Saturday, March 13, 2021

Up until right now I have thoroughly enjoyed my day. It’s been another day of cards and I have all but one completed – they were all fun and went together well.

The first card was an Sunbonnet Sue appliqué; I love Sunbonnet Sue so this was a fun one to start the day with. Next up was a hexi; because I already had some hexie’s prepared I changed up the pattern just a bit so I could use what I had. Then came a card with templates but on the first try I managed to get all of the pieces going in the right direction (I usually struggle with this when one piece has to be the reverse of another).

My last card was paper-pieced, something I don’t usually have a problem with. I was sure I had enough of the background fabric to make the card but on the last two sections I ran out. I added a different one in but it is so obvious that I’m not going to be able to use it and I think that means I need to pretty much start all over on some of the pieces. And to add to the problems, I had two sections done, pressed and trimmed but when I went to sew them together one of the pieces has completely disappeared. I’ve looked on the floor, under everything but I’ve had no luck so I may have to do that piece over as well.

I made it out to the yard today. I raked up a few leaves but they are pretty wet underneath; I’ve put them in piles but they need to dry out a bit before I bag them. I cleaned out a few pots at the back before stopping for the day; hopefully a short day in the yard will mean less aching tonight.

Now back to my search.

Friday, March 12, 2021

I was working on cards today; I have five cards due in April. My thought was that I’d get most of the tops done today, the remainder tomorrow and perhaps even get the quilting on them finished that day. I had all my patterns picked out so it shouldn’t have been too much to hope for.

The first card though took me all day. The pattern was a pixelation and called for a lot of one-inch squares. I’ve done some pixelated wall hangings and decided that rather than use all those squares and sew them together I’d cut strips where squares of the same colour joined together. There were a few half-square triangles involved too, all trimmed to one inch.

It was the math that did me in. I couldn’t figure out how long the strips were supposed to be. My rows were often too long or too short and sometimes it wasn’t as easy as just adding or trimming a piece at either end (due to the half-square triangles). Another problem was the block is to be six and-a-half inches but the pattern showed it as seven inches.

It has taken me all day to complete this one top. I haven’t looked at the patterns involved in the other cards but I’m hoping they are simpler. If not, I’ll be at this for days and days.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

We had a good two days on Texada – I think we both needed a change of scenery. I managed to get two of the three quilts I took over sandwiched. It was my choice not to do the third one. I finished the book I was reading, started and then finished another one. I also started on lesson two of a new needlework technique I’ve been attempting to learn.

It is such a beautiful day out today. I went out to purchase a gift card for an upcoming birthday and wearing a sweater was almost too much. The bees be damned, I’m going to get out in the yard if we have more of these nice days. The irises are coming up, the daisies are greening up at the bottom and the weeds (I know) are just waiting for the top layer of fallen leaves to come off before they start to pop. I brought my rubber boots back from Texada so I’m ready.

If it hadn’t been so much work to find the cushions I’d have stayed outside on the deck for awhile after I got home.

I had a lovely surprise arrive in the mail today from Kathryn. She had seen a comment I made about a mini-iron on Facebook and send me one. I’ll do a bit of rearranging of my piecing area but I know I’ll get a lot of use from it.

I’m lucky that we are healthy and that we have somewhere equally enjoyable to escape to when we feel the need.