Time & Tide Wait for No Man...

...well except in Morocco that is.

There have been Alice Through the Looking Glass moments round here lately, like when last night we found out that the government had earlier in the day decided not to put the clocks back this morning but extend summertime to October 27 giving everyone less than 24 hours notice. I can only begin to imagine the chaos this must have caused airlines and passengers, people with meetings, appointments etc., Only in Morocco!

I don't know if I shared my news that I am shortly to return to gainful employment as a p/t English language teacher at the American language center here. It's only a few hours a week but it will get me out the house and stop me turning in to a desperate housewife. The last few days have consisted of meetings, observations and orientation and well a little bit of sewing too.

Anyway, I started something new...fashionably late to the Tula Pink City Sampler!

On Friday I made my first Tula Pink City Sampler block using my charms from the recent swap...this is my favourite block. I love it so much.

These blocks are the perfect size and can be made easily from charms as the blocks only come out at 6.5" unfinished.  They have proved addictive as today I made another 8 of the cross blocks. I used the charms as well as some old Parisville scraps and some solids (Kona and Oakshott). I deliberately tried to use different colours from those in the book as I want this to be my quilt and there was poetic licence with fabric placement as occasionally I didn't always have enough of one fabric.

Here's Block 2

Block 3

Block 4

Block 5 *edited to add* Oops, just noticed a problem with this one. I thought it didn't look very crosslike!

Block 6

Block 7

Block 8

and Block 9

Here's a clearer group shot.

I've no idea how long my charms and scraps will last out so I may have to see what I can find online but I can't wait to make more progress with this one!

Hope you have had a great Sunday!

Annabella

Show & Tell Summer Edition

Well thank you for the lovely welcome back and for patiently sitting through the somewhat long slide show of holiday photos.

So while we were in England, it wasn't all beaches, playgrounds and museums.  There were some stitchy related things too.

August was my turn as queen bee in the Sew Euro Bee An bee. Despite the fact I had had over a year to decide on my block I prevaricated and then some.  In the end I went old school and asked for churn dash blocks; I sent my bee mates some of Jenean Morrison's Beechwood Park and bits of my low volume layer cake from Rebecca's amazing swap. 

This is where I'm at at the moment. The colours remind me of Opal Fruits or Starbursts if you like, and while I'm sure I will love it in the end - the colours are just a bit different for me. Here are my blocks together with those received from Pippa, Celine and Di - thank you!

Beechwood Park Churn Dash blocks

On the hand sewing front, I finally finished the main panel of my Hexy MF EPP top, almost exactly a year after starting it.  Here it is lazing on my mum's garden bench. Now I just need to build up the courage to applique it to the background fabric.

I also finished a very overdue EPP block for Marguerite. While it was ridiculously fiddly it was actually quite enjoyable in the end.

What about fabric? There were some modest(ish) additions to the stash.

I picked up some forgotten half yards I had ordered from Cindy when she was having a sale many moons ago.  I did of course pay for them but as it was in another season it doesn't count right?

I also collected these gorgeous Oakshott FQs which I bought from Fiona when she was having an IG de-stash (again a while back so they don't count *ahem*) 

and these beautiful charms...

which I'm thinking could work very nicely with my amazing Tula Pink charms below from a recent swap.  I have to give a very belated and huge shout out to lovely Jennifer who took up another place on the swap so that I could join in. It was a U.S based only swap - Jenn cut my fabric for me and then posted the charms on to me in England. Thank you my friend!

The bargain find of our visit was this beautiful Liberty fabric, which I picked up in Greenwich market. I paid a tenner for 6 yards which was just silly really. The colours will work so well here...once I decide what to do with it.

If you are based in the UK and are not a member of Annie's CAB then you should be. In return for giving your view on beautiful upcoming fabric ranges, Annie enters you in to a monthly draw. My name was drawn in July and I spent my winnings on the texty fabrics I used in these paper pieced bee blocks for Katy.

At the end of July I received a token from Annie for my August birthday and I bought some of AMH's amazing Hand Drawn Garden as well as a couple of other bits and pieces.

