Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Tuesday

Not really tidbits today as not an awful lot of interesting stuff has been happening at Chez Sunshine, but as I posted Pyjama Party Sunday so early, I wasn't able to show you what I actually did on Sunday.

Thanks to everyone who has been linking to Pyjama Party Sunday.

I stayed in my pj's all day, yay.

It was so nice not to have to go out. I made myself a really yummy haloumi salad for lunch (sorry no pics) and sat out on the verandah in the sun enjoying the sunshine. It really was Sunshine Paradise.

So Sunday and yesterday I did a bit of this and a bit of that.  I have too many things on the go at once, I'm pretty sure I have crafting ADD and have the attention span of a gnat.

I finished trimming all the pinwheels, there are 30 all together, it's just going to be a small quilt.
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I then applied Steam A Seam 2 and cut out all the pieces for the appliques (plural) that are a part of the pinwheel quilt.  I took ages attaching each piece with a tiny bit of glue as a temporary measure.  I didn't want to lose them before I was ready to attach them permanently to the backing as I still needed to press the bias binding properly and attach that before the final pressing. 


One teeny tiny problem, 

I forgot

and as soon as I finished glueing them

I pressed the whole thing BEFORE placing the bias binding which was going to be the flower stalks.  

Plan B:  Thanks to a very clever suggestion from one of the girls at Patchwork Angel today. I'm now going to embroider the stalks. It was way too hard to try and peel off the applique pieces, this time I did a really good job of making sure they were attached after my misadventures with applique attachment in Adelaide.

A very crappy pic of some of the pinwheels.

Do you think I'm ever going to get through a project from beginning to end without making a reasonably big mistake?

At least it makes life interesting and proves that I am quite good at adapting and open to alternate ideas.


On Sunday I also went with Plan D (or was it E?) on the Spice Boxes quilt and started machine quilting. Not exactly what I was hoping for originally, but I think it will look good when it's all finished. I used Gutermann Top Stitch thread and it worked really well in the machine, just a little bit of playing around with the tension to get it right. My stitching still has a couple of wobbles here and there, but then the above photo is an extreme close up!
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I'm finding at the moment that sometimes my skill level isn't as good as it needs to be to produce what is in my head.  I did think about putting the quilt away until I had practiced enough to be able to hand quilt the design I was planning, but I don't absolutely love the quilt and I was afraid that if I put it aside I might never get back to it, and I like it enough that I want to finish it.


Last night I sat down and spent a lovely evening sewing these together.


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My very first hexie flower. 
I LOVE IT.
I think I'm hooked. For someone who really doesn't like hand sewing, I find these very easy, relaxing  and therapeutic. I can understand why English paper piecing is becoming so popular again.

You may also notice that my blog has changed again. I spent way too long playing around with it. 

See how long the current style lasts. 

I also made myself a little Award Free Blog button, it's up there on the right hand side, just above the Pyjama Party Sunday button and the clock which tells you what time it is here at Chez Sunshine. It's lovely to receive awards, and I don't mind telling you 101 things that you don't know about me, but I really don't enjoy having to "pick" x number of people to send them on to.  It makes me uncomfortable, who do I choose, who don't I choose who would like it, who would be really annoyed that they have been given one.  To make my life easier and less anxiety filled, I have decided to make my blog an Award Free blog. I love comments and they mean so much more to me than an award, as that means that you are reading my blog and interacting with me and enjoying what I write and the pics I show, and occasionally you may just think, and comment that I'm stark raving bonkers. Either way, a comment letting me know that you read and (hopefully) enjoy my blog or the things I create, means the world to me.


10 comments:

  1. Great idea to embroider the stems - look at all the problem -solving skills you're learning! Love that hexi, the fussy cutting and colour placement is perfect.
    I have trouble with the awards too - I feel silly writing those things about myself (I mean really, people aren't visiting my blog to read that crap) and like you hate having to pass them on. I get that they are trying to encourage links, but surely there is a much more interesting way to do it.

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  2. I like the new blog look and the hexie project. I don't do applique (it intimidates me), but yours look great and the embroidery will set it off nicely.

    I do like reading your blog and agree that maybe awards aren't worth the effort.

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  3. I like the new look. and agree with you about the awards. it reminds me of chain letters and I hate those.

    The clock is nice. thanks.

    Nice job on the hexie flower. I made one and didn't like it at all -- maybe it was the colors?

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  4. hey you've been productive!!
    I love your button!! I agree with you. Also I don't have much blogging time and just manage 1-2 posts a week and sometimes I don't want it to be about an award. I hope that dosen't sound mean.
    Pretty Hexi flower!!
    I like the idea of stitching stems!!
    Good on you for quilting Spice Boxes!
    And Yum to that Haloumi Salad!!

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  5. I think you've beeen really busy actually....

    Love the new blog look - very chic.

    The applique is looking fabulous. It seems you've recovered from your Adelaide experience. I havent been near another piece of applique since!Love the pinwheels.

    When you make a major mistake and live to come up with a solution it gives the quilt more character. (Thats what I tell myself anyway!)

    The Spice Boxes quilting looks wonderful-I think you're being way too hard on yourself. The whole quilt is just going to sing "Morocco". Just wait and see.

    I just bought hexie papers ...someday Im going to get to those. You can fully take credit for inspiring me.

    And lastly ....I love the idea of an award free blog. Like you I stress out about handing them on and then stress out about offending the person who gave me the award in the first place.

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  6. Great post Marg. You have achieved a lot, really. I could have written this post myself as I too flit from one thing to another!! The hexie flower is gorgeous (very neatly sewn!) and I like the quilting you have done on the spice quilt. Like another person said, the blog awards are a bit like chain letters which tend to make everyone feel uncomfortable.
    Award free is a good idea. Di.

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  7. Love your new look Marg. I am with Dianne, and you I seem to flit from one thing to another. I like the idea of embroidered stems for your applique.

    After receiving an award I found it so hard to decide who to send it to...felt I should be obligated to do so, and I did but I was uncomfortable too so after reading your words I feel better and think a kind thank you would be in order in future and hope I have not offended anyone by passing the one award I got on.

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  8. As I've said before, I'm not a needle person at all but I love seeing what you create and look at your pics in awe! I also agree about the awards - it makes me feel uncomfortable also and we do this blogging to enjoy, not to give ourselves stress!

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  9. Finally can comment! Blogger wasn't playing before.

    Firstly, love the award free blog button, you know I agree with you as we've talked about the anxiety aspect before. I think you might start an award free button revolution as I plan on making one at the weekend :-)

    Fab solution to your stalk dilemma - and I can't wait to see some stitching on the appliqué.

    Yeay, hexie flower - i made 2 and then stopped - but it's something I would like to revisit as I wold love to make a grandmothers garden one day/year.

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  10. Sha-ZAM! Those hexies are faulous! I love the fabrics and I'm with you -- hand sewing is very relaxing and peaceful. I love the rhythm of it.

    I also agree with you about everything you said about awards.

    Love your appliqué pieces, and I really like your pinwheels. Pinwheels are a favorite of mine.

    Beautiful work!

    xo -E

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