Friday 23 March 2012

One stitch forwards.....

two back!!

It's been one of those weeks when the only thing I've made is mistakes.    Things were going well up to the point that I finished this block......

  

believe it or not each little piece went together perfectly... first time.   Talk about being flushed with success.  I was positively glowing with pride.   Well you know what pride comes before......   ten tons of manure falling on you from a dizzy height! 

The stitching gremlins moved in on Friday night.... that's right.... FNSI Friday night!!  I'm beginning to think I'm jinxed.     I dived right in to a bit of high speed fabric cutting.... tracing and thread choosing for a new BOM block.   That had me in a total tizzy in no time at all... I don't do speed.    Eventually I flopped into my chair to stitch away what was left of my FNSI.   It wasn't long before I sensed a problem .......   I didn't like the threads I'd chosen.....


they just looked so insipid!   Goes to show.... choose threads in haste.... repent at leisure!  By the way that left hand bunny doesn't have designer stubble....  I'd started unpicking. 

I wasn't best pleased with myself I can tell you.   You see this BOM was going to kill two birds with one stone.    A FNSI project and a BOM to show on Bom's Away  link on Monday.     Needless to say I missed both deadlines!   

It did cross my mind not to show you what I did with the reject rabbits.   Thought I might just keep schtum for now and reveal all next Monday.   Guess I'm just not that sneaky.    So.....


here it is... Block 1 of   Sunshine Frolics by The Birdhouse.   Just a few more cross stitches in the flower centres and it's done.   I'm digging into my stash of Celebrate Spring by Sandy Gervais for this one. 
By the way....I decided it would take  too long to unpick the reject rabbits so I started the stitchery from scratch again.

Next I thought I'd make the Shoo Fly blocks then assemble Block 4 of Vignette.   Problem #2... spot the difference....


I'd only gone and stitched the bird on a white background when it should have been pink dot!!   What was I thinking.    Kitty is here  and her view was just leave it white and remember to stitch the opposite corner block on white two.  Then I'd have diagonal pink and white corner blocks.  Guess what.... I didn't like that idea.   No surprise that I'm stitching that block again then.

So.... what I'm doing right now is... correcting mistakes!   I really must learn to read instructions more carefully.

 Now... like I said Kitty arrived on Tuesday for a sewing/stitching break.   She's having a much better time of it.   She finished this note book cover.....


All those little flowers started out as roughly cut hexagons that Kitty stitched a flower on then trimmed the edges.   There's some lovely decorative metallic thread lines too.   It's so pretty.

Then she made me jealous by finishing off  the first block of her Tailfeathers BOM.   It's totally gorgeous.  She's doing it in Fig Tree Quilts Butterscotch and Roses fabric..... I have got to get some of that.  It's fabulous.   What do you think....


Gorgeous eh!

In between stitching sessions Kitty has been helping me do battle with this.....


Believe it or not that strip at the right hand side should be a flower border!    There's a stock fence which has collapsed in the winter storms  buried in there too.    I've been busy doing the strong arm stuff.... cutting barbed wire and hauling out fence posts while Kitty gave all the Hawthorns a lovely haircut.   Guess it's serious garden taming time again.

OK... I'd better get stitching that bird if I want to get this Vignette block finished anytime soon.

Hope you've all fared better than me this week and had loads of fun 'doing your stuff'!

On Sunday I'll finally have some time to blog hop.  I'm so looking forward to reading what you've all been up to......

See ya soon  (promise)
Hugs
Josie

8 comments:

Ellen said...

You are crazy girl!! Your little block looks great and your stitched pieces look amazing!

marina said...

You poor thing, I empathise, I would have restitched too. Maybe we need to go to OC's anonymous.
Love your dj block. It is so perfect and the green is great.
Have fun making things the way you wanted them!

rosie said...

Miss Josie, you are still such a dag!!! We are having gorgeous Scottish weather here at the moment, you would feel right at home! It has even snowed on the alps.... Good luck with that gardenxxxx

Aunt 'Reen said...

Sorry to hear about all the re-do's! Your jane is beautiful and your stitchery blocks look amazing too - really lovely!

Anonymous said...

fun post,love your blocks Josie.xx

Larissa said...

Lol! I know what you mean Josie, about having to read patterns properly the first time ... and taking my time once I've started!!! LOL! I really had a few flashbacks reading this post, hehe!! ... Your first block is gorgeous!! Is this a DearJane?? Love the contrast in your fabrics for this blog!! ... And your bunny block is gorgeous!!! Love that range of fabrics that you've chosen are SO great with the block!! Looking forward to seeing this quilt as it grows!! ... And Kitty's projects are fantastic too!! I am loving the Tailfeathers in Butterscotch & Roses!!! That range is SOO nice!! Have a great weekend!!!

Wendy said...

Your Dear Jane block is beautiful and your bunny stitchery is gorgeous, I do love your second choice of cottons better. Well, you get top marks for perseverance!! Wendy xx

Quilting Moesje said...

Well done (o)...
with your Dear Jane !!!
Quilting can be .... blood, sweat and tears ;o)
Sleapless nights ... (LOL)
but now Dear Jane is your "girlfriend (again ?)
Good luck, I like the fabrics in the blocs (and the colors together !)
The spring quilt with the easter rabbits ... are nice (too)
Greetings
Simone