It's a Sad Day

Just a quick post to share my sadness about having ordered my first pair of reading glasses. In fact my first pair of glasses ever. He was a nice young fellow, and was quite sensitive when referring to my year of birth (1964), and the deterioration of the eyes with age....

The good news is I have 20/20 vision, so no problems with long distance (which I knew), but I do need reading glasses. So I took the plunge, paid my deposit, and spent half the trip home thinking "how did it come to this???", and the other half thinking "imagine the fabric I could buy with the $300+ that I am about to spend on glasses".

I blame it on the hexagons. Whose idea was that??

Off to bed now after a quite pleasant Friday night shift in Emergency (for a change). Thanks for the kind commiserations, but not for all those who have been snickering at my misfortune. I think they would be the people that already 'have' glasses....

Evil Eye(s)

I'm off to get my eyes tested today - I can't believe that this is happening. To me. I've always been the only one in the family with good eyes, and have been quite pleased about it, as there are plenty of other things about me that need fixing. Oh well, these things happen.

I have still been sewing hexagons, and have done a few more 4 patches. My sewing area looks like I have been VERY busy, but this is not the case. Each little pile has 10 3 inch finished 4 patches, and I have 14 now. I will have to work out how many I need soon, but I imagine I am nowhere near the end.

One More

The left overs of the extra fabric I had to cut to finish the other one.

Pincushions

Well I'm pretty embarrassed by my one and only pathetic pin cushion. It is a dog bone cut out from a dogbone cookie cutter. Not a very successful project, but it still works. I quite like to work from the pin container, but it could be a bit larger. I often think I'll get one of those magnetic ones, but never do. I saw one recently at a QS, but there is always something more exciting to spend the money on.

My latest innovation (ha!) is the velcro spot you can see there. It is stuck to the table to the right of the machine, and its partner is stuck to the bottom of the pin container. This stops me accidently knocking the pins off the table onto the scrap pile on the floor below.

Note to self: make a nice pincushion

Symmetry

You learn - or confirm - a lot about yourself just by doing everyday things, don't you? I thought I'd kickstart myself by making some red and white blocks to send to France. I don't have much red fabric, nor do I have ANY white, except for this piece of plain white. I cut 1 strip of each fabric, and thought "I'll make the block with this, and if there isn't enough I'll make do". This is the end result.

I couldn't do it. I put it aside and carried on with another block, but kept looking at it, thinking "there are no quilt police. I can make a block like this if I want to. There are no rules". But I couldn't cope. I thought about it while I kept on sewing. I felt bad that my crochet rug was not symmetrical, but those who commented said they liked asymmetry. Or did the asymetrical people comment, and the symmetrical people silently agree? I'm ok with the rug, but I still look at it and notice. I do have obsessive compulsive tendencies, but I thought the medication was working well - obviously not well enough LOL!

I had to re-do the block. This is the most 'comfortable' I could make it using the least amount of extra fabric. Perhaps this is why I am not an art quilter, too uncomfortable.

This is Not an Advertisement

Yesterday I took the island car over to the mainland on the barge - at the crack of dawn I might add. I am not a morning person, so it will shock those who know me when they read that these photos were taken while on the 06.40 barge. I kid you not. And no I did not sleep in the car at the boat ramp all night.

Not much quilting done as a result, and not one quilt shop visited, but I did take my hexagons and did some sewing on them while I was on the barge and waiting around for the car to be fixed up. It's true - I am addicted.

On a negative note though, this handwork has really made me realise that the eyes aren't as good as they used to be. It is my right eye I think, but in normal fashion I will wait 6 months or so to get them tested in case the eye gets fed up waiting, and fixes itself! Generally I have excellent vision - can read the phone book and things way off in the distance. But, I'm 42 now .... sigh.

Apart from this I have pulled a muscle in my back carrying the large bags of dog food up the stairs. When you take the car over, it is important to fill it up with big things that are difficult to get home. So I bought this stash of dog food (this is not an advertisement - there is a different brand on the bag at the back). Carrying 20kg bags of dogfood out of the car and up about 10 steps into the house is not easy though. But I do have a grateful recipient, who poses here with the haul. And yes, I did have a biscuit out of the box in my hand to get him to sit like this! I will have to be very careful to close the pantry door when I go to work tonight...

