Back in Texas!

FYI: This post is random, even for me. It is a mix of sewing projects and travel photos from Ireland.

I dug up all of the scraps from my Super Swoon octopus quilt and decided to start using them. First, I finished a 16" block for a throw pillow. I still have plenty of scraps leftover, so who knows what will happen!

The day before I left for Ireland, I realized two things:

1. I had no hand sewing project to work on during the trip.
2. I had no pouch big enough to hold a hand sewing project that didn't exist. 

I had been itching to make a cheesy EPP something out of 30s reproduction prints, and this seemed like the perfect time. The final decision was to make pinwheels out of half hexagons! I have no idea how many pinwheels I will make or how big the quilt will get, but at least I have a handiwork project to last a few trips. 

Here are the half hexies I finished basting on the plane to and from Ireland. They are 3" half hexagons which means the three short sides are 3" long. 

And here is the zippered pouch I whipped up to keep my supplies in. I used hexie fabric for the top stripe. In this picture, the pouch and I are at Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. At this place, there are a ton of hexagonal rock formations and it happens to be one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been.

Here are some pictures of Giant's Causeway I took.

And because none of the pictures I took really do the place justice, here is a photo borrowed from Google.

Speaking of Ireland, I found some awesome quiltspiration while I was there. This first one is the sidewalk in Cork, Ireland.

Then we have some ridiculously expensive socks I found in a shop window in Dublin. The picture is horrible but the socks are incredible! Each of them would make a great quilt!

These next two are the floor in an incredible little pub in Cork called the Hi B Bar. The place was tiny but so charming. They had a no phone rule and opera playing on the radio. The third generation owner was there and he spent a good amount of time talking to us. So awesome!

I decided to work on the front for another throw pillow. Here is the evolution of planning for me. I start with fabrics cut to various sizes and arrange them in  pleasing way. These are all going to be flying geese. 

Once I like the way they are arranged, I make paper representations of these and work on getting the layout to be workable (as in no y-seams!). FYI: I took this photo after the fact, so the next step is already done. But I swear, I did spend a lot of time moving these suckers around 1/4" by 1/4" to make sure there were no y-seams!

Then I figure out how this is going to play out into blocks that I can sew together.

Then I make it! Taaadaaaa! (The tada really helps!)

I also finished up my project for Mug Rug Revival. I did the FMQ! It isn't great, but I am getting better. :)

Oo! And I fit in some cooking! The Brussels sprouts are from MY garden! The other thing is sundried tomato and pesto risotto with chunks of goat cheese brie melting into it. Omnomnom.

I also got a quilt back from the quilters and finished off the binding. Didn't expect to like Simply Style fabric as much as I did! Well, I did have to add the green which is from Zen Chic. 

Here is a closeup of the quilting, done by Kenneth Butler.

Aaaaand here is the obligatory backing/binding shot.

Wooo! It looks as though a lot has been accomplished, which is wonderful because the semester starts next week and I have a full-time teaching load this semester. Also, I'm moving. But I might be in denial about having to actually pack up all of my sewing stuff. *sigh*

I am leaving you with another picture from Ireland. A very important picture from Ireland. My boyfriend and I with our first pints of Guinness in Ireland, about 1 hour after our plane landed! Sláinte, y'all!