It's a new day... and I'm feeling good!

Well, as Muse put it in their song *.. It's a new day and I'm feeling good! And what a good month May was. I'll actually sad to see it go! Welcome to anyone joining me from the Lily's quilts blog hop and hello to everyone else!

It was a sad month too. I run a Ranger unit which is the oldest section of Girlguiding (the UK version of Girl scouts) that girls can belong to and our oldest member is moving away to another city with her boyfriend. I've known her since she was 10 and it's been nice to see her grow into a confident 22 year old from the shy girl she once was. We had one last meeting all together and my sister made cakes for the occasion. They were burgers and she make sugar cookie chips (fries) to go with them. they went down very well.

I FINALLY finished making the starry quilt that I feel like I've been making forever for a friend. She hasn't got it yet but at least it's done. It was my first attempt at free motion quilting and although not perfect I'm rather impressed with how it looks.

I've also been joining in with a paper piecing quilt along this month. The first quilt along I've done and also my first attempt at paper piecing. Subscribers may recognise some of these pieces but the first 3 are my new ones from last week and I have another 3 to get made for this week then it's all done! Sorry the pictures are sideways. No idea why or how to turn them.

I've also been working on that quilt for my friend's wedding. It's not until October but best to get things done early. The easy bit is all done now. I've got my coloured squares all made and I now have a fair idea of just how giant this quilt will be. The centre of these squares is blank for Guests to write messages and the big gap in the middle will have pictures in of the couple when I a) get them and then b) work out how to get them on fabric! This isn't the actual layout. I promise I'll mix the colours a bit more.

This month, inspired by watching the Great British Sewing Bee on telly, I've also tried my hand at making clothing instead of quilts or random items. I've made a trial version of a dress and a top. Neither have been made in proper fabric yet because I haven't worked out which fabric to use. I'm rather impressed with myself and my invisible zip inserting skills though.

I've also been shopping for fabric. I'm a bad person. My stash really is big enough already but I can't resist the pretty fabric, especially when it's on sale!

My ebay fabric

 And then there's what's been happening in my life. In the middle of the month I went on an occupational therapy open day at the local uni. I really think that's what I'd like to do with my life so I'm looking into how to do that. I think I'm going to have to go back to college to get some recent eduction and I'm probably going to have to try and get some work experience too.

The most exciting and recent change though is that after many years of searching and saying I was going to change jobs because I hated my current one I have a new job! It all happened so fast when last Thursday I got an email asking if I was interested. I went for 1 interview and then on Tuesday I was told I had a 2nd group assessment on the Wednesday then on Thursday afternoon I found out I had the job. It's not the most glamorous in the world - it's in a call centre but the money is better and the hours are more sociable. No more getting up at 3am for me :) I handed my notice in at work today and Thursday if my last shift.

That chapter of my life is over and another one is about to begin.

Now begins to great search for a bike so I can cycle to work... 

*other versions of feeling good available.

Progress, fabric and a dilemma

Another week and another lot of pictures. I'm very impressed at just how much I am fitting in around work at the minute. I've got my sewing mojo back. I have an urge to make a really pretty quilt of some sort and I suspect this is because of all the fabulous quilts popping up in blog land this week due to a blog quilt festival.

Progress

What isn't pictured here is the Sorbetto top I made (again another practise one) but I've ordered some fabric to make a proper one. It was so easy and took me under an hour to make! my justification is that I'm between sizes. I think I'll go with the larger one though due to my large chest.

Next up is the paper piecing sew along I was on about. Here are my first 3 blocks! Can you tell what they are? Can you tell what the smaller one is? It's actually a tea cup and another practise on that will probably turn into a mug rug. the contrast is greater in real life when my phone hasn't decided to put the flash on.

I like paper piecing it's a great way to get cool looking blocks but I had nothing but trouble with the cupcake and the lemonade. The lemonade is actually back to front.I cut my charm square for the lemonade the wrong way because I forgot to turn it upside down so I had to do the whole thing with the printed side of the paper upside down which made sewing fun! the cupcake was all good apart from I just couldn't seem to work out what angle to sew that top strip of icing. What a nightmare that was. Hopefully week 2 will go well.

Then we get to the wedding quilt I'm making. I'm got about 30 squares made today (not all pictured) by being sneaky and using the quilting tactic of chain piecing and not pinning everything which is what my friend was doing last time she helped. Hopefully I'll get a few more done this week then it's back to cutting strips of fabric. I need about 70 of these things!

Fabric

Yes, you remember I said I went on a fabric buying spree to cheer myself up? Here is the result. Lots of pretty fabric! This 1st lot is from ebay. Just a selection of novelty prints. It includes some funky owls, some dinosaurs and start wars fabric?!?! This is the only package my sister has seen arrive in the house and as far as she is concerned I won it. Sneaky me!

Fabric number 2 I bought from Fabric rehab which had a lovely selection of pretty fabric. It was a struggle to not buy more. I have some nice blenders (continuing my collecting of grey fabric!), some very mini hedgehogs and owls and some pretty purple and orange owls. oh and some penguins. obviously! There was a charm back of Summersville spring too but that's already been chopped up for the paper piecing.

Dilemma

In the best way I have a dilemma  It's just me being stupid in fact. I've had thoughts for a while (well years infact) of studying to become an occupational therapist (yes I can hear you all asking what one of them is. Google it because it's a hard one to explain properly. Essentially it's someone who works with people who have health problems or are old to enable them to carry on living a normal life. Make sense? No? Google.)

I have a thing at my local university on Thursday called 'So you want to be an occupational therapist' It's a day to find out about the course and the job and meet current students. And it's only open to mature students. i resent being called a mature student at 28 but I guess compared to the 18 year old I am. How sad. I don't feel like a mature student. Anyway my dilemma is what to wear. Normally to a uni open day when I was younger I'd turn up in jeans and a nice top but I feel like as this is a professional course and it's for mature students I should look smarter? What to wear isn't helped by our weather at the minute either. Parts of my local city were flooded yesterday and roads had to be closed.

I guess we'll all find out next week what I do. Although any suggestions are welcome.

Oh and due to the bad weather There is still no good picture of the starry quilt. It's a bank holiday in the UK next weekend so I'm not holding out much hope for sun any time soon.

Till next time!