[Monday] Night Plan

Not much can prevent me from missing a blog entry, especially one I love as much as the Sunday Plan. I like having my week sorted, my projects laid out and ordered well, my goals sharpened for the days ahead. It suits me wonderfully to check in on Wednesday and adjust accordingly. And it tickles me pink to see those tasks get crossed off, one by one.

This did not happen this weekend. Let me explain.

I had the busiest Friday I've had in a long time. First I went to Mothers' Group, then had tea with Jen, ate a toasty at my favorite café, then snuck in some delicious chocolate with my darling husband. After that I traipsed to FYA Book Club, with our final stop at the Night Noodle Markets to grab pork buns before heading home. All in a (twelve-hour) day's work, right? We did good, the kid and I.

My plan for Saturday morning was to have brunch with a few friends, then come home and sew my sister's quilt top. My plan for Saturday morning was NOT to wake up at five-thirty completely and disgustingly ill. I turned to Mr Poppleton and said, "I don't feel so good."

I'm going to use one of those words my mom hates, and I'm going to say it straight out: food poisoning SUCKS. (Sorry, Mom.) It was short, but awful. I attributed it to those darn pork buns and on Sunday we cautiously went about our business. All seemed well. I was quite worried that Piper would get sick but by the end of Sunday I was up and about, organising and cleaning, and even ate some food.

Around 10pm (the time I usually begin my Sunday Planning), Mr Poppleton got a funny look on his face and said, "I don't feel so good." And lo, he did not feel so good either. Argh. Pork buns, we've learned our lesson. No more street food.

Anyway, I'm sorry. I promise I wasn't slacking. I was genuinely gross. And as of right now, I'm getting stuff accomplished. WOOT, right? WOOT. Silver lining, etc etc. So, here is my adjusted Monday night plan for this week.

Sewing:

x J3's quilt top. NO I'M SERIOUS. STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT. I'M DOING IT I SWEAR.
x Christmas present lists finalized!
x HALLOWEEN COSTUMES. For serious.
x 2 more hex blocks, 4 more Elwood Rose blocks
x Some hand-quilting on J5's finished (!) quilt top

Writing:

x Any. Some. Geez.
x NaNoWriMo planning

Home:

x I'm reasonably sure my kitchen hasn't been properly mopped since I was, er, pregnant. Making that a priority this week!

So that's it for this week. I'm hoping to get a few more things done by the weekend, but for now I'll leave you with the image of my littlest sister's quilt top, which is finished and, since this photo was taken, the back pieced and battinged and pin-basted. Ta-da! Accomplishments!

Fabric Friday #4

This is just a quicksy post before I go to sleep. It has been a HUGE day and I am sleeeeeepy!

The online purchased-fabric supply is dwindling, that's for sure...but I'm still going strong! I was very encouraged by the gorgeous Sophie fat quarter set that arrived in the mail this week from QuiltTaffy.

Isn't that just beautiful? I've never gone with a fat quarter set of a range before but tell you what? With this range, it was worth every penny.

Since I did break down and buy interfacing (as I intend to make another Go Anywhere Bag soon!), I also picked up some heavy-duty Pellon to make a laptop sleeve to match my awesome bag! I love how stiff and white the Pellon is. I'm going to read up on how to use it before I dive in.

And I bought some more hand-sewing needles. I love Clover products! Just the BEST.

Some cream thread and a spool of vibrant red; piping cord rounds it out.

And last but not least, what arrived in my mailbox but these beautiful quilt labels? They are perfect for stitching onto quilts. I got them from Mommie Made It on Etsy and I can highly recommend their work.

So, true to form, not a lot of NEW fabric, but some new things to encourage sewing up my stash. I'm headed to bed, though, so the stitching will have to begin tomorrow! Adios, amigos.

Complete: Go Anywhere Bag!

Finished! I just had to show it off a little. I'm so proud. I'll try to remember to get a photo tomorrow, in the sunlight. This was taken right after I finished it, at, uh, 330am the other night. Anyway, the Go Anywhere Bag by Anna at Noodlehead!

