Totally Tropical

No, not really, it's just that we have had the most incredible rain this week, the kind you only see in foreign parts....torrential downpours but warm temperatures, wish it would stop.
We are having a patio laid - so far it has stretched from "it'll only take 3 days", to week four starting tomorrow.......I am not sending out the BBQ invites yet........

My week was pretty good though, despite the elements.
The postie brought me this -

My number came up on Krista's giveaway over at Quiet Play. It's a fun selection of fabrics, including cute birds, and...deer! I am becoming strangely addicted to charm packs and must start to make things from them.
Although I have had ages off this summer, I finished making this bag 2hrs before my Wednesday evening class - it was "commissioned" by one of the students.It's a great tote for carrying a mat and rulers to class and I managed to take its photo between showers.

My three Topsy classes started this week and it was just so great to see all the shiny, happy faces coming in to class. I think there is going to be a good spread in the choices of central block for the Topsy quilt and one of the things I absolutely love about class is the way little snippets of conversation can result in new designs and variations on a theme. This is what came from such chatting..

If you look at it and imagine it without the squared off corners, and with the long edges even, doesn't it make a super table runner?

Today, I had my first of the ABC 2012 workshops - these workshops are all about making a quilt of any size using QAYG techniques and this year I have opted for a Strippy Quilt with panels joined using narrow strips.
Today was all about cutting and joining strips into panels. The ladies all got great practice at cutting with confidence and how to deal with things when it doesn't always go to plan!! Sometimes it's good to remember that we are doing patchwork. The next workshop in this series is in October and we'l be concentrating on layering and quilting.
Here are some pics of the ladies hard at work..

I am sewing along, or just in front of this class and my quilt will be for my son. As soon as I saw Velo City by Jessica Hogarth, I knew if was just what I wanted. Strippies are really all about the fabric and I think this selection hits the spot - there are other funky prints in this line but my son is a wee bit conservative and I wasn't sure he'd appreciate multi coloured pigeons...........

Isn't it yummy, I had to seriously stroke this fabric before cutting................
I had hoped to take part in the TextingWhile Sewing competition that is running at the moment. I designed my block, bought the fabric and half pieced it, but, time has run out on me and something had to give.
I have, however, totally finished my BQS3 Mini and will have it ready for posting later this week. Just haven't taken its final picture so will have to keep you in suspense on that one.
It's round about now in a swap when it dawns on me that I too will receive something. Exciting.......