On a roll

While I had my flannels out, I cut the pieces for a second baby quilt. This one will be almost identical in design, but with a more limited and structured colour palette. And because of the narrow strip I had remaining of one print I wanted to use, the block borders are 1/4in narrower. Since the first quilt was about as small as I like to go for baby quilts, I'll add a narrow border to this one, too. The squares in both are 6.5in, to finish at 6in. Why? Well it works quite well for the quilt size and the size of the print - but mostly because it's really easy, because I have a 6.5in square ruler!

I've decided to try a new quilting pattern on this quilt as well, possibly some sort of swirl. I love piecing and quilting flannels; they run through the machine so softly. And because there are minimal seams (I press the seams on flannel quilts open by the way, to spread the bulk) the quilting is even easier.

I'll get a bit done tomorrow; it's Australia Day and so a public holiday. We plan to do a few things around the house, having been spurred into action by our parents - Simon's father was here today, ostensibly to look after James and Eleanor, since its still school holidays and I'm back at work. He asked me to organise a skip, so I happily obliged - knowing that when he's here, he tears through jobs like a hurricane! James and Eleanor might not get overly close supervision, but he gets an incredible amount done. My father offered to come and help out, and when Simon and I got home, we found that both my parents had spent the day here, and together they'd done all sorts of things (pruning, fence fixing, odd-jobs, sorting the shed, clearing wood, sweeping, wiring, preparing for further activities...). I only wish I'd orderd the next size skip! I'm immensely grateful to have such wonderful parents and parents-in-law!