Doris' Teapots

Well do I have clever friends .....  or do I have clever friends?

Doris is one of my quilting friends although you sometimes wouldn't realise this when you look at the wonderful things she creates in other craft areas. She has knitted tea cosies for a number of years now and I thought you would love to see some of them. Aren't they great!

Margaret Foster's Fantastic Fabrics

 Just over a year ago I taught a class to women from Bateman's Bay and Margaret decided to make two of the classes that were offered. 

It was one of my Scrooge Quilt workshops where people can use any strips they have lying around. Any width, any length, any colour... just use up what you have is the idea..... that's where the name Scrooge Quilts came from. In the class I offered four different quilts that all start the same but then deviate quite dramatically depending on what you want. 

Margaret dyes her own fabrics and wanted to use those and didn't they come up beautifully. Oh btw if you want to do a dyeing workshop with her you can find out the details here.

So What Was I?

Well how successful were you? You must admit that Megan does have a sense of humour though. Are you going to show this to your quilting group? I'm saving it up for next year's retreat. Will have to find a suitably humorous prize for the person who guesses all of them.

Anyway for anyone who struggled here are the answers
1.  Rotary cutter...everyone should have been able to get that one

2. Fussy cut

3. Design wall..... wonder if Don could come around to my place. My flannel sheet could do with an upgrade.

4. Selvedge ... there are some fantastic quilts around made with these, check out this link for a few.

5. Batting . this one didn't make sense to me so I can't add extra explanation.

6. Quarter inch seam. I also usually go for the close enough is good enough school and have found that this only seems to have an impact on my miniatures... with a large quilt those few extra inches gained through the not quite right seam allowance actually make the quilt just that bit bigger that you needed.

7. Fat Quarter ... mind you it's not the potato salad that is the culprit here...chocolate leaves it for dead... I have been on a diet since yesterday and all was well except for the rocky road I ate while out doing some business this morning. Must admit diets are a killer. Where I can usually stretch a rocky road out over a few days when dieting the whole thing needs to be eaten in one go so that all evidence can be destroyed before returning home.

8. Quilt sandwich... you know the backing, batting and quilt top. These are all held together after basting with safety pins for several  years while you consider the best way to quilt it. After a timely delay, while waiting for the non eventuating lotto win, you need to finally bite the bullet.

9. Boy I am getting old I used to know this one in 2010 but today had no idea and so had to cheat and look up Sue's cheat sheet.... Electric Quilt

10. Squaring off. Can you please explain why when I square off one corner and carefully wormy way around the quilt edges the final corner is never square and that side is also a different length to the opposite one. I was once a maths teacher and by all of my calculations they are all the same. Perhaps, no definitely, it is the fault of the tools.

11. Applique - must say that adding appliqué in my mind is a fool's method of escape, it always creates more problems... what's wrong with changing to art quilt.. holes are allowed there.

12. HST aka halfsquare triangles... note the use of the word square is not quite right here  but the idea was there when you started this quick  project.

13. Flying Geese... although I enjoy this block I must again agree with Megan's opinion. Unless extra seam allowance has been added into the process there is no way that all of those points aren't going to be squared off. I suppose it's due to the geese flying rather than sitting.

14. Self-healing mat.... and have you been looking after your mat properly. Did you realise you are supposed to soak it regularly in a solution of 1c of vinegar to a bucket of water. If you have a huge mat then you can do as I do. I place a  solution soaked towel in the shower recess, place the mat on top of that and then place another solution soaked towel on top. this should be done regularly, which in most people's case I figure once a year is a lot more regular than previously so is a good starting point.

15. Bias

16. Mitre... I didn't this one either and even though I checked the schedule of events at the Mardi Gras was unable to find it. The quilting fraternity in New Orleans is probably a bit like the Masons... a secret organisation that never tells of their plans.

17. Grain line.... yes you know that thing that is supposed to be straight but unfortunately often resembles that Jack Daniels line when buying the sixth or seventh round.

What Am I? Clues

Ok so here is a list of Megan's answers if that helps

Applique
Backing
Batting

Bias
Design Wall
Electric Quilt
Fat Quarter
Flying Geese
Fussy Cut
Grain Line
Half Square Triangles
Mitre
Quarter Inch Seam Allowance
Rotary Cutter
Self-Healing Mat
Selvedge
Squaring Up

How many have you managed to get now..... answers provided tomorrow ... or perhaps day after as I have a lot on my plate tomorrow.

Dreambird

As much as I know this will surprise many of you I thought I would show you what I have been doing lately...knitting. This is a shawl for my son's girlfriend, Khanam. Isn't it glorious. 

The design is called Dreambird and is available on Ravelry and it will again surprise you but it's not as hard as it looks. Admittedly I did have to restart the project four times when I became lost but after I discovered page 16 all was set. So what was on page 16 well only the basic directions, like K40 or knit to the end or cast on 15 stitches. There was nothing more. that was the thing in the first few pages there were all of these explanations as to why I was doing something and I kept forgetting where I was up to and having to unpick and start again.....page 16 was the lifesaver.

Oh another thing you see all those beautiful colours in the feathers? They all come from one ball. The brand is Noro and I just love the change in the colours. The background fabric is a linen and silk that a friend of mine had spun. Together they come up beautifully.  Well must return to the knitting as PJ returns home in a fortnight and I need to have it finished by then so I can send it over for her Xmas. They live int he UK.

