Merry Christmas Everyone!

Rrrriiippppp!!!!

I unpicked and resewed DS’ Serendipity quilt on Saturday.  By the time I had finished, I had NO idea where I had gone wrong…..only that I had fixed it!

Since DS had requested in the ditch quilting, I thought it would be just as easy to use my sewing machine as my Sweet 16…HA! I was so giddy with excitement that I’d be able to finish it by Tuesday this week that I didn’t check how long it had been since the needle on my sewing machine had been changed.  Then wondered why the machine was sewing so noisily.

The upshot was I spent a good part of Sunday afternoon unpicking all the quilting (just under two metres), as it puckered like crazy on the second row.  I thought it was better to unpick the lot then, rather than possibly having to unpick again, possibly even more!

At the time I was disappointed that I couldn’t finish making it, as I wanted to send it to my DS for Christmas.  That was until The Voice Of Reason (The Missus) reminded me the original plan had been to have it finished for his birthday…..when the weather will be more appropriate for quilts.  Now I’m back to the original plan……which is a much better idea, as the forecast for Christmas Day where he lives is 36C (97F)…not really quilt weather! lol  It IS on the “to do this week” list.  ;)

I started Lizzie*Kate’s Christmas Love from the JCS 2010 Special Christmas Issue about a month ago.  I got up at 5am on yesterday morning to finish it, as I was meeting the recipient that morning!  It was when I was sewing it into a cushion that I found out how blunt my machine needle was!  I was sewing it with baited breathe!  Now I am on a worn needle purge and I’m checking all my embroidery and cross stitch needles, too. 

I recently bought a copy of The Art of the Quilt 2013 calendar.  I was also given a copy, which means I have one too many now!  I’d be happy to do a swap for something quilty related from your stash.  Maybe there is something you have doubled up on too! lol  Please let me know if you are interested.

Cruising Down Easy Street With GPS

My favourite way of making a block is foundation piecing.  I've never made one flying goose before, let alone 128, so I decided to draw up one page of ten geese.

Then scanned and printed thirteen pages, cut them into individual geese.  (Which are so small I think of them as goslings!)

I am using sixteen different red fabrics and eight neutrals.  Instead of cutting off the extra lengths and putting them in the scrap box to be cut up later, I cut up strips, then put them through the Sizzix machine and got two things done at once.

Now they are tucked away in a box, all ready to be made into geese.....Maybe before step three comes out, maybe not!

This 'n' That

I've finished all the blocks for Easy Street's step one.  Some were scraps, some yardage, which is the same for all the fabrics in this quilt, which makes it a scrappy scrap quilt.  ;)  I used thirteen different light neutrals and I am happy with the way they go together.  I've not trimmed them....yet.

There were a few twosies and four patches that did not reach muster.  The twosies will be unpicked and all have a new home in the scrap box.

To help pass the time as I was pressing, I watched Free Motion Machine Quilting For Beginners, Liberation From The Ditch dvd by Helen Godden.  It is a very informative dvd and I feel like I can fmq anything now!

Next year I may be teaching a lot of the same kids I've taught over the last couple of years (our school's way of being environmentally friendly....we recycle children).  I was browsing online the other day looking for some new ways I could use anamorphic art as a link between Mathematics and Art, dovetailing into  perspective drawing lessons, when I came across this site (which has nothing to do with anamorphic art, and everything to do with Mathematics and quilting).  If you are interested in the geometry of quilts, there are links to some interesting articles.  A bit more searching led me to this page, with a rather sweet narrative by a mathematician about quilts.....also a stack of hst block ideas there, too.

That is when I decided what I was going to do for my Easy Street leader/ender project.  I've pretty much decided to repeat the same block using the same fabric to create a quilt.  I can see a lot more hst quilts in my future!

I finally finished DS' rib scarf a couple of weeks ago.  He is very happy with the result.  It is a bit hard to see, as I only thought to take the photo just before I gave it to him.  I used Cleckheaton 8 ply.  It has been my "go to" wool ever since I started knitting.  It is easy to knit with, non-scratchy, machine washable and they sell it at my favourite yarn shop for a very reasonable price.

I've been thinking for a while now that a lace scarf would be nice, so I dug out Vogue Knitting Stitch Dictionary 5 and picked the first pattern Dotted Rib.  I didn't want a complicated pattern, as it will get lost on the yarn.  I've only been knitting it for a couple of nights and am very happy with it.

I also found out what happens when I try to wind double the recommended amount of yarn on an electric ball winder, too! lol

I'd also like to introduce you to the latest additions to the garden.

Now all we need to do is give them names!

Cruising Down Easy Street

As soon as I read this post by Bonnie Hunter I was off and racing, pulling out all my reds, greens, blues and greens in anticipation for Easy Street - this year's mystery QAL.

Friday night saw me auditioning neutrals - paring it down from 39 dark and 20 light neutrals to12 light neutrals for Bonnie's black on white fabrics and the darker fabric with the spots in the picture below as Bonnie's grey.  

Saturday saw me cutting strips and scraps for some power sewing and cutting....

Today saw me sewing forty nine four square patches.  When I saw the strips shown up yesterday, I wasn't quite sure about the colour combo, but after seeing them as four patches, I realised I like them....a lot!

So tonight I'm pinning twosies in anticipation of finishing all the four patches before the second step is posted next Friday.  

Updated Monday 7.25pm.....I've just linked up my progress at the Easy Street Link Up Monday.  I'm really looking forward to seeing who else has linked up and their progress over a bowl of  Goan curry, which is just about ready to come out of the oven.....  

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog.  It's a bit empty at the moment.....but there is cake!  The real life version was absolutely delicious!  A friend of The Missus makes them.  :)