Fabric Arrives for Finished Quilt

My fabric parcel from Hancocks finally arrived - well the replacement for the lost parcel arrived. The original was sent on 1 August. Here are the japanese fabrics for the finished quilt. Oh well... I think I have the cranes upside down in the photo.

I had almost forgotten what I had ordered. One fabric has been placed on backorder, and here are 2 Dogwood fabrics that I love, and 2 bright ones for the stash. Orange and yellow in the same piece, which is pretty "out there" for me.


I have also started the hexagons. I started basting some last night while I was watching TV (Boston Legal), then thought I would sew two together.

Now, I don't know if it was Alan Shaw making my eyes go googly, but I was having a bit of trouble seeing where to sew. I have perfect eyesight, or should I say 'had'? I am 42 now, so I am wondering if the old eyes are starting to go to the dogs...
Anyway, I went to the Craft Group this morning and managed to only get these few done. They are quite big ones - 1 1/2 inches along each straight side - and I think maybe I am making too many stitches on each one. I will try making less and see if this speeds things up. There was loud talking and general frivolity this morning, which does seem to make it harder to concentrate, not to mention that my brain doesn't go into gear til after midday! Why can't these things be in the afternoon, I ask you?

The Morning After

Thanks everyone for your kind comments about finishing my quilt top, while I slept. I know you all finish quilt tops all the time, so probably think I'm a bit nuts, but finishing is a big problem for me.

I have the backing fabric, which I've also had for years, so I will ring the quilter Monday. I've never had anything machine quilted, so that will be an adventure.

I'm working nights all weekend, so I will have a little break from sewing and start again next week. But I always find time to read blogs!

I'm SO PROUD!

Look! Look! The Japanese top is finished! I'm like a proud mother with my 'finished' quilt top. And the Award goes to ....
"I'd like to thank God (don't they always?), and all the quilty bloggers out there for inspiring me to finish this long neglected UFO".

So, did you pick up yet that I'm a bit excited? All of you on the Other Side of the World will be in bed, so hopefully some Aussie bloggers will look so I can show off! I have been so good not to give a blow-by-blow progress report since I finished the blocks, but the excitement has been mounting as I squared up the blocks and started getting the rows together. The first 2 rows I sewed together went together back the front (forehead slap) so I have spent the last week constructing it in reverse order ie. row 10 on the left instead of the right, across the wall.

But no further mishaps today, lots and lots of row number checking, and here it is. I woke up this morning and decided that today was the day, and I was not going to bed til it was done. It's only 4.56pm. Thanks for 'encouraging' me to make the extra blocks - this is on my queen size bed, and as you can see it goes over the edge and right up to the headboard.

Aaahhh. Now what?

Retail Therapy Saves the Day

Actually, PayPal saved the day. I had transferred some funds from my PayPal account to the bank account last week, which can take 5-7 days. I checked my bank account and the money was there today, so, crisis averted by retail therapy.

Braved the wind and crossed to the mainland, hit the fabric shops. I have a couple of shops around here that sell patchwork fabric for 30 - 50% of the normal price. Sometimes they are seconds, so a thorough inspection is important, but usually you can not see any problem. Sometimes the white border is too narrow or something like that. Anyway, that is where I went today. I got the 3 black and whites and a fairly plain red, 3 neutrals, and the other 3. The blue and floral is a Michael Miller, the blue a reproduction and the other I just liked the colour. I also got the latest American BH & G magazine.

THEN I bought a book to read (Kathy Reich's latest). I couldn't get any hexagon papers though. I was in the LQS having just asked for them. Answer was 'no there isn't any call for them'. 30 secs later a lady came in asking for exactly the same thing. How embarrassed did the shop lady look? I bought an A4 piece of card in the newsagent and just stuck it in the printer and printed some hexpaper onto that. I will cut some out to make a start.

There. All fixed by buying fabric, and visiting 4 fabric/quilt shops. Oh and I had a donut.

It's a Grey Old Day

It's a grey old day today - rain and gusting wind all night. Good for the garden to get the rain, and good for me too, as I love this kind of weather so long as I can stay home. I don't know if you can see the white caps on the bay? It isn't a very high definition photo.

