Ever Feel Like........

Do you ever feel like your brain is turning to mush?!?  I do with so many automated things that I don't have to think any more.  Do you know how to turn your car lights on when the mechanic turned the automatic off? Can you remember your passwords?
The other day I took a check to the bank along with the check book I held it up so the teller could read the account number, she asked for it then proceeded to tear a deposit slip out of the back. I completely forget there were deposit slips who needs them when every thing is direct deposit? well obviously I do when I have a check to deposit.  As for the car lights one time I pulled off the road because I didn't know if my lights were on as dusk was falling. I got out of the car and looked at the headlights then fiddled with a couple switches and looked again.  Does a football with bars coming out of it really look like lights? Good thing the manual is in the glove box.  I have my passwords written in a little notebook along with the date of when that password  was initiated.  The computer remembers all my passwords but where is the security in that?
Remember learning to read in grade school and it has been good for a lifetime!?!? How many times have I learned how to do something on the computer and had to relearn it because someone thought of a different way to do it like access your email address book or how about the digital camera and all the photo programs on the computer. Or how about when the word processor program is second guessing your typing and finishing your words and changing them to what it thinks you mean.  It means I have to proof read and proof read and proof read. 

Back to the basics and book I have recently read

1. Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King  all about building the dome of the Florence Cathedral
2. New Mercies by Sandra Dallas a southern family history, inheritance and mystery.
3. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi I wanted to know if the cricket was original to the story or a Disney addition.
4. Dakota Cowboy by Ike Blasingame  for book club
5. Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly and  for book club
6. Artisemia by Susan Vreeland about real life artist Artisemia Gentileschi the first woman admitted to the academy of artists in Florence.
7. Into the Water by Merlyn Janet Magner who is a survivor of the 1972 flood in Rapid City, South Dakota. for book club.
8. The Towers of Tuscany by Carol M. Cram about a woman artist in Tuscany before the Black Plague.

I won't really be in trouble until I forget how to turn the page.

 

Technology can't change the beauty of my tulips --Ann--

Design Wall Monday

All the curved piecing is finished now to trim the blocks and do a little rearranging. I will study the prints that are the eye catchers and try to have them evenly distributed across the quilt. Since I used the same background for every block I can move any block anywhere.  A never ending project until I say enough!  There will always be a couple prints in close proximity. Linking to Judy's DWM --Ann---

Curved Piecing tutorial

Sewing quarter curve blocks is easier than setting in a sleeve or sewing a collar on a blouse. After sewing all the wedges into quarter circle segments trim a smooth curve using a templet.

Finger press the center of the wedge section and the background fabric.
Match and pin the crease.

I also pin the beginning and end edges.

Begin sewing making sure the edges are at right angles.  I use my finger nails to scratch the edges into alignment as I sew the seam. It is a very gentle bias curve and if cut accurately  there will be no puckers when you get to the center pin.

Scratch the edges together for the second half of the curve, open and look no puckers!

The small quarter circle is a little tricker because it is so small.  I match the edges then sew a few stitches

as I am stitching I pull the quarter circle around to meet the wedge section. I stitch slowly on this part.

Pull the quarter circle edge around to meet the edge of the wedge.

press and wow! these blocks will all be trimmed so they are exactly the same size. Then everything fits together so nice and straight.  Be brave try sewing a curved seam and remember the three P's......  Practice, Perseverance and Patience--Ann--

Design Wall

The easy blocks are done!!! Sewing the log cabin blocks and the fans was pretty mindless. Now onto the curves of the fan blocks and that isn't difficult just a little fussy. My results are always  best if I take the time to finger press the center of the fans and the backgrounds and pin so my edges all come out even. I'm using all the same background fabric for the log cabin blocks and the fan blocks. There is a lot going on with all the pinks and roses so the background needed to be peaceful.--Ann--

