Thanks go to Cheryl for the idea for the blog banner. I've thought before about doing one, but have never found a photo I like. I had this idea of making this really long piece of fairybread, but then I'd have to eat it.
I'll try it on for size for a while and see how if fits. It's very bright.
Please excuse my total lack of humility, but I'm really loving this string quilt. As you can see I've finished 12 blocks, and now I'm not sure where to go with it. The original project using this fabric was to be a wall hanging for above where I sit at the computer. My walls are cream with a pale green feature wall in front of me here, and I thought it would be good there.
I'm not really a wall hanging person you know. I have decided to hang the doll quilts in this room, but never before have I made a wall hanging. But as I am really liking this, of course I want to make it into a quilt.
Then comes the "how big do I make it?" dilemma, and of course my answer to that question is always "huge". There are only 2 beds in the house and both are queen size. What's the point of having a smaller quilt?
I can't see one. It's not like I don't have enough fabric, because surprise, surprise, I do...
The blocks are untrimmed in the photo, but they will be 9 inches finished. To keep the pattern going that means multiples of 4. The top of a queen size mattress is about 60 x 80. I don't think it needs a border, so to cover the top of the bed and keep the pattern that means 72 x 90 inches, which = 8 x 10 blocks, which = 80 blocks! 12 done. Oh why does it always get so out of control?
Here it is from a bit of a distance - even as a wallhanging the pattern will be incomplete, unless I added one more row to the bottom and made it square.
Or other options to the left for a quilt with an odd number of blocks. It doesn't do it for me I'm afraid. Any suggestions or experiences gratefully received.
What do you think about the bottom two string blocks? I made the centre strip as bright as I could and used the less bright pink/orange for the diamond. I think it might work OK if I do it that way. Thoughts?
I was asked about my house being up on stilts - it is a pole house, and it's so high to get the view and for coolness, also helpful for looking for termites. Plus one day someone will build right between me and the sea, so I wanted to be as high as I could for that eventuality. I'm currently planting tall shrubs and trees in front of that fenceline in preparation. Ages ago I did a post on some of the different houses around here - I'll put a link to it. Also here. All the houses are very different, as it has been the sort of a place to have your beach shack or weekender in the past, but now more people are living here permanently. The land has been very cheap and the place attracts people who tend not to want to live in a 4 bedroom brick house with a family room. Also due to the difficulties of getting stuff over here, my house is a kit house that came on the back of a truck ready to be put together, as it was impossible to get a builder at the time.
I have also started on my 4 patch blocks. I'm a bit hopeless with my attention span - I need 3 projects to do at once or I get bored with it. So I make a string block, sew a few 4 patch blocks, cut a few Zig Zag strips and round I go. I look at a few blogs as well and play a couple of games of Freecell.
Today the sun is shining, so I'd better go and wash some clothes too. I hardly have anything left after the week of rain.
I know you're all sick of hearing about my rainwater tank, but as the last word on the subject, here it is, the photo taken during a brief period of sunshine. I emptied the rain gauge too, and I have had 145mm (nearly 6 inches) of rain during this storm. The green tank is the new one - it is 4500 litres, and the cream one is the one from when the house was built, and it is 3000 litres I think. You can see the lovely mud. I am standing under the corner of the deck, and the rain drips down through the deck to make the mud. The actual house starts behind that metal post on the left. I might put a photo of the house so you can see what I mean. The cream tank is full, and the green tank is just over 1/3 full.
This is a photo of the house still under construction, and the photo shows the back of the house. You can see the old tank under there if you look closely. The new one is to the right of it.
I was on the Mainland all day yesterday so nothing was done here. I had coffee with my friend Di - we were there 2 hours and only got half way through catching up really. I bought some more plumbing supplies and went to the RSPCA as I have in my mind that I might get another dog if Swampy is going to spend a bit more time at Shane's. Just looking - not rushing into anything. I was surprised that there weren't more dogs there for sale, but of course this is a good thing. Years ago I volunteered there, so I know there are lots more dogs behind the scenes. I didn't see anything suitable, but there was a lovely girl there called Rosie who was a cattle dog x kelpie type of dog, and she looked very sweet. But I wasn't tempted. There was also a rough coat Jack Russell who looked lovely, but I watched him springing up about 5 foot into the air with excitement, and I thought he would be a handful!
