Exhausted

“What do you mean you can’t bind the quilt if I sit on it like this? Don’t be mad at me, look at how cute I am!”

***

Rose, I did fleetingly think of just pinning it as is without fudging it and then adding wadding later but the lazy part of me got in the way so it was decided that it would be fudged instead!

Kathleen, thank you for the comments. I feel very lucky that I can spend this time with my Grandma and although she is sometimes protests about holding up the quilts I feel that I have to have her in the background now as it doesn’t feel completely “finished” without a picture of her holding up the quilt.

It was funny. When she saw the finished Blue + Tan quilt I think she nearly had a fit trying to think of how she was going to hold it up!! I told her it was ok as I already had photos. I will get one of the whole quilt when it is finally finished though!

***

The reason for the posts on specific quilts that are finished like yesterday’s is that I am anal (Really I am, ask Tara about the 2′ squares….) and I want to have all my quilts recorded somewhere with their dimensions, who they went to and when they were started and finished. So I have set up a Quilts Made page where I’m putting all that information and then when I have done a post on that quilt I then link to it.

I am also aiming to have a book with photos that does the same thing but I haven’t got around to it at this stage.

***

So last night I got home – after getting some chocolate mud ice cream (yum!) – and I felt exhausted but felt compelled to try and quilt Blue + Tan to see if I could do it or if I would have to call in reinforcements.

I did try, but at the moment trying to push all that fabric through the machine and positioning it on the table and my lap just wasn’t comfortable nor fun for me. If it had of been tolerable I would have continued but the little bit that I did was enough for me to know that at this point in time (and lack of experience) I can’t do it.

I then emailed Tara to see if she had room on her list to quilt it for me and thankfully she said yes. So, on Tuesday I’ll drop it into Quiltaholics for her to pick up and quilt for me.

I feel like I have made the best decision for myself and the quilt.

Besides, now I can work on finishing all the other stuff that I was doing!

Last night I did try to bind the Scrap Basket Lattice Quilt however, Ginger soon put paid to that so I just read some magazines and mucked around doing nothing much.

I still feel exhausted so I’m off to have the shower that I didn’t have time for this morning due to a mix up with daylight savings and technology cause I feel gross.

I had to take my tooth brush and make up to work so that I could do that in my first break. Ewwww……

And then, for tonight I thought I might make and put labels onto a couple of quilts so that I can cross that bit off my to do list.

Hope you all had a good weekend

Timeless Pinwheels

Finished Size: 48″ x 48″

This is another quilt that as soon as I saw – AP&Q Vol 13 No 9 – I decided that I just had to make.

By this stage though, I was well aware of quilt sizes and knew that I didn’t want to make it as big as the original so I just stopped at a point where I thought it was big enough and before I had to do the next border that had applique in it.

As I was and still am totally in love with Jinny Beyer fabrics I decided once again that this quilt would be perfect made in them.

I started the quilt in November 2005, finished piecing it by January 2006 where it came to a stand still.  I did plan to quilt it myself and even pinned it but then when I went to quilt it I got cold feet and had no idea of how I was going to manage such a big quilt.

So, it came to a stand still until I worked out that I could send out quilt tops to be quilted which was then done in August 2006 with 2 other quilts.  I finished binding it in October 2006 after dragging it all the way to Melbourne in Sept 06 where the plan was that I’d bind it whilst on holidays!

Yeah right….

It is machine quilted with a cream thread in the Double Rose pattern and cost $60 with wool wadding.

I really enjoyed piecing this quilt although the pinwheel border did give me grey hair as they ended up slightly bigger than the middle square.  After much fiddling and fudging around, I managed to make them fit.

Grandma kept on hinting about how much she liked this quilt so I gave it to her for her birthday that was in June.  Trouble is…. I didn’t tell her that I was giving to her, didn’t get her anything else for her actual birthday and only gave it to her in October!!

Guess I made the naughty list that year!

Uh Oh

So, there I was busily pinning away listening to people get shot and maimed when I realised that something just wasn’t quite right.

