All things hand sewn. Why don’t you pop over and check out what else has been made. Or maybe even join in. If you miss this week, I think this is going to be a weekly event, so why not join in next time.

Regular visitors to my blog know that I prefer to sew by hand. Anything you find posted here, was probably done by hand. Even if is really should’ve been done by machine. I do own a sewing machine, but sitting down to it feels too much like work, so I’d rather get comfortable on the sofa with needle and thread.

There’s been more knitting than sewing happening here lately, but I did start a new sewing project on Sunday. I was hoping to have it finished by now but several things have gotten in the way. Including going to see Avengers. So for now here’s a preview.

Hopefully, if you come back on Sunday, you’ll see the finished item.

But in April I picked up and finished 3 knitting WIPs and frogged one as I just wasn’t happy with the yarn match. I had my Spring shawl to start the border on, but haven’t yet bought a longer circular needle that I need to continue. And I wasn’t wanting to wait until I’d blocked the pieces of the jacket, coat and cardi I have in pieces waiting to sew up.

Wanting to have a knitting project on the go, yet unable to work on the WIPs I had left, I thought it was the perfect time to start Hourglass. I had the yarn, the pattern, the needles. I didn’t need to spend a thing, except time winding the first skein into a ball. So I did. And I’ve since wound more skeins. Soon I’ll start knitting with the 4th (from 6), so I’m definitely past the half way mark

I only have two quilts in progress so it’s a lot easier for me to stay organised than your average quilter. Helped by me having a couple of boxes to keep each WIP in…

Moonglow in a box

FWQ in a box

I have the fabric, cut pieces, finished blocks, pattern/book, thread and needles, scissors etc, all kept in each box. Well, usually. Some of those items were raided from my boxes yesterday to make a cushion for Macros. They are now scattered across the couch. Told you I was organised, I know where everything is

And the best thing about a quilt in a box? You can have it sitting in the middle of the living room and tell yourself it’s ok cause it’s all packed away tidy

First is my Oktober Zest scarf. There are to be matching mitts and hat butbI don’t have the right size needles yet. I’d had the scarf about halfway done but hadn’t picked it up for a while. So it was the first item to be finished off.

It’s made from 50/50 wool/silk that I got for half price since it’s been discontinued. This next pic shows the colour so much better. I love this dark, midnight blue.

Finishing the scarf freed up a cable I could use to hold the stitches on my Spring shawl so I could pinch the needles for the body of my Squall shawl.

I couldn’t get a good pic of the colour. It’s a deep dark teal. The perfect colour to represent a squall at sea. Macros came out to enjoy the sun while I was trying to get a decent photo.

I didn’t get the photo I was after, but Macros enjoyed the sun.

I know I’ve been really quiet since I got back from NZ the last time. I’ve been a little depressed for the last few weeks. So I’ve felt the need to withdraw into myself somewhat. And pamper myself. Which means ignoring everything I should be doing and spending most of the time I’m not at work, knitting or sewing. It has made for a productive month and a half though. In additiion to the 12 FWQ blocks I’ve shown you, I’ve also knitted a shawl, finished a scarf and knitted half a throw. I’m hoping to block the shawl and scarf this weekend, so pics soon.

But it’s time to stop letting my mood win and start getting other things done. I now have just three weeks left of work. There’s a lot to finish off in my current job between now and then. I also have a list of work I need to do for my new job before I start. And add in packing up my flat. Then moving day will be the 6th, with the new job set to start on the 11th. Busy, busy.

At least I have a new home to move to. After nine, yes nine!, refusals for renting with a cat, I finally got a landlord to say yes. It’s a small two bedroom terrace house on the outskirts of Saffron Walden, just 5min walk away from the shuttle bus stop to work and 15min away from the public bus stop to work. About 15-20 min away from the town centre and shopping district. A good friend kindly viewed the property for me so I could rent it, and will be helping out on moving day, meeting the cat and movers while I’m still on my way from Cardiff.

Macros has been at the vet twice this week, and will be going back on Mon. He had two claws on each fron paw imbedded in his paw pads. One really deeply leaving a badly infected foot. So the first visit was the painful one to take them out, the next for an antibiotic jab, back again on Mon for another jab and probably some antibiotic tablets. After that hopefully no more visits as that will take it up to £150!

So, I think that’s you all caught up. I’ll be back with pics in a day or two.

But for now those last 5 blocks I finished sewing last weekend…

And yes, I completely changed the layout of block 33, farmer’s puzzle. I know that historically the swastika was not an evil symbol, and used to appear in quilts all the time. But for the same reason that it disappeard from use in quilts after the Nazis comandeered the symbol, I don’t want it in mine. But I like the way I rearranged the pieces to get an acceptable block.

This puts me at 35 blocks, so just over 30% complete. If you only count the piecing and not sashing the blocks together or quilting the quilt. Which I’m not, so 30% done

I’ll now be taking a break from this. I should give Nicki a chance to pick hers up again. Plus I have to move house in 4 weeks. So I’ll probably stick to knitting for the rest of the month and pick this and moonglow up again in my new home.

Then life interrupted. Fast forward to the beginning of April and me suffering from a nasty case of jet lag. I was too tired to knit or sew, but needed to do something. So I cut out pieces for a nice little bundle of blocks, packing away the pieces into envelopes.

The Easter long weekend helped to clear my jet lag, and by the end of it I had started sewing again. Yes there were still some episodes of sewing the wrong seam and having to undo it, but a bit each day through to the end of the next weekend, and I had an extra 7 blocks done.

Putting me at the grand total of 30 blocks. Still a long way from the 111 total, but a nice little pile all the same. Sorry Nicki, I know we were doing these together and we’ve both had a largeish hiatus, but now I seem to have galloped ahead. I should probably go work on Moonglow until you pick yours up again. Well, maybe after I’ve finished emptying the envelopes of precut pieces

I’ve been home for 1.5 weeks now, but I’ve been battling with the worst case of jet lag I’ve ever had. Hardly surprising though given I flew around the world with just 2.5 days in Auckland. But I don’t think it’s just the jet lag that’s had me so exhausted. I’m sad and probably a little depressed, and I expect I will be for a while. So please forgive my infrequent posting or blog commenting for a while. But when I’m sad and tired I usually like to withdraw from the world a bit. Hopefully I’ll be back to my old self soon.

Granny died yesterday. Neither she nor I are religious. The only life after death that I believe in, is that which is passed on in the genes or the memories left behind. In that respect, Granny will live on a long long time. She is in all of my happiest memories of my childhood. She has also always been my role model. If I ever become half the person she was, I’ll be proud. She was the best person I know, will be remembered forever, and missed always.

Until a few months ago, we thought she’d be getting a letter from the Queen. These photos were taken when I was in NZ for her 90th, so you see what I mean. Instead, she died aged 92. She deteriorated quickly, which while sucking for us, I was grateful for because it meant she did not suffer long, and when the worst part came, it was over in a few days. I have to be grateful for that.

I’m also so very glad I was able to visit with her last month. Now, I’m flying back to NZ just one month later to attend her funeral. And to say goodbye.

She is the person I loved most in this world and her death leaves a very large hole. I hope she knew just how much she meant to me.

I love you Granny. May this blog post show the universe a little just how much.

This lot is at the end of my street, as it joins the main road.

And walking down the main road a little way you come across more.

Somehow there are several stages of daffodil in the fields, from shoot to bud to bloom. And while this is great because it lengthens the time they’re prettying up our roadsides, can you just imagine what they would all look like in bloom at once? Now that would be awesome.