I'm a little slow..... at picking things up!!!

This week at Higham Piecemakers it was Twisted Log Cabin using the pieced technique, that is something I have not made for years and didn't really enjoy when I did it - the pieced technique I mean!!

I don't like hand sewing either when I can use my machine and another first was that I decided to use colours that are out of my comfort zone.  I spent an afternoon making one square in browns (ugh!) and lime green and when it was finished I HATED it.  Oh, and I had no instructions how to make it.


I wasted a lot of fabric making this one

Then lying in bed the next morning I had my light bulb moment (I get all my best ideas in bed!) and started again using MY colours and working with more time and motion.



The pattern traced onto light Vilene

 It dawned on me that the pattern is based on a square moving through the same number of degrees each time and this speeded up the tracing process - I said I was a little slow!!!!  Then I numbered the segments to ensure I knew which colour I would be working with.

This is the back of the square



 I repeated this three more times as I was going to work on all four squares together - time and motion!!  The centre is a 1½" square so I cut a strip 8" long and 2" wide and chopped it into 4 pieces - the centres were now sorted with ¼" seam allowances.  Each segment is ¾" wide so I cut strips 1½" wide (slightly wider than needed but just in case I went crooked).

The production line was now ready.  The centre squares were placed, on the right side:-

- the first strip was added, right sides together -

 

Ready for sewing

Stitch along the line

First side sewn AND pressed open

Oh by the way,  the reason that the blue piece is so snug is because I measured the marked square on the other side, added the seam allowance and cut 8 pieces off the strips (2 on each square x 4 squares) - even I can work that simple maths!  Very little waste.

Next piece in place ready for sewing on the other side.

Pressed open ready for the next piece

Stitched on two sides

I was adding all the same pieces to the other three squares at the same time and quickly as well, when I got the hang of it.  I was taking about six minutes to add each piece on all four squares and I know this because my hot iron starts beeping after 6 minutes when it is left unattended!!!

Third side added -

- fourth side

1st twist sewn on and trimmed

 After all four sides were complete I started on the 'twist' which is the next square.  I measured the new square, added seam allowances and cut rectangles off the strips, laid it on the line of the next square, sewed it on the other side, trimmed the edges to keep it neat and tried not to 'CUT THROUGH THE VILENE'!  I use my lovely applique scissors that have a round end and cannot penetrate anything.

Pressed and ready for the next piece of blue.

And that dear readers, is as far as I have got because I did run out of time.  However making all four squares together is useful if you think you may run out of fabric because at least you can change to something else on all your squares.

When I took my WIPs (Work in Progress) to group they liked my lime green and browns so I may finish them after all

Just realised that I haven't said why I need four squares - well it is going to be a cushion for the raffle at the Exhibition.

I will show the final result here when I have time to complete it, so it is currently a UFO (UnFinished Object)!

Cold Sunday afternoon!!

It has been so cold this afternoon that I actually did some sewing with my fingerless mittens on!!  I suffer from 'White Finger or Raynaud's disease and when this happens I cannot feel to do any sort of craft so on came the mittens.

Luckily my hands warmed up and I could continue.

I have mentioned before that I have a new camera and I have been experimenting with it especially on 'burst' or 'sport' mode and so this afternoon I lurked in my kitchen to take some wildlife pictures.  The birds are returning at last after the cat family from the house at the bottom of the garden seem to have moved on.  About a year ago I discovered that there were cats, cats and more cats coming into my garden and frightening off the birds and even killing them as well.  I had to dispose of many pigeon carcasses, there were always feathers in the garden as well as cat mess. But they have gone and though these are very common birds I am delighted to see them return.

I have a pair of these robins -

a family of house sparrows

 

After filling up the feeders the 'big' ones arrived and dominated the bird table -

Collared dove

A big fat wood pigeon but I love his feet!!

This common chap was on the ground waiting his turn to feed and getting very frustrated.

Starling

However my day was made when this one came onto the Niger seed -

Goldfinch

I used to have a large flock of Goldfinches but they all disappeared - are they coming back? I hope so.

