Hot Weather

I dont mind hot weather when it's dry, but we are having a spell of humid horrid weather at the moment. I'm sick of sweating! There's a cyclone out there somewhere, due to come over the coast but as a depression( hmmm thats what it's giving me already LOL) sometime on Sunday afternoon I think. Hopefully that will be the last of the humidity then. I dont even feel like I can sew when it's like this - that's the depressing part. I have so much I have and want to do and I'm on a roll at the moment. Have even been trying to finish some of my PHD's (Projects Half Done). Dont feel like doing any of it in this humidity, dammit!

I'm almost moved into my new room. Just have to get to Bunnings now and get some new shelving. With the weather like this I dont feel like going anywhere! I'll take some photo's when its all done. I'm liking it already. Hubby says it's still too crowded, but I want everything in one room. He suggests leaving some where it is and I dont want that, although I might agree to leave some of my books on shelves there. I'd be able to put more of the things (stuff) from under the tables into the shelving unit then. That might work!! :-)

I'm off to sit in front of the fan again.

Cheers,

Faye.

Setting a block On Point

One of the groups I am in are doing a Round Robin and one round is - turn the block on point. I looked at all the info and really couldnt work out just where to start. I've been quilting for almost 30 years, so I thought if I'm having a problem, what about others that have not been doing it as long as I have. So, this is what I did. Not saying it is the right way, and there might be an easier way, but this is how I did it.

I decided I wanted 2" strips (cut 2-1/2) with posts in the corners, and a triangle along the middle of the original block side. Sort of like Log Cabin, but not quite.

First, I measured the length of the original block sides - it was 18-1/2 inches. I have a book that is called "Taking the Math out Making Patchwork Quilts" by Bonnie Leman & Judy Martin. There's all sorts of useful info in this little book, including diagonal measurements of squares, so this is what I used. I had to work backwards tho. And it wasnt exactly to size. Like ... for an 18-1/2" side, the closest was 18-3/8". Good enough for me. The size of square for that was 13", so that's what size I worked on.

I figured if it was a full square (and not a triangle) there would be a centre square and 2 rounds, so my centre square would be 5" and then 2 rounds of 2" (well, 2 each side remember), that would give me a 13" square finished.

So, I did a trial run and it seemed to work, so I bit the bullet. :-)

OK. Here we go .......

Cut 2 squares 5-7/8" and cut on one diagonal

(you will now have 4 triangles.)

From the same fabric, cut eight 2-1/2" squares.

You will need 2 colours for the strips. I used one light and one dark.

From the light fabric you will need 8 pieces 2-1/2" x about 8"

From the dark fabric, you will need 8 pieces 2-1/2" x about 12"

Construction:

Stitch one 8" light strip to a short side of the triangle. Your strip will be quite a bit longer, but thats OK. Press the seam towards the strip. Make sure it is all nice and flat. press both sides (right and wrong side), just to make sure it is good and flat.

Lay the unit right side up on your cutting mat. Now, look at your ruler. Somewhere on one end there will be lines that show you the degree of angle. You are looking for the 45 deg. line. You need to line up that line with the outer edge of the strip you just added, and the edge of the ruler should be lined up with the bottom of the triangle and across the excess of the strip. Make sure everything lines up, then trim off the excess.

Actually, on this picture I've lined the 45 deg line up with the other side of the triangle, but that works too.

Next, sew a small square onto a light strip and press towards the square.

Butt the seams and sew this strip onto the other side of the triangle. Press the seam towards the strip, then line up the 45 deg. line on the ruler and trim off.

We are half way there. It's not so bad, is it?

Now take a dark strip and sew that onto one side, as before. Press towards the strip and trim off. Add a small square to a 12" length and sew that on the other side, butting the seams so they fit nice and neat.

Hey presto, you have one side done. You need to make 3 more, just like that!

Now find the centre of the large triangle and the centre of the block. Pin this point, right sides together, of course.

You will find that the points of the new large triangle extend about half an inch longer than the block. That's right, they should. In this pic I have left a little of the block showing so you can see better. Pin generously and sew carefully.

Try not to handle the large triangle too much, as the long side is all bias and could stretch. We are almost there!

When you add an adjoining side, you need to leave a quarter inch dog-ear, as shown in this pic.

