Let the quilting begin…

I had a bit of a slow day yesterday, but finally got the half-finished quilt out.

Here’s where I had left off.

About a year ago when I got bored with it.

Even though it was practically finished.

Sometimes it goes like that.

So I finished putting the red dots on the blue doowhats and have now baste the large middle part to the backing fabric. I’ll come back for the corners once the main section is sewn on.

I’m thinking about the border as I sew and for some reason am leaning toward big red triangles, but I’ll figure that out later.

The quilt was going to be for B, but I think it’s a bit old-fashioned looking for her. I’m not even sure I like it for me either.

So that’s it.

It’s early days, but… the quilteth is backeth (I think) and not before time either.

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I’ve been thinking quilts…

I refuse to think that I’m in a funk.

I choose to believe that I need a change of scenery.

(Thank you Cecilia, By the way, did your tank come yet?)

Beginnings…

Not sure how far I’ll get with this one for now as I’ve another one half finished, but it has got my quilt juices flowing. I have to admit that I feel as though I’m betraying the jewelry, but I’m just not going to tell it yet.

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That boy did a fine job …

The Union Jack pattern has arrived!

Click image to go to pattern

I haven’t forgotten about the quilt I was working on before Christmas – or the five hundred and sixty three others that are waiting patiently for me to finish.

If you remember, this is where I left it. On the floor, alone, wondering when I would return … if I would return …

But now the Union Jack is here.

Will there be war between the two quilts? Somehow I think the Empire might well win …

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Talking of the Empire, (for which I have regret and apologize profusely),

 on to the movie.

It was good, but not as good as I thought it would be. To be honest though I didn’t know what I expected. I think the hype got the better of it for me.

That said, someone please explain to me why that boy didn’t even get a nomination for his role?

He was brilliant in my opinion, and not bad to look at either, but I wont say that as that would make me want to be 19 again and I just couldn’t go through all that teenage angst again. Once was more than enough for me thank you very much.

I loved the book. One of my favourites. I found it shocking and heart wrenching, and thought-provoking – and, I love to think and be shocked, it makes you sit up and take notice in a, more often than not, mundane existence.

I read it a long time ago and had forgotten about the violence. I hate watching all that lion chasing gazelle David Attenborough stuff and get upset when it comes on the t.v. so the parts in the movie that touched upon that almost made me regret watching it. I had to look away a few times, but I got over it, and am pleased that I did.

I seem to have a love affair with all things Indian. I think it began with, A Passage to India, and continued from there. For some reason, everything I have ever watched or read that is Indian in nature touches me. For me there is something magical about their culture, their myths, their art. Perhaps it’s their spirituality, what ever it is I somehow have always felt a connection.

Who knows, perhaps I was Indian in another life.

So, if you were to ask my opinion, I would probably say the movie was certainly good, but read the book if you only have one option.

Although that boy did a fine job …

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Finally.

(drum roll)

I have finished the book!

(I know some of you were really worried about how it was going).

And it was good. Sadly inevitable but good.

I’ve just sent it to my sister, and, as I was buying it on amazon u.k. took the time to read the reviews. A few of them said it was awful and long-winded. I know it took me six months to finish it, but, I thought differently. I thought it was very well written and enjoyable. The length of time it took me to read it had nothing to do with having to struggle through it. When I was actually reading it, the pages turned quickly. I think I just fell into some reading time warp dimensional thing. Who knows.

Anyway, don’t read it if you only like uplifting books, but, it really was worth the read in my opinion.

I do feel a bit sad now though …

just saying.

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Christmas season has got in the way of the quilt making frenzy somewhat. But, never fear, I can still hear it calling. In the meantime I have been working to finish this.

I started it in the summer, and, as with everything I do, have been working on it in fits and starts.

Only a small area to complete now so that’s exciting. Then I’ll probably keep it in a draw somewhere for a couple or ten years before I get around to framing it.

I finished this one a long time ago.

And, it also took me years to frame.

