Holiday Preparations!

Do you find that sometimes you need a holiday just to recover from all of the things you do BEFORE you go on holiday?!?! That's a bit how I'm feeling tonight ... and I'm only halfway through that list of holiday preparations! EEK!! :0)

In between the usual washing and list-writing of things that can't be done until the last minute, I got a little side-tracked. I know ... that's not at all like me ... MUCH! :0) Do you remember I showed you my holiday supplies last post?

Well, I decided that I REALLY wanted to make a pretty cover for my sketch book ... one that included a tie to keep it shut so I can slip things into the pages and not have them fall out every time I pick it up ... in theory! So ... I raided my stash of fave fabrics ... yep ... more Aviary being used!! And put together a strip-pieced cover. Hmmm ... OK ... pretty, but it just needs a little SOMETHING. So instead of packing my bag or tidying the house so the house sitter doesn't think the place has been burgled before they even get here, I was playing with appliqué designs. I had FUN! :0) And I was pretty pleased with the result ...

Ta Da! Look at those gorgeous Aviary fabrics. I'll be very sad when I eventually run out of them in my stash ... good thing that won't be for a while, cos I stocked up! :0) And open up the sketch book ...

... ready to sketch and play! :0) I had a wee bit of trouble convincing the sketch book that it really DID want to fit into the cover ... a slight miscalculation that didn't take the wadding into account ... but I've taken note of that, cos I'm thinking of including this in a combination pattern later in the year. Oh dear! Add another thing to that "To Do" list!! :0)

Now, when I'm not sketching or lazing around in the coastal sunshine during our two-week beach break, I'm hoping to get some stitching done to catch up with my "Gardener's Journal" blocks. So today I cut, measured, traced, attached stabiliser ...

... and I'm ready to do some serious stitching over the next two weeks!! We'll be tripping around a bit, doing some sight-seeing, catching up with family and even having dinner with a fellow-designer (who could it be?!?! Tee! Hee! Hee!) but honestly ... I really DO intend to do some stitching ... I've promised Chookyblue! :0)

Of course ... side-tracking myself with the sketch book cover kind of ate into my day of packing and holiday preparations, so as soon as I post this ... I'm off to pack a port ... or two ... oh and my sewing bag ... and my books ... and ...! :0) I'll still be keeping up with my emails while we're away, though I may not get to answer them as quickly as usual, so if you usually email me your OPAM finishes, that's still fine and don't forget to update your sidebar finishes lists in case Peg and I come blog-hopping before you get to email us. Which reminds me ... I must go and add my sketch book cover to MY list to set a good example! :0) WOW! Just had a look at my list and July has seen me finish more than double the number of projects I recorded for the last two months - YAY! About time I got my mojo working! :0)

OK ... time to stop side-tracking and procrastinating. I'm off to write a couple more lists, search for the ones I wrote this morning but haven't crossed everything off and pack some holiday gear. Hope you're looking forward to your weekend as much as I am and that you find some time to kick back and relax. Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS