It's been a while!

It's been a while (nearly 3 weeks) since I last did any sewing or blogging. I'm not sure why it's been so long as I've had some time available but two weeks ago I started reading a book that I couldn't put down, nothing heavy just a good murder mystery. Once home from work I was rushing through preparing dinner so I could get back to the book. On the 3rd March I had my second lot of chemo which does slow me down a bit but worse still makes my eyesight a little blurry for a several days. I can't risk cutting myself with the rotary cutter or sewing seams completely wrong. Last week was a busy week at work with teaching all 5 days and overwhelming tiredness in the evenings. That meant housework to catch up on at the weekend and poor Scamp has missed out on quite a few walks so this morning we had to take him for a good run. Back home again and I feel like sewing. No I don't just feel like sewing I have a real need to stroke fabric and to make something. So what should I do first?

First I set about adding the green border to my compass quilt. I didn't have anyone to help by holding up the quilt so I folded it into four and took the picture this way.

The next row round is a star round but before that I need to cut out the rest of the different border pieces as you then use the remaining fabrics to cut the remaining blocks. Here's a picture of what it will look like.

As you can see there is a row of star blocks and then outside that flying geese blocks. I'm sorry about the picture but the pattern is glossy and it was difficult to get the lighting right. Just as I added the picture I realised I should have scanned it in as it would have given a clearer image. Never mind, hopefully you get the idea of the next stage of the quilt.

Before getting on with the cutting I wanted to get my hand stitching organised. I started making some place mats last year but I've never finished them all. I found this lovely Clarice Cliff design fabric and it's exactly what I wanted. I added a narrow border of black and then I'm hand quilting the mats.

I'm quilting around the outline of the design and I love the way the mats look when they are completed. I'm making 8 in all.

Next I pulled out the March bag lady. Meet Millicent, isn't she adorable. Having found the threads I needed I just had to make a start. I've had fun stitching her hair and her scarf this afternoon. So much so that I didn't get my cutting done. 

As soon as I've finished writing this post I getting back to my stitching as this is just so relaxing. I'm only working a couple of days this week so I'll have time to do some more work on the quilt.

I hope you've had time for some stitching today. I'm linking up with Kathy for her Slow Sunday Stitching.

Lyndsey.