Birthday Fabric and other Shenanigans

Thanks for the coffee mat and cushion love in my last post. I wish my house looked like that all the time, but with three kids photos involve moving much crap from one side of the room to the other and judicious post-processing cropping!

Another week of school holidays is coming to an end, kids back at school Monday. We have been keeping busy with tea parties.

And I've been busy sewing a back for my daughter's quilt and then basting it.

We've also had some fun with the gas company. They left a little note in our mail box one morning this week saying we had 48 hours to pay our bill or the gas would be cut off.

'Oh my stars*,' I said, as our bill had already been paid. After some ringing around it was determined that our bill had indeed been paid, much to my relief. At 4 o'clock that afternoon, they cut off our gas.

'Oh those cheeky bears* have cut our gas less than 8 hours after giving notice,' I said, 'even though we have paid our bill.' Some more ringing around ascertained that indeed the gas company knew the bill was paid and they'd cut the gas in error. They would send someone out in the morning to turn it back on.

No heating and no hot water for the night? In winter and after all three kids had had haircuts that morning (and needed a bath)? I think you can do better than that gas company.

The gas company said they could send someone out now to turn the gas on, the same gas they had cut off for no reason, however we would be charged an after-hours call out fee. 'Fiddlesticks*,' I said, 'send the fellow* out.'

Once the gas was reinstated at 7pm, the gas man could not get our heating unit to start again. After 15 mins he sheepishly admitted that cutting the gas had probably put air in the lines and caused a problem. If the unit didn't start tonight we would need to call out our heating repairman and have it seen to. This would cost us about 70€ ($100). You can probably imagine what I was thinking.

There was a happy ending. The heating unit did start after I messed around with it for a few minutes, and luckily the mister's work has a special 'Have You Been Done Over by French Bureaucracy' fund which paid for the call out fee. But I must say, I was astounded by what they think they can, and obviously do, get away with in terms of customer service. The French should really rise and revolt against that.

* I may or may not have used words somewhat stronger than these.

And on to some good bureaucratic news: France Post came through with two big and one little self-bought birthday parcels for me. Yay for birthday money (thanks Mum and Dad!)

Here are some gratuitous fabric shots:

What I'd really been coveting: Robert Kaufman's Metro Living. Still missing orange though. 

Some fun spring-ish colours, varying lines

Great neutrals and awesome dots. I accidentally ordered 1.5 yards of the herringbone, lucky it's so useful.

My pick of Patty Young's Sanctuary line.

Some local linen, which was proving elusive (finally found some, Diana!)

And lastly, I bought a Chrysalis charm pack and some yardage for backing/binding.

Now, I need your honest opinions.  I had originally looked at the butterflies and flowers and thought this would make a girl quilt. However, now that I have it in my hands and I see all the colours (chocolate brown, orange, dusty blue, olive green) I am thinking boy, if teamed with 'boy' solids.

What do you guys think - would this make a boy or a girl's quilt? Would you find it too weird to have butterflies on your little boy's baby mat? The whole line can be seen here at this Fabricworm link (where I bought my two yardage pieces), just click on the pic for a larger view.

Thanks for your input, you're all just so darned clever. Have a great weekend!

P.S. All fabric found at Fabricworm and Hawthorne Threads; charm pack from CottonThreadFabrics on Etsy.