I've started working cutting my Arcadia Avenue block of the month out because I just needed to start something new this week. 

Each block contains 12 colors, including a tint and shade of each color of the rainbow, along with a light, medium, and dark color. If that sounds like a lot of cutting, it is!

I decided cutting each half yard all at once would be more efficient than trying to cut all 12 solids for each block at once. 

Cue 12 ridiculous piles of fabric in my living room and leave me a thousand miles from being ready to piece!

I also decided I have to choose a different blue, as my darker blue blends in with the lighter colors too much. 

Instead, I've relegated the darker blue to being the lighter and have ordered Bella Periwinkle to serve as my darker color. 

In less frustrating news than having to wait 2 weeks and cut lots more before I can see any of those blocks finished, I worked on a scrap basket this week.

It's called a Fat Quarter PopUp, by the Fat Quarter Gypsy, and includes a spring in it so it does, indeed, pop up!

The small PopUp does take only a fat quarter, and purchasing the pattern also gets you a spring. 

It took around an hour to complete and holds my scraps quite well.

I purchased the pattern with the understanding measurements for all sizes were included in one pattern. I also purchased a medium sized PopUp spring expecting to be able to complete more than one size. 

Unfortunately, that is not the case. In order to have one with the -one- dimension necessary to complete larger ones, the seller wants customers to purchase another pattern at $10. 

I didn't feel like that was the most honest, so here goes my next one......

Ok, well, I ended up needing slightly different fabric for it, and it's still not done, but to be continued!

Skirts and Chaos

I'm slowly getting my sewing room back in order. It's still chaos, as everything was shoved into boxes and shoved from the room, but things are slowly turning up.  

I've also been working on the Figtree wool block of the month now that the thread arrived.  Working with wool is definitely different!

I like the feel and dimension the wool creates, but it can definitely be harder to applique. Those stems in the block on the left had to be resewn because I didn't apply enough glue and the wool shifted, leaving me with a wavy vine.

I've discovered that using extra glue (a lot of it!) holds it in place better and that reducing the foot pressure on my machine helps as well.

I've also been working on catching up on the 2016 Designer block of the month by Fat Quarter Shop. 

I have to say, some of these blocks don't photograph well, but in person and assembled they're great!

Last but not least, I found this lovely skirt out and about in Vientiane.  I love the lemons, I love the feel of the material, but they wanted entirely too much money for the work that went into it - particularly here, where an entire personally tailored dress costs less than $50 USD including material.

I think the problem is that it wasn't tagged and I'm a "falang" or "foreigner" here. A friend assured me the owner doesn't operate that way, so wish me luck when I go back to get that skirt! 

Hopefully they'll just order yardage for me to make a fresh skirt, otherwise I have some alterations (like lowering the waist, as it sits under my rib cage!) to tackle.