital. I experienced that weird "I only just met you in person but feel like we're life long friends" thing again. Well we have been blog friends for a long time. Oh and I got to squeeze her cute little paddy cake (scroll down) too! Wee hee.

PPS I can assure you the Smurf's legs are not hairy...yet.

I'm finished

Yep that's right, me finished something! All from start to finish, all me.


Granted I cut some corners, like not binding it:


But I hand stitched it and I'm satisfied with that.


I had my usual AADC issues and also my usual moments of 'this handcrafted gift is a piece o' shit, I better just put it back in the old to do pile where I can forget about it for a few years'. But lucky I've got a personal cheer squad who reminds me that it's 'not as bad as I think and just bloody well get on with it OK'.

And then I wrapped it and off we went to the partay where I placed it amongst the birthday booty

and when it was opened there were squeaks of delight (from Mum and other party guests - bday boy was busy getting happy with the envelopes). It was declared that I should have another kid cause I've got too much time on my hands if I can manage to make something like that. Har, I didn't tell them about all my corner cutting nor that I was up till after 1am that morning finishing off the hand stitching. But whatever I felt smug.