Scraptastic Tuesday: Log Cabin Blocks

On the second Tuesday of each month, Nicky and Leanne are hosting a scrappy linky party, entitled 'Scraptastic Tuesday'.  You can link up a blog post or Flickr photo (and possibly an Instagram photo but as I'm not on IG I'll leave that to the rest of you to work out!) about a scrappy project or scrap sorting system and you'll have a chance to win a prize from one of their sponsors.  Why not join in?  They've done something clever (I think it might be magic) with the linky party and you can link up to the same party from either of their blogs.  This month you have two weeks to add your link.

We're approaching the end of the current year with Bee A Brit Stingy (the second year of the bee and my first year as a proper bee) and our penultimate Queen Bee is Catherine, who chose scrappy blog cabin blocks as her block.  She asked for the blocks to be the classic dark and light log cabin blocks; two of the blocks needed to have a dark side made from bright and cheerful strips and the other block(s) needed to have a 'proper' dark (but not sludgy) side.

I had a lovely time in my sewing room yesterday afternoon and in just under two hours managed to make four blocks, all from fabric in my scrap boxes.

Two 'bright and cheerful' blocks

Two 'dark and brooding' blocks

My blocks are a smidge larger than they should be (7.625" unfinished, rather than 7.5") but I've left them that size and Catherine can trim 1/16" off each side if necessary!


Before the light completely disappeared yesterday, I managed to take a quick photo of all the blocks on my ironing board (complete with new cover - one I've had in the cupboard for over a year while I eked out the old one for as long as possible!) so that Catherine could see them:

I made sure to include some space fabric I had in my box as Catherine is interested in astronomy and had fun choosing other fabrics to go in the mix, like the gold ladybirds (which, for some reason, feel like lucky ladybirds) and the cherry lips.  There's something very satisfying about making something completely from scraps, isn't there?  Almost like you've made it for nothing!  I'm going to be Queen Bee in November and have a scrappy block planned.  I really need to get moving and make my sample blocks and sort out a (very, very simple) tutorial.


I've also started work on an item on my FAL list and have spent several hours measuring, cutting and tacking fabric to pieces of paper before squashing my intense dislike of EPP (I know plenty of you love it but I don't!  It's handy for this heavy Japanese import fabric, though, as it's prone to fraying and is hard to hand piece because it's so thin.  It's bloomin' hard work, though!) and getting down to work on a new pin cushion:

Mr Penguin, off to work (I like to think he's the penguin who founded the book publishing house and he's off for a hard day of reading at the office.

Adding the walls (i.e. sides) of the pin cushion

Nearly all the walls added and it now makes a lovely (temporary) storage basket!  Apologies for the night time photo!

I'm now just about to attach the bottom and then I can turn it through and get stuffing (which always takes far longer and far, far more stuffing than you ever imagine) and then a bit more hand stitching and it'll be finished!  I'm not sure that fabric which is as expensive as this can ever be regarded as 'scraps' but most of my pieces are the size of a charm square or smaller (with a few exceptions where I have a FQ or a 5" strip) so, technically, this pin cushion is made from scraps.  (Handy, given that it's Scraptastic Tuesday!)


Archie went to the vet yesterday for a checkup and she was thrilled with his progress.  He's now off the steroids and is on a doggy anti-inflammatory, which will hopefully see the end of the side effects of the steroids (weeing for England and constantly whinging for food).  He's also going to start taking glucosamine, once I find the right dose.  The vet said to go to Holland and Barrett and ask for 'glucosamine for a 14kg dog' but when my mam went today the assistant gave her a bottle and said 'these are the strongest we sell'.  I don't know about you but it doesn't seem right to give a medium-sized dog the same dose as a fully grown human so I need to check that the dose is right before I open the bottle.  I suspect I'll be going back to the shop on Friday for a refund...  Once Archie is happy on the anti-inflammatory and glucosamine, I can start to increase his walk by five minutes a week (still on the lead and still a slow walk/stroll but at least it's a walk) and see how he copes.  I've even dismantled the cage this afternoon and Archie wasn't too sure he was happy to see it go:

Where are you taking that?  I was becoming quite fond of it!

On Sunday, Archie enjoyed what could prove to be the last of the sunshine this year:

I love my bed!!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Now Archie isn't allowed to ascend (or descend) the stairs (and needs lifting in and out of the house), I have a stair gate at the top and bottom of the stairs.  I was a bit concerned (rightly so, as it turns out) that he would try to 'paw' open the gate at the bottom of the stairs so he could join me upstairs, so I did what any self-respecting quilter would do:

Quilt made from a Moda scrap bag and scraps of assorted white-on-white fabric - there's seems to be a theme to this blog post!

It presents a more solid barrier and Archie hasn't once tried to paw open the quilt!


Finally, I received a lovely surprise in the post today:

Isn't this little quilt gorgeous?

Catherine listed this little quilt in her Q4 FAL post and has sent it to me for my sewing room wall!  It has a little hanging loop on the back which is a great way to hang little quilts (and one I'll be remembering!).  Thank you, Catherine, you're a treasure!


Thanks for popping in - don't forget to link up to Scraptastic Tuesday and then have a nosy at what everyone else is doing with their scraps!