Not Just Quilting

However much I might moan about a minimum order for Creative Grids, I can't fault their service.  I phoned on the Monday and they fished out my un-paid for order which I'd tried to place on-line, took my payment details, and I had the rulers delivered in the post on Thursday.

I must say that it is MUCH EASIER using a small ruler to trim the half-square triangles, and I have just ten left to trim, and them I am done this step.

It's been extremely warm for the past few days - and certainly too hot for my other hobby, or going for a run, or house cleaning, pushing the vac round etc etc, , and I really didn't fancy quilt-wrestling with the concentric triangles on Mum's Quilt.

So on Sunday I dug out a very old skirt pattern and knocked this little number up from what used to be a curtain.  It is the easiest pattern in the world (three pieces!), but I've never been an avid clothes maker, and it is probably twenty years since I last made anything, so I am pleased that it (a) fits and (b) looks ok.

Next challenge - turning a long sleeve T-shirt with a bleach-mark on the sleeve into a short sleeve T-shirt...

Frustration!

Despite being very cross with Creative Grids for selling so much of their stock under £10, but having a £10 minimum spend, I decided that I would invest in a 6 1/2 " ruler to make my HST block trimming easier.  Honestly, if it is too much of a faff for them to deal with lower value orders, why don't they just add a handling fee to smaller orders, rather than lose a sale, or have resentful customers having to order something as a makeweight to get the value of £10?

But SewAli had suggested that I add a 6" by 1" ruler to the shopping cart (in the sale section) as this would be really useful which neatly took me just over the £10 spend.  The alternative, of course, would be to wait until I go to the FoQ in August, or try to find a stockist who has or can order the ruler I would like.

So I tried to place the order, but there was something up with the payment system, and the transaction would not go through, so I will have to get on the phone to them tomorrow instead.

Abandoning the HSTs for the time being, I quilted a few more of the triangles on Mum's Quilt.  It's slow going with having to turn the quilt round so, but I do like how it is starting to look.

I still don't like the doodled daisies in the middle of the blocks, though - I don't think that they will make the cut, but I do have an alternative plan in mind...

Perseverance & Good News!

I am quite frugal by nature, so when Lesley extolled the virtues of the 6 1/2 " square Creative Grids ruler for trimming smaller blocks in the April installment of the Christmas Quiltalong, although it piqued my interest, I was just that bit too mean to put my hand in my pocket to the tune £9.95 to buy one at that point.

Actually, I was really tempted - and the cost included postage and packing too - but the minimum spend is £10 on the web site, so I would have to order something else too.  I was rather disgruntled about this - but I mentally put one on my shopping list for the next quilt show I go to as a MUST BUY.

I do really want one now! I have been in the attic room half the evening trimming my half square triangles for the Christmas Quiltalong - and I am only just half way through - it is  taking ages with my big unwieldy Creative Grids ruler, and the rest of the task would be a million times easier if I had the right tool for the job.

But in rather better news, I moved* the huge pile of ironing out of the way, and I found my bag of Unit A blocks. Hurrah!

Ready to go for June...


*that's moved as opposed to did, by the way

Christmas Quiltalongalongalong

Well I am enjoying my own private Christmas Quiltalong extension sessions!

 I started to measure up my rectangles for trimming, but after finding the first half a dozen were the right size anyway, I stopped again.  I'll have to do that job at some point, but I wanted to crack on with the exciting part of getting the next set of blocks underway.


It turned into a bit of a production line with drawing the diagonals






Chain sewing into bunting








Cutting into triangles








And now I am starting to trim the blocks to size.

There is only one cloud on the horizon - you know that the very first instruction after cutting was 'Take the 3½” x 3½” background squares and put them in a bag labelled Unit A'?

Well guess who can't find their bag labelled Unit A. I think it's in one of the fabric boxes, underneath a mountain of ironing, and the best way of finding it is to do the damn ironing. Boo!

