It's Wednesday and it's going to be a long post... you've been warned!! (seriously if you're in a hurry just skip to the end so at least you know what the title is about!)

I'm linking up to Freshly Pieced and Love Affair with My Brother:

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced



It's been a busy week for me but here's what I've been doing sewing wise!

completed:

This week I finished my 'Not So Charming Rainbow Stars Quilt'



I also made a friend a little gift for her birthday, I used Danny at Mommy For Reals tutorial, it was super quick and easy:


Thankfully she loved it! I also made a couple of cards, really fast and cute!


ongoing:






Again this week I've managed to do two more paper pieced Rose and Star blocks, I'm linking up to the wonderful Rose and Star block party at Selfsewn - you really should join us!



Yeah I'm not sure what I was thinking with the second one - was it dark when I was cutting?? There's not much contrast with those corals! I did debate changing it but to be honest I am loving the coral and it's one of the linking colours between the blocks. It does make it look different from the others but I'm not too bothered about it right now. 


I also totally goofed the centre hexagon - the fabric is the wrong way round!! WTF?! Oh well, I kind of like that too ;)
Here's the back so you can see what it should look like at the front!!


I also got a lovely package with some scrummy Kona School Bus from Marmalade fabrics, I'll be throwing this into my Rose and Star mix!


Secret Quilt: I've made 7 more blocks this week :) So that's 52 to go!! eekk!
(I've not blogged very much about this quilt at all but that's because it's secret. So there!)

I've also done some cutting for the Follow the Pezzy Brick Road quilt:


Like the pezzy?? Yeah I'm giving a charm pack away but I kept one for myself ;)
Love that this pattern only uses one charm pack - brilliant!

no progress:
trying to make a 12.5" block but I will!!

I will be joining in the Fat Quarterly Paper Piecing Sew Along organised by A Labour of Love and using the Fat Quarterly Issue 8! yippee, lots of fun projects!





FQ8 Paper Piecing Sew Along


stats
completed: 2
new projects: 1
in progress: 3

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I'm not overawed at my progress for the weigh in though :(





Weigh In Wednesday


Despite almost no effort this week I have lost one pound. It's lonely, it wants more pounds to join it, I'm determined to do better next week!
A couple of people have, however, commented that I look like I've lost weight and that's nice. Don't want to get complacent but at least it's not for nothing!









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Finally a huge thank you to everyone who's participating in the Fugly Fabric Party!


Charm About You

I can't believe there are 48 links!! You're all in with a chance of winning a Pezzy charm pack :)

Please keep checking the fugly party post and stick buttons on your blogs - don't miss out on any of those gorgeous fugly fabrics, I mean seriously some are actually beautiful! The link will stay open until Monday 13th so people can still link up posts and you can carry on enjoying the fugly fabrics!

Check posts carefully - some swaps are now closed, some have just started and most giveaways are still open!

I've also had lovely comments and emails from people saying they are having fun - great!, loving the fabrics - yes!, and enjoying other people's blogs - brilliant! I know some of you are discovering new blogs and getting more followers, which is great because we all love them ;)

Thank you for your kind words, for participating in the party and for hopping around wallowing in the fugly!

In other news and finally getting round to explaining the post title...

My husband got the kids some new books this weekend. The first is the wonderful and highly amusing 'The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man' - this will appeal to any geek mum like me!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Astonishing-Secret-Awesome-Man/dp/0007453361/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328739464&sr=1-1

I really enjoy reading it, so fun!

The next one though I can barely bring myself to read. The first time I was crying, the second time I couldn't get the words out and actually had to stop. My husband rescued me and took over when he heard my sobs.
Yes I'm a big softy and yes this is a children's book but it's the most beautiful and heart wrenching tale I've read.
Largely because I desperately miss my Grandad who had his 'own' chair (you'll get that if you read it).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Bottle-Oliver-Jeffers/dp/0007182341/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328739380&sr=1-1

In my humble 'mum' opinion, Oliver Jeffers is a genius. We love his stories, who doesn't love a lonely penguin or a boy trying to catch a star?!
The Heart and the Bottle is a beautifully illustrated story, with a touching and thought provoking theme. Unfortunately I can't read it through my tears so I'll be leaving this one for my husband to read to the kids, I'll just pick it up when I want a good cry.