Collection 1 - not yet

I have been writing up my patterns when I thought someone might ask why didn't I call the first collection, Collection 1. 

Well the reason for this is that when I made Raconteur so as to not muck up the  placement I numbered every collection left to right, top to bottom... including the corners and half blocks.  So as you can see Collection 1 is a corner block.  

If I manage to get around to marketing this pattern I think people will want to start with full blocks rather than corners and so I figured I would start by writing those up first.  Secondly I will do the half blocks and then finally I will do the corner blocks.  I think I will put all of the half and corner collections together into one collection, but I will worry about that when I get there.  But for now I will simply work on the full blocks.  

Mind you this was one of my favourite blocks.

Collection 1 - not yet

I have been writing up my patterns when I thought someone might ask why didn't I call the first collection, Collection 1. 

Well the reason for this is that when I made Raconteur so as to not muck up the  placement I numbered every collection left to right, top to bottom... including the corners and half blocks.  So as you can see Collection 1 is a corner block.  

If I manage to get around to marketing this pattern I think people will want to start with full blocks rather than corners and so I figured I would start by writing those up first.  Secondly I will do the half blocks and then finally I will do the corner blocks.  I think I will put all of the half and corner collections together into one collection, but I will worry about that when I get there.  But for now I will simply work on the full blocks.  

Mind you this was one of my favourite blocks.

Collection 2 written

Yes that's right I have managed to write up the instructions for the first of the 59 collections. Well actually the first of the 49 full collections. I am sure the part blocks aren't going to take me anywhere near as long as I have already completed the foundation papers for those.

It took me three days to write up all of the instructions and then my laptop wouldn't talk to my printer...temperamental thing! Anyway as the laptop wouldn't talk to the printer I had to transfer the file onto a thumb drive and then onto my Mac. 

All was going well when Charmaine phoned. So of course being of the modern age I figured anyone can multitask when the only tasks I am needing to do are copy onto a thumb drive and talk. Not hard you say. 

Unfortunately my thumb drive was too full to take the file. So no problem all that was needed was to delete some stuff off the thumb drive... some things like old back up files of my past three days work. Delete..still not enough space....delete .. more space needed.. I know the problem is that I haven't been emptying the recylce bin so although I have dragged the files away they are still taking up space....seemed logical to me. 

empty bin... 'are you sure? asks polite PC. "you bet I am ... so away it goes. 

Now to drag across file.... It's gone!! Oh phooey. I hadn't been clearing out my thumb drive I had been clearing out my hard drive! Including my back up files. Three days work down the drain!

Collection 2 written

Yes that's right I have managed to write up the instructions for the first of the 59 collections. Well actually the first of the 49 full collections. I am sure the part blocks aren't going to take me anywhere near as long as I have already completed the foundation papers for those.

It took me three days to write up all of the instructions and then my laptop wouldn't talk to my printer...temperamental thing! Anyway as the laptop wouldn't talk to the printer I had to transfer the file onto a thumb drive and then onto my Mac. 

All was going well when Charmaine phoned. So of course being of the modern age I figured anyone can multitask when the only tasks I am needing to do are copy onto a thumb drive and talk. Not hard you say. 

Unfortunately my thumb drive was too full to take the file. So no problem all that was needed was to delete some stuff off the thumb drive... some things like old back up files of my past three days work. Delete..still not enough space....delete .. more space needed.. I know the problem is that I haven't been emptying the recylce bin so although I have dragged the files away they are still taking up space....seemed logical to me. 

empty bin... 'are you sure? asks polite PC. "you bet I am ... so away it goes. 

Now to drag across file.... It's gone!! Oh phooey. I hadn't been clearing out my thumb drive I had been clearing out my hard drive! Including my back up files. Three days work down the drain!

The Story Begins

Raconteur - The Storyteller's Collection. 

Well I have finally finished it. Only six years in the making but it is finally over and done!!! 

Lots of numbers to please the mathematicians among you. There are 49 full blocks, 8 half blocks to fill out the sides and 4 corner blocks to taper the corners. 

