Finish Along - week 1

A week into my finish along challenge and no finish to report - but some progress.

Thank you to everyone who looked at my blog last week and commented on here or on Instagram - I'll get to grips with blogging and make it more 'fancy pants' in time.

Whilst this weekend did feature a lot of sewing it was sadly mainly taking up our dining room curtains. Embarrassingly we took them down last August when we redecorated, I half took up one and then, as seems to be a theme with me, they ended up being shoved in my sewing room and then moved around there getting in the way for nearly a year.

Lots of sitting on our bed watching tv got them all sorted, back up, and more space in my sewing room again.

I did finish my Posy quilt top from my finish along and whilst my sashing isn't perfect I'm pretty pleased with it (it's my first attempt at sashing like this) so this week's target is to baste and quilt this: 

In true fashion I did start something new this week, I got caught up with the v stitch crochet 'craze' and started a new random blanket. It's quick, portable and is just using Stylecraft Special DK from my stash. 

It's the one time of year when I wish I'd done more with my PGCE than put the certificate in a folder. 6 weeks summer holiday would suit me just lovely right now. I did however get 30 minutes in the sunshine crocheting at work this lunch time - if only I could bring my sewing machine to work on my bike.....

Finish Along Quarter 3

I've procrastinated for too long about joining in the Finish Along as well as getting my teeth into blogging but I've pulled my finger out and got this in just in time. I'm hoping it'll give me some focus over the next few months too. So I'm linking up with Katy at The Littlest Thistle in the hope the shame make me finish things this time. 

Please excuse my poor efforts at a blog - it will become shiner with time I'm sure and my husband would have a fit if he saw these photos - my phone in my bedroom at 11pm is not ideal! 

Thanks to Hannah at Sewing and Slinging as it was her Finish Along blog post I took inspiration from when doing mine. 

In no particular order here are 10 of my WIPs that I really want to finish this summer:

1. Splitting Squares Quilt

Anna at Quilting Along the Grain's  Splitting squares quilt, I won the pattern in a giveaway last summer and made the top last August, got no further. The sashing is navy, rather than black I promise!

2. Spotty Plus Baby Quilt

Made the top this April, again got no further.

3. Posy Baby Quilt

Only started last month, my current project. Needs a couple more borders then quilting and binding.

4. Disappearing 9 Patch Quilt

Disappearing 9 patch, did these over a year ago, never got any further.

5. Simply Solids Wonky Stars Quilt 

Last year to compliment their new monthly solid stash club Laura produced a wonky star quilt pattern for Simply Solids one of my favourite fabric shops. I did pretty well keeping up with making the stars until the autumn, then it all went a bit wrong. But I have a recipient for this now so it needs finishing. 

6. Rainbow Baby Lattice Quilt

Wanted to make a quilt for a friend's baby last autumn. Remembered how much I'd liked Laura's Baby Lattice Quilt by Amy Smart so I started, but by the time I cut all the pieces it was getting close to Christmas and it got shoved in a corner somewhere. 

7. Katy's Patchwork Quilt Blocks Quilt

Last summer I got a copy of Katy Jones' book 25 Patchwork Quilt Blocks last summer. Cut 20 out for filler projects, you know when you've just got a little bit of time in an evening to make one block, made 8 then put away...

8. HST Cushion

Finished one of these for my Brother & his wife last year for Christmas, didn't realise I hadn't done second. It was my first play with my Sizzix machine last summer. 

9. Free motion Quilting Petal Cushion

Made this at a workshop at The Skep with Brioni in December, only needs the binding attached, embarrassing.

10. Date Night Purse 

For a little variety my Date Night Purse by Erin at Dog Under My Desk - it's no secret that I love Erin's patterns and rightly so - they contain so much detail and very clear instructions and this is her latest. I only started this last week and am waiting for foam batting before I can finish so hope for this one yet!

That's me done, 7 quilts, 2 cushions and a bag, maybe a little ambitious but the next couple of months are quiet volunteering wise so I'm optimistic I can smash my huge pile of WIPS.....

Look forward to sharing my progress on these and other things and getting to grips with blogging over the next few months. 

In the beginning...

About five years ago I discovered Lucy's wonderful Attic 24 blog, I think it was one of the times I thought about learning to crochet, and although that didn't happen for a few more years I became an avid blog reader. Then three years ago I started using Twitter and through that came across a huge array of blogs. I've never been much of a magazine or newspaper reader but scrolling through the pages of Google Reader, or Feedly these days, reading about, and looking at, what people have been busy creating and about their lives and experiences is something I love.

I wanted to join this bandwagon, as my crafting was reignited I wanted to share what I made and also share my experiences as a volunteer, but I was hesitant to 'delve in'. Last November I turned 30 and registered this blog but it never quite felt right and it's now 7 weeks until my 31st Birthday. However I've decided this is it, I'm not sure where this will take me but I know people enjoy using their blog to document aspects of their lives, and I hope someone somewhere will enjoy reading what I share.

As for the title of this blog, well I didn't want something craft specific as I want to share other things too and document my life realising what my priorities are and how I can focus on doing things that make me happy. I'm a musical theatre fan and for my 30th Birthday went to see Matilda the Musical, which I loved, and one set of lyrics stuck with me:

"Just because you find that life's not fair, it

Doesn't mean that you just have to grin and bear it!

If you always take it on the chin and wear it

You might as well be saying

You think that it's ok

And that's not right!

And if it's not right!

You have to put it right!

But nobody else it gonna put it right for me!

Nobody but me is going to change my story"

Thank you for reading, I look forward to sharing my journey as I 'change my story'.