Sunday 18 May 2014

Mixed bag!

Well, this week's stitching has been a bit of a mixed bag, mainly due to the tedium of unpicking my tragic medallion quilting.


Though it must be said that Fry's chocolate cream did help a little bit as those rows and rows of stitches had to be undone in a rescue bid.


When my eyes started crossing over unpicking white threads, I took a break and picked up my chevron crochet. The main body of this little throw is now finished - woohoo - but, I think it needs a simple border now just to tidy up the edges before I can truly call it a finish.  I'm waiting for one more ball of yarn to arrive and hopefully I can push this over the line in this FAL quarter.


I've also been piecing these grey and aqua retro butterfly blocks for my class with Just Jude Designs.  I missed class this week because hubby was speaking at an evening conference for work but I worked on my blocks anyway to keep up with the class schedule.  Missed my friends and the fun chatter though, hope hubby isn't working next week.



Eventually, all the nasty stitching was removed from the medallion top and on Friday I started my third attempt at quilting this medallion quilt.  I think that this quilt top is the elephant I will simply have to learn to eat piece by piece.


As you know, quilting is not my forte and is certainly my least favourite part of the quilt making process, but rather than balk in fear of ever getting it right, I am approaching this quilt one step at a time.  So, a little bit of star outlining and lots of quilting in the ditch has been the way to start over.


A bit more outlining of geese and stabilising of borders with ditch quilting yesterday morning and she is beginning to look a lot healthier than she was last week!


I know the top is hanging low in the picture, but you can see that the awful distortion of my second quilting attempt has been redeemed.  I need to tackle the tippecanoe border next, but I'm pleased to report that I am feeling a little less overwhelmed at the prospect than I was 10 days ago.

Little Spring Mandala, pattern by Made in K Town, measures 7" diameter


Finally, this morning I used the scrap ends of yarn from my chevron to make up this bright little sunshiney mandala.  This was really quick to crochet using this great tutorial (just note it's written in US crochet terms).  It's one of the mandala suggestions made by Lucy of Attic 24 for her Yarndale Mandala challenge, so soon it will be off to join the other pretties in this year's Yarndale displays. (If you are interested do check out Lucy's posts, but note she is looking for only ONE mandala per sender.)

Not too shabby a week all in all!

10 comments:

  1. You have done loads. I haven't even looked at my sewing machine :-(

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  2. isn't Undoing just the most tedious and depressing THING!! .. you have done really well with it x

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  3. The week definitely finished better than it started. So pleased its third time lucky for the quilting.

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  4. Great recovery there! And I love your chevrons! Jxo

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  5. Wow-eee! This quilt is stunning!!! I love the stitching around the flying geese: just perfect!!!
    Esther

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  6. why of why is unpicking so much harder than the stitching. Your quilt looks super and worth all that extra effort. Good crocheting happening too and the butterfly blocks are so accurate, they do look tricky

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  7. A very good week! I'm not sure where you get the energy o do all that but well done. Love those cute mandala's and your butterfly's are beautiful. well done.

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  8. well Sarah, was just admiring your medallion quilt and for the second time this evening saw a Mandala. Until tonight I thought a Mandala was a hall at QUB!
    Your chevron blanket is beautiful. When I learn to crochet I will be doing one in shades of blue. Or when I find someone to teach unteachable me!!

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  9. Your medallion is looking much happier now!

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  10. Boohoo for unpicking, but keep at it as it's a great quilt. Love the bit of sunshine at the end!

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