Lastly, there was the obligatory purchase of some new quilting books. I was eventually seduced in to buying the 100 Modern Quilt Blocks after seeing all these amazing blocks popping up everywhere, and the book at the back has been on my amazon wishlist forever...I bought it secondhand from Amazon for about a fiver including shipping from the States - for that I can forgive a few bent corners. It's a great book on improv. and very inspiring!

Lastly, separated from my stash and a bad case of itchy fingers, I decided to knit! Now knitting and I do not get on. In fact the brand of knitting needles I'm using would best describe my knitting efforts to date. Still, undeterred I bought some gorgeous Rowan Lima yarn and have nearly finished knitting a cowl. This photo doesn't do the colour justice but it's really pretty. it measures from the floor to my chest and so it's quite long.

...and there endeth this long and really quite colourful post.  Now to just shake off a horrible head cold and make a start on my ever-growing to-do list!

...and we're back!

Oh my goodness, that was a long break.  When I last blogged regularly it was early summer and now it's autumn.

I've hardly sewed, hardly blogged and haven't commented for nearly 3 months.  We spent August at my mum's in England and had an amazing time - the weather was kind for once (the warmest summer for 7 years). While I normally try not to do too much on the computer when we visit, my laptop died anyway and I only got a new one today.  Hopefully, normal service can now resume.

So what did we get up to while we were away? Well here's a whistlestop tour.

There were days at the beach - sunny and rainy.

We had a couple of days in Cornwall visiting Port Isaac, Polzeath, Padstow and Boscastle

We spent the bank holiday weekend in London during which time we queued...and queued and...well queued!

There were visits to the natural history museum, the maritime museum where Zaki indulged his inner pirate and the rare breeds country park.

...and well England was just really pretty...and green.

We're now back...and it's signifcantly cooler than when we left so here's hoping I can get some sewing done soon. I admit to feeling a little overwhelmed and not knowing really where to begin, let alone where everything is!

Still it feels good to be back...let's hope it's for keeps this time!

Granny's Flower Garden

It's almost 2 weeks since we arrived in England and the cooler temperatures have had a much needed and positive impact on productivity.

Today I finished up the main panel of my Hexy MF quilt, which I started almost exactly 1 year ago and I couldn't be happier. It started with lovely Jenelle's aqua, orange and grey charm swap fabrics and was then supplemented by kind donations from bloggy friends around the globe for which I am so grateful!

Before we left Marrakech, I threw the flower strips in to the suitcase half thinking that they would return in the same state but over the last couple of weeks, I sewed them together and here is granny's flower garden...in granny's flower garden! Now for the fun part - appliqueing the panel on to the background fabric and making some flowers and stems for the quilt border but that won't be until we are back home next month.

Yesterday, I caught up with some very late bee blocks. Back in June *gulp*, Katy asked for a paper-pieced feather block and a flying geese block using bright fabrics and colourless low volume fabrics. Back then I was ensconced on my course and then it got hot...very hot and well I pleaded for clemency and it was granted.  Now this is only my second attempt at paper-piecing and while I'm not saying my trusty friend, the seam ripper didn't make an appearance (or two) I'm fairly happy with them.

And well, while we've been here, there have been days out, sunshine and showers...ice creams, beaches, Saturday markets and playgrounds..oh and a little shopping of course.

Tomorrow we're off to Cornwall for a couple of days...cream teas?? Who mentioned cream teas?

3 Sleeps...

....left and then we're out of this there hot house and somewhere a little more comfortable.

As Julys in Marrakech go, this month has been 'exceptionnelle' with temperatures hovering comfortably around the mid thirties most of the time but the Sahara Chergui wind is on its way and over the next few days, temps will will hit the mid forties (around 115°F).

So to say the least, very little sewing has been done round here. However, Zaki and I are off to my mum's and she has been sewing and has just finished her first quilt!

No, no...not this...this isn't a quilt, silly!

My mum loves to paint but it has been a while since she has done so as a couple of years ago she rediscovered sewing.  Growing up, I remember her making clothes - they were run up in an afternoon and you never inspected the inside, she screen painted silk and made lampshades, did needlepoint, knitted and embroidered.

She is good at whatever she turns her hand to and is incredibly creative. Recently, she has been doing these fusions of cross stitch needlepoint and appliqued fabric The amazing Dodo up there (I love that bit of Amy Butler Lark fabric in the centre) and these are her waterlilies inspired by The Majorelle Gardens here in Marrakech.