The front:

Detail of the piping around the pockets:

The back:

The awesome hot pink lining:

I took it out and it cutely carried three nappies, a change mat, a change of baby clothes and a milk cloth all while looking cute and sassy, not bulky or obviously "mummish". I'm so pleased with it. It's safe to say this is an AWESOME bag!

WIP Wednesday #1

Well, it's time for me to join in with the other gorgeous WIP Wednesday quilters. I've been lurking for two months and that is long enough!

So yes. Here goes nothing! (Except the cold, sad realization that I no longer sew as much as I used to...for the best reason ever!)

New projects:

Well, I'm not saying I started a new-new project, but I did start the Go Anywhere Bag. I'm using a sturdy Kokka linen-cotton but I whipped out my heavy-duty interfacing just in case. (I ironed it to the lining, aren't I clever?) I love the pink and brown against the tan, and I dug out some white piping for the pocket detail! We'll see how it goes.

I've also began a few new blocks, notably a Curved Dresden Plate. Using scraps was fun and I liked how quickly it zipped together. Too bad I have no idea how to do needle-turn appliqué...YET!

Ongoing projects:

My Curved Hexagon blocks are going very slowly, but I still manage to get one done a day if I focus! Here is one of my favorites so far:

And late the other night, while watching Leon: The Professional (excellent movie, not for the faint of heart) I made one of my hex blocks into a clock! I hadn't realized how much I missed hand-quilting until I made this little clock face.

Finished projects:

I organised my hall closet! Due to a misguided excess of manchester, the extra storage in my house has slowly become a disaster. When I realized I had eight mismatched sheet sets (cast-offs I couldn't say no to, basically), I realized I had a problem. After a planning session and a major cull, we went to Ikea on Friday and by Sunday, the closets were tidy and my thorny OCD was soothed. I am a great problem solver, especially when it comes to a) being really cheap and b) assembling Ikea furniture. Oh yeah. Life skills.

Before & after!

No progress:

J3's quilt, J5's quilt, anything that requires machine sewing! Argh. I did dust off the old machine for about ten seconds of sewing the other day, but nothing substantial. Beyond frustrating!

I won't do a tally this week because, well, let's be honest, it's just dismal. But I will mention that in between feeding the baby the thirteenth and fourteenth times, I updated my NaNoWriMo novel page and finalized my novel idea. I'm stoked! Bring it on, 1 November!

Until next time!

sunday night plan #4

I am embarrassed to admit that I got bugger all done this week. It was just one of those weeks where I did a lot of reading, but not a lot of sewing or writing. I did some, but some isn't very much! I am very well-caught up on the friends and family side, but my own personal project list was shamefully neglected.

I had a crisis of storage this week, so on Friday night Mr Poppleton and I strapped our struggling, shrieking child into the car and headed to Ikea. We picked up a few Antonius storage units on the recommendation of my friend K (you can find her incredible craft blog here). Finally, I have a place for all my sheets and pillows! My hall cupboard is now tidy and pretty and oh, I'm so pleased. I bought a small storage unit for under my sewing desk, and I've stowed my patterns and haby away. My fabric is mostly tidy, my desk is cleared, and I feel like I can breathe.

So for this week's plan, I'm scaling way back. Way way back. Achievable, even. (I hope.) Here goes!

Sewing projects:

x J3's quilt top. Seriously. For reals.
x 3 hex blocks

Writing projects:

x 2000 words this week
x Map the story

Home projects:

x living room side table
x DVD project

Now, fingers crossed that this little one lets me get some work done this week!

Until next time!

Fabric Friday #3

I know, it's Sunday, but I promised a Fabric Friday and I intend to deliver! Even if I am a couple days late. (Oops.)

Firstly, I want to tell everyone that despite tempation I am still going strong with No-Buy October! I haven't purchased a single centimeter of fabric. I almost accidentally bought some on Etsy, though. I convo'd someone and hmmm'd and had my finger on the "buy" button before--WAIT! It's NO-BUY OCTOBER! Whew. Disaster averted. Sorry, Hunky Dory yardage. You can wait until 1 November.

