Art, Craft and Needlework, May, 2010

[Lynlee]

I've been staying up late playing with the actual patchwork squares. Uggg. Even tried arranging them in the dark and didn't like that either. I think I've rearranged it back to something similar to I tried on the computer. very regemented w 18 different yarns over 2 rows, repeated moved 2 squares sideways. (9 X 9 squares) A different brand, more expensive, cotton yarn I bought is thicker though same ply so not sure if its in or out, and not sure of one of the others either. I guess I need continue the experiment and crochet more squares to get the full layout effect.
Nancy - My "one who crochets" is not the happiest camper and I wish it was done so she could disappear again. Someone else I crochet'd ? a (no hair) hat for drew my attention to this. Sigh - I think its true.
I do want it finished though.

[Nancy]

LynL. Good luck with your project.
I have 1/3 of the prayer shawl I'm knitting done now yea!

[Harriet]

Lynlee, I am smiling because I recognize that you can get a little bit perfectionistic like I can. That's okay. It just means we have a lot of fun on the early parts of our projects and also a lot of enjoyment when we see the finish! When you finally sort out the decisions and are doing the ending parts of the work I predict you will be enjoying it so much. After completing a big planned project, it can be fun to come up with a very small one to follow it, to have some instant gratification or one that is really no big deal like a dishcloth or ornament.

I am wrestling with some "downer" feelings and small creative projects seem to bring me "up". I have spent a little time decluttering/organizing my creative space. I've gotten out some mini-UFOs (not much more than bookmarks or coasters) and started some finishing-up on them rather than even THINK about big things right now.

Like Nancy mentioned, snacks can start looking awfully good when you are kinda tired/down or can't think of anything fun at the moment - so little projects fill the bill for me.

I am happy to be sleeping well, and I've noticed I am back in the habit of thinking of sewing as I fall asleep. I think they are related.

Lisa B, does it take a long time for you to order something from the USA, such as your templates? Are you finding fabrics nearby or mostly ordering?

Harmony, with all the wholesome (but hard) outdoor work you've been mentioning lately on PWYC I almost hate to bring it up - but are you binding lately?

blessedwith2 mentioned in Cardfile Central that she has bought the fabric to make some curtains, btw.

Sending everyone happy thoughts about your projects now and next.

[Lisa B.]

Harriet, it is the first time ordering something from the US. I ordered the templates on the 16 May. I will let you know when I receive them. I know it was wrong of me, but I've finally got a credit card to use for small things. My DH and I figure, that if we are careful, the CC is a friend to us. The cost of the templates was US$ 43.00, + shipping - came to a total a little over ZAR400.00. This is not bad. Will pay the full outstanding balance on the CC this month which is this purchase.

I would like to know from you, if Connecting Threads (http://www.connectingthreads.com) prices are reasonable for fabric? I looked at The Fat Quarter Shop and they charge around $9 a yard, whereas Connecting Threads is around $5.96 a yard. Fabric.Com are also one of the websites I've looked at. Do you buy any fabric online? If so, please let me know where is a reasonable priced range.

I've also been looking up info on square foot gardening. I'm going to mention it to my DH as the cost of veggies over here are rising and I figure that it's about time we started growing our own. The SFG method looks like a good one - maybe my lovely little 4-legged friends will leave this alone as it is raised beds. They dig up everything I plant in the ground.

[Nancy]

Sorry I'm no help don't buy much on line.
I'd be concerned about the quality of fabric if I could not see and feel it.
Joann's has fabric and on line I think if I remember.
I want to get back to the sewing room and stitch up a seam or two for gift bags I
have in mind.
Got a bit of knitting done last night.

[Harriet]

Lisa B, I've never heard anything bad about their fabric but have heard their thread can be "lint-y" in the sewing machine. I've heard from one (knowledgeable) person who thought the fabric had the feel of designer quilt store fabric, so that sounds pretty encouraging. I've gotten the catalog before and come close to buying. The only reason I haven't is that I always seem to need something specific they don't have, so when I've rarely ordered online, I go to the standby Keepsake Quilting for the larger selection instead (and pay $9, yep, yep). Harmony recently ordered from a different online source, but I don't think she was pleased enough to pass it along as a recomendation.

CThreads is limited to what they themselves produce, so a lot of the things I happen to have purchased in the last year wouldn't have been available through them (vivid forest prints and batiks for the forest quilt, flannel for the design wall, character/faces fabrics for WonderBoy's toddler quilt). If I was generally hoping to build my stash of fabrics for most patchwork quilt applications, though, without a specific need in mind yet, and didn't have much chance of getting out to shop around here, I would probably order from CThreads.

[Lisa B.]

Thank you Harriet for the info. I've now looked at Keepsake Quilting's site. It's lovely and user friendly.

Before I order anything more, lets just see how long it takes for my templates to come through from the States. I must admit that I like to watch Eleanor Burns on the internet as well. I love her Stars Across America series. I also like her Victory Quilt series.

[Nancy]

Got a couple of sessions of knitting in yesterday so my prayer shawl is "growing"!
How are you gals coming along on your projects?

[Harmony]

Lots of creativity going on around here I see.

I didn't realize keepsake was on the internet. I love their stuff and some of my templates, etc., are from there.

Fabric is tough to buy without actually touching, holding up to the light, don't you think? The website I used before was fine, it was my choice that was not.

TADA! My binding is on! Sewed onto the front anyway and pinned to the back. I found that a little dot of black magic marker kept me feeding the material at just the 1/4" I needed. With the backing and batting sticking out at odd amounts, I couldn't use my other cheater method of taping a post-it pad alongside for precise seam allowances.

I am spacially (is that a word?) challenged and cannot tell measurements by looking. I need lots of helpful aids!

Tonight I will hand sew the back of the binding on, make the sleeve and attach, and remove what's left of the quilt markings. I am very pleased at the way this looks.

Material I bought yesterday for next quilt has been washed along with some white from my stash. Found picking this out to match DD's color scheme was difficult. She is using green and pink and butterflies and bubbles. I ended up with pink (a little peachey - hoping it doesn't clash) green, round bubbles and ladybugs. It was the closest I could come. All the butterflies had too much purple with them.

Adding this: I'm sewing my way around, and this is really taking a bunch of time. EEEGads, I had to get up and put the overhead fan on. Sitting here in Florida with this quilt on my lap showed me how very warm this thing turned out to be. If they actually use this quilt with the baby, he's going to be one hot kid! I'm about half-way done so far.

[Harriet]

It is great to hear that you guys are sewing! Yesterday I pretty much forgot an entire page of info in PWYC because at the bottom Harmony wrote that she went to a cloth store! Then I couldn't think about anything else.

I love the post-it notepad method. I have also used a piece of tape and drawn a line on it, but with my drop-in bobbin machine I have to keep lifting it up. Glad the marker worked well. Enjoy the hand sewing.

Eleanor Burns - just think how many people she has inspired. She is something else. "Get rid of it!" (and then something flies over her shoulder)

I vacuumed my little studio. That doesn't really count as creativity but it counts as getting ready for it.

My dcousin who lost his mother in Dec called today and one thing he said stuck in my mind. He says now that his life is so completely changed he wants to start doing things rather than thinking about doing things. And I mentioned to him the saying about "finished is better than perfect". I hope I can remember that concept through this summer as I enjoy some sewing with dd11. I want to be generous with her in sharing my materials and even letting her finish some already-started small projects. There will be mistakes but we will have done something instead of spent time thinking about it.