2019 Wk 3 - New York New York

I apologise for my earlier rant - blame lack of sleep - oh, and frustration and annoyance with Sizzix for the appalling design of their long pentagon!

I'm having a go with a stanley knife to see if I can 'correct' the pentagons without too much effort - be seriously, what were Sizzix thinking the die would be used for?

So I was short on sleep due to jet lag - having had a long weekend in New York!!!  I didn't take many pics as it was too cold to take my hand out of my pockets for long (Me on Brooklyn Bridge)

The girls walking ahead of me

I went with the daughters - we had a lovely time.  I did look for Patchwork shops - I thought there would be loads, but although there must have been 15+ fabric shops on 38th and 39th they were mostly fabric on rolls - synthetic fabrics, not our sort of fabric.  I found a shirt-making Aladdin's cave, but there was way too much choice and they were charging $30 a yard!!  The one patchwork shop I found was lovely but nothing that looked amazing and it was all $12.95 a yard which is practically the same as at home.

The best I can offer for crafty stuff was this fab statue

And this lovely man sitting on the subway station making crocheted hats!  Lisa bought the black & multi one in his left hand!

We went to the 9-11 museum.  I have mixed feelings about it.  Very moving and lots of information and well presented if you look at each section on it's own.

But it starts with an enormous space with a few big items, including this art installation.  We took this slow as we thought this was the general design of the museum.  As you can see, very few people

And there was information about all the people who died.  A good friend of mine lost a distant relative: I never met him, but it was nice (?) to have someone to focus on and we found his photo and the information the family had submitted, and where he had been remembered by other firefighters

 

 And there was a quilt to look at

So all calm, and peaceful and soothing in a way, and then we went through a revolving door to a special exhibition . . . where there people: crowds of people, films taking on the day being played, we heard noises recorded on the day, answerphone messages from loved ones who never made it home, we saw posters looking for those who were lost, papers found after the towers came down, clothing and shoes that were found in the clean up, parts of the building, of the plane, the background of the terrorists, stories of bravery . . . it was too much for me especially after the tranquility of the main rooms.

I really would have liked to have been given a route to take: that would take me to everything, and that would tell me I should allow half an hour for the huge room and maybe 2 hours for the special exhibition (and not bother with the Rebirth Film - far too arty and full of itself).

Anyway I went and I'm glad I did but I bought a couple of books so I can explore the bits I want in my own time.

A few more pics:

Our very opulent (and quirky) hotel

Lady Liberty from the Staten Island ferry (why is the ferry free????)

 A funky building that husband and I had watched a documentary on with a glass floored sticky out deck

And the city at sunset from the Empire State Building (why does it have 4 doors that you can't use but without signage to show where the right one is???)

Too many rants - maybe I'm still jet lagged!!!!

2019 - Wk 2 - so disappointed

I know I'm a bit behind, but I want to make a plus quilt - and I want to make it EPP (I've recently finished piecing one and am close to finishing another so time to look for a new one) and I've fallen in love with this 

I found that Sizzix made a die that is house shaped (or "long pentagon") and tried to find one.  The only one in the world that's available (according to Mr Google) was in Australia, and luckily I have a lovely brother in Australia!  So . . . he did the buying thing and even the posting thing and I did the happy dance

And then I did the sizzix thing - loads of sizzixed long pentagons, and the cutting thing - even more house shaped fabrics

And then I did the tacking thing and though "hold on a cotton picking minute" - what's that gap?

Can you believe - the apex of the 'roof' is not quite 90 degrees, and the width of the 'house' is slightly more than it's height and this is never going to *&^%$£" well work!!!!

I am seriously gutted!

Any suggestions much appreciated

2019 Wk 1 - I was planning to tidy!

So I was picking up and putting away - really I was!

But when I went to pick up the clothes line I remembered I was going out for a friend's for a meal tonight and maybe I should bring a gift

And as I finished that I remembered husband had asked whether a square bowl was possible, so I had to try

And in moving the loom I realised I haven't woven the temperatures for this year so I did the appropriate weaving (not convinced this will last all year: I'm not feeling the love yet, and I'm not sure I have the skills!)

And funnily enough the room isn't much tidier that when I started . . . but I've had fun: isn't that just as important?