Perhaps I’ll be better at it this time.

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It took me a while, but,

I finally decided where to send my money.

I sold a bracelet at the beginning of the week and it geed me up to make a decision. It was beginning to niggle me. I know my money doesn’t make that much of a difference, but, I was beginning to feel bad about all the people with no food, living in horrible conditions, and, with me just taking my time.

I usually try to send the money I make to programmes that help people sustain themselves, but, as I was browsing around I came across this picture.

Save the Children – orphan care.
Click photo to go to site.

I’m not going to say anymore except that this is where the money I made selling my jewelry went to this month.

Look at him.

O.K. don’t, because I might have to cry now…

So, thank you to everyone who bought a piece of jewelry from me, either at the art festival or through Etsy. I really appreciate it.

$9,000 now. Only one more thousand to reach my Wanna Do. Guess then I’ll have to change my goal.

Onwards and upwards people :)

Oh

And, in case you thought I wasn’t paying attention, no,

I didn’t forget the quilt ;)

One day I might try to sell these as well.

What do you think?

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Don’t forget to warm your cockles …

I know you’ve been worried about the progression of the quilt, so here’s an update.

I take these photographs after each session because sometimes it’s clearer to see what needs to be changed by looking at them. I find this is the same for painting also. Sometimes when a portrait, for instance, is off, and, you just can’t see what’s wrong with it, a photograph will point out the problem straight away. It gives you some distance. Removes you somewhat from the process.

I can also walk away from it and look at the photographs later. Creep up on it when it’s not expecting it. Catch the quilt off guard. Makes it easier to figure out a problem without the guilt of looking it straight in the face.

Quilts have feelings too you know.

So, it looks like it’s going to be a dark, moody, day. I hope so anyway. A good day to lock myself away in the quilt room and play around some more. I’ve been having a bit of trouble with the middle, but, I think I’m getting there.

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N and I made a good beef bourguignon last night.

I woke up knowing that’s what I wanted to eat. Always a relief to get that little problem out of the way. We ate it over little fingerling potatoes with french beans. I love these little beans the most. You wont go back to the dark side once you’ve eaten them. Same with petit pois, regular old peas just wont be the same after you’ve tried the small ones.

So …

If it’s dark and wintery where you are and you’ve got a nice fire in the grate going on and wooly socks on your feet, give this recipe a try and let me know if it doesn’t warm the cockles of your heart. Only don’t tell me about the dark wintery bit with the fire and wooly socks because I live in Houston, remember, and although it’s definitely a shade darker than normal out there, I’d have to strip down to have the fire going.

Bummer.

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Shake it off already.

I’ve got 563 books to read and I’m stuck on the, House of Sand and Fog.

Every time I pick it up I enjoy it, but, I just don’t think to pick it up. I want to know what happens to the people – although the girl’s a bit annoying if you ask me. I want to watch the movie, which I wont let myself do until I’ve finished the book. And, more importantly, I’ve got loads and loads of murder mysteries just sitting there waiting to feed my need to brutally murder someone.

Actually, that’s not strictly true, but, I do often wonder why I like to read them so much. Maybe it’s my need for justice. Let’s hope so anyway. Bottom line, we might never know …

So I’ve been reading this one book for months and months now and it’s beginning to annoy me. It’s like a sore tooth, niggling away at me. I can’t abandon it though as it will forever haunt me.

My task for this coming week.

Finish the darn book why don’t you!

I woke up today thinking about an old friend. Someone I met in high school and who is godmother to two of my children. We lost touch a very long time ago. I came to live in America and she is still (I’m thinking) back in England. I wanted the internet to help me find her. It can find other things, why not her. Darn Internet.

You know in England, when people write letters, well my people anyway, they don’t put their address on the envelope, or on the top of the letter. I suppose they just think you will always know where they live, even if you haven’t heard from them for years and have forgotten their address.

I feel as though I’m losing my life.

