Sewing frenzy

I don't know why at the moment but I just feel like I have too much fabric and I need to use it up! It is quite unreasonable, because I don't have any more than I usually do, but for some reason it is bothering me. I've decided I have too many of the boring mid-browns and I'm trying to use them in a boring mid-brown quilt. And I have a great pile of scrap blocks, so they're being used, and I've sorted some of the very uglies for use as backing fabrics. I have learned to just roll with this mood ... it will stop soon enough. Here are the mid-browns, blending gently into the carpet.

I took one of my husband's old ties apart on the weekend too. He likes ties, but retires them after a few years of wear, and never throws any of them out. So there are a heap that could usefully be made into a quilt, where he can see them and admire them (hopefully) and free up some room in his cupboard. It was very easy to take it apart and there is a surprising amount of fabric in a tie. This is a lovely dotted silk.



I don't know what I'm going to do with them but I suspect something very simple. With reasonably large pieces to let the fabric show, because the ties are generally lovely and in vivid colours. Perhaps against a dark grey background? White or black would be too stark, and no colour will go with all of them. I need some patchwork fabric to include otherwise it will be too difficult (they are all cut on the bias) and too clashy.

I enforced device-free time on the children on the weekend - just a couple of hours - honestly you'd think the world had ended. No computer, TV, ipad or phone. Not even for homework. Number two son happily draws - which is his preferred pastime anyway - but number one son scratches around for things to do. I say excellent mum-things like "why don't you tidy your room" or "go for a walk and get some fresh air". He ended up making the North Island of New Zealand out of tantrix tiles. It took him ages because he not only wanted it the right shape but to have the different colour lines running between the tiles for as long as possible. Hmmmm.