Balance

It's all about balance isn't it? Posting too often, not often enough, having time to sew, prepping and running classes - I tend to be a bit obsessive by nature and always feel like something else has to give, while I am concentrating on other things.
I reckon the old multi tasking skills are waning a bit with age, will just have to make more lists.
So, because it's been a few days since my last  rant post, it looks like I have been on a spend fest........
It was a holiday weekend here in sunny Ayr - Friday was husband's birthday and as an extra special treat, daughter, grand-daughter & I took him to an extra large M & S near Glasgow.Wasn't that especially nice of us? He did score a yummy lunch so don't be feeling too sorry for him.
Saturday morning, early enough for an alarm call, we had a mini spot of babysitting duty as daughter felt the urge to tackle the Next sale, funnily enough only for baby clothes, and this - for her mum!

                                                Isn't this perfect for a sewing room wall?
Later in the morning I had to pop into Ayr town (to return all the stuff I got on Friday - (I hate clothes shopping)....I took the opportunity to pop into one of our local sewing/craft shops where I got rather excited by a small, but new range of linens & linen mixes......had to have some, it really would have been silly not to!

Meanwhile, the postie had delivered a couple of packages - when you teach P & Q, it is absolutely vital (yes, it is) to keep up with new trends, books etc................I added this to my collection -

 

I didn't look through it until Saturday night - what a treat.

The other package had this inside - this is one of Cindy's fat 1/8 bundles put together by Susan - called Sunrise.I plan to build a collection of Kona cottons and these wee bundles are a great way to start.Cindy's online shop is now my go to for Aurifil thread,and she is planning to increase her selection of 50wt which is perfect for piecing.

On the actual sewing front - I had my partner allocated to me in Mouthy Stitches 2 - The Tote Bag. I am delighted with the partner chosen for me and have been plotting and planning all weekend - in my head and on paper. We are all making a tote bag this time around and are following the same tutorial to keep things nice and simple. In swaps, we usually give and receive "extras" - it's often a little stressful knowing how much or little to include. Often it can be a little pile of scraps, or a pincushion, usually there might be a sweetie or some chocolate, very acceptable. In this swap we have been given guidance and are to make a key fob. It seems to be really hard to find a UK source selling the correct hardware - I found an EBay seller and ordered some a couple of weeks back - they arrived today and I am delighted.

I got these 10 sets including shipping for $10.09.

My other online activity is related to our new Bee, Bee a Brit Stingy - the Bee proper doesn't start until January but in the meantime we are getting to know each other by having a pincushion swap. We are each making for the Queen Bee in the month following our own - I am making for Nicky. Of course, we don't want to be giving too much away. I, for example, might or might not be including this fabric in her pinnie.

I almost finished making it today, but took a mini break and made a dribble bib for g/d, Ava, who might be heading for the Guinness book of records in producing drool.........

Pretty cotton, backed with a really fine, soft flannel that we used to sell in the shop - it is quite thin. As my mum used to say - "you could spit peas thro it"