These ladies have been waiting a very long time to get their skirts.  But don't they look so happy now?  They were left in painted on hot pants for over a year, as I tried to work out how to make them stand up.

The original plan was to hand turn some wooden bead and route out a centre that let each doll stand.  The problem was I haven't touched woodwork since manual training and have no idea where to find a freindly wood turner.  In the end, it was air dry clay to the rescue with hand molded bases holding each lady.  They look just about ready to start singing

In the quest to get my craft room sorted, I have not only found some orphan tops, but a really good home for them. Cat is collecting up blocks, tops and supplies to put together quilts for children in Christchurch. You can read more about it here.

The first top I’m sending off is from my make it all work stage. The fabrics are largely from a bulk bag of fabrics from the thrift store, supplemented with a few reds from my collection. After cutting everything into 2” strips and sorting by light and dark only, the courthouse steps came together. A friend I was quilting with at the time, held the belief that you can make any combination of colours go as long as there are no brights. I have to agree, but the end products always appear to be brownish. I miss my brights and so this one has sat unfinished for 4 years.

The second one is from my shabby chic phase. I started it at a night class 3 years ago and haven’t touched it since. I had wanted to finish this for Little E’s bedroom, but I’m not so sure anymore and my shoulders dread that ache of machine quilting.

The quilts are off and I’m sure will soon find somewhere to call home. If you are in the slightest way tempted to send something also, please get in touch with Cat. She’d love to hear from you.

Thank you so much for the lovely comments on the quilt in progress. I'm slowly getting there with only the binding to go. I thought I should share what happened to the the first stash of 1930's fabrics in the mean time.

I had been looking for something that I could hand piece and decided on a Grandmother's Fan. In between gathering the fabrics and starting the quilt, I came up with a strategy to do it all by machine and so the hand piecing went out the window.

It was certainly a slow work in progress. Started in June 2004 and not finished until the binding was sewn on in June 2007 (it was one of the things in my crazy pre-baby to do list).

It took some time to find the right yolky yellow, not too lemon and not too brownish. The backing is a Trelise Cooper remnant from The Fabric Warehouse. Despite it's long journey, the quilt is still one of my favourites. When we started to redecorate the spare room for Little e's imminent move, I knew just where it would go.

The “Days of the Week” quilt is now officially finished. I finished the binding and label today.

I had been contemplating free motion quilting but chickened out. The most of this is straight lines with a few areas of free motion to the stripes.

The year started with me vowing to empty the WISP box. By June, I had modified this to – if it was started in 2008 it will be finished in 2008. This one was started, I think, in April. This leaves only two more quilts started this year still to be finished.

When I saw this kitset many years ago it reminded me of sitting and chatting with my friend, M. I had just left university and started my first job in a new city. I was really missing my friends too.

M and I have been friends since the beginning of university and lived in number of dodgy flats together, before striking out to different cities. We had both come from boarding schools and were marveling at the freedom of university. While in the first days of the university hostel everyone was asking about study and exam marks, M was the first to ask about family. It's the little things that you remember.

We have lived cities and countries apart, managing to stay in touch all the while. Along with her husband, she is a godparent to my child. Her son insists on being part of the action too, and sees himself as a godbrother.

While neither of us has ever owned a frumpy dress like the one in the picture, I think the pink top and brown pants looks like someone has raided my wardrobe. The picture hasn't really changed over the years. There are a few more kids toys on the floor, maybe, and husbands doing manly things somewhere.

After eight years the picture is finished and on it's way to M for her birthday and yes, it still reminds me of sitting and talking with her.

Last time I gave any serous thought to tidying my craft space, I vowed once again to reduce the number of WISPS. After counting up an embarrassing number of Works in Slow Progress, I decided to start with some that were almost finished and this pair fits the bill.

I adored these Jennifer Pudney kitsets. I finished stitching them in 2000 and 2002 – so let's make that work in very slow progress. As I had no idea as to how to frame them, they stayed that way until today. There are some very helpful notes on framing here. My masochistic streak had me trying to stitch the canvases over their blocking, before giving in and going hammer and tong with the glue gun.

It's time to bundle one of them up as her new owner is waiting.