Howdy partner!

Hello there (back to the English accent, after my American drawl for the subject title)

Today's block is called The Yankee Puzzle. I've no idea why, as I don't recall hearing Kaye explain it in the Craftsy video for the 'Re-piecing the past' class I'm doing.

Yet again, it's pushing my boundaries further, step by step, which is a good way to develop. No issues with the Flying geese this time and I'm getting adept at sewing through several in a row, which makes it quite an efficient process. I also use the 'material scrap' method, where you always end stitching on a small remnant of fabric, so that you don't have to cut thread so often. It's meant to save thread but I'm having issues with my feed-dogs, so I'm not convinced I'm saving much at the minute but at least I'm learning good techniques.

Only one more block to go before I can get started on making the large cushion cover I'm using four blocks in. The next one is called The Temperance block.

Take care out there

A very brave woman

Hello there

This is a Barbara Fritchie Star block. Apparently during the Civil War, she heard General Sherman and his soldiers coming, so she went to stand in front of her flag and said "you'll have to shoot me before I'll let you take my flag". He was heartened by her appeal and let her keep her life and her flag. Then they named a patchwork block after her; as you do! Women of strength and firm belief, often face strong threat but it shows how much of a social event, patch-working was then, as these stories evidently were told whilst the women chatted and sewed.

The main issue I had with this block was the flying goose section. Kaye's video explains about how to put together the three pieces which make up the goose ( the pointed part of the triangle looks like the formation geese make when flying together). To attempt a basic explanation of the problem, I need to explain that I cut my pieces with the Simplicity ez templates, which have a flat end to each triangle. The actual templates I used were the 'easy angle' (half square triangle) and the 'companion angle' (quarter square triangle). This will all sound quite confusing to none quilters/patchwork makers but I'm hoping it might help anyone who does an internet search for help with this block.

Kaye's advice  is to place flat end to flat end (of each fabric piece cut) at the point of the goose but I couldn't do that as my right hand section would be back to front if I did that. I did send a question in about this but on hindsight I realise that it was probably my fault having the fabric the wrong way when cutting it. It's a batik design and it can be difficult to tell which is the correct side with some parts of it. The 'light' fabric i.e the purple, is easy, as it's double sided..... it spent most of it's life being a sheet, then I machine dyed it and it's also helped make the curtains in my craft room. This block is going to become part of a large cushion cover in my craft room.

I resolved the problem by just putting the right hand side piece 'point to flat' instead and made it work fine but I will be aware of that in the future.

I'm still learning but I'm also still enjoying! 

Take care out there

p.s If you haven't been reading my blog lately, firstly I need to ask "why not?!!" No excuses allowed here :-)
Secondly, I need to tell you that Kaye England is the teacher of the Craftsy class I'm doing at the moment, called 'Re-piecing the past'.

Superbamondo!

Hello there

I had yet another busy day the other day, trying hard to fit everything in from three dog walks, to taking dogs to groomers to doing household stuff and taking birthday presents to friend's house and very importantly, have tea outside as it was SUNNY! Yes, you read correctly, it was actually sunny and warm from about 8a.m onward. 

All day!

In between all that, I actually managed to complete the patchwork block below. I had cut the pieces for it the day prior but all the sewing was done fairly quickly on the one day.

I could definitely feel my learning curve slope upwards with
 the sewing of the half square triangles in this way. 

The video for this block; 'Birds in the air' was better than the Sherman's block video, as this one actually explained a little better how to sew the half square triangles together. You place the flat end of the cut triangles on top of each other, as shown below and then flip over to sew along the diagonal edge and put the pointed end towards the needle, as that flat end is the 1/4inch seam allowance. It sounds complicated just with words but in the video, it could've been done better in my opinion.

I'm really chuffed with how quickly I did this and the final block isn't too bad; it certainly doesn't stand up to close scrutiny but there's quite a few good seams in there.
I intend on using this block, along with the next three blocks I learn, all in one large cushion cover and it'll go in my spare room/craft room.