Future Plans

Aren't these great? On Norway Day some men also wore the national dress and although not as elaborate as those worn by the women you have to admit the socks are to die for. I doubt I will ever try the two colour versions but I am definitely planning on tackling the cabled ones...once I manage to make some without the holes that for some reason develop when I'm making the heel. Perhaps I should just go for lace patterns, as holes are desirable there :)

Scatterday Y

Now isn't that a cute letter Y.  The categories for this week are
# bedroom
# winter
# hot
# and from the sewing room - yahoo!!!! Something that you were/are really pleased you finally finished.  Speaking of finished Y is the final Scatterday letter.
It has been a fun year and there has been some interesting reading in the fortnightly posts. I look forward to checking out the posts for our ultimate week.

Publication day is 7th December...oops better make that 21st December (thanks Vireya for letting me know - some days are just so hectic.. you all know the feeling) . I wonder how many people will be able to make it for this date... thanks everyone for participating .

Scatterday C

There is no character from Sesame Street who can compare to the Cookie Monster and this week he gives us the categories
X. Sunday
X.  wet
X. round
X. colourful
All of which are to be published
7th December

Scatterday G

Brought to you by the categories

 % Body
% Hobby
% Lunch
% Green

posting date 23rd November.

Scatterday K

And to brighten up your next few days how about we find items beginning with the letter K, but to make it more fun they need to be in the categories
# in your neighbourhood
# edible
# container
# and from the sewing room something king size
Posting date is 9th November.

Scatterday P

Well what do you think of the art work. I would have given credit but I can't find where I took it from.
categories this week are
# Furniture
# Books
# Animal
# PIG in your sewing room

posting date 26th October

Scatterday F

ok things have to be easier this week as the letter and categories are all common.

# Insect
# Country
# Shop
# Future Project

posting date 12th October

Scatterdays - sorry

Hi everyone,
look I'm just not getting organised these days and every Scatterday as it arrives just piles on the guilt about my poor organisation and over commitment. I am going to have to pull out of this. For all of you wonderful people who are managing to upload I will continue to upload a new letter and categories every fortnight... there are only five more letters to go.
I love reading all of your posts and will feel a lot happier simply checking rather than feeling guilty about not posting at the same time.
Now to see what people have written.

Scatterday O

 @ Discarded
 @ Workplace
  @ Arts
  @ Old

posting date 28th September

OOPs..someone stole time

Well this was a surprise. Woke up early this morning remembering that today was Saturday and needing to do my Scatterday post. Logged on and was very impressed that everyone else had already completed their posts. Checked one as my brain still wasn't firing in the right channel and discovered that I was a week late.  

Well someone has stolen time. Checked through my photos and found this lovely one of a clock in Paris....it was called the 'Thief of Time' and hadn't been working for a few years when we saw it. Must have been fixed :)

So that only leaves me one week to do my next Scatterday post. I think I had better get into it soon!

Scatterday J

I liked this fellow when I was searching for images. Aren't there someclever people around with phtoshop or other computer skills.
Categories this week are
% Holiday - something we all love
% Dancing - even if you have two left feet
% Toy
% Japanese

posting date 14th September

Hiding not just from scatterdays

Well life has been unbelievably hectic this past three, no five weeks. I know by looking at the past few posts you will actually think I have spent lots of time updating my blog. However that is just an illusion. I actually managed to do several posts while visiting Paul in hospital. I had mistimed my visit and it coincided with his rehab session. I had an hour and a half to spare, with only an iPad for company. The iPad that had my New Zealand photos that is. Best use I have made of time in ages...and a top example of what one can do with scheduling of posts:)

So what about the H Scatterday? Well you are going to find this amazing but I actually photographed all of today's objects myself.... there is a first time for everything!

Wearable - Have you ever seen such a delightful hat? Unfortunately I don't know the maker's name but she lives somewhere around Batemans Bay. It is felted and looks better in real life than it does in the photo.
	Sticky - now the maker of this particular honey lives in the Mt Cotton area of Qld. Again I don't know his name....I do like to give credit when able to.
Edible - Home-made hot chocolate ... made by me.  For some reason Paul's coffees/chocolates have lots of froth, while with mine it often appears as though the froth has found a hiding place :( He also shows pride in his presentation, unlike this one where I just slapped it into a mug
	Hiding Place - now here you have the perfect hiding place under a hairy costume. I can't remember this character's name even. The photo was taken when my children were very young at one of theme parks we went to. Can you imagine how hot it would be hiding in this thing in the summer sun?

Scatterday E

I know the letter E looks rather ferocious but your photos don't need to be. They need to show us -
@ Pantry
@ Frightening
@ Flower
@ Exciting  equipment

posting date 31st August

Unbelievable but there is no U Scatterday post here

Life has been so hectic that it struck me this afternoon that Saturday had already arrived and alas I haven't written a post for this week. Will have to be next time. Missing only one all year isn't bad:(

Scatterday H

Don't you just love the floral H and I am sure you will also enjoyt the categories this week.
# Sticky
# Wearable
# Breakfast
# Hiding Place

posting date 17th August