Finished Quilts

Thursday 6 June 2013

side swipe

I took all the stuff I needed to make four different bee blocks to the East Midlands MQG meeting on Saturday.  It was a glorious day, the sun shone, the company was excellent, the food was divine...all of which meant that only one block was completed by the end of the day.  But I was all prepped and ready to go for a big sewing week this week.  Then things started going a bit wibbly wobbly (technical term!). 

On Monday, I sent off my PTS10 parcel and it cost me a tenner in postage!  Then, I realised that I had starched two of the bee blocks with 505 basting spray rather than spray starch - note to self: red top = starch, blue top = glue! #doofus #poorironingboard

On Tuesday, I was 95% finished bee block #3 when I decided it wasn't good enough and scrapped it, starting a new one and cursing myself for changing my mind half way through and ruining what would have been an ok block. At the same time, an ok block would have upset me so I was right to start again I think.

Yesterday, I got a card through the post saying I owe £18 custom charges for some fabric I bought for my niece's quilt #swearword.  And then the wee man ran full pelt into a table (not the corner thank goodness) and got a massive goose egg bump with a straight line bruise through the middle of it.  He was chasing a girl.  A metaphor for his future maybe?  Anyway, the first person I wanted to call and talk to about it is no longer here and can't give me the sage and sensible advice that I would probably ignore anyway.  Side swipe!  Anniversaries come round regularly but first anniversaries are unique and, in this case, flipping rubbish (and not until next week). 

So I have taken today as a day's leave to have a pity party give myself a chance to breathe and I managed to finish the reworked block.  It's for Brandy as part of the Modern Mavericks bee.  She wanted Dresden plate blocks in a very limited palate of greys, blacks and white. I wanted to make a really light one and had planned to have the whole block as one giant plate - no background but soon realised that, the way I was going, the final block would end up over 20" square so I improvised.  So here it is:

not exactly how I envisaged it
And the two blocks together (I made the first one a wee while ago)


I love the first block (pattern from the Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop book) and am conflicted about the second block but it's much better than my first attempt and I am waaaaaay behind getting this to the ever patience Brandy so off it goes.  I wish I had gotten the maths right on my total Dresden idea though.  I may make another one.  Maybe I shouldn't be sewing right now #conflicted.

My other blocks this week have been for Sarah, also for the Modern Mavericks bee.  She wanted x&+ blocks in lime and grey....

a little more glued than starched!
I like these blocks and they came together well although they're just short of 12 1/2" square.  I think my 1/4" seams aren't scant enough.

Anyway, I'm off to the Post Office to pay my exorbitant custom charge and post these blocks off  to the US and Canada and probably buy some cake on my way back home.  Cake might help lift the mood.  And the big pile of Glimma that I'll have too (it was 25% off! #justification).

20 comments:

  1. You can still tell her about it - she'll be listening :) Gorgeous blocks and shame about the PO charges - balls to them XXX

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  2. I know how you feel- when I had my accident I wanted to call my Dad but it's been 5 years so I don't know what I was thinking. I did have a head injury after all.

    I think you've solved a problem for me. That star block- I have the FQ book and I think it might just be the design for the name tag I'm making for the retreat. So thanks for that ;)

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  3. Huge, huge hugs from afar my lovely. Sounds like an incredibly sucky week (and I hope the anniversary isn't too horrid.) on a brighter note, your bee blocks are divine x

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  4. Hugs being sent to you. I know about Aniversaries - ours is 23rd June for mom and it will be 13 years. Side swipe for sure. I definitely think cake will help today x

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  5. Cake, buy cake, and have a nice cup of tea. Hope the sunshine helps :-D Love both your dresden blocks - esp the new spin on the second one. I had a bit of a shock on customs charges with my first ever fabric order from the US, but then I worked out how much I still saved by buying out there and everything was OK after that!

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  6. Hey you..... get the biggest bit of cake you can find, and biggest glass of wine, and hopefully the anniversary will not be as bad as you are expecting. Well done for taking time out of work to re-focus xx

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  7. Definitely a cake and tea (vodka? White lightning? Classy, me. ...) sort of day if not week!

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  8. Wise words from these ladies, cake and tea and/or vodka, hope you pick yourself up soon, big hugs! :o)

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  9. A shit week has to get better right? Chin up love xx

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  10. Like Jo said, still tell her, she'll be listening for sure with a huge smile on her face and a proud glow.
    Hope your cake was huge and your postal bill smaller than you thought.
    xxxx

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  11. Stink week , but beautiful blocks even though some of them might be a bit gluey! Hang in there!

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  12. Cake sounds like a good plan. Your blocks are lovely.

    I hope tomorrow is sunshine and lollipops and wee man avoids injury (and future heartache!) :-)

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  13. Thinking of you and the anniversary coming up, hang in there Like you I have the fat quarters block book, well I did have it till I lent it to a friend in London, it has some great blocks in and hope to do some when I get it back

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  14. Oh Moira these days happen and no wonder you miss your Mum. Tea and cake can be a sticking plaster (#helps). Give me a call next time and I will come sewing with you BUT I am not ironing 505 spray!!! Di x

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  15. Cake and it's not too early for wine is it? Sorry you've had such a pants week, the increase in US postal charges and the frequent customs charges have put me off buying fabric (for a day or 2 anyway!). Hope you have a great weekend. xx

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  16. I hope you got a lovely big cake, and made the most of it. Thinking of you, and hope bruise, glue, and misery are getting better.

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  17. Sorry to hear you've had a tough week. Cake, and maybe some wine, are in order I think. Hang in there.

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  18. Sorry that you've had a rubbish few days, hopefully you've had some nice weather to go with the cake and wine.

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  19. Sorry that you've had a rubbish few days, hopefully you've had some nice weather to go with the cake and wine.

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  20. My PTS10 parcel also cost £10 to post! Glad it wasn't just me. I think that Dresden block is great and it's always so comforting to hear of other people's sewing struggles. I did a spectacular one last night. I trimmed a cushion front to 17" for the 17" form I have and then as soon as I'd cut this big 3/4 strip off I realised I'd completely overlooked the seam allowance...

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