Monday, August 19, 2013

Summer Colds - YUCK

Don't ya just hate a summer cold? Seems like they go on forever. I have been battling this one for almost two weeks now, and the only good thing I can say about it is that I am home bound and able to get some sewing done - in between sneezing, coughing, complaining......

I took s class in New York Beauty quilts by Jane Godshall, and it was so much fun, which just happened to be the day I also started getting sick. Jane's method uses paper foundation pieces but you do not sew on the paper, therefore no time wasted pulling paper off your block, now I like that. I am making a "mantle wall hanging" to go over my fireplace after Christmas and did the design I wanted in EQ. This is the version I opted for, but I have several others drawn up, so this could change. I am using all batiks , but I need some sparkle!

These are the blocks I have made so far. The pucture is a little dark, but no flash on my iPad so not sure how to lighten them up unless I go outside, but it is pretty dreary out there too. They are a little wonky in size but Jane told us not to square them up. I just hope they are going to go together ok.

As Mary Fons would say, I got some "scooching" to do.

 

 

I have also been quilting on my Gifts of Grace quilt. I am using Masking tape to mark the grids on the appliqué blocks. I have one more appliqué block to do and then I can start the background.

Hallmark movies, BBC shows on DVD, Candy Crush, Nelson Demille novel "The Lion" and hand quilting fill my days and evenings.

I found another use for the masking tape. I use the stab method of quilting and when I pull the thread through, I use the side of my little finger rather than pulling with the needle. While this keeps from weaking the thread, it was wearing a painful groove in my pinky.....so...

A wrap of masking tape saves the day!

Thanks for stopping by,

Teresa

3 comments:

Leeanne said...

Cute blocks, lots of work. Good use of the masking tape!

Julie Fukuda said...

I hope you kick that cold soon. It looks like you have made wonderful use of the time, no matter how bad you were feeling.

Thimbleanna said...

Sorry to hear about your cold Teresa -- I hope you feel better soon.

Those NYB blocks are really pretty. I'm trying to imagine how you would do the paper piecing without the paper LOL. Sounds great though -- having to rip all that paper off is what keeps me from paper piecing.

Love the taped finger. Isn't it funny how we all have our own technique for quilting -- for me it's my thumbnail that gets destroyed!