Just a little glitch

Along with the new laptop and camera - we are now a household that owns an Ipod. I am a bit technologically challenged at the best of times, I just like things to stay the same and never change. We managed to set the Ipod so that it receives our emails... which is not such a good thing since hubby is the proud owner of the new baby, and I'm the one who receives all the interesting emails like blog comments and fabric sales. So late last night... after the laptop was shutdown , he received some emails, and came to check with me whether I'd read them already or not (I think I was brushing my teeth after getting out of the shower - so had a towel wrapped around me and a mouth full of toothpaste - like the most convenient time to ask something). Some of them I had already received, and some I hadn't, so assuming that I would also receive those new ones - I told him to delete his ones. To cut an even longer story short - well, those new ones he deleted have never been received by me, and quite where they've gone I've got no idea. Of course, some of those emails were blog comments.

Anyway, I figured the easiest way to answer some of those comments, would be to do it here (at least then I can ensure everyone gets their answers):

Leeanne: I downloaded Picasa 3 which is a free photo editing thing - does all the basics, cropping, rotating etc, as well as some extra functions which I intend to have a play with at some stage in the future. You can then choose to share - which flicks those selected photos up into Picasa web albums (which is where the blog photos seem to end up anyway) - it allows you to choose the size, so I don't have problems with high resolution photos which take forever to download. I'll have to try doing it again to see whether it was just a fluke that it seemed easy... or whether it actually is.

Suz: I got the solids from "Thousands of Bolts" who have an online store, who had FQ on sale on day, and were very nice to send me an email about it. I'm not really a solids person, but clicked on the link, and this selection was the first thing to fill the screen - I just loved the mix of greens and blues, with some cream and mustard thrown in - so just added them all to my cart. The colours weren't 100% - but fitted within the range. I'd be cautious if I needed colours to match perfectly.

Monika: any advice about the Ipod welcomed! I've managed to set up a new email account, so we just need to try editing the address (I hope) - then I can get my ones... and he can get his ones.

Will there or won't there?

Much of my afternoon has been spent firstly trying to connect the printer to the wireless network.  The rest has been getting the camera to download to the laptop... and then working out the best way to edit the photos since my photo editing software that I finally worked out how to use has disappeared.

I simply don't have the strength to work out how to format my photos properly on this post... so it will just have to be a bit messy - but at least there are photos.

My design wall - half log cabin blocks which I started sewing at retreat using my pile of Moda bella solids in bluey greenie colours with a hit of mustard, and some Jotta Lansdotter prints.  The gaps will eventually be filled with assorted cream filler strips.

I'm having fun mixing the different colours and prints without being too worried about what goes where.  Very meditative.

 

Ahh, the circles.  This quilt is from Modern Mix... I'll give more details in another post, but this is the start of the quilt on the cover.  The book focuses on mixing plains with solids... has some really neat ideas.

This was just really a bit of an experiment with the closeup function on the camera.  The zigzag setting I used is 1.5w by 1.0 stitch length.  It really is very tiny.

A few more logs here...

and there.

This was actually the inspiration for the half log cabin block - the idea of having three different sized blocks within a single block.  Why not try it with log cabins??  And so a new quilt design was born.  Now go back to the first photo and see if you can pick up the large blocks... even though it looks complicated, the overall design is just a straight setting 3 blocks wide by 4 blocks down (or at least it will be once I do a bit more sewing)

And this is the book where this block appears.



April's finished Swoon Block

So how many times did I actually use "actually".  It must have been one of those days!

Woohoo - back in business

The insurance has finally come through - so new gadgets all round.  Have the email finally up and running (could get it to receive but not send)... Internet under control (I think)... tomorrow I'll work on the camera situation, and maybe tackle the wireless printer.  So progress in the technology department.  Your reward for persevering may actually be some photos of what's been happening in the sewing department.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Slow but steady

Well, still no word from the insurance company about replacement items... so still no new photos to show.  I have just finished my April Swoon Block... mid May!  This was not without its challenges - it was just one of those "how on earth did I manage to sew those two bits together and not notice until now" sort of scenarios.  After multiple unpickings, and multiple sewing something else wrongs... I finished the last seam this morning.  Ahh - the satisfaction of a finished block.

