Spring seemed as if it had made an entrance as the wonderful crocus had started to peep it's head up along with the daffodils and even though it had been very cold in the mornings and evenings when I was travelling to work and home again, the sun had made it's presence felt during the day and the mornings were getting brighter earlier and the evenings were getting shorter. I will be positive (after all the flowers need the rain).
I have been catching up on reading the blogs that I follow while having a break from studying. I am studying for the TMITI (Tax Technician) exams which take place in mid April. At my age it is very hard to get back into the whole idea of classes and study along with trying to work, keep the house going and the most important thing (as far as everyone else is concerned) make sure that there is plenty of food in the house. This leaves very little time for sewing but I try to take a half hour most evenings to help relax.
I've been feeling tired lately and put it down to studying and everything else it takes to keep going but have just gotten the results of my annual blood tests back and my iron levels are way down again (this is the third time in 18 months) so it's back on the iron supplements and maybe more tests. Hopefully the supplements will give me a boost in a couple of weeks so that I can get the 50% I need to pass each of my exams.
To try to keep my mind on sewing I've signed up for two swaps, one is a Rainbow mug rug swap which I've started on.
This was a coloured glass pattern that I decided to do as an english paper piecing project as I can manage to get a bit done during my half hour sewing in the evenings. I'm going to make a striped rainbow back and try to get it finished this week.
The other swap is an english paper pieced small bag (around 5 inches). I have to wait to see who my partner is and what they like before I start this one but I have some ideas bouncing around already.
Can you see a theme here? Yes you guessed it, I love english paper piecing, especially hexagons and I have several books on it. I've signed up to follow the Milliefiori that Katja is doing as I had already purchased the book but will have to watch from the sidelines for a while.
I've also bought the Millefiori book that Quiltmania have after seeing it on several blogs and sites. Again this will be a "to do" project.
What I have managed to do are the kalidescope blocks which I'm still working on and some prairie braid batik columns. I enjoy these as they are nice hand sewing.
If you get a chance please check out Julie's blog for her visit to a festival in a nearby town (she lives in Japan and writes such brilliant pieces about life, the culture and festivals there). I love reading her blog as she takes some great photos, is very informative on the flowers that grow in her garden and around her and makes great use of very small spaces where she lives.
That's all for now. We have a big festival coming up in a couple of weeks, St Patrick's Day (or as we call it Paddy's Day) so I am going to try to take some photos of our local parade.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