Each small hexagon, called a block, has a side length of 2 1/4in AFTER the borders are added. Put seven blocks together and you have a collections. Add a frame around all of those to make it into a larger hexagon with sides of 7 1/8in. So you can see we are talking about big blocks.. well they are big when they reach the collection stage. 

I counted the pieces and came up with 13931.. a palindromic number. To confirm my numbers Paul then counted them and came up with 14,281.... close but not really. Anyone else want to count? 

I must run now so check back in a week or so for further info if you are interested in how this darling quilt came to be.

The Story Begins

Raconteur - The Storyteller's Collection. 

Well I have finally finished it. Only six years in the making but it is finally over and done!!! 

Lots of numbers to please the mathematicians among you. There are 49 full blocks, 8 half blocks to fill out the sides and 4 corner blocks to taper the corners. 

Each small hexagon, called a block, has a side length of 2 1/4in AFTER the borders are added. Put seven blocks together and you have a collections. Add a frame around all of those to make it into a larger hexagon with sides of 7 1/8in. So you can see we are talking about big blocks.. well they are big when they reach the collection stage. 

I counted the pieces and came up with 13931.. a palindromic number. To confirm my numbers Paul then counted them and came up with 14,281.... close but not really. Anyone else want to count? 

I must run now so check back in a week or so for further info if you are interested in how this darling quilt came to be.

Raconteur - The Storyteller's Collection

Ok I have been very quiet for quite a while now but there is a good reason for it. I have been quilting. Now isn't that reasonable. 

I have been for the past six years making a king size miniature quilt. That doesn't make much sense does it? Well what I mean is, it is a king size quilt but it is made of miniature blocks. That is probably why I can't seem to take a good photo of it. You see the reason it appears to sparkle in places is because each of those blocks is only a miniature and most people take photos of miniatures close up. However closeup you can't see the whole quilt. So therein lies the problem. Anyway I am now going to try to write up the patterns for this quilt. So the fun begins.

What more can one say?

Isn't the web a wonderful resource?

Student's Quilts Success

As I have been flat out lately I haven't finished anything so when AP&Q did a call for possible projects for 2012 I did the only thing possible..... submitted quilts made by some of my students. Well the good news arrived today that they want one of the projects for which I had submitted three different versions.

This is Judy Newton's quilt which they want for the project instructions.   This is only her second quilt and she has even practiced some free motion quilting on it.
	Here is Elaine Sawkins' quilt and even though it looks nothing like Judy's the difference is due to the layout but the technique is the same.  Elaine still needs to finish her quilting and is expecting a busy Xmas break as the quilts are due in Sydney Australia Day.
And last but not least is Judy Sheehan's quilt.  Yet another layout but again same quilt.. mind you Judy did use a layer cake whereas the other two quilts were made with six inch strips of fabric.

Isn't it amazing how different they all look.  I can't wait to see them in the magazine... I think it will be the June magazine.

All three students were over the moon... particularly as I had simply asked for photos of their quilts without elaborating as to why I wanted them.... simply said I needed to photograph them...... Just love trusting friends:) .

TAST again

Well I would love to say that this little seahorse is mine but that would be a humungous lie.  I just pinched him from Sharon B's blog Pin Tangle and if you click on him it will take you there.  Now why did I flog him and am I sending you there you may ask?  Well the reason is obvious.. there is something fantastic happening over there!!!

Starting January 3rd Sharon will be hosting  a stitching program called Take a Stitch on Tuesday (TAST for short).  In case you don't already know about Sharon she is a superb embroiderer.. the little seahorse is just one of her fantastic samples you can feast upon if you go to her site.  Anyway in an attempt to spread the enjoyment one gets from embroidery Sharon is going to be introducing a new stitch every week for a whole year.  She not only shows you how to  make the stitch she also shows you some variations and from her blog you will find links to many other people who are also joining in. what inspiration. 

I started TAST a few years ago and so am already up to lesson 11.  Yes I know that isn't even three months in but this time I will make it further.  Anyway click on the link and join in.