Some imagination required to see this one as actually finished

I have also been slowly zigzagging around my circle shapes... does anyone remember this one?

Well, it got taken along to retreat with me a few weekends ago, and I laid out the circles constructed so far on my solid grey background strip. Although my circles didn't fill the entire space, I quite liked the few open areas... so decided to leave it as it was.  I'm probably about 1/3 of the way through the attaching process, and hopefully will have something more to show... once I've got a camera.

Also at retreat I started piecing half log cabins blocks with my pile of blue/green/mustard Moda Bella solid fat quarters which I purchased quite some time ago from Thousands of bolts, with a few of the Lotta Jansdotter Echo line (the ones I could find in NZ after my order from Fabricworm went missing in transit!) thrown in.  I'm loving the effect - and just need to work out if it will morph into this design I played with several months ago.  Well, that may have even been before Xmas...

I also quilted my first quilt on my new handiquilter frame using the lazer bit on a self made pantograph.  I used a simple figure eight design, similar to that used in many of Denyse Schmidt's quilts... it gives great texture and doesn't fight with the actual piecing.  Anyway, you'll just have to believe me on this one - my binding it attached, and I'm halfway through the handstitching bit.  So looks like Nadia will get it on her bed before winter finishes this year.

Now, do I start my May Swoon? or play with my log cabins?... got to hang washing out first - for a change it is actually sunny!

You won't believe it!

We got burgled last week.  How on earth do people cope with no laptop or camera?  Luckily there was not too much more than that stolen (like for some reason my sewing machine and fabric supplies weren't of interest)... and I just need to battle with the insurance company to get compensation.  Our old computer which became the kids game playing computer when we upgraded to a laptop, has been reinstated as the connection to the outside world.  It only took 71 new uploads to get it back into working order!  It is rather archaic and so slow... but better than nothing.  So I apologise in advance for any comments that have no reply, and I will slowly catch up with your progress on your own blogs as time goes on.  And there will be no photos... so probably very few posts until we get back to normal.  Other than that... I'm still sewing...

RIP

Snoopy
10/2/1995 - 26/04/2012

From shed to studio... an ongoing story

Janet now has her own furniture, and it is finally time to show her off in all her finery.

For those of you still wondering... no Rona, she's not an illegal immigrant from eastern europe with an extremely large tush... she a second hand Handi-Quilter frame.  A few years old so not the latest model, and not a long arm which was the other most common suggestion... that would have been way outside our budget - but my Brother Innovis sits happily in the tray, and whizzes backwards, forwards and sideways - OK my 8 1/2" throat space could be an extra few inches bigger but it will do.  I appreciate the limitations of these sort of gadgets, and approach the purchase the same as buying a new tool... it simply gives me a larger range of options.  I am looking forward to basting with water soluble thread and machine quilting on my normal machine as per normal - just without pins!  I really hope this works as I won't have to crawl around on the floor anymore.

The tools came out, and there was plenty of noise and sawdust... I knew it was serious!

Although I wasn't sure how the table would look when finished... I was pleasantly surprised to see the progress (although upside down at this stage)... it looks a bit rustic farmhouse...

And this is the garage space that will one day be finished off, beautified and turned into my studio space.

Looking back at it the other way:

One day when my kids are a bit older and more responsible... I'll be able to disappear into my studio and create.  Until then, I still have my sewing space set up in Nadia's bedroom.  It works.  But I sure do have huge dreams about this new space - some of which include walls, carpet and lights!

A bit of reorganising and viola... a new table (all 3.6 metres of it) on wheels no less, so it can be pushed up against the wall when not in use... note the handy shelf underneath... all ready for me to baste Nadia's winter quilt...

And talking of Nadia's winter quilt... border all finished... ready to go.

Have I finished my April Swoon block?  Not yet.

Have I finished the blanket stitch on My Tweets Block 2 & 3? Not yet.

Did we have a lovely family ANZAC Day?  YES!  I heartily recommend the Monopoly version which has EFTPOS card - great fun.