Wednesday 16 September 2015

Eyes, dogs and geckos .....

Well what a week it's been - what with birthdays, anniversaries and the start up of all the Home Ed activities.  I am leading a science session next week on sight and the eye so have lots of preparation to do, including preparing the dissection kit and sourcing the pig's eyes!
 
In more sewing matters I have started on my Dog Gone Cute blocks.  I have been somewhat slow in getting out of the blocks on this one and whilst I have myriad excuses reasons for this I think the only valid is good old procrastination!  I have never made blocks like this before and from someone else's pattern.  I'm not a pattern kind of girl and this has led to a whole lots of silly questions swirling around my head.  What is the best colour to use?  What if the background doesn't quite work?  What if I don't get the technique?  How long will the blocks take? What if I would have done it differently?!  Really there was only one way to answer all those questions and it was to sit down and make one!  So I did.  One night after the girls were in bed I made the block below.  The colours weren't my choice but black, white and blue had been requested.  I have to say I like him and more importantly I liked the process!
 

The pattern, created by Lorna from Sew Fresh Designs, is amazing.  There is a wonderful quilt along happening at the moment where you can makes these cute little pups for free!!  There were a couple of times when I thought this can't be right but following through step by step it all came together.  There are a few points not exactly where they should be but on the whole I was happy.  The one thing I didn't do (you see I told you I would change things) was to iron the seams open.  I have never ironed seams open and thought I would continue with ironing to the sides.  Well on the second one I decided to follow Lorna's advice ...... what a revelation!!!!

 
 
With all the pieces involved it made it far easier to iron the seams open and gave a much more accurately pieced block, especially on the blocks where you making triangular shapes such as the ears and muzzle.  These blocks were made to the small block size and were intended as a birthday present ....... but sadly the birthday has come and gone.  No worries I have another intended use for them!

My studio had gone a bit crazy whilst making Straight Line Bow and, having acquired some fat 1/4s at the shows I have been to recently, I realised a tidy was in order.  Bits and pieces of fabric were everywhere - can you believe it took all afternoon just to get these two shelves looking like they do?!!

 
Tidying and sorting is something that often gets put to the side for a lot of us because we'd rather be sewing right?  Well what a difference this made to my sewing.  Later on that night I popped down there before I went to bed and I was able to easily and quickly locate fabric to have a play with these triangles.  I think I am going to enter a Guild Challenge where equilateral triangles play a major part, well the only part really, so I made a couple of foundation pieced triangles as an experiment.
 
 
I managed to get a Project Linus top on my frame over the weekend which was great.  It was a bit of struggle initially because it was rather out of square ...... I had to take off the border it came with, give it a bit of a trim and then piece on some new borders.  It still wasn't great but I managed to get a nice stippling pattern all across it and hopefully some child will be cheered up to receive such a lovely colourful quilt.
 
 
My other love, which I realise I haven't blogged much about at all, is crochet.  I learnt as a child and usually always have a project on the go.  A friend recently asked if I could make her a gecko, he's going to be the mascot for her new branding line, so I jumped at the chance.  Here he is ....
 

Again this was made to another person's pattern but I did take some take some liberty with the pattern and made it to a hybrid theirs/mine version! x

I am going to link up with Let's Bee Social and WIP Wednesday today.

15 comments:

  1. Cute projects, other than the dissection. Your dog squares look great in the black and white. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Your talent certainly shines through in this post, Abigail. As someone who cannot crochet, I must say... that little gecko is adorable. And so are your dog blocks! Good for you tidying up your fabric storage. It always makes me feel better have things organized. Your shelf is looking good!

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  3. Your pups are so cute and I totally get not being able to follow a pattern without tweaking it...so hard!!

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  4. You're inspiring me to tidy up my space--overhaul really. I love your dogs and gecko's. You pigs eyes remind me of high school pranks--both played and played on me.

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  5. You are right about tidying up, but it is difficult for me. Your triangles are fun, so is your gekko!!

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  6. These puppy block are so cute aren't they, I'm loving the process too, I'm finding I have to really concentrate on the cutting, but the piecing comes together surprisingly quickly! I too had dilemmas over the fabric, but I think we've both cracked it now. What do you have planned for your blocks? I love the gecko too by the way :)

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    1. It is like that isn't it? These blocks are yet to be decided but the 'proper' project, the one I have not started on yet!!!, is a single size quilt for my daughter's birthday. It's second on my priority .... after the science session and dissection! Thanks for popping by - it was lovely to 'meet' you!

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  7. Pig's eyes and puppies - there's certainly a lot going on in your household, haha! Love the fabric you chose for your pups, in fact they remind me of a friend's dog she had when we were in school - he was called Patch!

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  8. I love crochet too! I taught myself from a book, when I was very young. I've never stopped loving it! The doggies are coming out good. LeeAnna

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  9. Hoping over from WIP Wednesday. Love those scrappy pieced triangles. And while I'm more a cat person than a dog person those doggie blocks are just too darn cute.

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  10. Lots of great projects! He's a very cute gecko! Not a big fan of paper piecing, but your puppies are cute too and I enjoyed reading about your thoughts on this!

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  11. And I thought I was busy! I wanted to come over and see your Linus project--which by the way is GREAT! And was surprised at all the Fibertasic fun you have going on here! The Dog is adorable and I can't wait to see what the triangles become. Also I will be passing on your blog to a friend that is a fantastic knitter and who knows maybe crocheter! It has great meeting you today and look forward to more posts!

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  12. I love your puppy! I am not a fan of pressing open seams either, but for these blocks it seems necessary.

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  13. Such cute doggy blocks! I'm very envious of your folded fabric neatness. Yes I'd rather sew, but it has reached the point where I really need to do some sorting and cleaning up.

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