I Didn't Think There Was Much to Report....

April has been a busy month as I've been working full time because of Tax Year End and a shorter working month due to the Easter holidays falling in the middle so there has been a lot of extra work.  Its nice to have a few days off for the Easter holidays and catching up with things at home and with family.  It'll be our son Jamie's birthday on Sunday so there will be a family gathering at his house.

So far I've continued crocheting of an evening so my Cosy blanket continues to grow.  I'm going to do just a few more rows until I reach colour change 70 (or 140 rows) and will leave it at that.  It should have 90 colour changes (180 rows) but I think it might be just too big. There will be all those ends to finish off and then to start on the border rows, of which there are 3.  Finish by the end of the month? I hope so.

The Dolly Dress Up quilt is coming along nicely.  I finished of hand quilting the last Dresden plate block and cut out and joined the sashing strips for front and back.  The blocks are joined at the front but the doubled over strips sewn on the back have to be slip stitched in place, which I've yet to do.

I've done a couple of little bits and pieces to use up stuff.  I have, what I think, is quite a lot of crafty stuff and when I went to a local table top sale where people were selling their excess fabric and notions and not selling that much I came to the conclusion the only to go "let go" was to make things.  I am trying to use up stash and other bits that are lingering and make us of them

First off I have some small "lobster claw" clasps in my bead and findings box.   I've used one before with a charm to put on the zip of a pouch but haven't done this with others.  I'd recently bought some silver metal charms in Hobbycraft and made this into small clips to put on zips then found that crocheters use these as stitch markers.  Very handy. I might use the Russian dolly and heart ones for myself as markers and whats left will go on some pouches.

I also came across some samples of machine embroidery which I didn't know what to do with.  I sold the embroidery machine last year as I found it really wasn't for me.  I found they fitted some wooden embroidery hoops in my stash.  So framed and backed with some felt these will do for a charity stall to help raise funds and uses up stuff. I think its a good used for some stitching which would be shame to dump in the bin!

I came across and article in the Quilters' Guild regional newsletter that there was a regional challenge for the Miniature section of the Guild asking for 12" wide x 6" high mini quilts.  I had some small pieces of hand dyed fabrics which I bought at the Quilters' Guild conference a couple of years ago.  I had a go at Mondrian style colour blocks with the coloured pieces with white and black.  It didn't take too long to do and machine quilted with repeated lines so it looks quite modern.  I will have to contact the lady coordinating this challenge to see if this is acceptable.

I hope you all have an enjoyable Easter.  Being the nature of weekends it'll go just as quick as normal weekends!