Patchwork Puzzler

I have finished sewing the Kaufman jelly roll that my Mum bought me at Festival of Quilts. I'm just not sure what to do with the strips now.

I could sew them to each other, or I could add a white or off-white border between and around them. It's going to be an inbetween size though unless I add more and that would involve buying more fabric which I don't want to do.

I've also been working on a hat based on a couple I saw on Ravelry but don't want to pay for.

I like part of the brim being turned up but I want a flattish top. This one worked pretty well (the eventual one will have buttons on the brim where the ends overlap) but the turn up isn't quite right so I've cast on another. Afterall it's just the weather for hats.

Weekend Patchwork

This weekend, as well as turmoil, brought two firsts.

First First

I have begun sewing my first quilt made from a jelly roll. It's the one I cut a week ago and it is coming together rather nicely.

I've done two out of five of the plaits and have been wondering what on earth I'll do with it afterwards. But then I have had an idea about that. People seem to be adopting babies suddenly so maybe there's some use it could be put to in one of those cases.

I don't usually use coherent ranges of fabric but I can see the benefits. The prints all look lovely together.

Second First

I finally bit the bullet and got out the CurveMaster Presser Foot I got two years ago from Cottonpatch. I'd like to think I didn't pay that for it though. I'd printed out a template at work so carefully cut four sets of pieces.

I watched a how to on youtube and I was off.

I should have kept track of the order I sewed them in but overall they're not that bad.

I'm putting the mismatch down to my loose approach to seam allowances.

If you're interested in patchwork and quilting then there is a free course on Craftsy for a Beginners Block of the Month. Even joining now you get access to all the videos and patterns going back to January and it is all beautifully free! I watched the first one and the quality is really good.

For the future I'm pondering something like this:

Source: quiltmaker.com via Alex on Pinterest

But with some house blocks like these mixed in.

Source: allsorts.typepad.com via Alex on Pinterest

It's all paper piecing. I'm actually wondering about entering a quilt into the Festival of Quilts next year and this would fit into the pictorial category. The entry form goes up at some point this month so I'll be able to see what the requirements are. I've never entered a quilt competition before and it would be rather a kick to see my quilt hanging up among all those other beauties.

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

I am not very good at being single. Bleh, even as I type that I can feel generations of women lib-ers shaking their bras at me in disgust. 

But it's true. 

Sadly I don't seem to be too good at relationships either. Although sometimes I think it may be the equipment I am given to work with. 

But then only a bad crafter blames her tools. 

Someone said to me a week ago that Pooch and I were going out again so that was all OK and I was sorted and loved up again. That gave me pause for thought. 

Is it generally assumed that, if you divorce someone, then 18 months after you left them start going out with them again, everything will be straightforward? 

I am not in a terribly good mood this morning. The topic of Relate counselling came up. I may be accused of oversimplification but the gist is that if the problem is on my side then there's no point both of us going to counselling. Afterall, there's no point just endlessly going over what happened. 

I once had a boyfriend, a long time ago I hasten to add, who uttered that now immortal phrase. "I'm going to have a shower while you finish yourself off."

I did say I wasn't good at relationships.