Busy doing nothing

I seem to be always busy but not getting much done at the moment!
I think it's down to a particularly heavy class schedule in May. I don't really have anything finished to show you and not much prospect of it in the near future!

But I don't want you all to forget about me and I miss our little chats if I'm away from the blog too long, so I thought you might like to see what I call my 'procrastination craft'.
This is another wool-eater blanket, I made one of these before here. It is a pattern by the very talented Sarah London (a trip to her blog is always fantastic colour therapy) which you can download for free here.

I started this off last September as a demonstration piece for a crochet class. I did 7 rows, each in a different shade of Sublime Silk Cashmerino DK, and then stopped and thought about making it in to a cushion. I even chose the backing. But it just sat there. And then, in a moment of distraction, I picked it up, found the wool I had started with and crocheted another row. And then another row. And then another row.
This pattern is just so addictive! So now it's going to be a blanket. I am going to add one more row each of the 7 colours and see if it looks big enough. That's if I can afford to buy that much wool, it's not called wool-eater for nothing!
The sublime wool is just so gorgeous to work with, really bouncy and has this silk sheen that almost glitters. The shades have really evocative names like Carrot, Caterpillar, Pineapple, and Pippin.

As my crafting becomes ever more associated with my business it can sometimes feel like a chore. So when there's something I know I should be doing but I don't really feel like it, I slope off and do some wool-eater instead. Hence 'procrastination craft'.

One more little thing I have managed to produce this week. I've been doing some good old EPP hexies. I have a cunning plan for this flower and I hope to show you something finished very soon!

Embroidery Book Giveaway Winner!

First of all thank you so much for all your lovely comments and stories about embroidery. It's obviously a subject that many of you have an interest in and/or happy memories about.

And now for the winner......
It's comment number 14

And, at the risk of sounding biased, I am really happy that Marg is the winner. She has been having a really tough few years and deserves a treat, plus she wrote a whole blog post about the giveaway.
Nevertheless she won fair and square because Mr Random Generator doesn't have favourites!

Well done Marg! I will email you :)
Commiserations everyone else :(

Spool Block Mini Quilt

This spool block is part of my Modern Patchwork Techniques 2 evening class. It's probably the easiest week of the course.
I made a block as an initial sample, then another in the class, and then we did the course again a few months back and I made another.

And I thought, if I just make one more I could have a lovely little mini quilt...

... but I really shouldn't because next time I do the class I will have to make another sample...

...but that's not so bad because I love making them! They are great for using up scraps and preserving those special selvedges from much loved fabrics.

So I made one more, and sewed them together and machine quilted with wavy lines.

I didn't know what to use for a binding, until I thought of joining selvedges together to make one! I've never done this before, and it wouldn't be for every quilt, but I really like the effect here. And do you see what I used to make the corner hangers? I thought it was quite funny to use the paper clip fabric!

The 'thread' on these spools seemed to be crying out for real thread! So I got out my 'Potty of Perles' (I keep my perle cottons in an old chamber pot that belonged to my mum!) and chose quite a few.

Then went slightly crazy with the hand quilting! I love this 'kantha style' look and once I start stitching I find it hard to know when to stop!
As I want to start a new, follow-on, patchwork class for the Autumn and therefore may rest the MPT classes till the Spring, I thought I might use up my samples to make more mini quilts that I could put up for sale at out Scottish Modern Quilt Exhibition in August. So expect a few more of these popping up here in the near future.
Don't forget, there is still time to enter my embroidery giveaway! You have till midnight tomorrow!