In my last blog I wrote about the frogspawn in the pond. Well here it is:-

Look very carefully and you can see the little black dots below the surface - so exciting!!

The sun is shining at last and I have just finished a Top Secret project (you will see it soon) and I must now prepare for the next Higham Piecemakers activity session making Twisted Log Cabin which I have never done before. 

Just walking fairly aimlessly!!

Yesterday, Tuesday, was my Bedford day and as it was forecast to be very warm Will and l went out early. I think it was a little too early for the sun but I started taking pictures as I went and there seemed to be a lot going on down by the river.

There is a  band stand, though no-one was playing

Mrs Mallard was very friendly, though Will was a little surprised!

Boats training on the river

A swan on its nest  ...

 I think this was it's mate but it took too long to get there

 

The Archimedes Screw with a fish and eel run at the side.  It generates £34,000 for the Council's coffers a year.

Dragon boats waiting for the next river festival

 

A general photo of the embankment

We made slow progress home walking over the Park and Will was fascinated by the grass and seemed determined to pull the whole lot out by the roots!!

Then I heard a helicopter very low and it circled over us and landed on the local rugby pitch.  Sadly it was the Air Ambulance bringing a patient in.

Can you see the yellow blob of the helicopter above the tree in the middle?

Wonderful front garden topiary

If you look a the bush on the very edge on the right you can see a face.  This bush has FOUR faces on it - one on each side!!  Brilliant workmanship.

A public garden in the middle of a roundabout that has a herb garden for the community to use

Sage, chives, thyme etc growing

 I sat having my lunch and spotted this lovely Cherry tree in a neighbouring garden and had to have a photo.

Cherry tree

and a Magnolia, just beginning to go over

Could this mean that my favourite season has at last arrived?  I think so because I went to scoop some dead leaves out of my wild life pond and dredged up some newts and two frogs doing what comes naturally!!!  I apologised for disturbing them and put them back and today there is frogspawn in the middle of the pond.  The frogs will try and guard it but unfortunately the newts will probably eat most of it, but I might get a few little 'froglets'.

Finally a 'Tah Dah' moment -

The stool cover I blogged about last post

 The stool 'in situ' in front of my computer and below close up:-

Comfortable to sit on!!

Spring walk

Before I start telling you about today, I have to mention Crochet Group on Friday morning. Back in February the group under the excellent tutelage of J, were told that we could no longer meet at our usual venue!!  Disaster!!  What to do next as we were a comparatively new group and we all of us needed help of one sort or another. Never fear we came up with the answer straight away and we now meet in each other's homes, where there is enough space and we have limited the group number to about 12 people. It appears to be working well and last Friday it was my turn to host. We all managed to get into my rather small house without too much trouble and it turned into a 'Crochet and Natter' session and I brought out my back copies of Simply Crochet magazine. The latest copy has a pattern for a Super Stool Cover and I decided to make one as I spend a lot of time sitting on mine (kitchen stool I mean) and using my laptop. I have adapted the pattern to use up my Zpaghetti Yarn that I have left over from a previous piece and this is my Work in Progress (WIP).

It still needs a few more rounds and I will need to change colour as I am nearly out of pink but I will show you when it is finished.

Anyway back to today which was the Spring Walk for the 50+Adventure Club and we all met at Greetham Valley Golf Club. When I left home early this morning the sun was shining and the wind was gentle breeze but what happened in between? By the time we got to the golf club the wind was 'blowing a hooley' as my friend in the north calls it and we were all quite glad of hats and gloves. However it did get a little warmer as the sun got stronger and it was a beautiful day when we were sheltered!  We walked though the village of Greetham and I saw this very unusual building and had to have a photo -

 There were the most amazing cut outs in the walls and gargoyles along the ledge under the top windows.  No idea if it is someone's home.

 

 



 

We saw these delightful little Shetland ponies, especially the one on the right, who refused to turn round and was no bigger than a Labrador dog.  The pony looking at us was the exact copy of a Thelwell pony we all agreed.

