A short sewing story

I had a whole afternoon to myself today.

So naturally I decided to sew.

I felt brave, so I tried something new: a log cabin block, from this inspiring tutorial.

And another one:

Why are they a bit rectangular? 

Well - I had a plan. I was going to make a Kindle case, and modelled my blocks on the dimensions of the Kindle.

So far, so good.

But then it all got a bit complicated. My batting wasn't quite thick enough to defend the Kindle against knocks and drops, and I very much wanted to end the day with a completed project.

(Ok - I was impatient).

I used this tutorial to quilt each block separately, and decided to trim them both a bit and make a toddler-sized tote bag.

But then the overlocker got involved and began to misbehave.

My blocks were being trimmed into oblivion, and it was no longer fun. At all.

And then at last the solution came to me...

Wasn't I just saying I needed a pincushion?

And what better way to keep my favourite fabrics always on display?

Woohoo, fun again!

And finished in time for the school run.

KCWC, and Oliver+S meets the Doctor

It's already day 3 and I'm late to the party, but have been sewing away for the past few days, trying to conquer knits (or maybe my fear of knits - is there a word for that?) with the help of the O+S Hopscotch pattern.

I've just finished an Oliver+S jumprope dress, and thought I could predict its associations - surely it would be steeped in Charlie and Lola, as my sewing friend Lotta pointed out last week.

But no. I stitched it last week, immediately after watching the finale of this season's Dr Who, and it turns out to be a Who dress which makes me want to sob.

Luckily, this happy little music box dress makes me smile again...

And as for those Hopscotches, I'll be back with photos soon.