Christmas Quiltalong May 2012 - pt 4

Funny how something can just 'click', isn't it?  After all that griping yesterday, it took just half an hour this evening to put the other ten rectangles together to my satisfaction for April's blocks - although I do still have to trim them up.

So then I will be ready for the May installment.  Can we have the Quiltalong day all over again for next Saturday, please?

PS Just to show Donna that Ms Cha Cha is not the only naughty kitty cat in the 'hood who plays with fabric...

Christmas Quiltalong 2012 - May pt3

Given the excellent advice offered following my previous post, I'm sure that you will have guessed correctly the outcome of my 'shall I carry on with frustrating quilting step or drink a whacking great big gin & tonic' conundrum.





Beforehand, however, I did soldier on with another five rectangular blocks noting anew my astonishing revelation from last month that "they get easier as you do more of them, doncha' know?"

Still, this April installment has been a tricky step for me, which reminds me that three quilts and twelve months down the line I do remain a relative quilting novice, and not to get too big for my boots! 

I'll carry on tomorrow - and despite my moaning on, I've had a fabulous day, and thanks go to QuiltSue for a great design (whatever it may be!) and to Sharon for being such a brilliant host!  I'm back tomorrow to show you how I get on - and maybe I will get ready in time for the June Quiltalong!



PS I'm sure that I read that somehow gin & tonic is good for you as the quinine in the tonic mitigates against mosquito bites or something? (obviously, the fact that the last time a mosquito troubled  this neighbourhood was about 1812 is neither here nor there)

Christmas QAL 2012 - May pt2

*Sulk.

I was doing rather well (if a month behind everybody else) and merrily finished all my quarter square triangles - nice and accurate - singing along to a 'Top of the Pops 1987' cd, and then laid them out in runs of three to sew together into rectangles. Brilliant!

But then I started to put them together, and - uh oh - I've had the Points Police round here and no amount of block-wrangling has prevented me from having to wield that unpicker.

Why didn't anyone say that this was a bit tricky - you lot all breezily whipped them together last month and very lovely they all look too.  I've gone back and checked.

I'm finally relatively happy with five strips of three.  Relatively.

I am rather tempted to crack on with the half square triangles for this month's blocks which will be a great deal easier, and put the QSTs to one side for making into rectangles aside to do another time.

The problem is, I have a whacking great gin & tonic poured, and I don't want to start that if I'm wielding the cutter for the HSTs...

So I'm having a run round the world to see how the more practiced of us are getting on.

Hmph.

Christmas Quiltalong 2012 - May pt1

Here it is!  Ding Dong Merrily on High!  It is the second Saturday of the month and it is Christmas Quiltalong day!  Hurrah!

Come and join us to work on your Christmas projects today - the weather is looking distinctly Spring-like here in the English midlands, but I'll be putting some on some festive music and jingling the sleigh bells to get me into the Christmas spirit.

Sharon at Vroomans Quilts is our host today, and I am looking forward to seeing what she has planned for us!  I'll be working on the Festive Mystery quilt that QuiltSue's has designed especially for us (Sharon will be revealing part 4 instructions - Lesley kindly has put the first three installments together on her blog) but whatever project you have in mind, come and party with us!

Uh-oh

Do you know how much sewing I have had a chance to do since the April Christmas Quiltalong?

Not much!

And certainly not enough to finish the April installment of QuiltSue's mystery quilt.  Boo!

On the plus side, I have a fading tan to cherish as I play catch up with the sewing machine, having been comatose in the sun for a while taking in a trickle charge for the ol' batteries (the most efficient trickle charge is in a marinade of unplugged phone, cava, idleness and sunshine, I find).

So when we all trot along to Sharon's on Saturday for the next installment, I am going to be having my head tucked down and working hard to play catch up.

So if you see me chatting in my santa hat on Saturday with a handy glass of sherry on the go, please tell me to go and get busy!

Whoop, whoop!