Anyway we pressed on and eventually came to this lovely lake with Fort Henry on the other side.

Then across the lake came this little family of Coots.  (You may need to double click to get a better view) There were 5 very, very small chicks working hard in the blustery conditions!!

'Mum' and 'Dad' were keeping a very sharp eye on them. We all hoped they survive.

After an excellent Sunday lunch at the golf club with all the 50+ Adventure Club members and a good chat, I got home to find this vase in full bloom and a lovely smell as well, so a brisk Spring Walk rounded off by lunch and my gorgeous daffodils and narcissus. Who cared if a gale was blowing!! We all warmed up eventually.

Easter

My apologies for not posting for nearly a week, but we have had the Easter weekend and I have had family staying for part of the weekend; younger son M, wife A and grandson B and Ellie, who I used to look after every week. She did say that she missed me though. They stayed overnight Good Friday and left after supper on Saturday, so we had a nice long day to do 'things'.

It was quite cold on Saturday and we decided that the children needed a runaround and so off to Stanwick Lakes as the children's play area is huge, with water filled runnels and ditches.  Wellington boots soon get wet inside and out so a change of clothes was also taken with us.  We walked to the new Assault Course that is now open and they loved the new equipment and both went round a few times.

B encouraging Ellie to climb up

B about to slide down

Ellie about to slide down

The fireman's pole at the end

A very good attraction now that the course has been tidied up.  Very, very close to us was this Canada Goose having a very good clean and taking no notice of anyone!

 I then had Sunday and Monday to myself and took these photos just to prove that I do finish items!!

My first Christmas (2015) bauble finished

and I embroidered a leaf!!

Today, being Tuesday, I am looking after baby Will and I decided to take him to the indoor play area which he loved so that looks like a good idea for the future.

Had difficulty getting him down from here!!

It is a glorious day with the sun streaming in through the back door which is open.  Will is having his lunchtime sleep but I think a trip to the park is called for after that and maybe a teatime snack for me!!

The Grand Reveal!!

Today is the day for revealing our Christmas Challenge 2014 at Higham Piecemakers tonight and you are getting a sneak preview of mine. Actually I have cheated a little and took it into Monday afternoon's meeting so it is not the first reveal, but it sounds good!!

Our challenge was to "Take an artist of your choice and recreate, in any fabric method of your choice, one of their (recognisable) paintings."  We were provided with frames with a mount of 11" x 8" (28 cms x 20 cms).  They had to be mounted either by stringing or taping.

Like most of the group I spent a long time making up my mind which picture to copy but I knew fairly early on that I wanted to do Pablo Picasso. I looked at Guernica but decided it was too complicated and too grey!! In the end I chose this one, The Roaster.

To start with I tie-dyed calico in cold Redbush tea which is my drink of preference to give the right shade and lines as the picture and then traced the picture onto the reverse side.

This is a technique that I have used before for complicated pictures and I call it "Backside Applique". I am not sure of the correct name. With this method you build up the picture with fabric on the front (and facing the right way).
I chose the coloured fabrics I was going to use and placed a square of fabric for the first piece on the front. Then from the back I machined around the shape, then trimmed off the excess fabric. In this instance I used an invisible thread, though I don't always depending on the picture.

The chosen fabrics

The main fabrics are now in place and I then turned to the front and added strips to start building up the highlights. Everything was free machined in place as I enjoy this technique.

Then suddenly at this point disaster struck - I hated it, got bored and wondered if I was doing the right thing and so my 'Roaster' was put on back burner.  I felt I couldn't be bothered to finish it as it wasn't looking right!!!!!

Nearly thrown in the bin!!

Maybe a break was what I needed because 10 days ago I decided that I HAD to finish it, so further embellishments were added to the different colours, lots more free hand machining and once the black was done I suddenly loved 'My Roaster'!

Mine beside the original

I think the ankles are a little heavy, but don't we all have that problem!!

Small mistake I misread the date and it should be 1937, but after mounting I am very pleased with "The Roaster after Picasso".