Thimbleberries Mark 2 WIP

Two weeks gone without posting - apologies: just too much other stuff going on and no time for proper sewing, just a few minutes scratched here and there.  Hence I have no finishes to report, and not a huge amount of progress on anything.

I have done what I often end up doing when stressed, and that is getting out things, doing a bit, and then next time picking up something else...  It makes for a very messy house and general confusion. Next week won't be much better but after that I am hoping for some space, mental and physical!

I did stitch together a few pairs of 'picket fence' units left over from the first Thimbleberries WIP, to make star/flower blocks, using plains from the stash for the middles.  I thought I had a photo of the block on the camera (such old technology in our house) but all I seem to have taken is a joyful jumble of stitch and flip waiting to be pressed.

So, my first resolution must be to let you see at least one finished block of the Mark 2 version next week.  I am finding it slightly scary mixing in the plains, but I haven't enough of any other suitable fabric, and I think it maybe gives the traditional block and fabric a slightly more contemporary spin. We'll see when it's finished... but good, I suppose, to try something a bit different.

I hoped to join the Chandelier Quilt-along on Lee's Bernina blog and got as far as sorting out and cutting some fabrics from the stash.  I really don't need to start another quilt right now with everything else that's going on but I do like the block and I've never done a QAL before, plus I have committed to use only stash.  Enough of trying to justify this - I should 'save my breath to cool my porridge' as my Scottish relatives used to say!

Anyway in my enthusiasm (aka haste) to cut the pieces I managed to cut through a tape measure I had carelessly left too near my cutting board.  Even I can't salvage that one!

Second resolution: to show you at least one finished Chandelier block next post.

Finally, a little bit of peace for hand sewing in the middle of the week and I made progress on my EPP WIP.  I am fairly happy with the way this is going now.  If I make three more 'lozenges' to complete the bottom row, then half 'lozenges' for the sides and top and bottom, that will give me a centre measuring about 36", which I think will be big enough.  This is my take-along project at the moment, and it won't be finished in a hurry, so no resolutions/deadlines for this one.

I hope you are managing to make better progress on your projects than I am.  Have a happy weekend.  Next week is our school half-term, but it is shaping up to be even busier at home than this week.  I will try to stick to my resolutions...