Secondly, perhaps my willpower isn't that great. I bought three new templates and a book on foundation-piecing. But since the point of No-Buy October is to work with my existing stash, I call templates and foundation piecing books a step in the right direction. Especially since I picked up the Scrap-Therapy book and have decided that every time I have a largeish scrap, I'm apple-coring it to add to a larger, ongoing project: a Scrapple Core Quilt. (See what I did there? Ahh. Puns. Best.)

Thirdly, I did get some fabric in the mail this week, hooray! My half-yard Across the Pond set arrived on Thursday and two gorgeous yards of complementary brown-stripe Lecien My Folklore arrived Tuesday. I was a very happy camper. Check out this Lecien; it's the same colorway as my very favorite fabric ever.

I'm kind of freaking out. I want to frame it! Anything I sew with it won't be good enough! I love it so much! Exclamation marks!!

But I love Across the Pond, too. Especially the cranes. Oh, how I love birds.

It's so blue and orange. I can't wait to cut into it. I am thinking a kaleidoscope quilt.

Of course, when my best helper watched me tear into those pretty parcels, her eyes got huge. I know just what she was thinking.

"You bought EVEN MORE fabric?"

I love that face. Check out her mad sitting-up-in-the-Bumbo skills, too! Her little neck is so super-strong, people stop to stare. I try to explain I'm not a bad mother and I'm not letting her head loll everywhere, she actually LIKES to be craned backwards like a gymnast. If I try to snuggle her head close, she shrieks and does this little cough-cry-hiccup thing. Which is way worse than My Baby, The Human Rainbow. So we love the Bumbo. Crane away, kid! I'll just be sewing with my pretty new fabric.

Next week I should be getting the last of my mail-ordered fabric (a Sophie fat quarter set) and then the real drought begins. I'm just hoping for time to sew this upcoming week! It's been a hectic weekend and I'm only just now sitting down enjoying some free time. Time to get out my handwork and sew another hex square... seven down, 166 to go... yikes!

shower time

Yesterday my good friends Rach and Lucie threw a baby shower for myself and Piper. I got the idea of waiting until the baby was born from my mom, who always had her baby showers after the birth! It's nice because you know what colors to buy and everyone gets to cuddle the baby.

Lucie is Piper's godmother, and she takes her responsibilities in that area very seriously!

Rachie's partner Ben was on hand before the party started, making us sandwiches, helping move furniture, and...charming Piper's socks off! Look at her flirting with him.

The food was amazing, and there was so much of it!

The spread was gorgeous. I was so grateful that Rachie's mum Kathy let us use her beautiful house while she is away in South America visiting my brother-in-law and his wife! (PS That is how I know Rachie. She's my sister-in-law's sister.)

My favorite touch was the bunting - Puffin postcards from a box I impulse-bought over a year ago!

It was beautiful, and it was amazing to catch up with all my uni friends. Piper made a new friend too!

Mr Floyd Stripes, Esq. Mr Stripes fascinated her. He has already found pride of place at home on the coffee table, ready at a moment's notice.

It really was a beautiful day. Thank you so much Rach and Lucie for organizing it, and to everyone who turned up!

to tide you over

I will update later with the fabric I found in my mailbox (purchased before No-Buy October, I swear!) but for now, please accept my deepest apologies. We spent the evening going to Ikea and cleaning the house. I am hoping to unveil some sort of amazingly organized house tomorrow afternoon, but before that I have a baby shower to attend, friends with which to catch up, and brownies to eat (courtesy of the gorgeous Rachie). I'm really looking forward to seeing my mates, some of whom I haven't seen since before I was pregnant!

So for now, let me leave you with this. It's beautiful. It makes me happy.

sunday night plan #3

Well, with the beginning of No-Buy October, I've been working on my existing stash, and it's been great. I've been working on my hex blocks yesterday and today, and making rosettes for J5's quilt top. My recently purchased 18mm rotary blade is absolutely great for the small curves of my templates.

