Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Appliqué isn’t something I particularly enjoy doing. I like the finished look of needle-turn appliqué but I seldom take the time to do it that way. For some patterns using the Blanket Stitch on my machine works but I’m not very good at zig-zags. I think that is why I was putting off starting my March Challenge project – invisible machine appliqué.

After reading over the directions one more time (it’s been two years since I took the class) I thought I was ready to start. But I knew I wasn’t going to like the process. Some of the pieces had already been cut and turned and that was where I should have started. I had the recommended thread but I’ve tried using it before and it tended to shred so I wasn’t looking forward to finding the right needle to make it work. I’d also have to change all my settings as I’ve got the machine set up for quilting.

So I decided that rather than use the machine appliqué technique I would hand appliqué the rest of the project. I got two pieces finished in hardly any time and I quite enjoyed sitting and stitching. I need to prep a few more of the pieces but this will be a good project to travel with – we’re heading over to the Island later in the month so I’ll be able to work on it either on the ferry or at our accommodation while Pat is at a concert. If things go well I may even be able to finish it this month.

So my invisible machine appliqué is almost invisible – it almost doesn’t exist (except for the two pieces I did in class).

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

I didn’t manage many stitches at the bee today but I got myself organized for some chain piecing on two projects. I pressed and trimmed the 120 half-square triangles that I need for the border on my Circa 2016 project. I managed to stitch a few of them together before my bobbin ran out and I packed it in. I also marked 60 squares for the half-square triangles I’ll be using in my Thursday project; that’s 120 finished squares so I’ll have more than enough to let me play with the design of the quilt. I’ve learned a new way to sew the squares together for half-square triangles; some of the quilters are saying it is much faster but others say it is just as much work. I’m not yet sure whether or not I’ll try it.

Tuesday is also errand day for me. I picked up my sewing machine from the technician; he gave it a good cleaning but I’m pleased that the mess inside won’t appear on his Facebook page! He found a small thread caught inside and I’m quite certain that was causing the intermittent problems I was having. Next stop was the pottery shop; I wasn’t buying anything but Dee is on the Cranberry Hall board and I needed some cheques signed because I forgot to take the chequebook to the meeting last night. She has a few new products in her shop that I had my eye on but I didn’t buy anything. I returned a book to the Library and my last stop before home was the fabric store. I’m taking a class later this month and it calls for a layer cake; I found one I really liked and, based on the fabric, I  know who it will go to when it is done!

I’ve got time to do a bit of tidying up in my studio and then I’m off to the movie tonight.

Monday, March 5, 2018

I had a great weekend on Texada. I cross stitched during the day and started a new project for the evenings. I won this hooked rug kit several years ago at an event I was volunteering at. I moved it from room to room until I had Pat take it across to Texada when he went over last week. It’s a big one, but I quite enjoyed the ten rows I managed to complete.

How long do you think it will take me to get from this  –

– to this? It’s a good thing I’m not in a hurry!

I’ve got a busy week ahead of me and it starts tonight with a Cranberry Hall Board meeting. I’ve got another Cranberry Hall-related meeting on Wednesday afternoon. I’ll be sewing both Tuesday and Thursday, and there are two movies to squeeze in the week.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

I got the number for my UFO Challenge this morning – I’ll be working on a Christmas project I started in a Guild class at least two years ago. I’m hoping I can actually finish it by the end of the month.

I spent most of the morning working on my Guild reports and doing as much as I could to get ready for the Cranberry Hall meeting on Monday. I’m off to Texada on the 8:30 ferry tomorrow and, since I’m staying until Monday, I wanted as much done as possible before I left.

I took Ruby in for a deep cleaning this morning. I clean it regularly but its never been professionally cleaned and, before I start quilting on the quilt I sandwiched, I thought it should be done. Since I’ll be away it seemed like a good time to get it done.

I started a new project with my Thursday group – we’re all working on the same pattern but they will be quite different. Mine will be done in shades of green, Gail’s will be yellows, oranges and reds, and Jessie’s will be scrappy.

Since I was cutting today I put a new blade in my rotary cutter and, wouldn’t you know it, as I was cutting my white squares I sliced my finger. It bled a lot but Gail patched me up and I was able to carry on.

I’m off now to a Guild meeting.