Yep, that’s right.  Despite having acres of spare wadding on all 3 corners I have managed to run out of wadding in this corner

Luckily I caught it before I had done the whole side and I could fudge it so that the top is even to the wadding.  ‘Cause before I fudged it there was a gap of half an inch between where the wadding finished and the top finished.  I was 2/3 of the way through finishing the pinning of the quilt so there was noooo way that I was going to undo it all and start again – I’m too lazy!

I’m hoping that it will all turn out ok.

Right?

Before I go, I’ll leave you a pic of Ginger being super cute.  He thought that I had made a cubby hole just for him to hide in!

 

Ready? Set? Pin!

Thanks for the offer Rose. Too bad you aren’t closer!

Thank you Emma. Pretty much all the blues are scraps that I already had cut up from other quilts and the tan is a fabric that I picked up last week. I can only get them done so quick cause I don’t really have many other responsibilities. Just because I finish the tops so quickly doesn’t mean that I finish them completely though! I really need to work on that.

***

Well for a day off it wasn’t much of one. I think I need to go back to work for a break!

Nah…. not really. Would rather have a day like today any day than go to work….

What started out as a half hour visit to the beautician to get my legs waxed, turned into a 3 hour shopping trip with Grandma.

We started at West Lakes and whilst I went to Essential Beauty, Grandma started the grocery shopping. From there I did a couple of errands and met her back at Coles. Then it was off to Harris Scarfes for her and the Post Office for me.

After that, I ducked into Kmart to get an electric blanket (it is soooo cold at night! and to think it isn’t even winter yet…) whilst Grandma went ahead to Gloria Jeans to wait for me.

After a quick coffee and a piece of raisin toast for both of us it was time to go to the vet’s to get some nibbles for Ginger. On the way back to Foodland and the way home, Grandma and I were talking about the back of this quilt and we both agreed that having one piece of dark or blue fabric would be better than the scrappy backings I usually do.

So, it was a quick U-Turn to Spotlight where I grabbed 4m of a black fabric with multicoloured spots (no pic as yet but I’ll put one up later).

And after a quick visit to Foodland for some groceries we forgot at Coles we were home.

Once we got home and after bringing the groceries in I put the fabric in the wash and then the tumble dryer.

When I got it out with help from Grandma I worked out where I need to cut and sew it together to make it big enough for the quilt.

So now I’m off to pin it. I’ve put in a XXX – The Next Level to distract me from the boredom. Nothing like a shoot them up action movie to take your mind off things

Hope you all had a great day.

Much Better!

I’m feeling much better today thankfully!

Thank you Paula and Rose for taking time out to comment.

I am very lucky to have Tara as a teacher and I look forward to every class that I have with her. I do patchwork as an outlet for my creativity but when I have deadlines or have to do something the fun just goes out of it and I get stressed and hate doing it.

Which all lead to last night’s meltdown. That and I have put myself under pressure in pretty much every area of my life. I think it was only a matter of time before I cracked.

However, I’m doing much better now, although I did want to be in bed an hour ago… oh well

I was going to go to bed at 10.30pm but then I only had a few more seams to do so I thought I’d stick it out until it was done rather than have to finish it tomorrow.

Cause that then means I can do the backing and get started on pin basting it tomorrow!

Anyone want to come over and have a pin basting party with me?

Anyone? Hello??????

I had to take photos of this quilt draped over the couch as my quilt holder has gone to bed as it’s 11.00pm at night! I don’t think she would have been able to hold this one up anyways, it is huugggee!

So, without further ado, here is a pic of this brand new monster sized quilt in all it’s glory:

It’s heavy as it is so I will be interested to see what it will be like when I’ve quilted it.

The fabric on the quilt in this picture is going to be the binding. It is from one of my favourite designers, Jinny Beyer.

I’m going to quilt class again on the 8th of April so I’m going to aim to finish pinning it by this Sunday and quilt it before the 8th however, I’m going to do it in a balanced fashion and catch up with the rest of my life as well!

