The best laid plans etc

Apologies for the lack of action on this blog.  The plague of ill children has struck the Pye household again, this time knocking out any kind of fun for 3 out of the past 4 weeks.  Hopefully a course of antibiotics will see off the current dastardly ear infection so that normal life can resume soon.

I didn't even have time to post about my Q1 Finish-a-Long, which is probably just as well, as despite a roaring start, it stalled in February and never really got going again.  On a happier note, I now have 2 quilts at the binding stage, and without the FAL they may have still been in boxes, so progress made.  Here is my elder daughter's Dolce quilt ready to bind:

I genuinely enjoy doing the binding which gives me an additional incentive to reclaim my evenings and sit on the sofa hand sewing, while my husband watches one of the many tedious series currently clogging up our Sky+ Planner.

I have missed the Q2 FAL deadline but I am still going to set some personal goals.  Although given this last month, just "any sewing whatsoever" would have been something to achieve.  I must also factor in my Bee blocks - I always forget to put them on my list, but they do take time.

I am also delighted to see BBC2 running the Great British Sewing Bee, on one hand just to get sewing on the map and also to see the poor contestants trying to whip up a piece of quality clothing in far too little time.  I haven't seen last night's episode yet so don't tell me who goes home!

It has also given me the nudge I needed to get my dressform (Christmas present from 2008) out of its box for the first time (*hangs head in shame*), adjusted to my expanding waistline, and set up in my sewing room:

... which, by the by, is another new development  - clearing out the cot & assorted paraphernalia from the old nursery and claiming it as Mummy's Dedicated Sewing Space.  Next step is to put a lock on the door.  Muhahahaaa!

I have traced the pattern pieces for this Green Bee Amelia dress which I am going to make up in a muslin first:

... with a view to then making it properly in Tula Pink's Saltwater - hoping that the bias cutting does some interesting things with the stripes:

But who knows!  I am not very experienced at dressmaking (except for children's clothes, which are much easier).  And it is possible that if a dapper beardy man from Savile Row doesn't appear to check my handiwork and let me examine his trouser waistband, I may well lose interest.  If I get this finished before the proper summer weather arrives, I will be very happy indeed.