Tuesday 21 August 2012

Grabbing the Opportunity

This morning was filled with playing at United Nations Peace Keeper. I'd like to say it was fun but, you know, it was mostly laying down some hard truths, telling them to suck it up and get on with it. Maybe if the real UN did this the results would be different. Who knows? Not sure if it made much of a difference here. One child growing up and having a big change in circumstances (secondary school) and the other not seems to cause a certain amount of friction. They have never spent a summer like this before.

But it is what it is. I called in the cavalry this afternoon. Emily's best friend was home from holidays and she was the balm to frayed nerves that all of us needed.

It also allowed me a brief respite to cut and sew a border for my hexie cushion. I trawled through the stash and cut lots of 2" square scraps to follow the hexie rainbow around the edge. The original intention was for the rest of the cushion to be Kona charcoal but I failed to take into consideration that I only had a 15" strip in my possession. So I worked around it.

And I am happy enough with the outcome. Wonder if the eventual recipient is too?


I've worked out what to do for the back - think simple! - and need to get on with that. Then I will finally be able to tick a box of something finally completed. I need a finish. I entered the summer with some weird notion that I was going to get lots done. Ha! Serves me right for thinking that my days would be spent sitting at the machine, dining room doors wide open and listening to the bucolic sounds of my children at play.

Well, at least Sprinkles and Slush provide a neutral meeting ground for the two of them. The rodents have a purpose. Woohoo!

Susan x

30 comments:

  1. Absolutely love the colours, it is gorgeous!
    Whoever gets it is very very lucky :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh yeah I like this!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sorry to hear you have had a stressful day on the children front - I can relate to that!! Your cushion top is amazing though, thank goodness you had some respite and no doubt working with such gorgeous fabrics and colours cheered you up!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh I love the cushion, love all those colours. Hope tomorrow is a better day on the children front!

    ReplyDelete
  5. My home is filled with an unusual amount of friction today as well. Here is to a better tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your cushion looks great! good idea to do the border with all the hexie fabrics. Donna

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am sure the hot sticky weather doesn't help - it makes me feel a bit grumpy and short-tempered too! And come September there will be sewing time?

    Pomona x

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oooh, gorgeous! Is it's new home up here? Is it? Is it? Please let it be...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely lovely cushion. I really like the border. Fingers crossed for less fighting tomorrow. If it makes you feel any better I spent the afternoon walking two pretend dogs around the park and woofing - oh the joys of motherhood!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the cushion, the border is just perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The cushion looks fab! Guess you are counting the days til school goes back! Peace....

    ReplyDelete
  12. That's lovely! I think any recipient would be very pleased to get such a cushion :)

    Good luck with the kids. I look back on my teen-ish years now and shudder when I think what my parents must have gone through!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sounds like my house today, sort of...I got handed a note by my eldest saying 'you don't love me anymore and I know you don't want me to be your child'!!!!! Cripes, tell me other kids do this too!

    ReplyDelete
  14. The cushion is gorgeous, just love the way you have done the border :) Hope you have a more peaceful day tomorrow :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh Susan, what a nightmare kids can be sometimes. Your cushion cover is stunning, I love the way you've done the border. I'm sure the lucky recipient will be chuffed with it. Look after that last nerve! Jxo

    ReplyDelete
  16. Cushion is FAB! Sorry the girls are warring so much right now. Just wait til Helen has been off somewhere different, I'm sure Emily will miss her and they'll get on a bit better.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love love love that cushion and hope that red wine helped soothe the frayed edges of your nerves x

    ReplyDelete
  18. Just wait until they hit their mid teens. Then the fireworks will really start.

    My advice is to let them duke it out . There probably wont be much blood and they'll learn a ton about conflict resolution!

    And you need to come up with a plan that will keep you in the sewing room for the majority of your time for about 5 years. Think lots of projects with longevity!

    Love the hexie cushion front.

    ReplyDelete
  19. L.o.v.e it!!! absolutely could not imagine a better border. tis stunning.

    sorry bout the girls though. I feel your pain. must be something in the water. let's hope it changes soon for both our sanity's sake!

    ReplyDelete
  20. mary/Sy Lake Quilts21 August 2012 at 23:59

    Really nice pillow cover ! ( i know-- cushion in English english) The rainbow border really adds a lot.

    Good luck with the girls. Mine used to fight a lot too, but they are friends now at 31 & 29. Of course one lives in Seoul, Korea and one in Den Haag, the Netherlands! (I don't wish that on you).

    ReplyDelete
  21. Glad you maintained some peace in the house. Your hexies are looking really pretty

    ReplyDelete
  22. You should get the Nobel Peace Prize. If the UN could only figure out that all strife can be settled with gerbils and by calling a friend the world would be a much better place.
    Your cushion is looking just amazing. I love the small prints you're using - each one is a little bit of eye candy!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great cushion cover which we'd all love to receive!

    Love Cindy's suggestion! Gerbils all round then!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I hope that things settle down once school starts. Your cushion is lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'll send you the blue hard hat and flat jacket for the next round! I still say the holidays are too long! the cushion is a fantastic! I love it, and I'm sure it's new owner will too, or you could just send it here!

    ReplyDelete
  26. The cushion is beautiful and the border adds to it. I'm still laughing at Trudi's comment above! When they are teenagers it all changes as then you can't get them out of bed! Ah...the joys of parenting! Di x

    ReplyDelete
  27. this cushion is so stunning!! glad you got a little bit of sewing done!! the new pets are mega cute by the way! we are getting a wee doggy soon once he is ready to leave his mummy and sisters, a jack russell boy he should be around 8-10 weeks old! we have two cats, it should be interesting!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is amazing! OK hexies are definitely next on my to-so list (triangles had to be first!)

    ReplyDelete
  29. It's amazing! (The cushion, not your conflict resolution skills, although they're pretty spectacular too!) I'm sure whoever is lucky enough to receive this will be thrilled! Any chance Emily's best friend can move in for the rest of the holidays?!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for leaving a comment. I read them all and I love them all. I do my utmost to reply to comments as often as possible. If you comment and never receive a reply from me there is the possibility that you are a no-reply commenter.