Enjoying :: the wood fire on these cold mornings, minus 7 today! Also, I’m loving the look of the frost on the ground when I wake and the wonder the children have as they examine the formation of ice on the ground, stones, trees, all around.

Making :: lots of logs. Log cabin quilts are captivating all my thoughts at the moment and I’m doing my best to convert the ideas to fabric!

I'm back in bed with a fever again and soooo bored. Got the 8yo to give me a box of fabrics and I'm going to attempt to make a quilt all by hand… Let's see how far I get! Using a bundle of @michaelmillerfabrics Cotton Couture and some grey prints from @polkadotteafabrics #notasponsoredpost #ijustlovethepolkadotties #theyshouldsponsorme #procrasticraftneedsafabricsponsor #improv #quilting #patchwork #procrasticraft

A photo posted by Jules McMahon (@procrasticraft) on May 26, 2015 at 2:57am PDT

Working :: on releasing my very first pattern out into the world – the testers are on it and I’m frothing at the bit to see what they come up with!

Eating :: the fruits of my labours – since my babies could sit, they’ve helped in the kitchen with family meal preparation and baking. I remember the shock and surprise of people’s faces when they saw my first bubba, then a not-quite-three-year-old, slicing capsicum with a sharp knife. I’ve never shied away from letting my kids have a go (always with appropriate supervision and instruction) and yesterday, that bubba (now a not-quite-nine-year-old) came home from school and baked me a cake. She tolerated the help of the seven year old and together, they made the most delicious greek yoghurt cake!

Thanks to Miss 8 and Miss 7, we have dessert! #thisiswhyitaughtthemtobake

A photo posted by Jules McMahon (@procrasticraft) on Jun 1, 2015 at 2:53am PDT

 
 
Reading :: The Artists Way for Parents. I’ve always considered myself to be very supportive of my children’s creativity so it’s great to have a resource for further exploration and hints and tips of ideas I’d not considered. After reading this, next on the list is a book for me and my creativity.

Waiting :: for airfares to go on sale! I want to book my QuiltCon flights and get that locked away before registration opens later this month!

**Books in this post are linked to Book Depository - I am an affiliate of this website so if you click through and purchase, I will receive a small commission towards my next books. They offer free-shipping worldwide which is the bomb**

  
The winds of change need to blow through this dusty ol’ blog of mine – a major sweep out is due for sure. 

I’ve got some small plans for changes in the next couple of months to make this a more friendly and enticing space for you to visit, including more about my quilt creations but also my crazy kitchen concoctions and other tid bits. 

Tell me, what would you like to see on these pages? Is there something you’d like to ask me? A topic you’d like me to explore in-depth with other creative bloggers? Who are those bloggers you’d like me to collaborate with? All the questions I have would fill page after page but dear reader, I’d really like to get to know you a little more and build a welcoming and warm community here so please, do share your ideas with me in the comments below. Or you can email me: jules@procrasticraft.com

Thanks so much for helping me along on this journey. Jxx 

I did it! I made something for me “just because” and I love it!!!! This is the Aeroplane Bag by Sara Lawson. Sara’s patterns are really well written and come with simple instructions, lots of tips and photos to help with each step.

I made a couple things different in that I added an external pocket between the handles, used cotton webbing instead of making straps and added a key clip to the inside – I don’t know about you but I always lose my keys in big bags.

This bag took me weeks to make as I started, stopped, decided to hand stitch some decoration onto the external panels, packed up, started again, you get the drift. I think if I’d focused and made it all in one go, it would take a full day, but it would be a day well spent! I’m super chuffed with the result and more than a little relieved that I finished in time to take it to QuiltCon.

Side Note :: Sara recommends using Soft and Stable as the main stabiliser and I’m so glad I found this stuff through her patterns. It’s the NICEST bag batting I’ve ever used and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to anything else! So soft and easy to work with but with lots of memory so it bounces back into shape no matter how hard it gets squished and pulled about.

The details:

Pattern :: Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness. Work have a large range of Sara’s patterns on order, due to arrive early March.

External :: Echino Hexagon Bees and Solid Orange, 55% Linen, 45% Cotton. Handles are grey cotton webbing. All purchased from Addicted To Fabric (also where I got the Soft and Stable and the hardware).

Lining :: Botanics by Carolyn Friedlander purchased from Pink Chalk before they closed (sob). The key clip is a scrap of Kaffe Fassett Aboriginal Dots.