surveyors star, paper piecing

We are in the last month of the skill builder. and Leila is doing tough blocks for us. She wanted to do this lovely star, and advised us to practise on an American Beauty. But, you know how there is always one who doesn't follow the instructions? Ok I thought, I would just get on with it.
But I did not feel like downloading a pattern, 'how hard can it be to produce one's own pattern?'

Well, perhaps harder than I anticipated. It is many years since I did geometry ay school, and I had to remind myself how to bisect an angle without benefit of compass, and try to estimate proportions to get it looking right. 

 my first attempt, the secondary points are not quite pointing in the right directions,

 Second try, secondary points look disproportionately long.

 This one felt right, and turned into my 'master copy' . Photocopy no.1 was cut in half diagonally, and then four more copies were produced of the separated halves, to use as the sacrificial paper copies. And another one to cut apart for patterns for the fabric.

And then I had to remind myself how to sew the fabric on, and to not cut off the bit I wanted left at the end!

Having reminded myself of the usefulness of the stitch ripper, I eventually managed to get all the bits done, and am pleased with my result.

 

No it is not perfect, but it is good enough for me!

I also realised I never put up a picture of my finished quilt, so here it is,  laid out, rather than just part shots. Nice and snuggly, and on the back of a chair in the living room. 

And I am linking this to Ellison Lane summer sewing, just for fun! Though most of the quilts and bags there are just amazing! 

garden things

One of my silly little pleasures is to take the phone round the garden, while my daughter is talking to me. It is a small thing, but I can exclaim about the progress and tell her the sillies that are happening, at the time, and not just later and second hand.
So, lurking amongst the strawberries, is this soft, silver grey toadstool, with dainty gills on the outside. I have never seen a fungus quite like this before. It is a lovely fairy fungus, and very pretty.

Speaking of strawberries, someone has been munching, and it is not ME!












But there are some more- I will just have to get there first.


Then just some flower pictures, for fun











































This allium is a very soft dainty pale pink in life.


































 This rose has migrated around the garden, but just isn't happy in the ground! It loves to be in a pot, but just sulks if I try to plant it properly.

And a last little bit of sewing, if you have got
this far!









This pincushion has a 'proper' name, but I cannot remember what it is. It was fun to make.

Tired but happy

I am just back from the day at the theatre. I spent all day backstage, helping out, doing quick changes, calming children down and trying not to get in the way.

My flowers and swans looked gorgeous, yes I have some pictures, but without parents permission, do not wish to post- unless I can work out how to crop heads off! Or blur faces. Any one out there offering guidance?

I think I have gone potty! I have signed up for Nicky's frame purse swap, though I have never attempted such a thing before, and, as if I didn't have enough on, I have also signed up for a 'round the world' bee. Could be interesting.


Meantime I have parcels to pack and get posted, and a beckoning bed....
Happy with an early morning finish, though. You can look at that!

 I managed to get the binding finished this morning, before I went off to the theatre. And am I proud of my mitred corners!
No, they are not perfect, but the best I have managed so far, so I am pleased.

 And the rolled up one!



Yes, it is green, I like green, so that works for me! Though I do like other colours too, you know!

Winning Friday

  

Well I said it might have to be a hat! And it is a hat. My husband and my son both Morris dance, and so a hat with flowers is more or less obligatory. And I borrowed my son's hat- without asking- to do a quick draw. I know he wouldn't mind, on this occasion.







So, I wrote my numbers out- there aren't many so it is very easy- and dropped them in the hat.

 Shook it up a little and picked someone's number.

















so, 8, who are you?

it is barb, from Witzend!I shall contact you for details!
Polka dots on their way!  

backing with fleece?

My DD2 bought some pretty green fleece for a project, and, having put together the squares for this quilt top, it occurred to me, I could just do with some of that to back a quilt, rather than wadding and a fabric back. It was just the right colours, and might be extra snuggly.

So, a trip to that fabric temptation shop later, and I have enough to back my top. And a pretty leafy print for a border. So I am about ready to start pinning. And I suspect I want a fairly basic, open quilting on it, so that the snuggle factor is not lost. The squares are all so different, I do not know if I will have to do something different on each one, or if I can come up with something to go across the whole.
And I will do a scrappy binding, using whatever works. I will be glad to see this coming together rather than an overdue WIP!

If any of you have done this fleece thing before, and have any tips? It would be appreciated.

Alright, this weeks block from the skill builder, is this pretty star, built up with pairs of diamonds, and then the squares and triangles inserted with those lovely (forced grin) corner seams. You start with strips. Two in one colour, and two in two different colours. Sew strips together, in pairs, lengthwise. Cut on the diagonal to produce paired diamonds. Take one from each combination, nest together, and sew. Hey presto, a four part diamond appears.