It's a sewing kind of day. I know it is, but can I get started? I am having a bit of a tanty as I keep thinking I want to start doing hexagons, and it is the craft group tomorrow morning and I haven't any hand work to do. Then I think that if I put the top and bottom borders on the Quilt as You Go denim quilt I could hand sew the cover strips at the back and the binding (then the whole quilt will be finished!). It sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?

But then we come back to the Japanese quilt which I "should" be finishing for my Sept goals. Please don't go to Shelina's blog today and read the comment I left her about eradicating the word 'should' from our lives to make us feel better. Ha!
But then if I finish the denim quilt the dilemma about what to do with it rears it's ugly head... I suppose I 'could' elaborate... This quilt is generally known as 'Shane's Quilt'. Shane and I split up about 4 months ago (my doing). We are still friendly, so he still comes to my house occasionally, as Swampy is his dog. I started the quilt about 3 years ago, and whenever I got slack, or got fed up with him, I would stop sewing. It has old denim from all my family members in it, and I recall saying to him once that if he left me and took the quilt he would be haunted for the rest of his life!
In the end I asked him to leave - he went back to his place - and now I have the quilt not quite finished. Do I give it to him? Do I keep it myself? I want to keep it myself, as I like it and I put a lot of work into it. Will he look after it? Am I being selfish, and I will I get bad karma for not giving it to him as originally intended? Will I always feel guilty when I look at it?

What to do? Not finish it of course! Ohhh... Maybe I could put the borders on and not the binding? The dilemma, the dilemma. My 'good' spiritual side is saying *Just hand it over and forget about it*, my 'other' side is going *But I made it and he won't look after it, and we are split up after all, and it's all his fault.*

So here I sit doing nothing. I will have nothing to do at the craft group tomorrow, so I probably won't go. I'll sit at home doing nothing, or sleep. I don't have any hexagon templates. I need fabric retail therapy but I don't want to get the ferry in the cold and rain. Sulk sulk sulk.

Sorry about that, but *I* feel better!

Simon, Swampy & Hexagons

Laurie Ann asked to see Simon, Quilt Tester and potential Rug Chewer. Here he is (the beagle) with Swampy. He is also in the August archives.

It is very windy here today. I tried to take a photo of the wind, but it isn't an easy thing to photograph! It's going woooo woooo, the leaves are thrashing around, the sea looks rough, and for some quilt content - the blocks were starting to fly off the design wall til I shut the window. The Japanese quilt is still up there - I have 6 of the 10 rows squared up and sewn together. Nearly there.

I have to confess that I am starting to think about hexagons. I would say I'm not one for hand piecing - too slow - but then I think maybe I should have a project that I can do by hand. In front of the TV, on the ferry maybe. I gave paper piecing a go with this, but the thought of setting in the extra pieces and the time factor... I suppose I could start, and then see how it goes. I can always stop when I've had enough. I saw a photo of a quilt in a mag the other day that was a medallion-style which had one of the rows/borders made out of hexagons. I googled paper hexagon template and found a page you can print off and cut up for the papers.

There I've almost talked myself into that haven't I? It seems that a lot of quilters have 1 hand pieced project on the go. Any thoughts?

Finished the Rug

I was awake early this morning, which is not like me at all, so I went to the Lamb Island Craft Group which meets once a week, on a day that seems to change fairly often. There were 7 of us there today, with people doing whatever they feel like. It is really a bit of a chance for people to talk I think, which is nice. So I took my rug along and finished it. Sadly I started the middle coloured bit more than halfway through the blue, so it is asymetrical, but I'll get over it. Here it is in its place in front of the kitchen sink. I am a bit worried that Simon will chew on it one night when I am not at home. We'll see how long it lasts.

I probably should have washed up first!

Twice in One Day?

Well it will be if I get this post finished before midnight. Soon I will be like May Britt posting 4 times a day LOL!!

Thanks for your encouraging comments about the sewing room organisation. I still can not start anything until it is all done, and the other 2 quilts ready to go.

Except maybe this crochet rag rug, because it isn't quilting... I'm really impressed with the outcome. I have always been a crocheter, preferring the instant gratification of crochet, that in my experience, doesn't come from knitting! I had this 10.00mm hook (it is an N) so I had a go. The navy is linen, which I will now put on the other end as well. The bits in the middle are from the scrap boxes. The rug will be a rectangle which will go on the timber floor in front of the kitchen sink. I want to make some more, but where will I put them? I'm not big on mats generally. Bathmat? Would take ages to dry. Placemats? Maybe. Pot holders? Mat to put hot dishes on? Hmmm.

