Sew Good

After my coaster success, I decided it was time to tackle something a little bigger. Me being me, nothing is ever hard enough unless I am within inches of tearing my hair out. Someone pointed me to this easy quilt project - a Flannel Rag Quilt. WHY I chose to make something out of flannel as we head into summer is beyond me, but then I never claimed to be particularly sensible anyway.

Once I started this project, I realised two things. Firstly, that I had woeful sewing skills. Secondly, that sewing is in fact almost exactly like cooking.

In sewing, it's the preparation which determines the final outcome. How accurately you cut your material, how well maintained your machine is, how much time management you do, what kind of material you purchase, and so on. Cooking, too, requires excellent mise-en-place (preparation) if you're going to turn out a decent meal. It's also all about choosing the right ingredients, giving yourself enough time, having good knife skills, and being patient with your ingredients. Like sewing it also requires to be resourceful. No pickles on hand? Use cucumbers. No batting on hand? Use pieces of flannel instead. It doesn't take a genius to work out why my new found crafting love affair appeals to me enormously.

And so I embarked upon this "easy" project with some trepidation. I'm now about 2/3 the way there, and I must say I am loving every minute of it. The kids are well sick of it - "MUM! That thing is so NOISY!" and DH is just glad that while I am sewing, my mouth is shut and I am content. The fact that my quilt is not exactly, shall we say...lined up properly...well, as DH says, it all adds to the homemade charm of it all.

Stay tuned - I'll post some pics when it's done. In the meantime, I'd best step away from the machine for a bit...