I can’t find my friends. My eldest child is grown up and gone. Spencer One Eye is getting really, really, old. I’m getting old. And those old peeps who live in my family and who are parents and uncles and aunts and those kind of things are just up and dying, or going into those horrible old people homes to live out their days eating mushed food, surrounded by other old people, wondering what the h#@^ happened.

And, to top it all off, I’m worried about who ends up with the d^#* fog house.

And, all Spencer’s worried about is getting me to stop writing this drivel.

Maybe he’s got a point.

So, mooovin’ on –

here’s a quilt update.

And, surprisingly,

I’m thinking green.

Not any old green.

Lime green. (Don’t worry I’m  probably just channeling my psychotic side – again).

But, I don’t want to give it a Christmassy feel so I’m going to hold out on that thought.

O.K.

Time to shake it off and rock the world.

Get up, get out, and, get going.

There are people out there losing their foggy houses people ..

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The cat and the quilt.

The beginning of the middle.

I’m still a bit worried that it will be dull but there’s a long way to go yet.

Of course Wally is here.

Keeping an eye on things.

He takes no prisoners.

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Next up.

Cut out all of the pieces for the four corners, just so you don’t have to freak out later when you discover you’ve run out of a particular fabric and the store hasn’t got any more and you spend fruitless hours on-line looking for someone, somewhere, who can help you, all the while knowing that you are going to have to rework the quilt altogether because you made a big, fat, mistake …

It happens.

Now you can go on to perfecting the middle design knowing you can change it up a bit if you haven’t got enough of one fabric as long as the center coordinates with the corners.

That’s if Wally lets you at the fabric.

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Out with the old and in with the new.

It turns out, if you have to drop your mac, make sure it doesn’t fall on its hinge else it severs your wi fi connection, or, on its front left hand side as, apparently, that’s where the hard drive is. I know this because B spilled a whole can of coke on her one last year and she was barely able to retrieve all of her class work from it.

Fortunately, as most of it spilled on the right hand side, we were able to copy her hard drive and she was able to graduate, but, the whole thing could have gone terribly wrong. Don’t let this happen to you. Always drop to the front right.

That said, mine dropped to the back left, which is no good, whatsoever, for the airport card, which is located in the middle hinge area, (according to the nice apple lady), and which, as a consequence, eventually died a slow, drawn-out, death from its wounds. And, as the ethernet socket was completely smooshed also, it was goodbye internet and all you have to offer.

The I pad, bless its heart, was o.k. but, for me, not so good. No offense I pad, you did your best under the circumstances, but, you wouldn’t let me center my paragraphs and I just couldn’t cope with not having control over my blog layout.

I haven’t quite laid my old laptop to rest as it has loads and loads of, I don’t know why I even kept it all, stuff on it. Mostly I saved things I never once looked at again and it became more and more stuffed with stuff. I’ve slowly come to realise that I am an internet hoarder. But. No more! I am cured of all that and have vowed never to stuff this, my new laptop, with stuff. That meant getting rid of 6000 e mails. Yes, 6000! Every day I said, today’s the day I will sort through my e mails, but they just kept coming.

It was a nightmare.

Now they are gone and I feel remarkably relieved.

So to celebrate I bring to you the beginning process of B’s quilt.

First you work on the pattern. Figuring out the size, etc.,

Then you draw it out full scale.

(Well, I do anyway).

And, then you continue to cut out the templates.

At this point you realize, (although really you suspected from the beginning), that there is a lot of background showing and that threatens to bring the whole quilt down. So, you decide that perhaps the background would look better broken up a bit.

But, you’re still not sure.

Then you practice fiddling around with all the other fabrics you have.

(Of course, Wally has to be there every step of the way).

And although you really like the fabrics, are they too dull? Is the background too dark? Will everything look blah? Am I wasting my time?

Here it is, well, one corner of it, but it is instagrammed, (don’t ask me why except I’m still a little fascinated by it), so the colours are a bit off, but you can still get a good idea of the block, if not the colours.

And, despite all the worries, I think I’m liking it.

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