Oh well, the plotting and planning keeps me off the streets! I am moving departments at work at the end of this month - I am going to work in the Emergency Dept. So, my rostering arrangements are changing, and not for the better. Where I am now I go to a different ward each night, and I pretty well have a set roster. This will not be the case in ED. The roster came out and of course I am working the night before the next quilt group meeting, which will be my first one. So I figure 'in for a penny, in for a pound' and have asked for the day off even though I haven't even started there yet - bit cheeky. The boss rang me today and said it was ok, so I am pleased. I want to go while I am still inspired.

The Fairybread mystery has been solved I see. I plan to put a little pic of it up as my ID photo.

Getting Sorted

Slowly getting organised. I think May Britt had a bit of a chuckle about my 2 lonely September goals, but trust me, there is plenty to be done!
Yesterday I put these bookshelves together for my magazines and books. Not an easy task. I have to buy things that are easy to transport as I have to come home on the ferry. This set of shelves from the hardware store were in a box that was easy to carry, but not so easy to put up. Lots of little fiddly screws and nuts that all had to be put together, then tightened one by one at the end. I got a bit cranky as it was after nightduty, and my tolerance level was low. I also sliced my finger on the sharp metal edges.
Nevertheless, it is done, and I have started to assemble my quilt magazines and books from piles all over the house. I have far too many magazines, but I can't throw them out. I do read them again, so that's my excuse. The books are lying on their sides - I just found some book ends.

The other shelves I put up this morning, and put my containers of fabric there. The top shelf is mainly scraps, and the others are mainly FQs and a few 1/2 yards. There are 3 big containers on the floor as well, also full of fabric. 1/2 yards and bigger pieces that I have bought over time. Also a tall basket drawer thingy. 4 of the containers are 1800s Reproductions, about 3 are 1930s, 1 is flannels, 1 is plaids, 1 Japanese, 2 with brighter colours, and an incredible amount of neutral/pink/floral type of fabric! I couldn't believe how much of it there is.

So I'm still at it, but getting there. Can you see Simon asleep in his bed in front of the bookshelves? The sewing room is finally starting to look less cluttered, which is a relief.

I also want to say that even though I am not a big fan of crocodiles, it is sad that Steve Irwin died yesterday. Very sad for his family.

Setting September Goals

I have been inspired by all those setting September Goals to set some myself. I have decided not to go out too fast in case I run out of energy before the finish line, so I have set 2 simple goals.

The first is to finish sorting out the stash. I am making good progress, and am currently working on the big plastic container under the spare bed. I have some extra small plastic containers, and I bought a drill this morning on the way home from work so that I can put up the shelves I need to arrange all the containers.

The second is to complete and send off the Japanese quilt and this string quilt to the Machine Quilter. I made this about 2 years ago I suppose, and got as far as pinning it, then thought "what the hell am I doing? It's too big and I don't want to quilt it", so nothing has ever happened. I did get as far as phoning a quilter, then didn't get it done because I have to fiddle with the pieced back to make it flat first. Probably 20 mins work if that!

This is a true scrap quilt. It was inspired by this quilt from Liberated String Quilts by Gwen Marston. I bought 2 rolls of long plain coloured homespun strips at a craft show, which were the bits cut off quilt backs after quilting. Then I got out a few fat quarters and added them in. The purple was bought 'el cheapo' at a sale and then I had to get the green and red, but they were fairly inexpensive too, from memory. I just put together what came out of the pile, unless it was a repeat - I mainly pieced it by putting the strips together that would fit each other.

I quite like it, even though I don't really like the print fabrics that I put in (what was I thinking?). But it goes to show I suppose that a quilt is more than the parts put together. I didn't have enough purple for the back, so I used the leftover green and a leftover strip. I still haven't fixed it up. It isn't crooked in real life, just draped crooked on the couch.

One thing I would like to know is - what are the things I should do to the quilts to make them ready for the quilter? I understand that the quilt should be as flat as possible. Should I square up the backing? Any tips would be great so that I can be a good customer.