But a few *ahem* months ago (think the gestational period of a dolphin), she decided to make a quilt and this week, after much badgering motivation from across the seas, she finally finished it!

She used a pattern from Jane Brocket's The Gentle Art of Quilt Making and I think she has done an amazing job. Look at the lovely wrinkly texture the quilting gives it...

...she hand stitched the vertical lines and FMQd in the focus fabric - go her!

Why then is she saying this will be her last quilt? Despite having reserved a couple of very clever stitchy blog names, she hasn't ever blogged - pleading time and technology constraints yada yada yada which I think is just downright selfish ;) So if you like what you see, leave a suitably motivational comment (she'll be reading alright) and perhaps she might make another! And anyway, she can share her other stitchy creations  :)

I shall try and share with you before I leave what little stitching I have done...unless that Chergui gets me first!

FAL 3rd Quarter

Well I'm not sure why I'm putting me or you through this again after the second quarter was such a washout with none of the four quilts on the list anywhere near finished, we have hot weather gauranteed for the next couple of months and I'll be in England for August but hey, there's always September!

So here's my list for what I would like to finish over the next 3 months.

My beautiful Stitch Tease quilt! I think I might add a scrappy border to it but this is definitely high on the list and will be done!

My Godson's quilt, which has made some progress and I'm nearly done quilting it..I 'm not happy with it but if I procrastinate any more he'll be too long to lie under it. I would like to finish this so that I can take it back with me next month and finally hand it over...but with temperatures in the late 30's early 40s I'm not taking bets.

What else? Oooh, my giant Cameo star quilt...I have the backing so just need some batting and binding.

...and just to make the list extra fun, let's add in my orange aqua and grey hexie quilt...yes, a hand sewn project!

I think that's more than enough especially given I have bee blocks and other sewing commitments which are long overdue!

Wish me luck...with 7 hours to go, I'm linking up with Leanne at She Can Quilt.

Past, Present and Future

...and I'm back!

Wow, that was a blogging break...after 5 weeks of reading no blogs, writing no posts and no sewing and my unread posts toppling 1000, I think it's time to take stock.

My TEFL course is done - I lived and breathed it for a month, seven days a week. It was worth the 6 am starts, the 1am finishes and the working day of input sessions and teaching practice, the fleeting glimpses of family, the bad diet and occasional bad humor. I made new friends, learned a ridiculous amount, had fun, cried tears but I passed and can now teach English as a foreign language!

Anyway, I am so glad I had a break...the weirdest thing happened when half way through the course I could hardly recognize my quilts - I looked at them and I couldn't believe that I had made them. It was good to do something different...to meet new people, share new experiences and has made me love this adopted country again and appreciate the things I make. All good.

I know I have missed so much but have no hope of catching up so will press the Mark as Read button and move on. A couple of highlights which I have caught up on is the wonderful work done by Jude and her Bee Blessed ladies to finish the Siblings Together quilt top I made back in May. I asked for help to finish it here and Jude immediately put her hand up. I so want to meet Jude but I guess I shall have to wait a little longer. In the meantime, this is the completed quilt - thank you so so much. I love it! Jude will be taking it with her to the FQR this week before handing it over..

Siblings Together quilt top (photo courtesy of Jude)

Another highlight was Cindy and her partner receiving a secret quilt which a group of us made for them. Cindy and Brian had had a tough springto say the least and well it seemed a good idea to make them a quilt. A bunch of far flung friends across the globe made some blocks and sent them to Susan who beautifully coordinated the whole thing, including collating the blocks, piecing them, basting, quilting and embroidering the quilt before packing it off to Ireland. The quilt is appropriately called Circle of Friends after the book by the late Maeve Binchy.

Circle of Friends quilt courtesy of Susan

I'm sure there are loads of things I have missed but I can't wait to see what everyone gets up to in London next weekend at the Fat Quarterly Retreat.  I shall be watching from afar and sad that I won't be meeting everyone and joining in the fun...particularly my Stitch Tease buddies.  Next year?  Perhaps third year lucky?

Now I have to work on my FAL3 list before the linky closes tomorrow evening...seeing how atrociously I did in the last quarter I may just be cutting and pasting FAL2!