A Testy Alabama Beauty!!!

Oh dear heaven!  I love that green block.  The green fabric is so pretty!!!  I cannot tell you what a time I had with that background fabric though.  I pulled it from my stash.  It was sorta old and, as it turned out, not up to the inklingo task and hand-piecing.

It has some of that gold metallic business going on.  I hated working with that fabric through the printer.  Cathi told me that could/would be problem.  It was.  I didn't have much of it anyway so I threw it away with glee.  Not even in the scrap bin.  Trash for you! Then jokes on me as later I needed that blasted fabric. 

Somehow I lost one of the pieces in the AB block.  A light background piece of hated fabric.  The stuff that's gone in the trash with glee.  Fine.  Find comparable fabric.  Recover.  A little scrappy but Okay.  Really it's okay.  Cute block.  Then I scorched it.   GAWD!  That's going to bother me!  Really?  Oh okay, I can live with it but it's hard.  To be scorched it an awful thing, but I gave in.  Committed to keeping it.  Imperfection is good to hold onto.  Then I do the final piecing with the background pieces and I had an awful time piecing this one.  I thought "Oh blast! never mind, I REALLY hate this fabric.  A whole lot."

I'm being tested.  I'm going to keep that dang Green block though.  I am.  I hate the background fabric, not the block.  Stupid little things, I know.

It's okay if you can't tell what these are.  First, they're a sneak peak.  Second, They're little scrappy hourglass blocks from the Verna line.  I have some charm packs - fabric on a budget.  :)  This make great "she sits and sews" on days like today.  A day where you want to get something done but you don't want to wear yourself out.

Some of the over doing I did yesterday was to randomly cut strips for Klosjes Saturday.  That'll make the day even better.  I pulled fabric and cut and then I got distracted in the fabric so I have more cutting to do.  I remember where I left off though...  Hee!

*karendianne. ~ The Mistress of LeeHaven

MS Awareness Week: Hope

At a time when I was unsure what I was going to share for MS Awareness Week, this happened.  What happened?  

I received an email from a fellow quilter.  A quilter newly diagnosed with MS.  (she's actually doesn't have "final" diagnosis but all signs point in that direction)  This lovely, well spoken woman reached out to me during a few dark moments.  She decided to Google  quilters with MS and found LeeHaven.  

She shared all sorts of things about those first experiences of diagnosis.  Much of her writing made my heart swell but I don't think that was her goal, her point.  No.  Her point was simply to reach out and let me know that I gave her hope.  Her point was to let me know that my own efforts helped her to understand there is a future for her and it can include quilting.   

For someone to let you know you've given them real hope - well that's got so much energetic power in it - it just knocks a girl off her feet.  What a rare treasure.  I'll never forget this because I never imagined it possible.  I never thought I could give someone that.  Hope.

After I received this gift of an email, I realized I had the perfect tie in for this Sunshine Award given to me by my cousin Guy.  It's given to bloggers for sharing their positivity and creativity.  He says I provoke thought in my posts.  I can be a thinker, that's for sure. 

MS Awareness is the name of the game this week and I've started off being incredibly aware.  Aware that I can make a difference and I don't even have to know it! 

Aware that by following my heart, well this is where the contributions come from.  I realize that doesn't mean I should skip dusting...

  

..but come on!  Can't a girl get a break? 

Klosjes Saturday: How I Made Myself Laugh

My work from Klosjes Saturday.  Bless their little hearts, they don't look anything like the neat spools I've seen coming from around the world (see my sidebar pic).  You have to know I started cracking up last night and said "Gosh, sad. These look like Great Recession Spools!"  Like that's all the thread you get!  Things are so bad there's thread rationing.  Then I decided they were cute because they made me laugh with that whole Great Recession thing.  So I'm working with these.

If you want to jump off and see other spools you can start off at Janet's link here or from Valentina's link here.  You'll  be able to see what's needed in order to make the nice authentic spools.  Pattern drafting.  Math.  Oh Kay!  Brain fires!  Anyway, I finally think I figured out how I can do that so I might change my Great Recession spools but since they cracked me up and all... it's going to be difficult for me now.  They might just be authentically *karendianne.

