Preparing for Nephew

The first batch of presents for my nephew has finally been finished. I hope my sister is adhering to the temporary reading ban I've imposed upon her. If you're reading this, honey, please get off the blog now! You know you're allowed back post-birth...

This...

...has become quite the lovely pile...

Another two more pictures to showcase the other fabrics.

Riveting the studs with a hammer proved fun, especially because the noise made the husband ask what the heck I was doing...

Other than that, I cast on a cowl on my knitting needles yesterday evening. Let's see how that goes because a) I think I made a negligent mistake somewhere and b) I'm not sure I really like the pattern. Hmpf.

Anyway, I've also been brainstorming ideas for more embroidery on Red Riding.

Having learnt that the parents have a weakness for owls I might just stitch up one or two. Do you remember Jenelle's incredibly cute Vintage Owl Embroidered Cushion? I'd like to aim for something similar - only smaller and worked in my blue quilting thread only, obviously. What do you think?

Happy sewing and to a great week, friends!

Linking up! Come on and join the fun!

Taking a Break

I'm in a bit of a sewing and blogging slump. There's so much I'd love to do but there's so much else I've got to do first that I feel a tad overwhelmed and end up not really sewing. Most importantly I'm busy scouring job ads and fine tuning my applications. On top of that I'm dealing with a high migraine frequency, whether that's due to the weather changes, the stress, the too long hours in front of the screen, or the sniffles I caught... Most likely it's a combination of all of the above and I know it's going to abate but there's a few things I can do to actively improve the situation rather than whine.

Sigh... I'll significantly reduce my funsies online time for at least a week to give my eyes a rest and free up time for walks in the park and exercise after the day's work. So please don't think I go all silent on you, friends, and won't ever return. I will and I will still answer mails. I just need to prioritise at the moment, reschedule and re-energise, spend a little less time reading and commenting in blogland.

Not going without a sneak peak of something that will finally be finished during this break, though.

I scored some Prym press studs on the cheap for the bibs.

Still not cheap cheap, true, but cheaper than usual because these are way old. The packaging still says "Made in W.-Germany" and I haven't seen four-digit postcodes since 1993! But hey, press studs don't mold or suddenly disintegrate, do they?

Stats

Finishes - 0

Ongoing Projects - 4
EPP hexies - 52 finished flowers + 14 nearly-theres
baby things
Grecian Waters/Emerald HST quilt - finished the top!
cushion cover

Stalled Projects - 1
EPP parallelograms/stars

Planning Stage - 5
Wedding Anniversary quilt
Quilt for the husband - will possibly be downgraded to a pillow case
Two summer dresses & a skirt

Happy sewing and speak soon!