2019 Wk 0 - Noooooooo

After publishing the last post I went to trim my tiny blocks - and every single one was too small!  So it seems (seams!) that my 1/4" foot is nothing of the sort!

So I spent most of this evening watching rubbish telly with himself, unsewing - groan!

So they now look like this

and "just" need to be pressed and started again!

However I have finished the hand-sewing-at-mother-in-law's flimsy

and what's more - it's quilted!

I love the circular quilting that so many 'real' quilters have been showing, but I know my quilting isn't up to the tight accurate spiral at the start . . . but it occurred to me that Lizzie's is!  So she did the first 8 inches (her largest hoop) and I then took over - it's much easier when the spitrail is further out!!

I also played with another rope bowl.  Again an elongated shape as the start is much easier with a long line rather than a tight spiral (see the theme here?)  I copied Kathy's finished this time as I have plenty of leather left in a box.  It would have been better if it didn't pucker but I can live with it!

2019 - Wk 0 - Happy New Year

I've been playing with Lizzie!  I got an urge to design (while she was stitching badges for the local scouts who deliver local Christmas cards)

My cousin has three gorgous grandchildren, so I got their mum to send me photos of some artwork and their "signatures".

And I converted them to stitches

 Mila's drawing and my embroidery

And Matteo's

And their little brother Luka didn't do a picture but I got his name.  I think I need to re-stitch it as the colours are off.

I think a few drawstring bags are on the agenda for tomorrow then they can go off in the post!

I have also finished warping the loom for the Temperature project.  Finished warping AND prepared the threads for the lower range of temperatures

AND deciding on the threads for the warmer colours!

And I've finally finished (just need to trim to size, so OK not actually finished!) a few tiny blocks - Jackie, how are yours coming along?

2018 Wk 52 part 2

Were you spoiled this Christmas?  I was!

Jackie made me this awesome purse that opens to a really good size, plus these Christmas decorations

From Sharon I got this gorgeous Christmassy fabric with matching ribbons

From Avril I got these super badges (I'm not sure I can take them off their cards - they are just a pretty as the badges) and these super lush threads

And from Plum I got a whole load of goodies!  A basket, a couple of kits, some clam templates and a box a really good sized beads

And Stephanie gave me a thread cutter which is useful and pretty!

Thank you all xxxxx

I've been doing some hand sewing - Kantha doodling

 And spent time with these two (I love to see them using my quilts!)

But mostly spent time visiting this lovely lady (my M-i-L) who has now been confirmed as having a fractured femur.  Now that they know what the problem is they can start putting it right.

While she was in hospital some lowlife scum broke into her house.  To be fair they didn't trash it or create a huge mess, but they did steal cash she had taken out for the grandchildren and great grandchildren for Christmas, and they have taken some jewellery.  Sadly the gold charm bracelet that she had collected over many years (like this one) has gone

But they overlooked this . . . her engagement ring that she's had over 70 years!!!

2018 Wk 52 Christmas part 1

Hope you had a very . . .

We did! 

M-i-L sadly missing from the Boxing Day festivities but she was very well looked after in hospital with a visit from Santa, gifts of a scarf and a box of chocs and a card from a local school child.

With the festivities over and all the waifs and strays back at their own homes I've actually done some "me" things!

A whole load of 1½ squares have been stitched first in pairs, then in 3s

and now being stitched into 9 patches for the Tiny Blocks quilt Jackie and I are making.

 I am also warping a loom: Have you seen the temperature quilts that people made last year?

You knit or crochet a set number of stitches in a colour that represents a temperature, then you do the same every day.  You can choose whether you use the maximum or minimum or average, just pick one and stick to it.  One of my students from many years ago is a very accomplished crochetter: she blogs at https://lullabylodge.blogspot.com and is cheerleading a crocheted blanket along (!) starting here.  I really wanted to have a go but I'm already thrown by the crochet tech talk, and don't have much in the way of wool colours . . .  however I have plenty of embroidery threads and have no objection to buying any extras needed so I am doing a woven equivalent.

Warping a loom has to count as one of the most boring craft preparations though - which is why I've done half then got distracted by doing my tax return and a blog post!

 I also got very spoiled - pressie pics will follow