Expect to see some changes

Sooner or later, every quilter learns the saying "measure twice, cut once".

They usually learn it the hard way, after they've cut up their fabric and after they've started sewing. I thought I'd learnt that lesson long ago but it looks like I needed reminding.

Earlier this year, I had some more dies custom-made so that I could add triangle charm packs and diamond charm packs to my reportoire. I asked for equilateral triangles with 5" sides, and diamonds that were the same as two of these triangles stuck together. Simple, right?

I couldn't wait to get stuck into a making a new quilt so I quickly die-cut a couple of layer cakes - using the pale blues and pinks of Papillon and the French reds of Rouenneries Deux - and started this quilt.

I admit my machine-sewing skills have never been great. I guess I don't take enough care, I want to get things done quickly, and as a result my seams don't always line up. It didn't take me very long to get fed up with this crooked messy one.

I moved onto other projects, including making a huge stack of these new charm packs for my store. I finally set aside some time this weekend to prepare the ads and I got 95% of the work done when I discovered that ...

My custom-made dies were custom-made WRONG! I am going to kick some butt tomorrow morning and insist that that they are made again, properly!

The triangles measure 4 7/8" on 2 sides and 4 3/4" on 1 side. ALL sides are supposed to be 5". Obviously that means the angles are wrong too. No wonder my Papillon/Rouenneries Deux quilt failed.

 Now I have $900 worth of pre-cut triangle and diamond charm packs that I can't sell. This has really confirmed in my mind that I need to go ahead with something I've been thinking about for quite a while.

I need to re-focus the direction of my store. I didn't intend to be a "shop" with stacks of pre-cut stock but I found myself heading that way. That doesn't work for me. Being a "die-cutting service" that makes things to order is what works for me, and I think it works best for customers too.

Expect to see some changes to my store in the coming weeks. The changes I have been planning will allow a lot more flexibility and choice in the products available to customers. It won't be just hexagons any more!

Too much yolk in my yellow

I spent a serious number of hours stitching my Rose Star blocks on the weekend. While my goal of making one block each night was overly ambitious, I managed to hand-stitch 2 blocks last week and 2 on the weekend. Phew!

I also stitched some of the hexagons into the centres of my blocks - they look great - and some of the yellow in-between bits - not so great. There's too much egg-yolk in the yellow so it looks like I'll be using egg-white ivory instead for the background.

But the weekend wasn't all craft therapy, I had some laughter therapy too and lots of it. I recently came across some clips from the Ellen show that showcased some hilarious "autocorrects" - you know, those mistakes that turn up in your text messages when your smart phone decides it's smarter than you are.

Warning: If you look at this Ellen clip you'll be hooked and end up wasting some serious time searching for more. But if you are in need of a good laugh (and let's face it, everyone does), these will do the trick.

All the autocorrect "fails" were sourced from a website called Damn You Autocorrect where you can find 100s more, but if you need a superfast pick-me-up watch this fantastic compilation of 55 fails in one video. (Some are a bit rude so it's not for kiddys.)

Take my advice and have your finger on the pause button - I guarantee you'll be laughing so hard you'll need to stop and catch your breath.

Rose Star re-started

About a month ago I mentioned that I had restarted my Rose Star quilt in a new fabric range.

I am pleased to report that I am very very happy with how my new version is coming along. It's made in Flora by Lauren and Jessi Lung for Moda. The colours are so pretty and sunshiney - not too heavy and not too light - they really cheer me up.

I've made 12 blocks so far and I have about 24 to go. (They're approx 12" by 11" each.) I am determined to complete a block per night over the next few weeks, because I really don't want this quilt to end up on the UFO pile. 

I decided to use a light buttercup yellow for the in-between bits, but now that I look at the fabric again it looks stronger and darker, more like an egg-yolk yellow. Hopefully it will grow on me.

I think that once I stitch in the centre hexagons, the background yellow will tone down a little. The centre hexagons are also from the Flora range and have a tone-on-tone pattern, which makes a welcome change from plain centres.

My photos don't do the colours or patterns of these fabric justice. It's a bit grey outside today, which is a good excuse to get back to stitching another block of sunshine. Bye for now!

Swap catchup

I have mastered the trick of hand-sewing hexagons while lying flat on my back with my legs in the air.

So I have been getting busy as well as getting better and have caught up on some overdue swaps.

These flowers will be posted today to my April, May and June swap partners.

 Here are some lovely flowers I received from Sandy and Robynne recently. Thanks!

 And these came all the way from Marie in Denmark. Great prints!

What day is it?

I just got back from another mini-trip away. I didn't go far this time ... just to my local hospital. 

Last time you heard from me I was full of excitement before heading off to Stitch It Together Canberra. After a lovely champagne get-together at the absolutely gorgeous Shop Handmade at Canberra on Friday afternoon, and a Saturday full of meeting a crowd of of crafty S.I.T. bloggers (and making secret mental notes of all their projects to try for myself), I got a dose of food poisoning.

I won't bore you with the details. To cut a long story short, the food poisoning brought on a recurrence of another illness which I just couldn't shake it so I took myself off to hospital this week for some heavy-duty extra-strength antibiotics.

I can't tell you how glad I am to be back home in my own little nest. I don't even know what day it is!

I need a few more days to get back to normal I think, and I'm going to start by browsing all the blogs I've been missing. I can't wait to read about your trips to Sydney for the Quilt and Craft Show.

Chookyblue I'm starting with your blog. Love your photos and love your links to all the other bloggers. I'm sure to find something inspiring to put a spring back in my step.

Away

I'm away for a few days. (No prizes for guessing where!)

I'll be back Monday 11 June. See you then.

A teensy weensy bit jealous

I'm looking forward to my mini-trip next weekend, just an easy drive down to Canberra (bumper to bumper with all the Sydney ski-bunnies heading off to the snow). My fondest childhood memories are from when I vacationed at my Nan and Pop's, just on the other side of the park from where I'll be staying.


But I have to admit I'm a teensy weensy bit jealous of these bloggers and their amazing trips overseas. (I shouldn't be jealous - they have scrimped and saved to make these dream trips come true - good on them!) I hope they don't mind me showing you some of their photos.

Aussie mum "You had me at Bonjour", now living in France, is currently exploring the idyllic Backroads of Provence ...

 

after having visited the prettiest city ever ... Lyon.

 

Frugal Queen from the UK is glamping it up in France on a shoestring budget and Badskirt from Sydney has been on a fabric-buying expedition to Tokyo.

But without a doubt, the trip that I am most jealous of is Brisbane designer Kimono Reincarnate's trip to Japan. Thank you Melanie for the most A-M-A-Z-I-N-G photos of fabulous flea markets ...

 

rural vistas and wonderful places ...

extraordinary art in ordinary places ...

inspiring personal expression ...

and of course crafty ideas, crafty gifts and crafty supplies. Shibori fabric - drool. Chiyogami paper - drool.

 I can't wait to see what pops up in the KR shop after this trip!