Completed centre

Going on retreat - even in one's own home - really does work wonders. I have managed to sew fairly solidly for the past three days and have something concrete to show for it.

I finally completed Block 9 while watching the cycling (I will have to find something else to do next week as the Giro is now over and it is several weeks until the Tour de France!). Perhaps a bit of proper paid work in another life might be a good idea to sort everything out.

Well I was chuffed with that and then thought I would do the really scary bit and pin all the blocks up on my design wall.  This was a stomach churning moment - would I like all the colours together, was it too loud and brash - I would not know until I had tried so I went for it.

I sat and stared at it for ages and finally decided that I liked it.  I like the contrast between the stylised and realistic flowers and the way some bits are more fussy that others.

The good thing about only working with one or two designers' fabrics is of course that they all somehow go together - the colour strikes are similar and so the only jarring areas may be where I have added my own fabric - mainly the bias strips on the baskets but even those I like. The flowers I like best are the deconstructed roses in the top left block, the grapes in the middle centre block and the symmetry of the middle bottom block.

Although I have been using Beth Ferrier's way of glueing the pieces, I have found that I have been doing much more hand applique than on the first one or two blocks. It is very soothing to just stitch in the evening, especially all the small circles. It is more difficult when you have layers of applique shapes and those I think I would continue to do by machine.

I know they all need squaring up and piecing together and I am a long way from finishing but I feel a milestone has been reached.

Off now to do my skinny challenges but with a huge grin on my face.