Not a lot!

Well I’m afraid I’m not going to have a lot to show you this week!!! 

Life has become somewhat disrupted lately due to this, that and t’other so I’ve not had the energy to think of something new to do or say!!! A relief some of you might say!!!

I am, however plodding along with the EPP project. That’s English Paper Piecework for those who (like me!) need a translation. I’ve always called it patchwork but I live and I learn! 

I will keep you updated later this week on progress.

Decisions, decisions and no decisions!!!

I agonise over colours when starting (and during) projects!!

As I’ve probably mentioned before I need another new project to take out and about so decided that I’d do a diamond patchwork one like I’ve done many times before. This time in a size 40 as I do like the lacy look of 40 and it’s easier to pick up and put down too. 

You’ve seen the pink diamond motif before back here and the pink is here.  I no longer have the pink one it as I didn’t like it very much and gave it away!!! So I made the green and lilac/purple (not sure how to describe that colour!) and am happier with that. Problem I now have is choosing more colours to go with it. I tried the green and yellow combination (bottom right in the top picture) but that didn’t look right to me. So, all my size 40 threads came out and I’m still trying to decide!!!!

Another section

Here's another section of my big English paper piecing (patchwork). 

First of all the pieces as I cut them out and then the section sewn together. 

There's a huge difference between the colour choices of the section I blogged on Monday but that's because I wanted/needed a contrast. 

I'm not sure if this will be the middle section of the sides or the corner. Well, I'm not sure because I've forgotten what I decided!!!! Typical I hear you say!!

I'll keep you posted!!!

Purple and green

Having 'fallen out' with the pink diamonds here I decided to try completely different colour combinations. I really like this combination but, of course, I now have to try and find colours I LIKE to go with these!!! 

Often people say I've got a good sense of colour and ask how I choose. Well, the answer to that is I don't know how I do it and I make many, many mistakes etc. I'll show you more later this week.

The next round!

No, not of the diamond project - still trying to decide on that!!! 

This time I’m showing you the next round of the English paper piecing (patchwork). 

I spent hours a few days ago cutting out the shapes for this final round. That’s a LOT of time and not much fabric either got used!!!

I decided on these for the sides. Well the sides will have 3 motifs so I am making two the same and the middle one in the side different. These are the ‘same’ ones. First picture is the pieces cut out (I take photos to remind BC3 what is going to happen!) and underneath is them sewn together. One done and many to do!!  Actually 23.

A day out!

I went on a day out last Sunday and it was well out of my comfort zone too!!!

The craft group I go to on a Tuesday morning consists mainly of neighbours in our two roads. Our roads are sort of ‘isolated’ but near the centre of the town. It’s a one way road so we don’t get too much traffic and we really, really get on well with each other. Help is always on hand with any problems if needed. 

One of our members has a niece (here’s a link) who teaches and makes ceramics and she runs ‘hare days’. We decided to take a day out and have a ‘go’ at hares!!!

Well I did some pottery and ‘stuff’ at teacher training college and did another course some years later when the kids were little too. Both of those were a LONG, LOOOONG time ago and I didn’t expect to get anything resembling a hare done!  In the end mine does look vaguely like a hare. I won’t see it again for a few weeks as it’s gone to be fired etc. 

Great day with lovely friends.

Black earrings

Do you remember these earrings? Well it turns out that I’d only got one when I got home a week or two ago. Lost on my walk - somewhere near the canal basin! I wasn’t that bothered as I wasn’t that sure I liked them after a few times of wearing them. 

The saddest part of the loss was the demise of the fabulous beads I bought in America last year. Still I’m glad I bought two strings of them. 

So I got the good old scissors out to the one earring and demolished it!! Instead I thought I’d try another idea and used black thread with gold seed beads as well. I really like this pair. 

The one on the right looks sort of ‘bent’ but it isn’t really. Just the way it got slammed down on the scanner!!  I'm not exactly gentle with my jewellery, you know!!!

Next round completed

I’ve had a bit of a break from the patchwork (English paper piecing). I got sidetracked by Handy Hands and their calendar!!! I wanted to submit a pattern for that but it took some time for a ‘good idea’ to hit BC3. Finally it did but more about that much, much later.

So now that’s off my ‘to do’ list I’m going to have another sewing session. Well that’s when I can find all the bits and bobs!!! 

I did manage to finish the last round that I was working on while I was at my various craft clubs and this is what it looks like now (well, if you wander further down the page). 

I then spent a few days wondering how to finish the edges off and straighten them a bit. In the end I decided that I’d do another round!!! Am I bonkers or am I bonkers?

No need to answer that if you don’t want to!

Just for a change

I just want/need something relatively easy to do in the evenings at the moment. I am fiddling around with new ideas but not happy with anything (including myself!) at the moment.

Blog posts may become a bit sparse til I get BC3 back on track!!! We'll see. 

Meanwhile this is my relaxing tatting which is keeping me awake in the evening. Without it I would probably fall asleep!!!  I've used this pattern so many times in the past and here's just one of those 'times'.  

Oh, here's another too!!!  I'd completely forgotten this one.  I wonder where it is?  Ah, probably in the box in the cupboard!!!!

The butterfly snowflake - again!

I know somebody who will like these - eh, Diane?

Still playing around with this design and enjoying it too which makes a change!!!

Last Monday

We had an appointment at eleven thirty. Simple really so we got in the car and toddled down there. 

