A new project in process...

Okay - so my last quilting "gift" (in which I try to bring the kids over to the "traditional Christmas Stocking darkside") was a complete bust. Being somewhat miffed (understatement all around) I went into quilt hibernation for the rest of the winter.

But now with spring coming up - and my interest in woolly projects on the wane - I've started to look for a portable cotton sewing project that I can work on in front of the boob tube. In need of a little stash enhancement I headed to my LQS (? is that what they call local quilt stores?) for some inspiration. I had planned on actually going to find a magazine and returned with some great fat quarters instead! (surprise surprise!)

This fat quarter bundle isn't traditionally my colour palette - somewhat subdued, but the little fabric piece with pictures caught my attention and I was suddenly transported back to a really comfy memory in my childhood.

My mom has always been a sewist (for more on this controversial term go here). Long rolls of fabric spread out across the floor and kitchen table, pins tucked into her shirt or pursed between lips as she places pattern pieces on the fold line. Checking the bias. Removing - re-pinning - reexamining. Huge black-handled metal sheers. Always reminded to "step back" as she prepared the first cut. Deep breath. The cut. And now we are committed.

Sewing while children nap. Sewing after we went to bed. Sewing pants, and skirts and shirts. A baby blue cape for Easter, dance recital outfits with sequins and fringe. Halloween costumes. The annual flannel pj's for Christmas day. Raggedy Ann & Andy. Paddington Bear. And now she makes quilts.

So back to my little packet of fat eights. The good news? When I went to pay for it I was told "50% off"... OOOOO! Yippee! The bad news? "50% off" means "no more anywhere  -aka - discontinued." That put a damper on things. Checked online - Ebay - you name it nothing. So then I headed down the "okay how do I use this to my advantage?" trail...

Ta - da! I'm making a lap quilt. And I plan on learning how to paper piece it. I'm think of a hexagon daisy type pattern - whereby the centre of each large daisy will showcase one of the little vignettes in the panel piece.

One of the wonders of the internet is pretty much anything I need to know - I can find it. (I know - tell you something don't already know... right?)

But I did go to YouTube and found out that I'd like to try paper piecing. I went to Selfsewn to learn how to do Basic English paper piecing. I've joined the Big Hexagons QAL  and I'm busily printing out hexagons on freezer paper  (I got the template online from The Sometimes Quilter ).

(Note: Luckily after I did this picture I realized I needed the hexagons on the wrong side of the fabric).

(More to come shortly)