Hope you all had a good day and I’ll catch up with y’all tomorrow

ps – there are more photos in flickr of this quilt in progress if you want to hope on over there and have a look.

pps – did you know that it is snowing in Victoria!! And that’s only about a week after the 40C weather we’ve been having. How insane is that?

Frustrated

Right now I am really frustrated with the quilt that I’m making for my brother.

I have spent sooooo many hours on it already, including a lot of the time that my Mum was here and I feel guilty that I didn’t spend enough time with her but that’s another story….

And I can see that it is going to take many more hours before it is finished.  Many more hours than I originally planned as well.

I desperately wanted to have the top done by tonight at the latest so I could take the whole thing to class tomorrow to share and to then buy wadding for it and stick it into a bag until I got home when I could then make the backing and baste it.

However, it is not to be.

It just seems to be taking much longer to piece it (oh, the seams!) as I have to pin everything.  I think I may be running on piecing time – you know, like fiji time – when I am in front of the sewing machine, not real world time!

I do want to show you pictures and have meant to update here long before now but I’m just in such a single minded head space that I can’t seem to do anything but think about finishing this quilt.

That in itself is driving me mad!

I decided Fri/Sat night that instead of making it 2.5 repeats wide I would just add the other half the repeat and make it 3 blocks square (9 blocks in total, 18 halves) which meant that I had to make more units.

As you all know my quilting math just doesn’t work sometimes and it appears to have happened again.

At this point I think I have enough (more than perhaps?) half square triangle units but I will possibly probably definitely be short in the 4 patch units.

So, before I do any damage to it (because no matter what I’ve whinged up above) it is looking really beautiful, I have decided to blog here about my frustrations and then go to sleep.

I have quilt class tomorrow and the whole kit and caboodle is coming with me.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish it/complete most of it there.

Something else that is worrying me is that I know in my head that it is going to be 72.5′ square which is 184(ish)cm square which is approx 6 foot square.

That is going to be one big quilt.   How on earth is little old me with my limited quilting skills is going to quilt that?  What on earth was I thinking?

I underestimate things a lot of the time.

“Oh it can’t be that hard”  “Sure, why not I’ll give that a go, it looks easy”

And I think this is going to be yet another one of those times.

At the moment my plan of attack is that I’m going to get the top completed, pin baste it and try to quilt it myself.

If that doesn’t work, I’ll ship it off to Tara to work her magic on it!

Sorry for that rant, but I figure if anyone knows how I’m feeling then it will be you guys.

Ok, I’m off to bed so that tomorrow it can all look happier, brighter and better.

Oh, look!  I don’t have to go to work tomorrow.  I feel better already!

Change of Plan

 

After browsing through the latest AP&Q and noticing the finished product of the latest mystery quilt and really like it, it came to me that I could change my mind and make that for my brother instead of the pattern that I had just started.

I had enough fabric of blues and the tan that I just bought and all I will need to do is to remove some of the 2′ squares that I allocated and add some more 3.5′ squares/4.5′ squares.

I love Mary’s pattern and will use it to use up my scraps however, I wasn’t too sure how big to make it nor what I should do for the border so this really solved those dilemmas.

I told you that I’m a follower right?  But I guess you’ve worked that out already

So this quilt will finish at 60′ x 72.5′ with no borders and I’m thinking that for the binding I’ll use the same fabric that I’ve bound my placemats in as I have tonnes of it and I really like it.

As the half square triangles* have to be 3.5′ square unfinished, the same size as my cut 3.5′ squares already; I have decided to just make the 144 squares the same way that I did for my 16 Patch (giving me yet again spare half square triangles!) and then once I work out how many more that I’ll need I’ll divide that by 2 and using the method in the previous post where I asked for help, I’ll make that many more with no spare half square triangles.

Still with me?

And, I have a plan already for the spare half square triangles.  I’ll set them 12 x 12, border it like I did for the Asian Pinwheels and give it to my Mum for her spare room.

However, like anything these days there is a catch.  Ready????

I have/want to have it finished by my brother’s birthday.

