The Sewing Dilettante

Well, after much fussy cutting and hand stitching, this is what I came up with for the Modern Quilters' Scrappy Pin Cushion Swap... Front on the left, back on the right This project represented a couple of different firsts for me - my first pin cushion, and my first attempt at decorative hand stitching. I wish the latter was slightly more uniform, but overall I'm delighted with the end result! I had such fun with it, too, especially getting to play around with my Japanese charm squares and the too cute bicycle fabric I got this summer in Portsmouth . My swap partner really seemed to like it, too. Phew! I LOVE the pin cushion I received in turn: Front Aren't the colours amazing, and all the points so precise?! The back is oh-so-cute, too! Don't you just love this little sewing room? And, as if that weren't enough, my partner also sent me a fabulous little extra - a teeny, tiny drawstring bag that'll be perfect for a special Christmas gift! (Am

I think I might’ve mentioned the complicated work situation hubby and I have found ourselves in. We had a temporary reprieve with my maternity leave and the opportunity to work at home over the summer, but now we’re back to the reality of long commutes and the length of Ireland between us. (To put it in perspective: any given point in Ireland is no more than a day’s travel from any other point, so we’re talking a fairly manageable if still less than ideal distance!) Instead of having Belfast as our base, though, we’re now primarily located in Limerick, and the past week has involved much packing, cleaning, and unpacking, as well as all of the associated emotional turmoil of leaving friends and familiarity for ‘foreign’ climes. Amidst it all, though, the decision to hang this quilt prominently in the stairwell of our new place almost instantaneously transformed a house into a home! I see it every time I open the front door or climb up and down the stairs, and it reminds me