Not long now!

Look what my postman delivered to me the other day.  I've been reading them (almost) obsessively since they arrived - I know, they're only the guides, it's a shame really how excited I'm getting about going.  The competition guide is really interesting as it gives you a little blurb bit about all the quilts which are being exhibited - really interesting.

I had myself a very productive night last night and I've more or less caught up with the Mystery Quilt-along - hurrah!!!  How fantastic are these plaits?  I loved doing them and I'm really pleased by how effective they are.  Trying to think of ways to make an entire quilt out of plaits.  My first thought was that they could be used in a similar way to a chinese coin style, like this one I made, but now I'm thinking of different blocks and things.  My mind is running away with it's self on the possibilities!

 All I need to do now it sew together these 4 blocks and I'll be up to date!  I should even be able to get that done before the end of (dare I say it!) nap time if I get my skates on.

I've got a busy week ahead of me, what with a mountain of work to be done at work before I finish up on Wednesday, getting organised for heading to Birmingham on Thursday (not really looking forward to the drive but hey, it'll be worth it), back home on Saturday, then packing to be done for heading away again next Monday.  But I still want to work on getting some hexagons cut out to take with me so I have some sewing to keep my hands occupied and stop them shovelling food into my mouth.  It's a subconscious action, I swear I don't even realise I'm doing it half the time.  Well that's my excuse anyway!

It's been longer than I thought

but I'm back!  It's been a strange week, what with having another long weekend, then we had a childcare issue which caused more stress than it needed to.  At the same time as that my laptop decided it didn't fancy working AT ALL but all is well with it now, I did think briefly that I'd lost my photos of Euan from when he was born but it didn't happen thank goodness.  My photos have now been backed up (and will be on a regular basis from now on!).

It's also been hetic at work and I've had to work different hours this week too, so it's been a confusing week all round.  So I've had little spare time, just a ton of housework to catch up on.

Cat on the Mat

Well more of the moggy on the mug rug.  My friend at work has a little coaster which is pretty much at the end of it's useful life so when she mentioned last week that she should probably get herself a new one, I had a little idea.  And this is what that idea led too - she's cat daft and has a ginger kitty cat like me!

I've worked on the 2 mug rugs for the swap I'm in, this weekend tops are made, just need a little light quilting and then to be bound.  I did intend to get on to that tonight but the dude has been full of jumping beans today and has been bouncing off the walls since 7am this morning so I'm drained of what little energy I did have.  

Spiderbaby, spiderbaby

does whatever spiderbaby does ..................

Today was the dude's first Halloween party at toddlers and I found the best spider costume.  It's got cool stripey trousers!!!  We had a great time, loads of kids turned up and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  I even made my first ever pumpkin lantern (with a handle) and a spiders web that I'm particularly chuffed with!

It's been a looooong day but I'm pleased that it's my last Friday at work for at least the next month - hopefully longer.  I'm also very pleased that our car passed it's MOT - well quite shocked really, but we're legal again.  Much happier about that!

So that's halloween just about all done with - taking the dude through to visit his great-granda in his old folks home on Sunday for their halloween party (I wonder if they will dress up the old dears :o) and then it's time to get started on Christmas.  Got a few things to make before then - busy, busy, busy.  Isn't something like 59 sleeps to christmas!?!?!?!

The other event of this week is that the dude is now 17months old. How did that happen? Life is just flying past way too quickly for my liking. Like I've been told, before I know it I'll be buying his first school uniform. Stay a baby little dude for just a little longer - please! But how cute is this cheesy face (although covered in chocolate!!!)  The other picture is just plain funny - looks like he's trying to match his daddy's big belly LOL



 

TGIF

I'm sooooo relieved it's Friday.  Work is mad at the moment, tons of stuff going on and very few people to do it.  Monday seems like it was a light year away!?!?  If only the dude was school age and I'd have had a decent excuse to get a holiday but at this rate it could be christmas before I get any real days off.  Although I do have a plan that will increase my time at home.  I'm going to trial a change in working pattern throughout November - instead of going into work 5 days a week, I'm going to try out 3 full days and 1 half day.  It will mean I should finish at 12.30 on a Thursday and not start again til Monday morning, I'll have a long weekend - EVERY weekend!  Well if it all goes to plan and the work agree to it - fingers crossed.

My Friday night is currently being spent catching up with all the tv I've recorded this week - Neighbours (somebody has pushed Paul Robinson off the mezzaine - shock! horror!); Strictly - It Takes Two - Ann Widdecombe is doing the quick step tomorrow, it'll be hilarious :); currently watching Private Practice and I think I've missed a week cos I'm confused about what is going on. 

