Ever get the feeling you’ve started too many projects at once? That’s me at the moment, they’ve all been started for valid reasons but it would be nice to finish one…

I started James’s quilt last week, it’s his birthday in January so I need it to be ready for then. I know what it’s like with January birthdays, it’s too easy to think wait until Christmas is over, then suddenly it’s next week! I’m making a chevron quilt in batik fabrics. Last weekend I managed to piece the main part of the top, so it’s coming on nicely. I’ve lost a few points on my triangles, but on the whole I’m really pleased with it. I need to put some side borders on and then a wide border to get it up to double bed size. I’m hoping to get the border fabric at the Harrogate show at the end of the month.

Last week we had some really bad news, our family doctor is taking early retirement, she’s been looking after me and my family for 25 years and she’s the best family doctor ever! She will be sorely missed!  I decided I wanted to make her something as a thank you and I’ve decided to make her a quilt. As she retires at the end of the month, it’s taken priority over James’s!

I need a quick quilt pattern, the last one I made was a disappearing 9 patch, this time I’m using a disappearing 4 patch. With the 9 patch you start off with 9 squares stitched into a block (3×3) and then cut it into quarters before rearranging it, whereas with the 4 patch you start off with a block of 4 squares, then  cut it into 9 pieces, invert the narrow strips before restitching into a block.

I had a Moda layer cake in my drawer which made life easier. Layer cakes are precut 10″ squares usually containing 40 different co-ordinating fabrics. I paired the colours into light and dark sets and cut each layer into 4, giving me lots of 5″ squares. I’ve stitched them all into their blocks of four, it took me a while to arrange them in an order I was happy with, I’m not very good a completely random, so I’ve got colourways going diagonally across. Last night I cut and stitched half of the blocks into their disappearing patches, as I made two mistakes on the last one, I decided it was time to stop!

I do a night shift once or twice a month, I like to take some hand-sewing in to keep me awake during my break, I usually take my cross-stitch, but this week I decided to start a Christmas project as it’s my last night shift before Christmas. A couple of weeks ago on facebook someone posted a photo of a stunning fabric wreath, isn’t it gorgeous, the maker kindly put some instructions up on Pat Sloans web site. I’ve decided to make a Christmas one, I usually have a big natural wreath over the fireplace, so this one will go there instead. I’m putting my own touches to it, I found a tutorial for making fabric flowers, so as well as 60 leaves, I’ve made 5 flowers. The leaves are made from a square folded twice into a triangle then gathered along the bottom. The flowers are from a circles, folded in half and gathered, I just need to put centres on the flowers. I’m thinking of using buttons for berries, mounted on wire, and no Christmas wreath would be complete without a ribbon! All that’s left now is to cover a polystyrene wreath and glue everything in place.

Of course I ‘m still stitching my Bouquet Sampler, but it has taken a bit of a back seat this week!