Sunday, April 15, 2012

Waving madly - I'm still here

My blogging/sewing/quilting mojo has left me. I still have the will to live but that's about it.
I've contemplated a number of times about writing a blog post but just couldn't think of anything exciting enough. I've been lurking and reading blog posts but haven't had time to comment.  Thank you to my wonderful blog friends who sent emails wondering whether I was still alive. I am. Sorry Shay you'll have to wait  a bit longer for my fabric stash.

I had every intention of sewing madly over the last two weeks but it didn't eventuate.
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I've been hanging out and socialising in Brisbane. I planned out my sewing before I left home. I brought down my baby sewing machine just in case, and put together a couple of bags of hand sewing projects to work on while away. It would have helped if I'd remembered to pack one very important bag in the car. The one that had the mat, rulers, rotary cutter, templates, the pattern that I was working on etc. Finding out that I had left all the important stuff at home, put me in a sewing funk. To pull me out of the funk I planned a trip to Spotlight to enhance my quilting paraphernalia and grab the tools I needed to work on my projects, that was fun and they had a sale at the time too! I only doubled up on one thing, which was another small rotary cutter. Everything else I bought including a mat and rulers, were different sizes to the ones I had at home. I even found this fabulous tool.

A doo wacky that you attach to the rotary cutter and allows you to add a seam allowance to your traced template pattern. It was really easy to use once you fiddle about to set the right distance from the blade. It made cutting out the pieces for the Circle Game BOM blocks so much easier and quicker as I didn't have to draw a seam allowance and then cut. I just had to follow the drawn line on the fabric from the template  and voila a 1/4" seam allowance was cut. I'm sorry I don't know what it's called and I've searched on the Olfa site and can't find it to add a link to it.

My spending spree should have motivated me, but life kind of took over and despite having all the stuff I still didn't sew much, at least the pieces I need have been cut out.

Last week I took a trip back home to see if the house was still there, secretly wishing it wasn't so that I didn't have to keep on getting rid of stuff so that it will be clutter free for the sale. Also to see whether the work had finished on the outdoor decking. It was and doesn't it look spectacular, sorry not the best photo as I just took a quick one with my iPhone.


While I was there I picked up my bag that I had left behind.

I'm slowly working away on anther Amitie BOM block, almost finished.

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I'm enjoying the process of these blocks although it's slow going and I don't have much to show for the hours of work I put into them. I've almost finished the outer ring on this one, which I'll show in a later post.

The weather has been fabulous here. Blue skies and sunshine.
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Lovely sunrises.
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22 comments:

  1. If you find your mojo, see if mine is there and send it my way. There's a 70 inch TV on my sewing table, but that's just my excuse for not doing anything. Lovely pictures. That tool looks pretty cool too.

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  2. I'm with Thea, if you find any extra mojo send it over. I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't something in the atmosphere that's sapping all our sewing mojo (I think Shay's in the same boat).

    The deck looks beautiful. So does the Auntie BOM block you have done.

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  3. Don't worry, we all go through a lull from time to time. Your new rotary cutter thingy looks interesting; never seen anything like it. Let us know if it works. I like the projects you are working on, very colourful. I think I missed something; are you moving? To Brisbane? Your deck looks wonderful. It looks like you live surrounded by bush. So Australian ;).

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  4. Love the new BOM block! And the deck looks a treat!! Good luck finding the lost mojo! Melbourne's weather is summer-like which makes sitting inside sewing pretty difficult...do I go outside and waste time enjoying the sunshine, or sit inside to sew and waste the sunshine! Ugh!

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  5. Seems to be a mass mojo-stealing going on...I've not made a single quilt for myself this year and it's already April! Love your photos though...the weather looks fab!

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  6. I think we are all in the same boat this year, it seems that life is taking over and blogland has been pretty quiet all round. Must be something to do with the planets aligning??
    That Amitie block is amazing....it would take me all year just to do that! Your deck looks beautiful! :-)

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  7. Mojo is in scarce supply at present...hope you get yours back soon. Love the house...I still have to oil my deck. Love your circle game blocks!

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  8. mojo has deserted all over the place - can't decide whether it's the weather or something else - but getting off my arse to sew something on my 'to do' list, other than school stuff, is proving quite difficult.....similar story with blogging - never mind - this all too will pass and you'll be sewing and blogging up a storm in no time - loving that block and your glorious view shots....

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  9. You sound like you're having a good time in Brisbane. Despite what they say, life isn't just about sewing!!
    And that deck looks FAB - you need to ge tsome use out of it before it sells!

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  10. Wish I could afford a holiday home.........off to buy a lottery ticket!!

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  11. I love new doohickeys! Yeah for shopping. Yeah for socialising. Yeah for city living. (Not jealous at all!)

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  12. Who needs sewing Mojo when socialising and living a good life is what you are doing. I love your house and your deck and if I could I would buy it right away.!!!
    And don´t worry about reading and not commenting - i am in the boat with you there.

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  13. The deck looks awesome, you sure you want to move?
    But then again, Brisbane looks so beautiful too. Hard decision!
    Let the mojo rest a bit, the sewing will always be there. x x

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  14. With so much else going on, don't beat yourself up. Moving is a big deal - and stressful. Enjoy all the socialising and come back when you are up for it!

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  15. You are just very unsettled at the moment wanting to move is one thing but actually doing it is a large pain in the bum. It would be great if you could just wave a wand and it would all be done and all you had to do was swan around looking for your new abode. I'd give up the quilting until you've moved and stick to hand sewing or crochet - something a bit mindless while you are unsettled and unable to concentrate on something complicated like the Amitie block. Heavens you pick complicated blocks to do. I'd never be able to put something like that together!
    The cooler weather will settle us all down. There's a lot of lost mojos floating around blogisphere at the mo. You are not alone !
    Cheers

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  16. You are just very unsettled at the moment wanting to move is one thing but actually doing it is a large pain in the bum. It would be great if you could just wave a wand and it would all be done and all you had to do was swan around looking for your new abode. I'd give up the quilting until you've moved and stick to hand sewing or crochet - something a bit mindless while you are unsettled and unable to concentrate on something complicated like the Amitie block. Heavens you pick complicated blocks to do. I'd never be able to put something like that together!
    The cooler weather will settle us all down. There's a lot of lost mojos floating around blogisphere at the mo. You are not alone !
    Cheers

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  17. I so love your house, the deck is beautiful. But I too love the city and can see why you want to move. Moving is so disruptive, selling a house also is disruptive, it is no surprise that you feel less like sewing. Just enjoy what feels good and when you are ready you will sew more again. Glad to hear you are well, love seeing pictures of the city.

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  18. i know just what you mean...my mojo went for a walk and hasnt come back! deck looks fab as do blocks and epp....x

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  19. It doesn't help when you leave the important bag behind!I like your clever tool, that would save heaps of time with templates! Your circle game block is so cool!!! Glad to hear you're having fun in Brisbane!!!

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  20. Your deck looks fantastic! I know your mojo will come back when it and you are ready :)

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  21. LOVE that Amitie block. And that tool really is the bomb. How clever!

    I'd much rather have you here and in my life than to have your fabric stash ...

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  22. Fabulous verandah.....what wood is it?

    I am totally inspiration-less. All I've been doing is blowing my nose. Blech.

    Glad you have pretty (and dry) weather!

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