I did get started on the pink and green string blocks, and I'm pretty convinced I would have to cut down the 3 inch centre strips which would be waste of fabric. That would leave a heap of 1 inch strips, which is pretty skinny to do much with. Lily made a comment on my last post about the perils of using large scale patterns as strings, and I have taken this on board too. If I go ahead with it, perhaps I should make sure the strings are not too wide, and make sure I use the brightest colour fabrics for the centre strip and the paler ones for the diamond.
The other thing I thought I might do is cut some of the setting squares of my lovely new double pink for the 4 patch, and try and get a start on it by making it a leader ender project.
So as you can see there is lots of thinking and not a lot of sewing. What's new?
My new fabric has arrived today. This is the fabric bought with the proceeds of the ebay sell-off of boring stash. This is much nicer. The photo is taken under a slightly yellow light without the flash, so the pinks are a bit pinker than shown. All those lovely double pinks - and see the big piece of pink to the left at the front? This is to finish the 4 Patch UFO. They didn't have quite enough, so I will use the new Charleston IV pinks when the other runs out. How unlike me to actually have fabric in a quilt that has not been bought on sale? The Charleston is the first full price fabric I have bought in a long time, but it was so lovely I just 'had to have'. That's it at the front, except for the big piece, which was on sale.
What an exciting day I've had - water is going into the new rainwater tank, and I get fabric in the post! Obviously I have to get out more, and that isn't the first time I've written that on this blog.
Otherwise today it has been housework, then a quick batch of scones when a friend came over to marvel at the tank (we're weird, I know, but when you love your garden...), then fabric fondling, and a couple of string blocks.
While I've been making these string blocks, I've been looking up at the pink, orange, aqua and green 'thing' on the design wall, which has officially gone from UFO to abandoned project in the last UFO census. I was just going to put the bits of fabric back in the scrap box and forget about it. But then I thought maybe I could use it to make a string quilt? I could use the pink/orange pieces for the centre stripe, the greens and blues on either side, then maybe a pink/orange triangle at the end which would make a diamond when the squares were sewn together. I had a look at the pink strips, and they are all cut 3 inches, so I might make a test block with the 2 1/2 inch stripe in the centre and see if it looks too wide.
Now how many quilts does that make underway? Lets not go there, ok?
Not much sewing, just one more string block. What is happening here is some extreme weather with winds to 90km/hr, and a bit more rain thank goodness.
I have been under the house in the red mud trying to get the new rainwater tank hooked up. It is now connected in a dodgy sort of way, but connected, as I was desperate to get some of this rain into it. It's a big sucker (considering where it had to go), and as we tried to tip it from its side to an upright position, it looked like we weren't going to be able to do it. But on the last try, we moved it just enough to get it to clear the roof. No photos of it today as it is dark and gloomy under there and it's pretty miserable outside, and I tell you what - I'm not going down there into the mud to take a photo, blog or not! I will share my shoes with you so you can see what I have been playing in.
Unfortunately the weather system is now moving north, taking most of the rain, and just leaving the wind. I tell you it's pretty exciting down on the jetty, and I saw someone's back verandah roof which had blown off today.
Think I will do some sewing tomorrow, as the weather will still be miserable.
I can't believe I haven't posted for 9 days! Can it be true? Maybe - I haven't really been sewing much, instead I have been in the garden. What's different about today? It's RAINING. A miracle. We have had 2 inches and my rainwater tank is full and overflowing, so I have been outside this morning in the rain watering the garden. "What?" you say? Well if the tank is full, the extra water just goes down the overflow never to be seen again, and I can't handle that. So the idea is to water the garden from the tank while it is still filling up so that you get every last drop. The rain doesn't always penetrate the mulch, so it isn't as silly as it sounds. The thing I'm really peeved about is that I've bought another tank, but it hasn't arrived yet. If I'd had it in I could've half filled it overnight.
As you can see we are a bit obsessed about water here. The major dam is at 17% and the fish will die at 10%, so you can imagine water is a hot topic. If you want any sort of garden you must have tanks, and then pray that it will rain so that there is actually something in them.
So yesterday when the rain started I came upstairs and sat at the computer and the sewing machine for a while. I am way behind on my blogs - 1750+ to be read on my bloglines - and the sewing is going very slowly. I have been doing a few things though. I had to cut all the threads off the Over-Pink Flowery Number, which took quite a long time. Then I somehow got conned into darning a jumper (like I knew how to do that!). Anyway, a bit of google later, and what I don't know now about darning could go on the back of a postage stamp. I finished that yesterday, then made a couple of string blocks to send in the parcel to Heartstrings, as there is plenty of room in the PostPak.