The challenge?  It’s on the Queen’s B’day long weekend.  9th June 2008.

As in 2 months and 3 weeks away.

So, I guess I’m not going to be going out anytime soon

At this stage I’m also planning on quilting myself with one of the blue threads that I just recently bought for quilting.

So Tara look out as I may be needing some help!

 

The picture above is 1 of 15 blocks that need to be made.  I did it tonight and it took me just over 2 hours to make.  I was making some of the half square triangles as I went which slowed me down.

I made the block so I could see what it looked like and make sure that it was going to turn out like I thought it would.  Grandma is graciously holding it up.

With this weekend being Easter I see myself having more time than usual so hopefully *fingers crossed* I can get all the four patches and the half square triangles done.  With possibly a few more blocks so that I can really get a good picture of it.

Ideally, I’ll finish the top.  However, I think with even finishing the top by Monday night, I still won’t have backing, wadding and basting done by Thursday’s class.

Hmmmm, we’ll see.

So anyone want to bet on how whether it is going to be quilting, bound and labelled by the 9th June?

*their instructions on how to make the half square triangles went way over my head so I’m just going to make it how I know and also, I’ve already cut most of the tan fabric to the other pattern so don’t have enough to change how I make it.

Math Help *updated*

Hi Guys

I need some help with half square triangles please.

I need to make 3.5′ half square triangles but I want to do it out of a square of fabric and I want to get 2 half square triangles out of that square.

So, do I cut the starting square at 4′ or 4.5′?  Or something else completely different?

Please help and put me out of my misery.  This is making my head hurt!

Thanks in advance

*edit*

Thanks Sandy and Tara!  I’ll go home and cut some up at 4.5′ tonight and give it a go.  You guys just saved my mental health!!

Now, how to get home earlier than normal so I can get started with this????

I’ve changed my mind with my brother’s quilt.  I’ll reveal all tonight!  Don’t worry, I won’t have to buy any more fabric.  Although, I do have to cut more….

Busted!

Ok, ok, so I was soooo busted by Kathleen (Hi Kathleen!) in the comment section about which Spotlight I had visited yesterday.

The truth is I visited both! *gasp* *horror* And I did it again today!

However, I can redeem myself; I only bought fabric at the Port Adelaide one.

The Spotlight I visited early in the day is the one in town and accessible to me either during my lunch break or after work. I don’t really like it as I don’t feel that it is set out well and I only get 30mins for my lunch break so quite often I’m late back to work because they are so busy.

The Spotlight that I visited later at 16.30 is the one in Port Adelaide. This one is near my house and is where I buy a majority of my fabric. Well, there and Quiltaholics….. I love that place cause it is huge and you can sometimes get a really good bargain! That, and I’ve been going so much that they now know me by sight :$

Kind of like Gloria Jeans at Arndale, Borders City and Myer Centre.

I like going to places where everyone knows me by name sight

So tonight (kind of feels like Sunday all of a sudden) due to City Spotlight not having the tan fabric that I bought yesterday I skipped the gym and motored on down to Spotlight at Port Adelaide after work where I bought a further 2m of the tan fabric.

That’s 4m of that fabric now! I’m pretty sure that I’ve got enough now!!! Although I’ve already cut up 2m of it…..

I didn’t get much done tonight and I won’t get anything done tomorrow night cause I have TAFE and I’ll use my spare time from work to TAFE to learn my songs for Pump ready for teaching the tracks on Thursday.

When I got home I relaxed on the couch and read the latest edition of AP&Q. There are a few quilts in there that looked nice but nothing that screamed at me to make it. Thank God!

Then I got into the sewing room and counted out the 576 2′ blue squares I’ll need and the 144 3.5′ blue squares I’ll need. I then started cutting up the tan fabric and once I’d done a fair bit I started sewing the 2′ squares together. I know that I don’t have enough 2′ squares cut but I’ll just keep cutting and sewing until the blue squares are done.

I also tidied up the sewing room and made the binding for the Asian Pinwheel quilt.

Before I knew it it was 9.30pm and time to make a quick post and off to bed I go!

