The Return of Routine

My routines disappear completely during the school holidays.  The return to school and work means that my teeth return to getting flossed regularly, I drink more water, and my sewing time condenses to an hour each afternoon during the week.  We are all still getting used to the return of routine!

Yesterday was one of those parenting days better forgotten.  After screaming, swearing and the slamming of doors (that was just me), and retreating to my sewing cave, I discovered that my larger sewing machine had lost its tension.  New needle, new thread, new bobbin, a bit of a clean, a bit better of a clean, another rethread... still no joy.  So much for those plans to start some blanket stitch on those My Tweet blocks. 

Instead I pulled out another WIP project, and did a bit of figuring.  As I was still a bit wild around the edges, a calculator, pen and paper seemed the way to go.

Recap, I had five dresden fan blocks and seventeen Modern Cross blocks.  The layout worked best if I made another three MC blocks - which gave me space to fit in the frame and sashing around the dresdens.  First up I sewed the last grey centre down on the dresden fans (again, that hand sewing gets put aside every time).

The Inspiration... Nordic Star from the Fat Quarterly Shape Book for Quilters.  This quilt is organised as rows of blocks with a variety of piecing, sashing and negative space.  You will have noticed that my blocks are different... of course, they started as completely different projects and are different sizes to the original.  I'm sure I'm not the only person who starts projects in this way??  I call it the Evolution Method of Design :0)  I have great faith.

By close of day today, there was some progress, the frame and sashing for the dresden fan row almost complete... well, four done.

I'm working with Essex Linen in Flax as the background fabric.  I wouldn't want to do complicated piecing with it... but so far so good.

And the extra Modern Cross blocks...

I've sort of been putting this one off - you know how you do - resisting sewing those extra blocks, and then imagining the quilt maths much worse than it really was.  A bit of a picture... some simple addition and subtraction, (some deep breathing) and I was away.  Funny how that works out isn't it?

I also did a bit more work on my Tillies Lane blocks, these are so cute finishing at 3"

This is what I've finished so far.  The background dot is just there for effect... as I haven't decided how to approach that area yet.  The coloured bits are 100% random scraps... with the inner triangles all the same cream solid.

Yip, I see that one pointing the wrong way :0)

Reading through the BOM instructions, I should be doing 24 blocks per month.  So far I've done 11 over the last three or so months.  Whoops.  This is where the being organised bit would be good.  If I have any chance of getting this finished this century... I should try and do six blocks per week.  We'll see how that works.

My hand work schedule has been another routine that has gone by the by over the holidays.  On the agenda this week is finishing up the Giant Chevron baby quilt hand stitching on the binding.  Then next week I'm going to do something exciting.  Promise.  I am so sick of sewing binding down :0)

A sort of almost finish and a sort of almost start

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who has helped out with my problems with Google +, comments not working, and being a no reply blogger all of a sudden.  I switched back to my boring old Blogger profile and switched off the Google + buttons.  Sorry if this has mucked anyone up... but it was just too hard!  Transmissions should now be back to normal.

This week in the sewing shed... we have a sort of almost finish:

Free motion quilting has been occurring.  Enough in fact, that Lola's Medallion is fully quilted!

Although it looks enormous in this photo - it's only 69 x 69".  A mere baby :0)

I think you can see the puff in the applique elements in this one?  And you can also see the triangle pattern on the sashing much better than you do closer up - in fact, you hardly see it at all in real life.

The final decision was to do a ring around the rosy for the pieced corner stones... in the variegated thread that I outlined the triangles with.  Job DONE!

Here's a closeup of the baptist fan pattern after quilting, but before the markings were removed.  I used a Friction Marker... disappears with the touch of the iron.  There has been mixed reviews on this product - it seems to cause problems for those people who live in very cold climates.  I don't think I'll have a problem in Northland, and I'm unlikely to put my quilt into the freezer.

Now I just need to make a decision on the binding... I have the perfect brown... if there were enough!  Need to decide whether to wait and buy more - or throw in a different fabric or two and do a scrappy one.

I also bought a new book... (it's been on my wish list for ages... but I think I just really liked the green chair on the cover :0)

In the middle of which I had an A-Ha! sort of moment... rows of crosses... row of 5 big stars...

Wait a minute... I have something very similar.  This could be the perfect way to turn two WIP projects into just one... isn't that cunning!  I know I could run the world just given the chance :0)

I'd need to do some serious measurements... my blocks are bigger than the instructions - and work out how big the sashing would need to be, and how many of the modern cross blocks I'd need to fill the row... but it is do-able.

That eternal problem of having enough time...BUT - it would be working on an existing project... so it doesn't really count as being a NEW project does it?  So would it be a sort of almost start?

However the rest of the week - I really should focus on catching up with my Tokyo Subway blocks for October, and this weeks Modern Sampler blocks - which I chosen fabrics for, but gotten no further.

What are you up to?

A Tale of Two Circles

Well, it has been a busy old time in the All The Good Ones household.

First up, if you have read through last posts comments, you will know that I celebrated a birthday during the week, and received a very nice present from my husband.  This birthday I was determined to do a little something special for myself too - something I imagined I would have done last birthday (when it was a big one that began with a "fa" and rhymed with naughty) but somehow managed to NOT do.  So I organised a relaxing morning out being treated to a facial, eye brown shape and lash tint plus a fun reminder on how to apply makeup.

It's not every day you turn 41 and take your own photo!