The first one will probably not be sent as I stuffed up the trimming without thinking, and now the red stripe is not in the middle. I didn't even realise til I was trimming the 2nd one, but I'm onto it now. The dud can go in the Orphan Block container - I'm determined to have Orphan Quilts like some of you bloggers, one day.
I haven't done much more on the Zig Zag Quilt. I have finished all the strip sets and have started to cut them up, but there is a long way to go. Other than that, not much happening. The jumper finally was finished and Daniel was more excited to get a parcel in the post than he was to get the jumper I suspect, but he had it on when he rang up to say thankyou, so what more can you ask for? Apparently the sleeves are too long, but as winter is nearly over here, it will be good for next year I'm told, as boys grow taller and arms grow longer.
In beagle-related news, Simon has made a full recovery from his traumatic 2 weeks wearing the lampshade. I decided not to take him to the Vet for the suture removal, so my friend Jettie and I took them out on her back verandah. I tried to get a photo, but he sprung off the table so fast, that this is all I could get. This shows Jettie rewarding the patient with some liver treats.
Simon and I are having some quality time alone together this weekend, as Swampy has gone away to the beach. We've had a lovely time. Simon has been able to relax for a change, as he is constantly monitored by Swampy when she's here, and he can't do a thing on his own. We had a little play together last night, and he is now asleep on the spare bed while I sew and use the computer.
I might try and make a few more string blocks, then the day is nearly over.
For those reproduction fabric lovers, have you seen Charleston IV? It has a great range of double pinks, which I often find hard to source - maybe that's because I'm cheap and like to buy things on sale, and these fabrics always get snapped up... Anyway, have a look at this range if you are interested. I bought a few yesterday when I had to scratch a shopping itch with the money I made from selling my unwanted stash. They have them cheaper at Z & S, but they must have sold out of some as they are no longer showing the full range.
As I said, I did a little bit of BUY NOW button pushing yesterday which was fun. I bought some of the double pinks, and also a large piece of pink to finish off my 4 patch UFO. I will use the big piece for most of the setting squares, and add some of the new pinks in as well. I bought some other repros too, so I will start watching out for the Post Man in a weeks time. Oh and I bought 1/2 yard of Kona Solid red to replace my red fabric that had to go in the bin, so hopefully the dye will not run as I expect the quality will be a lot higher
I also bought these brights at the only local shop I buy from who were having 25% off their already very low prices. Thought I'd make some string blocks. 
I'm still going on the Zig Zag quilt. I haven't finished the strip sets yet, but I'm getting there. Of course I'm making the biggest size quilt (is there no hope for me?), and I have been thinking about how I am going to most easily do the next step. Once you finish the strip sets you cut them into 1 1/2 inch pieces, then sew them together offsetting them by 1 inch. The original size of the yellow strip is 1 1/2 inch, so with seam allowance that makes it a smidgen bigger than 1 1/4. I wanted to figure out a way to eyeball it, not have to draw a line or anything, and I think I've figured it out today.
The bottom one is right but the top one is a bit off. It might seem like I'm being fiddly, but when you have all the strips together, you have to slice off the points of the yellow 1/4 inch from the edge of the coloured bits, so there isn't a lot of room to manouver. I am thinking positively, as there are a hell of a lot of the little suckers to sew together!
By the way, the maroon jumper is finished too - good on ya Mum. Mum sewed it together and we posted it from her place yesterday so I don't have a photo of it. Myabe my sister will take one when it arrives. I've decided that I like knitting, but I don't have the staying power to finish anything that takes a bit of time.
I have finished the Over-Pink Flowery Number, as it has come to be called, and off it goes to Heartstrings. Maybe it will suit an elderly lady. It is a real relief to just have to finish the Flimsy then put it in the post. I will have to spend a fair bit of time trimming the threads though, as these strips have been cut for about a year and are all fraying.
So the good news is that now that's finished I have allowed myself to start the 1930s Zig Zag Quilt. This photo is from the magazine's kit page, but I am using my own fabric. I see there is only one kit left so they may take the photo down soon.
