Bits and pieces

Yesterday, I learnt that a little simple cutting will transform this (9 straightforward squares) .......into this (fuuunnnkkkyy!). And this is just one variation.
And yes, I've started on ANOTHER quilt. This one is for a colleague's little girl. She loves bright, cheerful colours and so I hope she will appreciate this quilt :-)) I've also decided to sew some funky patchy reusable grocery bags for colleagues for Christmas. This method is a wonderful way to use up scraps of fabric.

For those interested in trying out this method (or just to explore patchwork), Quilts & Calicoes has charm packs all cut up already. Ira also has classes for the curious :-)

Now, it hasn't been just all about quilts around here. After several auditions, I've finally chosen the darling monkey's birthday dress fabrics and pattern:

That's the Oliver + S Jump Rope dress and I plan to sew up View B (not shown) which is more like a simple shirt-dress. The fabric is just right for a trip to the zoo :-))The zebra stripes are for the trimming -- I plan to use just a bit of it and perhaps add some red buttons. The darling monkey has approved of the choices and sewing should begin shortly!