Sampler quilt, spiders web and

Grandmothers Fan (a start and the pause)

So since returning to the Split Rail after a long gap I have been on something of a roll, started and finished the drunkards path and then I started the next page in the book.

Spiders Web...and finished it too. (I may need to work on the corners to get it squared up)

Still the points and seams on the web part came out so much better than I had feared when battling with the Split Rail.

So, whilst waiting for access to the sewing machine to add on those corners, I cut some of the pieces for the next chapter  Grandmothers Plate.

And started the sewing for it.

I have finished the panels for the fan and I started pinning the point of the fan to the panels in the same fashion as the drunkards path.  The book says that this should be easier as it is a more gradual curve.  

Nope!

And at the third time of pinning and it is still not happy I feel my roll slowing to a halt for this project at least.

Perhaps the cross stich will make a come back.  It is General Conference this coming weekend so my long term project will hopefully make an appearance and be progressed.

Sampler Quilt.

This is the layout I settled on for Drunkards Path.

I did the whole block by hand.

It needs a bit more pressing.  However, I will let that wait till I am ready to consider putting all the design blocks together and make arrangement and stashing decision.

Drunkards Path variation

So that is six different blocks done (well almost done some of then need borders adding to bring them up to size and again I am waiting till all the blocks are done as that might make a difference in the colours I chose to use).

The next block is back to strips joined, cut into triangles and rearranged.  

Sampler Quilt Drunkards path

So after the stall on the Split rail I expected progress on the next block with curves to be slow.

The book has this as a hand sewn block, for the curves at least and described the pining as looking like a hedgehog.

I can see the correlation....

my BFF asked how do you sew that, the answer...carefully.

Sixteen blocks later and much quicker than I had anticipated there is the fun part of looking at the layout to see if I prefer an alternative to the version heading the chapter in the book.

So some options 

There are two that call to me more than others.  One is the chapter picture, one a variation.  I may not need to choose one or the other.  I had a little miscount and made 4 more blocks of the blue and pink than I needed.  So I can make another twelve and try both if I feel like it.

Click here

for an update on the end result and to see what happened to the extra 4 squares.

Eat the Frog and the sampler quilt's progress.

 Well there was a big time gap in the progress on the last block.

The strips of material having been sewn together on  19 November 2017

The next stage of that block and in deed finishing the block waited till September 2018.

Why and what has that got to do with consuming a frog?

Well I have been reading a book about time management and planning, getting more done with your time called Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy (and yes like the old joke I have not finished it yet as I need to find the time to do so).

The theory being that if the worst thing you have to do in a day is eat a live frog you ought to do that first and get it out of the way rather than put it off.

So how does that link to crafting?

Well, I have generally applied the theory that if something has gone wrong in either a cross stitch or a patchwork or a section of quilting that it is better to grit my teeth and  apply the Frog as soon as I see the problem.  Rather than put it away in frustration till I feel like getting it out and fixing it.

Why?

Well the block in the Sampler quilt is a good example.  Just a little bit of unpicking , or as it has become known, frogging was required.  Had I stuck to my normal practice, done it as soon as I realised it was needed I am sure it would have stayed small.  However, as I put it away, it became a bigger issue in my mind and each time I thought about picking the project up again  the thought of starting with a negative action, frogging, which always feels like going backward put me off and I focused my time on something else instead. 

It stalled the whole project, and it was not until the date on my blog brought home to me just how long I had been procrastinating that little bit of unpicking that I made myself "Eat this particular Frog" and it was so easy and quickly done!

So whilst others bemoan the arrival of the Frog, as it is referenced on many a sewing Facebook group I think it is a positive thing that there is the option to put something right.

Sampler quilt..been a long time

since I worked on this, the last update I thought I had the strips done.  But when it came to the next stage, well they just did not measure up.  Literally, they did not make the required measurement and a bit of unpicking was required.

So re sewn, and the two panels of strips cut into squares and triangles and sewn back together and this patch is done.

Strip Rail

It fits beautifuly with my blog ethos..

Well the seams and the points are unique!

It is not giving me much confidence for the block after next which has even more seams and points to tackle.









Who would have thought that I would approach a block with curves as being a buffer between me and a scary scary one with straight edges.

Lawn Bowls Season over

and my dad is packing away his gear for another year.  I have previously shared a humorous piece I stitched for him bowls-season-openfire.

That was not the only bit of stitching I have done for him.  Much earlier I hand stitched his club crest and attached it to white towelling making a neck scarf for those rainy matches as he hated drops or rain getting down his neck.

It is about three inches square.

I took a picture of it before it went away till next April when the season starts again next year.

I remember stitching it on the weeks my dad was doing a 3 - 11 shift and keeping hidden till Christmas.  I was very pleased with the way it turned out...I still am as it has worn well I made it well over 30 years ago...

Card or Frame

that was the question that I was asking about the mouse with daisy

answer

frame 

I found this frame in my stash of frames.

it just looked right 

so

here it is framed.

Mouse and flower

quite pleased hope the same can be said of the recipient. 

And then there were three

mice that is, from the same series of Get Well Soon card designs.

Well four actually, mice not designs that is as there are two mice in the first one,

 sending-hugs., just the one in Lots of Love .

This one is

 Hope you feel better.

Cup a Mouse

there are four more to go, I may well stitch the whole set if the pattern holds up.

Patchwork Rabbit....update

All finished and gifted.

I almost had an issue with this finish.  I worked out the lettering for the name using my normal go to alphabet.  It was too small. So I set to with a different slightly larger alphabet. 

So what was the problem?

Not sure if it was something on the TV in the background, but the second set of names in the new alphabet was not the name the parents had chosen!  Still a girls name and starting with the same first letter.  Good job I noticed before I finished the stitching.  Never done that before, almost missed double letters out yes but a completely different name...oh dear.  

So the IOU from the baby shower is redeemed.

I am quite pleased with the finished piece.

Thankfully so were the parents and had a chuckle over the almost renaming to Edith.

Another mouse

I do appear to be drawn to mice. Not Tom this time but still one from a designer that has appeared before  .

I had started this as a Sunday stitch, I did not get around to sharing it as such and then at work I heard that another of my managers was leaving.  So the sewing speeded up to a finish.

I am not sure if I will look for a little frame for it or use it for a card.  I need to make my mind up soon.