I've had the fabric for a while now, but felt a bit guilty about the UFOs. Now one is finished, my guilt level has dropped considerably, and it is exciting to start something new. I have started the strip sets, then they all have to be cut into 1 1/2 inch strips and sewn back together off line. Might not be so excited about it all by then!
Otherwise all is quiet here. Simon is back to his normal self, but still has the lampshade on. I'm supposed to take him back to get his stitches out on the weekend, but if the last visit was anything to go by I'll probably end up doing that too, so I think I might just take them out myself. I have a friend here who is also a nurse and dog mother, so we will do it together. Save another trip over on the waterbus. Still trying to catch up on blog reading, and the red fabric has gone in the bin.
You know what? I think I'm going to have to throw this fabric in the bin. It has been in the laundry tub for about 5 days now. It has been treated with salt and with vinegar a number of times, to no avail. You just couldn't trust it, so I think it will have to go.
I've never had such a problem. I bought it from the shop I usually buy my plain colours, so I'll tell the girls it is a dud next time I'm in there. I also bought some egg yolk yellow, and it ran a bit but quickly stopped.
I have not done any sewing since my last post. I have been nursing the invalid beagle (this 
really involves trying to keep him from springing on the beds and tearing up and down the stairs), and gardening. The winter days are really nice - in fact quite warm really. It was 26 deg C the other day, but down to 4 overnight. There is a place near here called Indigiscape, and once a month they open the nursery where they sell tubestock of plants native to the area. It is a native botanical garden, and usually if you go there you can see a koala way up a tree. I went on Saturday and got a heap of plants, so I have been putting them in. The soil here is fertile red soil, but it is clay and like a rock. A lot of time is spent digging a hole with the mattock, adding gypsum, organic matter, fertiliser, soil wetter etc before the tiny little plant even gets into the ground.
I have been nursing a little Lilly Pilly that came up from a seed, and the other day went to check on it and it was out of the ground roots and all. It is possible that a kookaburra pulled it up looking for a worm, but somehow I suspect Swampy who charges through the gardens to bark at all and sundry at the fence. So today I am calling the Steel Man, and I will be erecting a temporary fence around my new little plants.
There is very good news about Simon's lump. The Vet was very negative about it, suspecting a Mast Cell Tumour, which would involve toe amputation etc, but it turned out to be benign, so I am very relieved. You get so attached to them - especially we lonely single women who have noone else to come home to! We had to go back to the Vet yesterday to get the dressing taken off and the wound inspected, but the young lady Vet was so timid she gave me the scissors and I had to do it myself. Could have saved a trip over on the boat. Above is Si on the jetty looking into the boat - I couldn't get a very good photo as he wouldn't stand in the right place.
As this is supposed to be a quilting blog, I will put in the photo of the pink flowery number which is nearly finished. Just 2 borders to add. It has turned out better than expected, I think due to the borders. It is still a bit too pink for me though, so to Heartstrings it will go. I am a bit (very) behind on my blog reading, but hopefully I will catch up soon.
Poor Simon has had an operation, which has kept us busy. We went to the Vet on Monday for his vaccinations and to get his 'old dog' lumps and bumps looked at, and we were back Tuesday morning (with an empty stomach!) for surgery. I spent the day on the Mainland and didn't get home til late, and then with a drugged and dazed boy who needed supervision.
His beagle instincts were not affected, as he tried to follow a lady off the boat at the wrong island as she had a BBQ chicken in her bag. Typical. In the 10 years I have owned him he has never once been off his food.
So we are trying to stay downstairs as much as possible, because otherwise he is up and down, then jumping up and down off the beds. Sadly the sewing machine and computer are upstairs, so I feel mean spending more than half an hour up here.
On Tuesday I managed to con Mum into having a go at sewing up the jumper - I'm so bad. But she is doing some thing with a crochet hook, so I let her go for it. SOON it will be finished, and soon it will be summer.
As for sewing, I have nearly finished the pink flowery number, and frankly it has turned out better than expected. I just have 2 borders to put on, which I may get finished today, but I have promised it to Heartstrings, so off it goes. Then I think I'll reward myself by starting the 1930s Zig Zag quilt. I have my big string quilt in the washing machine at the moment, and I am hoping it won't run. I've had half a yard of plain red homespun in the laundry tub for 24hrs now trying to get it to stop running. I have put salt in, but still it runs. What to do? I don't think it will ever stop.
www.flickr.com
|
