ummmm finished? August Block Swap II

ok, now for the not so good bit :) (see last post).

because the Quilting Block Swap Australia is growing and growing - join up at Sue's blog - http://quiltingblockswapsaustralia.blogspot.com/ - or by clicking on the button on the right of this blog - some of us lucky people get to do 2 blocks a month for a new member.  this is another good bit, not the not so good bit :)

the not so good bit is below

this is paola's block - she requested any block in country colours - dark reds, greens, blues, yellows and beige.  and this is what i had a go at - a chain block.  i think it looks ok, took me a bit of fiddling to get the points all to match, and all is well.............until..................i measure it up - and find it is 12" now!  argh!  just like cathy's block!!!!

so, i am well and truly frustrated.  not sure if it is a problem with the block sizes at Quilter's Cache as this was a 12" one too - and according to lovely operator of the site Marcia they should be 12.5".  and the first one i did was 12.5".  so not sure if it is me (i don't think i could be a whole .5" out from piecing? but i could be!!!!) or if it is the site.

and anyway, i have NO IDEA how to draft patterns to size myself or even read a pattern and do the calculations to what the size should turn out to be!  so i am not throwing stones at all - i know i live in a glass house!!!!!

so, solution - i am going to make another block for Paola, this one in fact.  this site reckon that it should 12.5" when it is done.....so if it turns out 12" then we will know it is me!  if it turns out 12.5" then ill breathe a small sigh of satisfaction.  :)

ill let you know!!  so paola - sorry!  ill still post you this one - maybe you can use it somewhere else.....or join a 11.5" swap ;)

pugs and kisses
xx

FINISHED! Henry's praying bear

ok!  first the good news!  Henry's bear is finished, and he is looking like a bear who is praying
this is the good news!
he is certainly not the most well constructed or neatest bear, but that gives him character.
my hubby was encouraging as always and said i had better put a note on him so that people knew that he was handmade, otherwise people will think i got him at the shop - what a sweetie.  but i know that is only because he doesn't know where to look for mistakes, like we do!!!!

this is henry's bear before embroidery - i thought i would include this as he looks like he is doing 'the robot dance'!

and of course as the little human points out, his stuffing is still hanging out!

so later that night, i finished him off.....

he looks rather peaceful after such a traumatic creation, i think ;)

pugs and kisses
xx

henry's praying bear

the other thing i worked on yesterday in my crafty afternoon was my friend's baby (Henry) present for his upcoming baptism.
they are a catholic family and so i thought a praying bear might be a good idea.
i already had the pattern as i had made the larger dog bear before.

i thought this time i would try the little bear in red

but, as per usual with me trying new things, i was (as they say on Top Gear), ambitious, but rubbish

perhaps not rubbish, but if it wasn't a gift, i would have thrown it out many times throughout the process.  :)  it is drafted like a real dressmakers pattern, which i have no patience with at all!  i want to create something, not trace the pattern, transfer the 1000's of markings, match notches and dots etc.  but of course, if you kind of just wing it, then things go horribly wrong.  so many seams unpicked, i had to resew on both arms and both legs when i realised later on that i had them on the wrong sides, somehow got the whole front muzzle bit wrong and had to redo.  luckily for me the hat will hide a multitude of sins!

on top of this, my sewing machine packed up on the first day i was working on it last week, probably because i was forcing the fabric through the machine to get it over lumps and bumps that weren't fitting.  ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, but a trip to my trusty LQS that isn't actually my LQS fixed it all up, ready for me to mash again yesterday.

but nearly finished now, just have to stuff him and embroider the hands into a praying position.....will post photos when finished.  i was going to take some of the process, but man o man was i annoyed.  and photos showing me unpicking the seam AGAIN aren't that interesting - he he!

pugs and kisses
xx

FINISHED! August Block Swap

i know, i know, it's still july
but sue our chief block-swapper is so organised she already gave out our partners
and hubby had the little human yesterday, so after i finished my study in the morning like a good girl :) i rewarded myself with an afternoon of crafting!!!

so here is cathy's block - she requested any block in red, black and white - i am putting it in the post tomorrow

it's a blackford's beauty block that i found at Quilter's Cache - such a great website!!!!

the only bit i am a bit confused with is the finished size.  you can select on the website patterns for block sizes - handy when you are in a swap that is swapping 12" blocks (there is about 100000000 of them of that size on the site!).

but i have made 2 now - the churn dash block for sue last month and now this one.  sue's turned out to be 12.5" (which would seem right as when it is sewn into a quilt, the finished block will be 12") but cathy's above is 12" now (so would be 11.5" when sewn into a quilt).  so confusion reigns in my brain!

btw i checked with cathy and she graciously said she was happy with the block as is.....what a nice lady!! hopefully it works ok for her :)

pugs and kisses
xx

little human

totally uncraft-related, but couldn't resist posting some photos of the little human being cute :)

first photo is him 'helping' da-da in the garden - water those 'veggies'

and then all tuckered out after a big arvo outside....smooshy-faced tired :)

such a cutie - makes up for those AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!! moments

pugs and kisses
xx

drop 1 update

it's gone!
hubby went back about 3 hours later and the package was gone from the seat.  hubby checked to see that hooligan-types hadn't just moved it, or taken it out of the bag and thrown it around, or put it in the bin etc, and it didn't seem to be any of those things.....
so fingers crossed kitty has gone to a good home!

FINISHED! Project toy society - drop number one!

as they say, there is some positive in every situation :)  as i sat waiting at the doctors this morning i finished stitching my softie kitty!

a quick stuffing and he was ready to go!

...i got my tag and letter together

... and then put kitty in his bag ready to be found (don't worry i cut holes in the bag so he wouldn't suffocate)

then for the drop!  hubby and i brainstormed some great locations - i decided that i want to limit my drops to the City of Playford (the council area that we live in).  the toy society encourages you to drop your toys at places where there is street art or a good vibe.....we don't have many of them in playford.  so i decided to focus on places that i thought people would be blessed if they find a free gift.

so first drop!
little human was all ready to go 

and we decided on the park bench that is near our local train station

all ready to be found, picked up and loved by someone!

will go back later today and see if it has been taken - exciting!!!!!

pugs and kisses
xx