A few weeks ago I started a longed for quilting class. Well I thought it was a quilting class. Turns out it’s in fact a patchwork class and there’s a difference that I just hadn’t considered.
A patchwork class is almost entirely about the piecing together of the top of the quilt and while I’m happy to be learning some of the finer points of that skill, having been pretty much self taught to date, I really signed up for the class so I could learn about the quilting part because that’s the hardest part for me.
No matter. I’m getting what I can out of the class and will investigate quilting skills later on. I’ll show you what I’ve been doing for my homework. We’re sent home to work on hand piecing our blocks each week and I’m SO SLOW. It took me all of Sunday afternoon to make just one of my blocks. Considering it’s possible to machine sew a block in under half an hour, a whole afternoon is not an economical use of my time.
But the results are pleasing, if imperfect, so there’s something to be said for it. Here, see what I mean? This block is called Ohio Star. Getting those points to line up was hard but I’m moderately happy with the results.
I love the cream and red tones I’ve chosen. Hopefully it’ll be a lovely, small quilt. This block is called Churn Dash (no idea what the name means but it’s as old as the hills, apparently).
Such a long way to go. I think I’m going to do some of them on the machine. I just don’t have time to get more than one done by hand a week, not if I’m to knit, work, eat, sleep, live as well! OK, maybe I do, but it just seems so slow, which is odd given I’ll happily sit and knit lace for weeks or months at a time. But an afternoon spent on a quilt block seems excessive? Perhaps I need a change in attitude because really, I do like the slow, gentle pace of hand sewing. I just feel somehow like I’m cheating on my knitting.
Speaking of which, I’m blocking my Billie Holiday shawl today. Here’s a sneak peek. It’s awfully pretty. Photos coming soon, hopefully taken while we’re away this weekend.
And finally, I can’t let a certain important birthday pass without comment. This weekend just gone, the lovely Alice turned three. THREE! She’s growing up. She’s talking non-stop, discovering the world anew every day and delighting us all. Uncle Sean bought her a pair of roller skates (he’s got roller derby fantasies I think!) and Alice loved them, even if she found she lacked the skill to go fast.
She stayed safe on carpet on Sunday morning for her first go at getting about. I spoke to her earlier today and she told me she thinks the skates are ‘exciting’. I bet.
Bells






































