Productive Wednesday...

So I guess today will balance my Monday where I didn't do anything, as I did a lot - even by my own standards. This was partly because I was tired of running errands as I seem to have be doing mainly that since school started again, and partly because my friend Lana's husband had promised to come over and install my wireless network today so I just decided to stay in and wait for him. And then, once he got here, he didn't need my input most of the time, just for the odd bit of info, so I was free to go upstairs and sew. So I did!

Right, so to start the day, here's some of my post - this is another little squishie hug on the left, this time from Anne who sent the most amazing baggie full of bits (and lots of rickrack, of which I have virtually none) - it was a minor shame that I managed to drop it and spill it all out on the floor, but then again, picking it all back up did give me a good chance to look at each little bit. :) I have actually managed to use some already (see inchies below).

The stuff on the right came from Ruth in South Africa, and I knew it was coming, but certainly didn't expect it yet as it was only posted on Friday, and the post from South Africa is notoriously variable in speed and safety. Funny thing is, something else which was posted to me first class from Cheshire on the 12th also got here today - so late that actually, you are no longer annoyed but only relieved that it wasn't lost completely. Anyway. Ruth sent me, at my cheeky request, some scraps of African fabric so I can inject a little more interest into my blocks I am swapping with Karol Ann.

Here's what I did today, or some of it, anyway. I finished the orange colourplay pieces - luckily, I don't have to back and edge them, so they are done at this stage. I backed and edged the sunset cards (finally - they have been sitting on my table for weeks) and can address them tonight.

While doing the orange colourplay pieces, I was overcome with the desire to do some inchies - or to be more precise, inch-and-a-half-ies. I decided they would be great for one of the people I owe for the Pay it Forward Swap offer I made on my blog a while back. I do hope that Toni doesn't hate orange... Most of the bits on the inchies came from the squishies that Anne and Jane sent me. I confess to having bought the orange button and the letter beads, and the sequins.

And on the right above, an African block for Karol Ann, made largely from the fabrics received from Ruth today. Do I kick efficient butt or what? But seriously, when I got the fabric, those little blue doll motifs just screamed at me to do something with them right away, and luckily, I was having the kind of day where I could. So I did.

And last, but not least, a leaf postcard from Liz in California for the Arts in the Mail leaf themed swap - and the photo on the right is a teaser for something to come tomorrow, which is photos of the discharging I did today (told you it was a productive day) - 8 fat eights, discharged in a variety of methods, one being discharge paste applied like screen printing. I haven't steam ironed the discharge paste yet (which I understand is supposed to smell pretty awful) so not sure how they will turn out, but I have high hopes. Two pieces were done with the screen, three with bleach pens and three by folding and dipping in a bleach solution. As I said, pictures tomorrow when they are dry and ironed.