The other night I subscribed to Fat Quarterly and it's great.  I got the holiday special emailed today and I want to rush off and make ALL of it! Right NOW!

This n' that

Not been up to much lately, just a bit of this n' that! The house has been on the market for 2 weeks now. We've had one viewer who apparently really liked it but thought the bedrooms where a bit small. Can't make them bigger so we just have to wait and the right person will turn up one of these days. (theywilltheywilltheywill....theywill)

Work has been the same lately, spent hours doing my informal review and I'm skeptical that it will make any difference but I'm open to being pleasantly surprised. Apparently we'll all know by the end of May so who knows, if it happens it happens.

My creative side hasn't been very productive of late - too busy keeping the house tidy - but I have managed to finish something I started, ooohhh about 2 years ago, maybe longer. It's not perfect by a long shot but I like it and it's growing on me every day.

Lastly just some random pics of the dude - he's 11 months tomorrow and I'm in shock. How did that much time manage to fly past so quickly? Like a friend said to me recently, before I know it I'll be buying his school uniform!!!

Re-Connected

I've felt like I'm had an arm missing for the last few days!! No t'internet, didn't think I used it much these days but I obviously do.

Anyway my apparent IT genius of a husband discovered what the problem was (after blaming me for killing the internet, because I tried to wirelessly connect to his new printer cos he couldn't figure it out). And what did he do to fix it - use a different cable!!! Oooohhh IT wizz kid eh!

Not taken many pics this week, stoopidly busy at work and 'the husband' has had 'the man flu' so been busy being a good wifie and making chicken soup (with the help of heinz). So here is one from last week, the dude figured out how to stand on his wee truck it seemed. All on his own!!

A little indulgence

That's what I've had today. A little teeny, weeny bit of relaxing indulgence. Me, my little dude, my big sis and her little dude spent the afternoon at the Spring Quilt Festival in Edinburgh.

So no ironing has been done, as yet I've nothing to wear to work tomorrow, Euan's clothes are running low but hey it's not the end of the world. We spent the afternoon looking at GORG-EEE-OUS quilts and drooling over hundreds of purty fabrics so it was worth having double the amount of housework to do tomorrow than usual.

There was an exhibition of some of Patricia Archibald's quilts, I absolutely LOVE her work. From a distance you would never guess it was a quilt, most of them are like paintings. They are utterly fantastic!!



The pictures aren't brilliant, forgot my camera so had to take them with my phone so they don't really do them justics but they are beautiful.

I haven't really had time to blog much lately or really had the inclination too either. It's been 7 weeks since I went back to work and I was surprised at just how tough it was. There is so much going on at work just now that it's not a happy place. December was the issuing of the single status letters where people found out if their wages were going up or down - mine is going down, not as much as some others so I do count myself lucky, but a couple of thousand is still substantial. Then the middle of January it was announced that the whole Council is to be restructed and as a result, my department - Housing Services - is being broken up and merged with about 4 other services I think. So currently I've no idea what service I'm going to be working for, where I'll be located and ultimately what I'll be doing. So going back has been hard for a whole range of reasons. I haven't had to worry about Euan as daddy is doing a fab job looking after him but my work doesn't feel like the place it used to be sadly. So, along with being diagnosed with depression at the end of last year, the beginning of this year has given me a few difficult days to figure out how to deal with them. But I do and I'm starting to see the brighter side of things again thank goodness.

On a much cheerier note my little dude is coming on leaps and bounds. Crawling about like Speedy Gonzales, pulling himself up on any item of furniture in his way and almost walking!! Well only when holding onto his Pooh truck, but it's still walking. This is his 'Eddie Vedder' look! I can't believe he is now 9 months. We talking yesterday and it's weird, on one hand it's like 'OMG he's nine months old, how did that pass so quickly' and at the same time it feels like, 'Is he ONLY nine months?' because we can't remember him not being here. But he is best little dude in the world (ok, I'm maybe a little bit biased). He's already turning into a bit of a bookworm!!!!

This is currently the state of my craft table! What a sorry site, the quilt I attempted to make before starting work (who was I kidding ha ha ha!!) is sitting under my machine half done, but nowhere near finished. I've agreed to make thank you cards for my sister - 50 of them!!


And then I've come home today with this lovely bundle of fabric. My sister's idea, we both bought the same fabric and she's set us both a challenge to make a quilt using the same fabric to see what we come up with. Now just when will I have the time to do that!?!?! (I am looking forward to seeing what I can do though)