 But sadly, it does not always line up perfectly, because 'Mrs Bash it out' here is too impatient and didnt take enough notice, and had to reacquaint herself with the seam ripper.

 Hmm.
Well two were fine and six required attention. but in the end, I ended up with all eight being satisfactory. No, I did not say perfect. They will not bear the scrutiny of an unkind eye. But they were near enough for me to say, doing it again might end up worse!






So, with points matching, I am ready for the next bit. Sew them together in matching pairs. Which was not so bad.
Then add in the triangles.  Two of these units get connected, and the square sewn in.
Now, up to this point all appeared to be going according to plan.
Oh, don't the gods laugh when you get confident. More on that later. Swans!





It doesn't look so bad does it?

But, why does it have that funny fold in the middle? And if you look carefully, there is a sort of circle effect going round near the points of my floral star.





Want a closer look at the pleat in the middle?

 Go on, have a good laugh!  I suspect this would be great on a very fat cushion! Pre-shaped even.

But notice too, if you can, how all my points matched on this!

It had to come apart again.  And was resewn. Now it lies flat. But the points do not match. :-(

have another look, just not too close a look! I think it is ok, because of the busy pattern in the middle.

Ok , I did say the gods laugh.

I had a few adjustments to make to my swans, including adding a bit more hook and eye tape, to prevent gaping. I normally just run a line of tape top to bottom, but I knew I was running out, and it would be a while before I could get any more. A few days type of while, not months or anything. So I tried to economise.

Have you ever noticed, when you try to economise, it nearly always ends up costing more in time and trouble, than if you hadn't?

So, I had to add a section in the middle. On most of them, this was fine, but, you couldn't do it if you tried, on a couple, I added the hooks back to front. 

Can you see? the middle lot of hooks will not hook, so they have to come off and go on again, the right way round.

Ho hum.




Now, a while back, in the skill builder, we appliqued by a number of different methods. Circles. I cut out my paper patterns using a nifty little device which is basically a compass, with a blade instead of a pencil. Alright, a pair of compasses,with a blade....

If you pop over to the Quilting Lodge they are doing a giveaway of a rather posher version of this, which cuts through fabric. I do not know if mine will do this, as I haven't tried. They also have some tips and a really lovely table runner thing with circles to use this for- so go have a look, and you might try to win the cutter. I think it is also rather larger than my one, and will cut bigger circles..

Good luck!

And I finally got around to putting some of my skill builder squares together in a quilt top today.

Hurrah!


 I find I have several distinct groups of them, some more yellow, some cream and some white. So, that is how they are going to be matched.
I am considering doing a double sided one, with the cream on one side and white on t'other.
I think this needs a border, but I do not have the right whatever for this. So at present it is 'cooking' in my brain to see what I want for it.
But it is getting there. perhaps a deep green? Any thoughts?

Stash bee, June block, and, I am 100?

Well, There's different.

 Laurel has asked for us to do a faceted design, in plain colours, no patterns, on a black background. This looks fun! You draw a straight line, then create a triangle, or a quadrilateral from it. Then add another, and let it grow, into an almost 3-D shape. Colour in the shapes, in different colours, until you like what you have, then reproduce in fabric. So I had to have a go straight away.

She recommended using freezer paper, but good old greaseproof is what we get in our house, and I drew, traced and cut out, chose fabrics- I don't have much plain stuff, thinks I. Until I looked out what I do have! And I do have quite a bit. Well, some of it had to be acquired to make blocks in other months- yes I did order the Kona white, and put it in a safe place, though where it is hiding now... I shall have to do that long promised turn out... and I had got some for a FMQ project which failed after a couple of weeks, and so I discovered I had, yellow, purple, blue, green, aqua, amethyst and pomegranate, in fact, very nearly a rainbow to play with.

So this is the result. I hope it is what is wanted.
By the time I tackled the second 'crystal' I worked out that it was easiest to draw the sewing line on the back of the fabric, and then pin and sew.

I am also joining Lily's small blog meet-



Now, I have noticed that I am posting my 100th post. It seems to be a tradition in sewing blogs for there to be a giveaway at that marker. But I am very unsure if my taste runs with other folks, so I shall make the offer- and if no-one takes me up on it, I shall understand.

I recently got some Cosmo Cricket 'Salt Air' charms. They are really pretty, and I would be sorry to let these go, but I also hope someone else may do something lovely with them.

I also acquired some bright cheerful spotty FQs. Alternatively, I can make a zippy pouch, if you prefer. They are also fun!

So, if you would like one of these options, tell me which you would like, and why, and, if you have NEVER won anything ( in a blog giveaway) make that a separate entry. Possible two entries.

And I will try to bribe my DD- or one of them- to tell me how to do a random pick. It may be numbers in a hat!

Is that OK ? ish?

I will try to sort this out on Friday of next week, the 7th June, after work so, round 7 o'clock BST.