I just read Evelyn's post on the Fons and Porter article (I subscribe), which I thought was a bit weird when I read it. So it would be good to get it right first time.

Sewing Machines

Susan asked about our sewing machines. I have a very basic Janome machine that sews ok. However, my next machine is going to be a bit flasher than this one.
It reminds me of when I had my last car. I was determined that my next car would have 2 features that the old car did not have. Airconditioning and an intermittent windscreen wiper. My current car has them.

My next sewing machine is going to have a needle up/ needle down option, and a machine blanket stitch. Not too much to ask for I don't think?

My Mother has a Bernina which she likes, however everything related to it is very expensive. Plus it was sick and was away for ages waiting for a part to come from overseas somewhere. I am happy with the Janome - never had a problem with it. But then there isn't much in it to break down.

Please note the organised fabric in the background. I am still sorting fabric. I am dealing with the big plastic container under the spare bed which has all the old stuff in it - fabric that I bought when I was just starting to quilt and didn't know any better! Boy am I finding some stuff in there. Some of makes me say to the dog "what was I thinking??" I have started a crochet fabric rug, so some of it might go in there. Better go to bed as I have been at work all night.

Irons Do Have Feelings

My iron is one of those ones that turns itself off if you have not used it for 20 mins. I have always liked this feature in an iron, as not only am I forgetful, but I have also had my fair share of Obsessive Compulsive behaviour. This way, half way to work, I don't have to suddenly think "OMG did I turn off the iron??" Then have a panic filled day imaging everything I own smouldering away, about to grace the front page of the local paper.

When the last iron died, I bought this new iron, carefully reading the box, making sure it had the 20min turn off feature. I get it home, turn it on, and then after 20 mins it DID turn itself off, but it also started beeping! Beeping wasn't on the side of the box.

You can imagine how irritating this is when sewing, as everytime you ignore it, it starts to BEEP. It drives me nuts. The last few days while sewing nonstop, the thing kept going off, and I was getting pretty cranky. I even started to yell at it (now I know this is irrational - it is an inanimate object - apart from the beeping that is). Tonight I turned it on to iron some clothes to wear in the morning, and guess what? It's Stuffed. It won't heat up, all the water came out on my natural coloured linen shirt, but Guess What? It's still beeping.

So the moral of this story is? Irons do have feelings, and they get the last laugh. *I'm* sure going to feel it when I have to shell out the cash tomorrow for a new iron...

A bit of Australiana

I was in the Thrift shop this week looking for a pillowcase to make my niece Laura a pillowcase dress, when I saw this. The Aussie girls will have seen similar in the past - it is like something your Nanna would have owned. It is a tablecloth about 32 inches square, and is made of a fabric that feels a bit like barkcloth, but isn't.

I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but I just liked it and it was $4.50. As the animals and birds are in the corners I was thinking I could cut it up and make 5 creature blocks, then there are the 4 smaller native flower motifs as well. Or I could leave it as is, but I don't know what else to do with it. Any ideas?

The kookaburras are my favourite. There are a lot around here and they start just before dawn with their crazy chorus. I found a feather from one recently which is cool.

Here are the Koalas, Mum and Baby, in their tree, and also the Kangaroos. Then there are the emus and cockatoos but I won't photograph them.

Thanks for the comments on the Japanese Quilt, I am having a day or 2 off from it. I felt I really had to keep going, because if I stopped....

I'm Not Making Any More (fullstop)

Ok, that's it. I promise not to go on about it any more. I have just finished the 90th 8 inch block, and I'm done. Here it is up on the wall, but there are 2 rows down below the top of the spare bed which can just be seen in the left corner. I got to the last block, and for the first time I had to put the same blue fabric twice in one block. I told Simon (Quilt Tester) that it was Too Bad, So Sad! and he totally agreed.

So now it is 80 x 72 inches or 182 x 203 cm, or it will be when done. I will have to square up the blocks as the 'scantness' (is that a word?) of my seams has changed over the last 2 or 3 years since I started it. Then sew it together. Then most likely pay someone to quilt it - but I will wait and see if I get over today's trauma first - I might change my mind. It would be a good one to try some FMQ as it is so dark.

So, a milestone for me - finishing the total number of blocks of my first UFO, even if there is still a way to go. I put it all down to Blog Inspiration - thanks Girls!