Now I really should've been doing something else

Going back to when I made my Autumn quilt for the Four Seasons you may recall I had those dratted little HSTs which I just couldn't get to fit along side the Oak Leaves stitchery

They've been sitting in a plastic bag ever since looking at me reproachfully daring me to do something else with them

I've seen one or two Bears Paw quilts around blogland and I really like the design and thought I'd use the HSTs for the claws

However they really do not want to play nicely no matter what I do with them - probably because they were cut on the bias and thus stretch like a piece of elastic!

Yesterday afternoon, once we'd got the house ready for the onslaught of the 12 year old boys, I dug into the cream and beige fabrics I'd already pulled out for my brother's table runner

This idea was an itch I was going to have to scratch come what may - and I obviously wasn't going to rest until I'd done it

So I discarded the original HSTs and made some fresh which didn't stretch like a bungee cord

And here's the result - measuring in at just under 15" square for the total item

Now I've completed the top which is a bit neutral and boring for my tastes I've gone off the idea and I've not got a clue when I shall quilt it - but the itch is now thoroughly scratched! I should have been continuing with Christmas stitching but I just had to play at something else.

The sleepover was, as predicted, a wakeover! I'd no idea that 12 year old boys could giggle like a bunch of girls. Nigel lost the plot at 1.30am and went down and growled menacingly so we could at least get some sleep. Still despite this they had a great time.

Here are the motley crew looking a little jaded waiting collection by their parents after breakfast.

Sarah had a rugby match this afternoon but Nick had a free week as they were ousted from the cup competition in the last round. This meant that Nige and I could both watch the rugby and Sarah played well putting one try and three conversions on the scoreboard (11 points from the 36 - 5 final score). It also stayed fine and dry which was a bonus for the spectators

Tonight I sat and finished off the PIF gifts I promised some time ago - I've already posted one to Wales earlier this week but there are two still to go to Liverpool and Finland. It's obviously taken me so long that this scheme is actually doing the rounds again. I thought I'd better get mine completed and posted before I dare think about signing up for it again if I do bother to.

I wish this was actually 'Smellablog' as these smell delicious - they contain allspice berries, cinnamon bark and whole cloves. A gorgeous wintry smell which increases if they get warm. Great to put under a casserole dish on the table or to rest on the top of an aga or a woodburning stove.

The two spare ones may well go out with my Christmas presents to members of my family who haven't had one yet - if there are any family members in that category. However if someone in blogland has really taken a fancy to them I'd happily do a swap of one for some fabric.

On another note some of you very kind bloggers mailed food labels and advertising leaflets to Sarah a little while ago for her Food Technology project.

The deadline is looming and she's now started pulling the whole thing together.

The project is about Multi-Cultural Food and the photo shows some of the collage borders she will attach to the left hand side of each of her sheets in the project. She's mounted the labels etc onto black paper and then cut each ensemble out leaving a thin black border down the edge where she'll attach them to the white sheets.

They look so crisp and colourful and it's all down to you guys - you know who you are - thank you so much for your help.

I'm into work tomorrow for a change as Lou has a teacher training day on Friday so I've swapped my day off to look after her then - not sure what we'll get up to on that day but I believe there's a quilt exhibition in Radstock over near Bath for which Friday is the final day - it would be nice to do something for me for once - we'll see, I'd better check out the details, it's a bit of a hike if I've got the dates wrong.