Night all

A Day In My Life: 16 March 2008

I was reading through bloglines a blog yesterday about how there are a few bloggers, Rose Red and Little Jenny Wren, (and more!) out there that on one day of the month they blog about their life.  I thought that that was a great idea and have decided to also take this on.

However, as I am totally crap at seeing things through I decided to make it the 16th of the month which is the anniversary date of my birthday.  So, it should be easy to remember, right?

Today isn’t all that interesting as I had to work but I think that as we go through the year it will be interesting to see what happened on that date every month.

So here is my day:

6.30am – wake up.  I’m half an hour late in getting up to get to work however, if I hurry I know that I can make it on time.  Thank goodness, it’s the weekend and I can park in town!

7.30am – gulp down raisin toast at work and log into the computers to start taking calls.

9.10am – log out for my first 15min break.  Make porridge, more raisin toast and a cup of milo for “breakfast”.  Log into the kitchen internet and check emails and catch up on everyone’s blogs.  Cool, a comment from Mary.

9.25am – log into the phones to take more calls.  ho hum…..

11.55am – log out again this time 10mins late and it’s off for lunch.  Go to Gloria Jeans to see who is there.  It’s the girl from yesterday who made the crap coffee.  Decided to skip the coffee, I’ll get one after work on the way home.  Hmmm, perhaps I can go to Spotlight and see what they have?  Look around Spotlight, nothing here that I haven’t seen before!

12.25pm – log into the phones to take yet more calls.

14.00pm – log out for my last break of the day, 15mins again.  SMS a few friends to see what they are doing this afternoon as I feel like doing something.  Nope, they are all busy.  Guess I’ll have to entertain myself.

14.15pm – logging in for the last time today.  Talk to cranky customers who have absolutely no manners.  Wonder if I’m getting paid enough….

15.30pm – log out; I’m free!!!!!!!!

Now, this is where my day really starts.  The best part of the day in my opinion!

16.00pm – coffee!!  A Very Vanilla Chiller from Gloria Jeans at Arndale, made just how I like it.  Yum

16.30pm - well, hello Spotlight.  What?  You thought I was saving money?  Yeah me too   After thinking about what I want to do for my brother’s quilt and the comment that Mary left and my comment about using some white with black fabric I decided to follow Mary’s suggestion about tan/cream fabrics.  So it was a mercy dash to Spotlight.

I’ll take some of that blue, that blue, that blue, 2m of that tan – hope that’s enough! – and some black for those bl#$dy hexagons.

17.15pm – home again.  Put the fabric in the washing machine to get rid of the excess dye and to preshrink it.  Start cutting up more blue fabric in 3.5′ and 2′ squares.

18.15pm – talk on the phone to my brother about Easter.  Put the fabric in the tumble dryer cause I’m too impatient for it to dry in the sun.  Make sure that he likes the colour blue.   Cut more squares.

19.00 – get the fabric out of the dryer, ring the local cafe and order pizza for dinner.  Start cutting the tan fabric in 3.5′ and 2′ squares.  Hmm, perhaps 2m isn’t enough.  Make mental note to go to Spotlight in lunch break in town tomorrow and hope that they have the fabric on sale and get another couple of metres.  If not, Thursday or next Saturday is the earliest I can get there.  Hope they don’t run out!

19.05 – leave to get pizza

19.25pm – home again, dinner’s ready

19.45pm – start sewing the blue and tan squares together

21.15pm - finish 2 blocks of each sort and take photos of them to post here

21.20pm – start writing this blog post!

So, this is what I have for the quilt so far (excuse the ironing board cover):

What do you guys think?

I think it’s going to look very pretty.  To start with I thought it might be a bit much but now that I can see it together I think it’s going to be really nice.  I just hope he likes it.  He was talking once about when I make him a quilt “and there better not be any flowers in it!”  So, I’ve limited the flowers but I do have a few asian fabrics, stars and other bits.

21.46pm – finish this post, check it, publish, bed time.

And that’s a day in my life for March.  Can’t wait to see what April brings