Much fun was had on Saturday (visiting The Country Yard is as much about catching up with friends as visiting a patchwork shop) choosing some practical and visually non exciting items to come home with me... off white solid, a few fat quarters, a bright orange/red flannel wideback and a metre of a beige print for a background for a different project... but we'll get to that another day.

I've also been GOOD approaching my projects in a focused and organised manner.

PIECING: Good progress on the 100 Modern Blocks.  I need to double check but I think I'm up to date now.

This one needs to be spun around...

I don't really have all that many yellow scraps, so to turn a mottled yellow into more of a print - I used a text stamp and some permanent ink.  Turned out great!

And a start to the sashing application.  Check out the non exciting off white - exactly perfect for the purpose... a bit hard to see, but this forms the top left corner of the quilt.

Two for the price of one, I also finished another couple of Playground blocks as a leader/ender project while completing the above.

HAND WORK:  I completed the applique on the dresden fan block, and got two centres prepped, and one of those centres applied (this is where the post title came from...well, I had to call it something!).  I was surprised how quickly this got done, and realised, that just like painting - success is all in the preparation.

OK use your imagination... this is the one before it got finished!

MACHINE APPLIQUE: And I got two quarters completely blanket stitched on my Taupo Tiles, so just two more quarters to finish.

Right - onto the focus projects for this week.

MACHINE APPLIQUE: remember this one?  The side panels for my Bluebirds and Berries BOM...

HAND WORK: getting stuck into hand stitching the binding on the Hometown Wagon Wheels quilt.

PIECING: having a crack at the pieced backing for my Swoon quilt

These are the fabrics, and I've had an idea in my head for ages... just been waiting on the fabric

And my leader/ender project will be some more Tokyo Subway blocks... once I've decided which ones to do of course :0)

Sounds like another busy week...

On the go...

Can you believe this is my 200th post?

Now, on to business.  Did I tell you that I finished another Swoon block?  This would be block 8:

And I'm partly through Block 9 - the last block.  Woohoo!!  Almost time to start thinking about the quilting stage.

I've also prepped another Dresden Fan block, appliqued the outer ring, now just the inner circle to finish appliqueing down:

I've chosen a couple of newspaper prints for these two blocks... I've got another couple of black and white text prints on order which I'm hoping will fit into the scheme.  Once I realised that I didn't want to have the same fabric for all the backgrounds, I found it heaps easier to decide what I did want to do:

I've also got a bit more serious about the February lovely finish goal... after doing a bit of drafting, I did a bit of measuring and figured out I really needed to add some serious borders to make the top sit cohesively on the bed.  I'm liking how this is looking:

Although as I have now used up all my fusible web (with only one border piece partially constructed), I'm not sure how exactly I'm going to finish my goal - I may have bitten off more than I can chew!

The Edition with More in the Details Department

One of my faults regarding my blog is that I assume you know what I am thinking/doing.  Doesn't everyone??  Which is why the comments section is so important - you can ask questions!

Material Obsession is a book by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke - both Australians, who have a rather unique take on design and fabric combinations.  The project I am undertaking is called Dotty For Dresden, a machine pieced, hand appliqued dresden fan block.  I am undecided about the background fabric I am going to use at this stage, or what fabric I'll use for the central circle.  The details will be worked out in the goodness of time... 

This is going to be called my "Joseph Joseph" quilt!  I got this cute set of measuring cups for Xmas - and they came in a handy, dandy box.

Block One of perhaps 24... blades still to be connected!

 Another comment that people often make is about how many different projects I have on the go.  I have a serious problem.  Firstly, it's January and the kids are off school, which means I am off work.  It gives me far too much time to think and sew.  My second problem is that I have the belief that I have super woman powers in January, that I can complete anything throughout the rest of the year.  Which of course I can't, but have a whole heap of fun trying!

Now for an update and more information on the Craftsy BOM classes/projects I am doing.  I signed up for two, firstly Re-Piecing the Past  - Civil War Blocks Then and Now which is by Kaye England.  It is really interesting watching how other people work, and finding out the reasons why they approach certain techniques in the way that they do.

January's Blocks are "Remember Me" - I really like this block!

and Block Two: Sherman's March

The second BOM I signed up for is the 2012 Craftsy Block of the Month with Amy Gibson.  Where the first course is based on very traditional blocks, this one is a bit more modern.  So far I am enjoying both and looking forward to joining the completed blocks together.

Are you ready for New Project Number 3?

The third project for my "if you've got it, use it" new years resolution is a quilt I have liked for a long time, but always been a bit scared to try.  No not a double wedding ring quilt - although it would have also fit the bill, but a dresden fan quilt.  In particular, the one from the Material Obsessions Book One:

My predominantly quilting library - I am determined to start using patterns/inspiration out of some of these books.

Ahh, ain't it lovely?

The lucky pile awaiting cutting... DS Quilts fabric, a mixture of lines, from Spotlight.  They have more on sale at the moment, so added a few more to the mix - coincidentally now I have 16 different fabrics - exactly what I need for the pattern.

 I have started cutting, and experimentally pieced together a few blades to see how it went together.  So far so good.  I was for some reason worried that the seam allowance would poke out the top of the blade, but am happy to report that it does nothing of the kind.  I am really keen to finish a whole circle to see if it sits flat.  Photos pending!

In Tokyo Subway news, I have finished piecing the second block for January - block 5.  Must remember to label that before I forget where it goes.

In Swoon news, I have pieced all the little bits for block 6 into bigger components... that's the easy bit.  It's getting all those components sewn into the one big whole that freaks me out. 

I have also been busy with the Craftsy BOM projects... watch this space!