Design Wall Monday

The first 12 log cabin blocks are together.  I had ambitious plans of sewing all weekend while the guys were turkey hunting but DD came home to keep me company so no sewing was accomplished. We sat outside with son's dog and watched her run in circles and retrieve the soccer ball. It was an afternoon well spent we even had a bit of a sunburn on our arms. The sun felt so good after a week of drizzle.  The guys shot 2 tom turkeys one had a longer beard and the other weighed a couple pounds more so don't know who had the best bird. The next round is fan blocks so have lots more sewing to do.  Linking to Judy's Design Wall Monday.  Happy stitching --Ann--

on the needles

I was merrily knitting along on the second sleeve of my sweater when I looked at the stitches, I mean really looked at the stitches and they looked smaller than the body of the sweater so I counted my stitches and sure enough my stitches were smaller. So I started another pair of socks to think about the situation.  Why are my stitiches so much smaller??  What was I doing different?? Do I need a glass of wine to knit the sleeves to relax my stitches?  I was knitting in the round using the same needles, why knit flat when I can knit in the round and not have three sweater parts flopping around. Why were my stitches smaller?  I wasn't drinking wine for the body of the sweater.  Knit the toes of the socks and think, think, think. My mind wanders to a sweater pattern I thought about knitting, it was knit flat using 2 different size needles the knit rows used the large needles and the purl rows used the smaller. This puzzled me at the time so when I was looking for yarn for a sweater a year ago I had that pattern and another that I knit instead because it was knit in the round, and asked the lady in the yarn shop.  She said knitters typically purl looser than they knit. That is what I was doing different, no purl rows since I was knitting in the round. She also said she had fixed needle cable needles with a large and small needle. I ripped my sleeve back and went up 2 sized and now the stitches are the same size as the body of the sweater.  The purl stitches in a basket weave pattern would also explain why I always reach for those socks to wear first.  They have more stretch to go over my heal. The bright colors of the sock yarn is such a relief  from these gray days. DD picked out the yarn, the color is tropical fish from Zauberball. Her bday is next week. They might be done in time.  Then I will get back to my sleeves. linking to OTN at Judy's Patchworktimes.--Ann--

design wall

New assignment on my design wall. I have been asked to  make another log cabin and fan quilt click in pinks. I had a wonderful bunch of pinks but I used them in these click,  click  just because I had the fabric. It is good to use the fabric in the stash.  I have a little fabric left from those quilts so that was my starting point for this quilt. I didn't want to use pale pinks and make it babyish or lots of hot pinks and make it look juvenile. I put them all on the wall just to see how nicely they play together.   If I use the lighter pinks for a scrappy light side of the log cabin block they are going to be more medium in value there is a big jump in value of my light pinks and creamy pinks.  I do not have enough of any of the lighter pinks for the background of the fan blocks and if the background is not real close in value the fan block backgrounds are going to look like clutter.  Clutter is a working part of my sewing room but doesn't belong in the quilt.  I have enough creamy pink fabrics that I could do a round of each print.   Or I have plenty of the second light from the left that I could use it for all the log cabin blocks and the fan blocks.  There are a couple fabrics I might remove from the mix completely. I should work on something else for a while and think more about this. It is funny how sometimes in a fleeting glance I can identify  what needs to be removed.
Hubby dear came into my sewing room while I was pondering the possibilities so I explained it all to him, he just smiled as his eyes glazed over with a look of what does all that mean?  I know my fellow quilters understand. --Ann--

St Pat's quilt top

The quilt top is sewn together. No big rush to get it done now that it is April except that I wanted to clear the design wall for the next quilt.

I have these 12 curve segments left over I thought they might be nice for a kitchen window cover. I don't like the view. And it would be good to practice machine quilting on the curves before I start on the quilt. But St. Patrick's day is 11 months away. How many more projects can I start and finish in the mean time???  So many cloudy dreary days here. I wish the clouds would burst with rain and then get sunny.      --Ann--