minnesota

The latest skill builder block is this one.
 I hadn't realised that it might be quite difficult to even print it out. I printed the template, without a care in the world, and only got the top half. My printer couldn't 'see' the second half of the page. So I saved it into Word, and tried to print it again. But the printer wanted to print it about three inches long. The whole page three inches long. In the middle of an A4 page. So I fiddled around and it did finally print sensibly. But. Leila pointed out that there might be a size discrepancy, and there is. The one inch test is just very slightly shy of reaching it's one inch. So I shall look at resizing and see if that helps.
Ok. Reading Freshly Pieced again,  directs you to a page which gives instructions for getting the template the right size!

and can you see the size difference?

a little small.

spot on!

Print again and Yippee! the one inch measures.....one inch!
So now we are cooking with gas!

So I have traced the paper pieces, and cut fabric to size for sewing. We are instructed to cut diagonally, the rectangles. But we are not told, which would be helpful, to cut half one way, and half the other. This would make assembly slightly simpler.  And I chose to do a line of stitching round the edge, to crisp it up a bit.
  
this produces a lovely crisp result.

And that is it for the night!


Tragedy has struck. It is so sad. Abakhan has opened a branch in Bolton. Oh dear. It is accessible. It opens late two evenings a week. And Sundays. They even have parking. Why tragedy? Because I can actually go there, and might spend money. I had to go today, to see what was there. I had a ghastly time in Bolton two weeks ago, not finding the fabric I wanted. And fell over, making a total fool of myself, grazed my knee, and wrenched my shoulder, leaving me with a sore arm and other sore bits for a fortnight so far, and still not right. And Abakhan was already there, but I didn't know! Imight have got exactly what I needed there, if I had known. Now, I know. and it is dangerous, because it is so accessible. I no longer have to trek to North Wales, or try to park in Manchester or Liverpool. I am not sure my husband will cope.

Aren't you sorry for me?

I did get a few bits while I was there,  after all, it would be a waste of petrol otherwise, would it not? But I cannot show them all, because there is a season coming up and certain people might get a sneak peek if I am not careful. But I will show a couple of not prior intentioned bits, just because they are so pretty!

  The birds are just lovely, I do not often go for anything quite so cute, but this just begged to come home..

 
aren't they just lovely? Or is it just me?

And then these, again the floral just refused to stay behind without me... Lovely subtle shades, and really pretty- yes I do do pretty, just not cute!
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