If you're interested in make this Center Thread piece I wrote that down for you below. 

The measurements for this is as given on Janet's tutorial except for Center strip.  Change as follows to make thread:

• Cut's are 1.5" as with all other cuts.  Cut 2 - 1.5" squares from the 3.5 center strip if you were following Janet's directions (or just cut 2 - 1.5" squares color of spool)
  
• Center [ thread] piece - cut that  1.5 x 1.25  and I sew scant .25" on that. 
• When done with Center [ thread] piece - ensure 3.5"

My body is tuckered out from all the spooling around plus chores and all.  (Oh but the sun was out so I did sneaky some time out there as much as I could get!)  Perhaps some hand piecing today along with the arrival of The Tudors.  The first DVD arrived Friday.  Looking forward to that treat.  And oh my goodness I do need to clean up my cutting table from Klosjes Saturday!  1.5" strips everywhere.  A party was had.

Thanks Janet for the invitation and spreading the word from Holland.  It's a really magical connection.  I love being a part of this and think what a wonderful memory we're creating here.  

*karendianne. the Mistress of LeeHaven

Secondary Patterns

At a distance.  When I first noticed the circular secondary pattern you know I got all happy and could hardly contain myself.  You probably know all about stumbling upon a secondary pattern, ha?  My friend Susan loves to hunt for those.  Do you?  

You know once I found this, I habitually walked by the room and peeked in and peeked in and peeked in until bedtime.  I woke up and I'm like "Oh my god!  This is so neat!"  Then I walked over to the Wall and let my fingers touch the whole thing.  I'm swept off my feet.  In Love!

I didn't have any idea I was going to see this 2ndary pattern.  I'm not like Susan.  I don't look.  If I knew this was going to happen, I might have actually planned my fabrics. 

 

Up close maybe you can see the circular pattern a bit more.  Isn't it neat?  So, I didn't plan my fabrics, I'm working on more blocks and it's just gonna be what it's gonna be.  We talked about that though and it's still fine.  Shucks, it's rockin' cool.

  

But come on, can't you just see your favorite couple of colors pieced and magically developing that 2ndary pattern?  Whew!  I can.  I'm not going to stop the presses to make that happen but I'm just sayin'.... 

Kanga tossing her head back, refusing to move!

...abusing me.  :)  Because around here the chairs are for the cats and I sit on the floor.  No!  That's not true but they do have their own chairs.  Kipling and Kanga both like to hide underneath when it's not froze-half-to-death winter weather. 

 

Tomorrow is Saturday and that means Klosjes day!  I'm definitely in.  Are you in?

Mostly Finished: American Cheese and Crackers

Self Rule is evil.  I have so many statues and guidelines that determine when and how I can post to my Blog I bet I could compete with the Tax Code but I'm throwing that out the window to share my latest almost finish.  

The inspiration for the red, white and blue "Cheddar Cheese and Crackers" pattern came straight from Janet at Mrs Sew n' sew - a funtastic blog.  I totally dig Janet.  Check her out.

I'd like to say that my piecework and my dimensions are done with the skill & precision I like to see ( as they were when I first copied Lori's pattern).  You can see my version of the original doll quilt here.  Anyway, I don't know what the heck happened but this patriotic version has more errors than I'd like but mostly you can't see 'em so they don't exist.

Still, it's super cute and I'll be proud to hang this one.  I can't tell you how much I love this pattern.  It's just really a lot of fun.  Don't be surprised if I make another one.  Thinking you might call Call Me Crazy?  No.  Not me.  She's over here at Crazy'boutquilts. 


My pre-posting statues and guidelines require that I reply to all comments and visit as many blogs as I possibly can before I post anything.  I just haven't done that before I so rudely jumped in and shared but I guess that's just me today.  I had to share and I couldn't catch up because I was feeling pretty spry and went to the quilt shop.  

I figured you'd understand.  I mean, about the feeling well part, getting behind and all that.