Saturday, January 9, 2021

I thought today would be an easy day. I’d get my Alias Grace block finished and stitch together a few squares for half-square triangles. I knew the block I was making wasn’t a common one; it took me a long time to find a pattern than I could copy as there was no way I could figure the pattern out from the photo on the chapter cover.

The pattern I found had both templates and paper piecing instructions and I decided on the paper piecing method. The pattern called for several different colours but I was doing mine in only two colours so that complicated things. Some of the units had to be larger so the coloured bits and the background bits worked with the photo in the book.

When I was ready to start paper piecing I realized I could take the sizes from the pattern and piece the various parts of the block together. That worked but when I came to put the blocks together I wasn’t getting the pattern right. My spools in the corner just weren’t working out.

I had to add some coloured edges onto the centre. My flying geese weren’t the size they should have been but, because I didn’t paper piece them, I probably had the measurements wrong. I ripped apart a corner piece but when I finally figured out how it all fit together I needed to make another one – the way I did it in the first place was correct.

The block is done now although it isn’t the right size and I may lose some points when I stitch it to the other blocks.

Those half-square triangles should be easy work for the rest of the afternoon.

Thursday, January 7, 2021

I have a schedule that helps to keep me on track and not too bored with my projects. Wednesday is usually a day for making cards; even if I don’t have any cards that are due I try to keep ahead by making card tops. I also work towards my UFO Challenge project once a week.

This is a bit of an odd month for that schedule. I made cards on Wednesday as per my Wednesday schedule. I worked on cards again today as my UFO Challenge for the month are my Splendid Sampler blocks which are the blocks I use for cards.

I redid the blackwork stitch-along project this morning. Since it was so near the start of the process I thought I should try to get it right. I think it looks better but that might be because this is the fourth time I’ve stitched it. I’m not sure why it is called blackwork because by following the pattern I have a small container of several different colours of thread.

This afternoon I really couldn’t face another card so I dug out That Fairy Tale Quilt. At the moment I’m working on a castle – so essential for every fairy tale.

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Although we had some rain this morning the latest storm seems to have blown itself out. There was even a bit of sunshine in the early afternoon.

I had a peek out at the deck during that period of sunshine and was very surprised to see my crocus bulbs are starting to come up. The bulbs were a birthday gift and when I planted them it was with a prayer that I was doing it right (I’m not all that good with plants). I looked a couple of weeks ago when I saw green but it was just some weeds popping up out of the soil.

But today, in the small container, there were definitely two crocus sprouts coming through the soil. I looked at the larger container and it is full of crocus sprouts.

I received the instructions today for one of my cross stitch-along projects. When I did the first few stitches I realized that the floss was too similar to the fabric so those stitches came out and I started over with a different colour of floss. I did the stitches the way I thought they should be done but I didn’t like the way they looked so I took them out again. I started again, doing the stitches in a way I thought looked smoother. When I put the question out to the group on Facebook though I was told that I should have done the stitches as I did in my second attempt. The stitching took a little less than an hour so I may take it out and do it over one more time.