     --------------------------------------------------------------------

One project which was definitely not done quickly was Chris's birthday card. It seemed to take ages, as it used paper I printed from a cd. When I'd created the K-card base, I then chose the papers and images I wanted to use and printed them off separately and then set to the tonnes of fussy cutting necessary - that might seem like an exaggeration when you look at the card but just take my word for it. 

What I should have done was print the design onto the card base first thing before creating it. 







Then when I went to make the envelope the stupid 'Spray and Slide' made a right royal mess over the front of it. So what does every good crafter do when a mistake or mess happens? We cover it over; hence the embossed and cut out shape on the front with his name on it and the feathers glued all over. I had wanted to use those spare feathers anyway (yet another printing error), so that wasn't the end of the world for me but I just had to be quite careful where I put them.

My rather old Spray and Slide can is now in the bin

He seemed to like it, so "job's a good 'un" I suppose but I'm not happy with it due to the final product and the time and faff, it took me to make it.

You can't win them all.

Take care out there

Progress being celebrated

Hello there

Last week I told you about the first patchwork block I had made from the Craftsy 'Re-piecing the past' class I subscribed to. This week, I've completed my second block. This one is called Sherman's block or barn door in America.

We had some sun, so I took it outside,
as you do :-)

I used up the last of the fabric I had leftover from cutting the lounge curtains shorter. I will never work with that again; it's too stretchy for patchwork and it frays far too easily. I have some leftover still but that's getting thrown out.
The other material I got from America last year from Joanne's and is Batik in style.

I had a few issues with cutting and sewing the
 triangle pieces together but I got there in the end

Finished block

 After finishing the block I made some 2 inch wide strips of way too long length ( I told you I was keen to use up as much of this fabric as possible) and sewed them round all four edges of the block, as this meant it would be big enough for the front of my cushion cover. The back of the cushion cover I made with the curtain fabric (yes, using it up!) and created an envelope seal.

Seams like these make me feel good :-)

Both cushions are now in place in the lounge and I'm a happy bee for achieving something this week. I even managed a button closure on the back of one of the cushion covers, which was good, as I haven't done a button hole on my machine for a long time.

Take care out there

p.s 
outtake from the photo shoot session:

Seconds after taking the first shot of the cushion, I took another one (just incase) and of course both Chris and Nero decided they wanted in on the act, so Chris promptly put the bottle of Prosecco on the chair and Nero sniffed at the cushion he'd never smelt before. We wanted to celebrate the new patio, new relaxer garden chairs and my cushions, so the wine was necessary. Chris was outside with the bottle as he always pops the cork in the garden, as he likes to see if he can get it to land on the decking from the back door and because the dogs get all excited and run to get it and see who is the first to chew it and leave bits of bloomin cork all over the garden.... oops I slipped into fuddy duddy garden mower then :-)

Happy dance!

Hello there

'Remember me'

Oh yes, I've been dancing, which only serves to rile the dogs up but hey ho, it works for me :-)

The photo shows you my very first 'proper' patchwork block and I'm rather jolly content on how it looks. The curious amongst you will click on the photo to see it larger and spot the two imperfections, although you'll have a job, as one of them only shows on the back :-)

At the beginning of the year, I signed up for a Craftsy class called 'Re-piecing the past'. It's based on blocks from American Civil War time but I just wanted the skills and video information. Kaye England is the teacher and boy, is she ominous. Her knowledge is vast and skill to match. My trouble with her is that she's so intense in the video that it put me off from starting, as it seemed too much of a task to complete. This week though I set myself the goal of starting it and it was easy. I had to buy a few things such as a 1/4in foot for my machine and a couple of rulers but that's fine, as I know I'll love doing it, as I really enjoy Jennie Rayment's quilting shows on Create and Craft and I love sewing.

In this project, I've learnt that I'll never use that red fabric again for quilting, as it frays at the slightest touch and it's got too much 'give' in it, so it makes it harder to align the pieces. It's some fabric leftover from the lounge curtains, which I bought but then shortened; for that reason, this block will be perfect as a cushion cover in the lounge.

The next block in the class is called Sherman's March  - wish me luck as it's got triangles in it :-)

Take care out there