58 pieces in one 12inch block

They smallest piece is cut two inches square.

 When several blocks are joined together a secondary pattern of smaller stars emerges where the corners join.  Next week is my turn to provide a block of the month at quilt group, and I thought a challenging block would be more interesting to make than a block made entirely of squares.  My sample block (in progress as we speak) will use this same deep blue background with different coloured pieces for the various star points.  The block is called 'Coronation', and if you should fancy making one for yourself the instructions can be found here.  My block doesn't quite follow those directions but the result is the same.  This blue and gold block was made a while for our Canadian girl-in-law.

This morning a re-organisation took place in my sewing room.  When we moved here a large desk came with us, as it was a good surface for my sewing machine and overlocker - it wasn't ideal because it was a bit high for me (I'm fairly short, you know) but it had sufficed for quite a while.  Then one day I bought a Sew-Ezi table, and some months later a Horn extendable cutting table with storage cupboards, and that room was becoming crowded and getting difficult to work in.  This week the desk was given away and now there is so much more space in the room!  I can even open the cupboard without having to move something first.  The only time the desk may be missed is when I am machine quilting....it was handy behind the machine to take the weight of the quilt being worked on.....but that can be overcome.  So My Lovely New Bernina sits in its Sew-Ezi table, and my Bernina overlocker sits next to it on a table bought many years ago at an office supply shop - it's a typewriter table, remember when we used typewriters? - and my Singer Featherweight sits on a table bought nigh on 40 years ago.  These three small tables plus a four-drawer chest don't take up much more room than that one large desk did, and the space is used more efficiently.

We have had some more wintry weather this week - Thursday was the coldest August morning for goodness  knows how many years and the water in the bird bath froze again.  Days are sunny and pleasant but when one steps into the shade, or rounds a corner into the breeze, there is a distinct coolth in the air.  The actual temperature feels several degrees less than the numbers would have you think; for instance the latest temperature reading is 18.3 deg, but it only feels like 13.5 deg.  But spring won't be far away, and then summer, and we will be complaining about the heat.

The knitting is proceeding very well and the lace pattern is giving no trouble at all; I wonder why it wouldn't go right during the first/second/third/whatever attempt?  Mind you, it takes forever to knit one row as there are now over 300 stitches on the needle......I had to buy a longer circular needle to take them all.  There aren't many rows left until it's divided up for the fronts, back, and sleeves.

It is 64 days until we start our Canadian holiday.

"Keep yourself quiet and composed under all circumstances.  Do not get fidgety.  If you feel that time drags heavily, do not let this be apparent to others by any visible sign of uneasiness."

I shall keep myself quiet but busy in the meantime, even if I am quietly panicking when I think of what I want to achieve in that time.

Enjoy your days!