Results of today.

 Today I actually used the needle I threaded yesterday. The raw edge applique was done some days ago. So believe it or not, I actually have some of my December SKoW finished. My umbrella is back to front because I didn't remember until too late that I should have reversed the drawing for fusible webbing applique.

And I'm not much of a singer. I prefer to walk in the rain. I have also spent time cutting out teeny tiny squares for the filler patchwork that goes in between my December blocks of applique. Now there's a tedious task! It looks good though so I am happy to do it. I have also spent ages drawing ideas for my own favourite things. Not sure if I have quite enough ideas of my own yet, but there are enough to carry on with. And now, last of all, I will show you the grandchildren block. I hate it! I loved it right up until I did their faces. I'm not sure whether I will be able to salvage it or not. I am posting it here so you can see it, but hope you don't cringe too much. (Or laugh too much!!! It really is terrible!) It may be that I will start again on this block. It's funny, because this block is "blocking" me, so I have decided to post it here AND get over it.

Ugly Block

Tomorrow we go to inspect a house. It is two streets away and a similar size to the one we currently live in. Right now it is the only house that suits us sizewise and suburbwise. Wish me luck! I hope it's great and I hope we get it!

My Favourite Things.

my favourite things

The quilt that we are working on in Chookyblue's stitch-a-long this coming year is from Anni Down's book, "Some Kind of Wonderful". The quilt itself is called "My Favourite Things". I say this coming year as though none of us have yet started. What I actually mean is I haven't really started. Most people started in October and tomorrow is our first deadline. *sigh* Already aggravating the Chook I think! I did get immersed in this quilt yesterday though and I am really looking forward to it. It is a thing of beauty and I have the opportunity to concentrate on and wallow in all my favourite things. The first block we are supposed to make is one of three patty cakes. (Cupcakes) Now, I am not a cake person. (Hard to believe when you see the size of me!) So I began to think about my favourite things and what might be a suitable replacement for three patty cakes. Then it came to me. I have three grandchildren! (Go here to see them doing awesomely great things!) I have to confess here. The patty cakes block reads "patty cakes and other delicious things". I immediately thought of my grandchildren when I read the "other delicious things". This is not because I have tried to eat them up, but because Miss 19 many years ago declared herself to be delicious in answer to the question, "Why do you suck your thumb?".

So I have spent today committing some sort of likeness of my grandchildren to applique. I am quite happy with the block so far. Not finished, but happy. A little more raw edged applique to go and then some drawing to make their faces come alive (I hope!) If it all turns pear-shaped tomorrow you can expect to see a patty cakes block here and me swearing black and blue that I love cake. The raw edged applique on my umbrella block is done, now just a little hand stitching to go. Miss 19 commented that now that I had immortalised the grandchildren I had better be planning to name her as one of my favourite things! I think this quilt may take some time to finish. Of course, it will be all the better for it. I think I'm going to like being wrapped in my favourite things!

Some finished blocks tomorrow I hope!

Bling, bling baltimore class

Blogger thinks you want to view this photo from this angle. Who am I to disagree. After all, I am only the person who took the photo and prepared it for uploading to blogger. If you can pick up your laptop/monitor and view it the other way I heartily recommend you do so. It just looks so "wrong" from this angle! This is the result of my journey to the Patchwork Apple on Saturday for the Bling Bling Baltimore class taught by Wendy Whellum. She taught us a version of applique called back basting. What did I think of it? In all probability it is a fairly simple method to use. I have never really done much needle turn applique so I don't have very much experience with it. You know me, I'm kind of addicted to my sewing machine. Apparently you can even do the basting bit with your machine. I may give it a try. Just another project started. Am I getting close to the guiness book of records for the most starts in a month?