And finally, this is what the centre of your new block will look like. I havent trimmed off the dog-ears yet. I'll leave that for the next RR member.

Cant show you a pic of the whole block yet. Dont want the recipient to see too much.

Hope you can follow these instructions. I'd love some feed-back on this - good or bad. This is only my second tutorial, so I'm still learning.

Have fun with this, especially the girls in the RR.

Cheers,

Faye.

The Veggie patch

This is my wheeelbarrow now - I'm battling t0 keep up with it. Along with the silverbeet there are a few spring onions. This lot of s/b seedlings had only 4 plants, but even that is too much for just the 2 of us. I made a nice spinach and cheese slice for lunch the other day, but I'm battling to find recipes that I like using spinach.

The canoe is soooooo overgrown now too. The Rocket we had has seeded and is now shooting again (far left) so we might get some more rocket before the season ends. Next is a row of spring onions, then I had 2 rows of carrots& radish - the radish were great, - and in front of them a row of beetroot. The carrots and beetroot are still trying to compete - with the self seeded basil and rockmelon! Oh, and somewhere in there we had 3 cucumber plants that have been providing us with some lovely little cu-ees, and 3 strawberry plants that havent done much at all! Down the front are a couple more containers with pumpkin plants, which dont seem to be fruiting. Lots of flowers, so I'm not sure why no pumpkins. We have about 5 lovely rockmelon growing on the plants that grew out of some scraps I buried. Looking forward to them.

I'd like to plant more, but at the moment I havent decided where (or what) to plant them (in). It looks like we wont be going out prospecting till almost June, so I could plant some winter veggies, if I get on with it. Will just have to look out some more containers.

Cheers,

Faye.

Getting There ...

This is my current sewing room - a bedroom 3m x 3.7m with a built in robe - and I have it jammed packed full of my sewing paraphernalia. This shot is my cutting table, piled with "junk" at the moment cos I'm getting ready to move. Mind you, it's not much different to what it usually looks like. I usually have to clear a space to cut, as one does. I've seen the posts!

The next one is of the same room looking at the ironing board and my sewing machine (in a Horn cabinet - works for me) The bookcase extends into the room so I can get more furniture into the room. Behind the machine and Iron is a window, would you believe. Not out to the garden, but overlooking my computer room. As you can see, I've used the window to display all sorts of bits and pieces - blocks ready to assemble, exchange blocks ready to do or to post, notes to myself, a calendar - you get the idea.

I've been very happy in this little room and even though it's always a mess, I almost always know where everything is. BUT, I feel the need for a larger room and DH has said I can move into the "end room" which is 3m x 4m with no built in robe, so I can re-arrange things better. I've been designing and re-designing this new room for about 18 months now, but I'm pleased to say, it wont be long! I've cleaned out the new room and am about to paint it, then I can move.

Meanwhile, I've organised my Stash cupboard. It's not as full as it was cos I've been making quite a few scrap quilt tops from the stash and trying not to buy more. I had been really good until about a month ago :-)

My Stash cupboard only holds Lengths. From half metre thru to about 3.5m. I still have all the smaller cuts, fat quarters and widebacks to organise yet, although they are all in plastic containers - just need re-folding.

Dont hold your breath waiting for photo's of the move LOL. It's taken me 18 months to get round to clearing out the room ready for painting. Still got to paint ..... and then move all the stuff. OMG. There is sooooo much stuff! .... but it will be fun.

Might have to have a party when it's all done - just to show it off. I cant wait, so maybe it will happen faster than I anticipate. Still have to get DH to help though.

Till next time.

Cheers.

Faye.

Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2010-11

I decided I'd have a go at this, but bonnie's quilts are usually quite large, so I have only done a few of each unit - like about 50 of the first, and about 10 of each of the rest. I'll have a lot to do when I get going on it, but I have enough to at least put together a couple of blocks - just to see how it is looking, as I change the colours from what she suggests.

So....... today I actually put together a couple of the blocks.

Only trouble is, the Saw Tooth edge should have been with the dark on the outside, then it will look a little more like a sashing beside the string-pieced block. I'm glad I only made one block. I wont pull it out just yet. I'll make some more "the right way" LOL. So far I'm liking it, but I've made it with lots of scraps, so will have to put a few together to really get the idea.

I'll take some more shots when I've made a few more

Cheers,

Faye.