And yesterday I went to a local meeting of some like-minded gals, the Southern Cross Quilters in our area! I had a great time, even though my slightly cranky daughter plus holiday weekend traffic made me very, very late. Sel dragged me along by repeat recommendation and I will definitely be going back!

Yesterday Mr Poppleton and I had a discussion about the limits of No-Buy October. I already have a provision for my Halloween costume fabric, but does that include batting? I have decided to make pieced backing from my existing stash for my larger quilt tops but I currently only have one queen-sized batting piece. The idea behind No-Buy October is that instead of buying lots more fabric, I would sew up what I have and finish lots of projects. The problem, however, is this: on the first of November, NaNoWriMo starts. I plan to throw myself headfirst into the writing process, putting my sewing aside! So we added a second No-Buy October caveat: we will reevaluate on the 15th. If I have finished quilt tops, I can buy batting for them. (Still no fabric. Look at me, I am being SUPER STRONG WILLED.)

So! Anyway! Projects!

Quilting projects:

x J3's quilt top pieced
x J5's quilt top borders, yo-yos finished
x 6 more hex blocks
x sugar pop disappearing 9-patch cot quilt

Writing projects:

x map out A Glass Heart
x begin planning out NaNoWriMo project

Sewing & craft projects:

x hair clip bows & rosettes
x cut out & begin making everyday dress

Home projects:

x rearrage the study and make it Mr Poppleton's room (yay for being the best wife EVER!)

So there you have it. It's a rather ambitious week, and I do have a lot on, but I'm looking forward to tackling it with my usual aplomb! I'll leave you with a sweet little photo of me and the baby. This was today, after getting hot chocolate, just before visiting the Parents.

Fabric Friday #2

The month of September is nearly gone. I can't believe how quickly the time goes. Wasn't I just pregnant? And now I have a gorgeous two-month-old baby...how did that happen?

In a few short hours it will be October and October comes with a (very difficult) new rule. October is going to be "hunker down and sew with what you have". October means I am allowed to buy only ONE lot of fabric and that is for my Dorothy Halloween costume. (I was supposed to get it today but I plumb ran out of time.) I can buy thread if I run out, which isn't likely, but that's it. Not even wadding! I must make do with what I have.

Now this isn't entirely hellish; I have fabric from online purchases still coming in the post, so it won't be an entirely "dry" month, but it will be nice to concentrate on sewing with what I have. I'm taking a deep breath and trying not to think about a whole month without the company of the ladies at the quilt shops. At least I still have Sel!

Anyway, on to the fun part, Fabric Friday (or, as it is this week, My Tax Return, Part Deux)! I have been collecting more basics and more sale fabrics. On Tuesday I had a doctor's appointment, and Mr Poppleton took the day off in case I needed help at home, but I felt fine, so together we went adventuring and discovered the lovely Craft Depot. This store has really great backing fabric for larger quilts, in a huge range of colors and styles, and it's SUPER inexpensive. And that's just what they keep propped outside the front door! Inside there are hundreds upon hundreds of bolts of various fabric. Lots of Moda and Michael Miller, and a fair few ranges that are hard to find these days. I swooned. And then I bought fabric.

Wednesday I went to the Remnant Warehouse, yesterday I went to Cottage Quiltworks, and today I went back to Craft Depot for some petal fabric from Sophie by Chez Moi for Moda. And this morning, before I left the house, I heard a "knock knock" on my front door...and Ramona Flowers had brought my Amazon purchases! I have two SHINY new books: The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt, and Cut the Scraps!

So I've got PLENTY to keep me busy. I shouldn't miss fabric shopping this upcoming month at all!

Tonight I'd like to sew a significant chunk of J5's quilt top before I head to bed. Luckily the little one is taking a much-needed nap. She has been napping lots better since we bought our Hug-a-bub baby carrier, and sleeping well at night too. I think she was just overtired and way too lonely by herself during the day, so she wouldn't sleep well. It will be nice to get some sewing done in daylight hours!

Time to get to my littlest sister's quilt top... she has been having a difficult time adjusting in her new school so I want to send her some extra love as soon as possible. Until next time!