I'm late I'm late

I meant to write and post this before R and Jot returned so I could update you all on my progress while they were away and I have failed miserably, in fact I am a week late (yes they have been home a whole week) so here goes:

The list:

5 batches of Soap - 3 complete
1 Tutu - Done and a bonus dolls tutu to go with it
1 Art Smock - Not done and my sister said probably not a good choice so will remove this from the list
1 Art Wallet - Not yet done
2 x Boys birthday pressies which I have no idea about yet - now I have lots of ideas to choose from so these will be easy
Finish my MIP Skirt (Yes I do know how long I have been saying that) - Done
Piece J&T Wedding Quilt Top - Done (now working on piecing the back)
Sandwich and Quilt the Dolls Quilt for Jots birthday - Snadwiched still to be quilted
Sandwich and Hand Quilt Jots quilt  - sandwiched still to be quilted
Knit 5 Face washers - Done with one more on my needles

And no I didn't get time to paint the spare room or make curtains for Jots room.  I did however make Lime Cordial which even though I do say so myself is completely divine.

I did get to the movies once, read 3 (yes 3) books and spent a great day sewing at the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild day.

So now I am moving on and my to do list for the rest of the year (4 months) looks like this:

Quilts
J&T Quilt - Piece Back, Sandwich, Quilt and Bind
Jots Quilt - Quilt and Bind
Dolls Quilt - Quilt and Bind

Christmas and Birthday Presents
Art Wallet
Kids Tool Belts
Super Hero Capes
Teepee
Cushion Covers
2 Batches of Soap
Passport Cover

Other
Bag for me
Dress for Jot
Skirt for me

I am pretty sure there were more things to add but I am not at home and therefore can't remember what else is on my list.  I am focussing on the Christmas and Birthday presents first as it would be great it I could send some of them sea mail this year.

Jot and R are both still feeling the pain of international air travel with the jetlag hitting them more this time round (or so it seems).  I spent last week with a very cranky and clingy toddler but it will end when she gets back into the swing of things.  She is sleeping really well so I am hoping the rest follows shortly.

Progress

Firstly I must say I am missing R & Jot very very much.  When I suggested that R take Jot with him on this trip (over a year ago now) I was still suffering Post Natal Depression and really didn't think I would miss her at all.  What difference a year makes.  I have been skyping with them in the UK and she looks so grown up, I know its only been a week but still I think she will have changed a lot by the time they get back (9 days to go).


Progress on my long list of things to make has been happening, however, I have done something silly to my hips and sitting at the sewing machine is farily painful.  I am getting it sorted out and it is soo much better today, might try sewing tomorrow and see how I go.

So halfway through I have completed:

My MIP Versatile Wrap Skirt - how exciting is this it has only been in the works for two months.  The downside is that this one is too big too!!  I will still wear it as I have the last one but the next one will be a small.  I did make it reversible though so I will get a lot of wear out of this one.

I also finished the Popover Dress that I had planned for Jot to take to England.  It is all ready for her to wear this summer.  And I have bought some fabric for another 1 (or 2) as they are really sweet and quick to make.

Quilts

I have sandwiched Jots quilt that I started way back last year and I am hoping to strat quilting tomorrow.  I was going to hand quilt it but I might do a trial sandwich and see how the machine quilting will look.  It has a Minky back so not sure how easy it will be to quilt on the machine.

I have also started on J & T Wedding quilt.  I decided to make a simple quilt from FQs and deicded on Avalon from Material Obsession (If you click on Google Previes under the image you can scan through the pages of the book).  I have resized it to 9 FQs rather than 12 as I have no idea what colour their bedroom is I made up my mind to do a lap quit for their sofa instead.  I am using Tanya Whelan Dolce fabrics and I love them.  I am not sure I will be able to part with it once finished.  I am hoping to finish the quilt top at tomorrows meeting of the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild .

What else was I meant to be doing?  Oh yes Soap - the ingredients I ordered over a week ago now still haven't arrived so I am unable to make my fancy soaps but I have made two batches on my everyday soap and it has come out soo much better than the first batch I made.  Very exciting.

Finally I have been busy knitting.  I find that as I don't have to talk to anyone I can sit and knit while watching TV in the evening (especially as I can't sew right now).  I am also taking the train to work which gives me an extra hour a day to knit (even sparked a lively debate with a girl the other day that it was a dying art! - ended up with her saying she was going to find a way to learn but I doubt that will happen).  All this extra kitting time has meant I am now on face cloth 5 and 6 (I have different needels for the train which are shorter)  They are so quick and easy and I am now aiming for 7 so I can have a couple in reserve for when ours need to get washed.

So that is it.  It didn't feel like much till I wrote it all down and now I am feeling quite proud of myself.  I have had a rethink about my nephews christmas presents and after a disucssion with my sister I am now looking at making dress up clothes for them  - starting I think with a couple for superhero capes, now just need to find a good (and ideally free pattern).

Tomorrow I am at the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild meeting which will give me time to finish J&T wedding quilt top (I hope) as well as try some FMQ on the trial sandwich with a minky back that I am going to make up today.  I will quite cheekily take my knitting for the morning as I have no hand sewing that needs doing at the moment (although I might also take the no sew tutu I am making for my niece).

I am hoping to get more done next week as this week I have had a shocking cough gifted to me by Jot before she left which I think is now on the mend.  Just over a week before they get home.  I'm really looking forward to it.

Hope you have a good weekend.

Jots Mum