We didn't get back til seven that evening after a few 'things went haywire'. The reason I'm telling you this is because I didn't take my handbag with me (I rarely take it out anymore as I use my phone to pay for 'stuff'). 

Now you may well ask, what is the old git rambling on about? Well, no handbag means no tatting supplies. Well it was just to be a quick visit to the doctor, wasn't it? The following day I was WELL prepared to be out for what turned out to be even longer!!!

These are my regular containers for sitting around tatting when I don't need to concentrate. I have the 'intermediate' supplies but these are the 'emergency' tatting supplies!!

I LOVE these little containers. They came from Walmart many, many moons ago  (probably around fifteen) so I'm not sure if they're still obtainable. I sit and make butterflies to give away while I'm in situations where I need to keep an eye on what's going on around me but also need to keep my fingers busy!!!

The smaller green type of container I tend to use for larger beads too. I think they were in the cosmetics section of Walmart but it was around fifteen years ago that I bought them!!!  All the sections in the pink one have ready wound bobbins  and shuttles.  

Butterfly snowflake again

Now these two are made using some HDT that Sue kindly gave me. 

I used the same variegated on both but with the top one I used a plain Lizbeth green too. 

I know which one I prefer - the bottom one which really shows off the thread. Thanks, Sue.

Another 'go' at this snowflake

I've already given this little guy a name - the Butterfly Snowflake. 

I started it weeks ago and then got distracted to try a new idea - the koala.

I’m so, so thrilled at the reaction to the koala.  It’s restored my faith in tatting again although I’m finding it harder and harder to think of new ideas!!  I think poor BC3 is feeling his age at the moment.  The long grey days of winter and other problems don’t help either.

More tomorrow.

It's finished and ready to be made!

Just a quickie today to give you the link to the koala. 

Here it is

There are a few techniques to make it more 'interesting' and more life like. 

There's a folded ring which is explained within the pattern, a bead added to the centre of a ring and I've used the double double stitch too to make the chains firmer in places. Jenni hadn't done any of those before but she whipped up hers within an hour or so. Here he is.

For my Australian friends

Here in England we've been hearing about the devastating fires in Australia but there's so little we can do to help. It occurred to BC3 that another animal design may be useful for my Australian friends to make to raise funds to help the wildlife. I've already done a kangaroo with it's joey so a koala sprang to mind as the 'next project'.

I only started this less than two weeks ago so it's a really quick one for me. Mainly, I'll admit, because I got focussed because of the impact to wildlife 'down under' is so devastating so I kept going. Judith made a couple of suggestions (thank YOU) which finally added the finishing touches. 

Another Australian friend (thank you, Jenni) then wrote to ask me for help with designing a kangaroo or koala - this was the day after I'd completed mine so I wrote back with advice on making animals and the pattern to test!!! I think (or hope) she was a little surprised!!!

As soon as she gets back to me with her alterations (which she now has) I'll finish uploading all the pictures and links. Meanwhile get out your black and grey thread ready!!!  Oh, and a couple of beads for the eyes!!!

Round 3 second thoughts on motif

As I was having a bit of hassle from the purple fabric I decided to just do enough of these hexagon shapes to put on the ‘corners’ of the whole project. 

The sides will require 2 on each ‘side’ so 12 altogether and that’s too many to struggle with the wretched purple!!!

So I decided to put the purple surrounded by the other colours in the sides and this is what it turned out like. Two pictures as I wanted to see the difference on the backgrounds!!!

Jan 7 motifs finished

I've done a little doily made with Jan's motif which I started playing with back here.

Now you may well wonder why I've put two pictures up today showing the same thing!!! Well that's not strictly true although I see that I've put one with the swirls going to the left (bottom picture) and one to the right!!! How dozy can I be? NO NEED to answer that!!!!

The reason there are two pictures is that there's a glaring mistake on the first one which caused me to have to take out the final motif. 

Can YOU spot it? 

There was a bit of cussing for ten seconds but I never mind re-doing stuff so that's what I did!!!

A good idea

Yes I had a 'good idea' the other day.

A week before Christmas it was panic stations for giveaways as I'd done the dreaded thing of giving away all of my stash!!!! How silly is that? Also there were people who didn't get one and who I wished I could've given to - like my son in law and my Zumba teacher. 

Fortunately over the Christmas period I managed to make them a couple or three!!! 

Then my dear friend and supporter (BC3) decided it would be a 'good idea' to start on 2020's giveaways now so that's what I've started doing!!! A first attempt below!

This is weird!

I've got one of the hexagons done for the next round of the patchwork but something 'strange' is happening here!!

Well I think it's strange!! The purple fabric doesn't want to play nicely with me.

All fabrics are either pure cotton or poly cotton of some sort. As they're all remnants I've no idea of their true content and this seems to be causing a problem with the purple one. 

I'm using a fabric glue pen like this to hold the papers and it works a treat with all the other fabrics but it doesn't 'like' the purple one. 

Come on, purple, get a grip on yourself and BEHAVE or you'll be on the redundancy list!!!

Round 2 - completed

Here's round two of the patchwork finished. 

I've taken the papers out of the previous round and the centre to make it easier to stuff into the box that I'm keeping all the bits and pieces in. 

As you can see from this post I've got the fabric cut out for the next round already. Only snag is - I've got to cut the papers out now!!! These are not easy to do as precision is vital to enable everything to fit. I'm wondering what the next round will look like and IF I'll still be interested enough to do a further round!!! Only time will tell!!!