This weekend we visited the Mela - multicultural festival - in our local park, so I got to sit on the grass, in the sunshine (yay!) and eat one of my favourite things:

Masala Dosa

...and watch some great entertainment:

Knife juggling

Would you like to see him suspend a canon ball from his eyelid?

No?  Me neither!  Youngest sprog and I did a runner, leaving my husband and hardier daughter to be amazed and astounded.

Since then, I have made a start on quilting this:

 

I'm doing organic (wonky) line quilting, about half an inch apart, and at the moment I'm not sure whether to do this across the whole coloured panel, or leave it as it is with sections of quilting about four inches apart. What do you think?    If I left it like this, will that be enough to hold it together (warm and natural batting)?   Would it look better with more quilting?

In the end I decided to go for the thicker of the variegated threads I was considering.

So far I like the effect, though I wonder how it would have looked with the sand-coloured thread. 
I also haven't decided whether to quilt the border (sand linen in the thread pic above) with the matching thread, or the variegated one - decisions, decisions!

I want to learn something new with each thing I sew, so this time I tried spray basting.  Let me introduce you to my new best friend!

Have a lovely weekend, and a big thanks to all the Slow Bloggers who joined the linky party last week.  I had a great time reading all your posts!

Upcycling

I was cutting up some old jeans yesterday so I could add (a fancier) one of these to the WIP list

With Susan's post probably in the back of my mind, I thought that the pockets could be recycled into a little pouch.   By good fortune the fly zip was just the right size too.

After a false start ...

(sewing the zip on upside down...)

My youngest and I sewed this (I steered, she drove):

It has a central zipped compartment and - obviously - two outside pockets!  It came with its own embellishment, otherwise we would have decorated it ourselves.  Next time I'm recycling a pair of jeans I'll make another with a shoulder strap, and try covered zip ends.

(If you're looking for the Slow Bloggers linky party, please go here)

Inaugural linky party for Slow Bloggers

Are you a Slow Blogger?  Does life sometimes get in the way?  Do you ever feel apologetic about your lack of productivity?  Then this is the place for you.

Welcome to the Inaugural Linky Party for Slow Bloggers.  Here is where we can get together and celebrate our achievements for the previous month however small.

If you have been creative, write a post about it then come here and share your projects (link up for Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts too!).     Conversely, feel free to link up a post here telling us what else you've been up to or sharing something that inspires you. 

Temporary members are welcome.  One day the baby will sleep through the night, the children will start school, you may even win the lottery and give up the day job.  Maybe you'll get back on track after that holiday.  Your sewing mojo might just return from exile next week.  Until then, you're not alone! All you need to do is add the button below to your post or sidebar, link your post, visit and comment! The link will stay open for a week.

I'm hoping this might become a regular feature, held on the last day of the month, with hosting going to a different blog each time.  If you would like to host during one of the months to come, just let me know. 

<a href="http://www.knottedcotton.com/p/slow-blog-manifesto.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Knotted Cotton" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuYxPHIpqLaGvfz6Is39fZclZD9VrdSYsZWTey6c-R07X7Irn0XOAFGIl51OlnCrpzgb7sGYkfcNLWHK3UDoaQ4tpADYq1BCAUgJ2NP5BOhJWwIPB8h1X3vB-BQYj1qoVL79pHeHBsDYA/s125/snail-with-title-001.jpg"/></a>

I'll just say my August has whizzed by in a blur of school holidays. I spent the first week back clearing the school allotment - ironic that the weeds have done spectacularly well during the wet weather, whereas the vegetables.....

Finished projects (feel free to skip):

here and here:

WIPs:

One top to quilt - all material bought and ready to go
One quilt based on paper-pieced dandelion seeds - no progress

WITTS (works in the theoretical stage:-)):

One cushion cover to make as a present
Three Pay-it-forward gifts

The most exciting part of my month has been this

What about you?

Catherine

Speed of Light

Last night:

I collected a light stick:

and set off up an extinct volcano:

to watch this:

The dots of light are runners in special light suits. Here we are at the top:

and coming back down again:

It was an amazing night:

Mr RNG

Mr Random Number Generator has done his bit this very minute:

so this book will shortly be on its way to Sarah Lou!   I do hope you enjoy it - have fun! 

A quick note to mention the latest stops on the Let's Get Acquainted blog hop:

Aug 23

Ginny from Fish Creek Studio, who has a tutorial for a lovely Xmas pillow with embroidered embellishments, and May from Confessions of a Fabraholic, with a tutorial for a laptop skin protector, which is a good idea considering how toasty your laptop can get.

And up today are:

Lucy from Charm About You, with a tutorial for a sweet cube pincushion and baby block, and Ella from Throw a Wench in the Works - spare-time belly dancer - with a funny post and a tutorial for a polaroid snap snack mat.

A finish and a beginning

Finished and framed.  Applique, machine- and hand-embroidery on Klona cotton, design by my daughter.  Thanks to Sandy for confirming that the puckering was because I hadn't stabilised the fabric.  I had to stretch and iron it out as best I could - it still shows a little but I photographed it in a favourable light;-)

On to the next project now (unless I can find another distraction) which is to back and quilt this...

...using the walking foot I have just bought for myself with birthday money.   Yep, I actually quilted all the quilts I have made so far without a walking foot  - ignorance mostly, and you might say it shows....  It can be done though!

I'm going to do a couple of test runs first to try out different threads.

Unfortunately I am an idiot and didn't buy enough of the linen I wanted to back it with, so I am going to have to resort to some ingenuity and a rethink.


Linking up to:

Not really a giveaway:-)

I recently bought this lovely book.  It's great for someone just inspired to learn embroidery - full of nice inspiration for doodle stitching, and good if you wanted to do some sewing with children.

I've read and digested and would like to pass it on to someone who would make good use of it.  

If you would like it, just let me know in the comments section by 6pm GMT on Tuesday 28 August.  You only have to be a current follower please (because I'd like to show my gratitude), and promise to blog anything you make as a result (because I'm nosy and would like to see).

I would be happy to send it internationally though you may have to wait a little while for it to arrive:-).   If more than one person applies I will let Mr Random Number Generator pick someone.