Re-inventing the wheel so to speak...

Well, after much thought and pondering I have decided that I am not happy with the way the hopscotch has ended up. The wonky 'thrown' together finish on the hopscotch that will be Amelia's will bug me so last night I sat and watched Good News Week and unpicked the backing fabric.

I have an idea and I think it will work. I have checked with Mel that it is okay that I rewrite her pattern, who can't picture what I have described to her but I will photograph the journey and put it up here. I hope it does work!

There was too much fabric to move about in the sewing machine for the stitching and I was getting a little frustrated. Breaking the sections down into smaller more workable peices I think will make the end result much nicer and possibly even make it look more like 'pavement'. We shall see...

So... I'm no professional

And I am a little bit rusty but... I spent dribs and drabs yesterday working on the hopscotch and I am pleased with my progress. We started at the top of the number pile and worked out way down to 'Blast Off!'



Amelia got right into helping me. She was the official pin remover while I was sewing. A very important job indeed!


Amazing what a few pins and some off cuts of felt can be turned into! Kept her amused for about 2 hours last night!!




Tahdah!

Next step batting but I have to wait till payday... we kind of need some fruit and veges to fend off scurvey at the moment! 2 dodgy cucumbers, a pear that should have been eaten 3 days ago and half a dozen carrots aren't going to keep us healthy!

There are some things I will do differently on the next one which will hopefully give the next one a more professional finish.

• I would cut the nesxt lot of squares out with a rotary cutter - roll on Thursday this week and the Stitches and Craft Show!

• When I sew the numbers I would start with the inside of the 0,4,6 and 9. I think this will anchor them a little better.

• I will sew the finished number squares onto the backing fabric one and a time! I was so keen to have this ready for Amelia for when she woke up today that I sort of rushed it a bit and sewed them all in one big long row. The double numbers and the 6 are a little, shall we say, really bad! Or maybe I misread the instructions in the pattern? I won't be unpicking it, not the first one and not for Amelia. I am not one for following instructions so Blossom Creek will be a real test for this impatient soul!

I think that is all part of the journey, making discoveries and working out other ways to do things.

I am as keen as mustard now and have already used the scraps from this colour combo to place and pin the numbers for the next one. I think cousin Lucy in Paris will have one for her Christmas present and there could even be one as part of the major auction for the pre-school next year.

Hoorah!

Sewing machine WILL be returned to the shop tomorrow at lunch time and I can collect it then. Yippee. I know what I will be doing tomorrow night when Daddy is at work and daughter is in bed!

Still no machine...

3 weeks now, I have had the time to sew in the past week sort of, rearraged a few things so I could sew but no machine...

Natalie Ross block one for Blossom Creek is in my possesion...I did it. I didn't ask, I went for a drive, I bought, I got in trouble with husband (pffff!! you were at work and should have been home and it was no more than 10% of your overtime pay so bite me!) and I can't wait to have some time to myself with no one hovering at the door wanting to know if a banana should be cut up or not for Amelia. She has only ever eaten whole banana's, why would that change today?! Husband and daughter need to spend more time together...

So, no machine, they tell me it will be back today, or at least it *should* be... just in time for husband to be sleeping all weekend for night shifts... terrific timing! Ah well, if she goes to bed and he is at work it might work in my favour after all!

Frrruuusssstration!

Sewing machine, service, takes 2 weeks... Common guys, you have had it for nearly 3! We are cut out, we are ready to go, we are excited, we have worked hard to get some free time... why are you causing me frustration??!

In the mean time I have found and totally fallen in love with Natalie Ross Blossom Creek... do I don't I (and could I get away with it...) that is the question!

Itching for the machine now!

This morning before we headed off to Mothers Group Amelia helped me measure and cut out the pink and green squares (she kept the tape measure around her shoulders once I had finished with it and was seeing 'how much' everything was she could reach!) and handed me the numbers to pin on the pink squares. I will add that she handed them in order and even tried to 'trick' me handing me a 6 and telling me it was a 9...

She can see that the pile of fabric she helped select and then went crook at me for cutting up is begining to look a little like the picture now and is EVER so excited! Has even put in an order for a dress the same as the little girl playing Hopscotch in the magazine! Nice try kiddo, we shall see how good I am first at the basics!

So now I am busting to get sewing, I can see that it shouldn't take me very long at all. We drove past the shopping centre where the machine is being serviced this morning and she was devestated we couldn't pick it up!

Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Part One

So, this pile of fabric is going to be turned into something wonderful and hopefully played with! I selfishly stole 23 minutes of my day after getting home from drop off, putting the rest of the shopping away, ordering a 40th present for my best mate and making a cup of tea and pinned and cut out the numbers. Next, I have to mark out the squares and cut them out and start pinning it altogether in anticipation of the sewing machine being returned and ready for use!

In the beginning...

I have sewn before, I am not new to sewing but it is all about time. It is always about time. But, time is something I will create more of for myself and hopefully create some things to give and some things to keep along the way. This is where I intend to plot the journey, who knows how long the plotting, or the journey, will last for!

I read a few crafty blogs from time to time, haven't launched into the world of give aways and sewing groups etc... I am always inspired and envious of the creations. One particular inspiration for a project I have decided to try was in the launch issue of Australian Home Sewn magazine which is edited by a customer of mine.

So, Babcia's sewing machine went in for a service and Amelia and I hit Spotlight and started putting this project together. Today I stole a whole 23 minutes and pinned and cut out part one. I will put the photos up with some captions, some time after tea tonight... the time I usually look after the other business but there isn't a while lot happening on that front at the moment. Perhaps if I get engrosed in something else things might pick up there, you just never know!

But for now, post one is done and the journey is underway!