• About
  • Terms and Conditions

Sewjournal

~ sew, knit, cook, write – enjoy!

Sewjournal

Monthly Archives: February 2013

Fabric delivery

28 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by sewjournal in Sew journal

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

fabrics, patchwork, quilt, quilting blog, sewing blog, sewjournal blog

P1050580

I’ve been quite good recently but the last few weeks I have splashed out and bought a bit of fabric. First I saw Malka Dubrawsky’s Simple Marks and I was really taken with the possibilites for this range so I bought a fat quarter bundle in the Summer colourway. (See above and below).

P1050576 P1050577 P1050578

I also found the Earth colourway yesterday on Fifi’s fabricology for 30% off Moda and free shipping on orders over $50 so I’m looking forward to that arriving soon.

Then my daughter asked me to make her a quilt and said she liked Cath Kidston fabrics! Look I know lots of you out there like her stuff but it really isn’t my cup of tea at all. The saving grace was that I couldn’t buy them here and in England they are hideously expensive (to me anyway). So I suggested French Hatbox. Also not my cup of tea but liveable with. Here’s the quilt I have designed for it and below are the actual fabrics. The colours didn’t turn out great in the photo – sorry.

Alt 1 P1050571

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Layout madness!

27 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by sewjournal in Sew journal

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Camelot, hand-piecing, layout, patchwork, quilt, quilting blog, sewing, sewjournal blog

I have tried 18 different layouts today and my head is spinning. The problem is that each one is just a little altered from the previous one but I think I have a winner. I hope you think so too. I won’t bore you with all 18 photos but I’ll show you a representative sample and then the winning one and you can tell me what you think. Here goes…

P1050553 P1050555 P1050556 P1050559 P1050561
Is your head spinning yet?
P1050563 P1050564 P1050565 P1050568 P1050569

And this is the one I’ve chosen. At least I think it is…P1050581

Now to decide on the corner triangles.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

The fourth four

27 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by sewjournal in Sew journal

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Camelot, hand-piecing, patchwork, quilt, quilting blog, sewing, sewing blog, sewjournal blog

Well I’ve finally finished piecing the background fabric. Now I have to decide what corners to put on each block and how to lay them out. I’ve been driving myself crazy trying all the various combinations. I’ll show you some photos of the layouts in another post. For now here’s a photo of the final four.

P1050541

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Image

Second Silent Sunday or The Third Four

24 Sunday Feb 2013

Tags

Camelot, hand-piecing, patchwork, quilt, quilting blog, sewing blog, sewjournal blog

photo

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Posted by sewjournal | Filed under Sew journal

≈ 1 Comment

The second four blocks and a tired model

22 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by sewjournal in Sew journal

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Camelot, hand-piecing, patchwork, quilt, quilting blog, sewing blog, sewjournal blog

Here are the second four blocks with their background. I am so fed up with this pattern and its inaccurate measurements. There’s going to be a lot of steaming, pinning and blocking and possibly some unpicking and re-sewing before this is all finished.
P1050521

 

It’s tiring being a decorative object

P1050519

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Image

Silent Sunday

17 Sunday Feb 2013

Tags

Camelot, quilting blog, sewjournal blog

20130217-095338.jpg

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Posted by sewjournal | Filed under Sew journal

≈ 5 Comments

Ever had one of those days? (Or – when is a 1/4″ foot not a 1/4″ foot?)

14 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by sewjournal in Sew journal

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

1/4" foot, machine piecing, patchwork, quilting blog, sewjournal blog

Ever had one of those days where you plug away and plug away but still nothing goes right? And you know it’s your fault because it’s always your fault and you just know that it’s something you’re doing wrong and yet it isn’t!

I had one of those, well two of those, if I’m honest, this week. On Tuesday I went to a sewing class because sewing machines and I don’t play nice together. I wish we did but we don’t. I thought if I went to a class we could make friends and cooperate. Hmmmmph!

machine

Tuesday!

I spent four hours trying to sew a rail fence block with accurate 1/4″ seams. First it seemed that the problem was that the guide on my 1/4″ seam foot wasn’t flush against the foot. So my teacher kindly lent me a universal foot which was slightly better but not a huge improvement and the fabric ruffled as I sewed.

Wednesday!

I took the offending sewing machine and feet to the local repair shop to ask for advice. The first part of the advice wasn’t helpful. Words to the effect “It’s just what your machine does you should have bought a blah,blah,blah…”

The second more serious investigation involved changing the shank of the machine and using a foot made for another machine. This foot was acrylic which was nice because it was easier to see what was happening under the foot. It also had guides for 1/8″, 1/4″ and 5/8″.

The perspex was staggered so it was easy to line up the edge of the fabric with the appropriate seam allowance. It worked well. I tried it and it worked for me. So it wasn’t me like it always is.  Phew. Great result but would cost $48 for the shank and $36 for the foot. Ouch!

So then I thought well what if I move the incorrect seam guide out of the way of my foot? We tried that and it sewed better but it still wasn’t 1/4″. What “engineer” and I use the term loosely “engineered” this piece of equipment and had the audacity to call it a 1/4″ foot?

Then the kind lady in the sewing machine shop suggested I move the needle to the right one position. Great idea! Better result but not perfect. So perhaps move it two clicks to the right? Perfect! So now I can sew a 1/4″ seam as long as I remember to move the needle each time I switch on my machine as it resets itself when you switch it off.

After all this drama and feeling like I was a hopeless case because I couldn’t sew a simple 1/4″ seam like any 12 year old can do I was feeling somewhat better. Then I read this wonderful blog post by Night Owl Sally and I feel totally vindicated! I’m not stupid, not uncoordinated, not at fault as always, it was THE MACHINE’S FAULT!

Part of me is wondering if this so-called 1/4″ foot was developed by a misogynist engineer to make women like me feel inadequate? Am being paranoid do think? 🙂

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Camelot Background – results of the vote and my decision

10 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by sewjournal in Sew journal

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Camelot, fabric, fabrics, patchwork, quilting blog, sewing blog, sewjournal blog

Thank you all for voting and leaving your comments. I did read and consider all options including dark grey and red. I actually took some photos of the red trial.

P1050502 P1050503 P1050506

However I have decided on the black. I want to add a border of triangles of the different fabrics used in the quilt and I think that will work best with black. The results of the poll as at the time of posting are shown below:

PollThanks so much for taking part. I really appreciate your feedback and your encouragement.

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Background trials for Camelot – vote for your choice

07 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by sewjournal in Uncategorized

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

background, background fabric, block swap, Camelot, patchwork, quilting blog, sewing blog, sewjournal blog

I’ve been trialling backgrounds for the Camelot quilt. Take a look at the photos then have your say by voting in the poll at the bottom.

Here are some photos with the grey with the white dots.

P1050483

P1050482The next photos only show three blocks across because I was trialling different fabrics under each block. A series of fabrics with the pale turquoise and white.

P1050491

P1050493

P1050495And here are some photos using the Painter’s Canvas in Black.

P1050488

P1050485

P1050486Have your say

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Block 16 BEFORE and AFTER

04 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by sewjournal in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Camelot, patchwork, quilting blog, sewing blog, sewjournal blog

I finished Block 16 but when I put it with the others it really didn’t go. So changed it. Here are the before and after photos.

P1050440

P1050479So, what do you think?

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts
  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • I haven’t posted in ages!
  • Constructing the bottom half of the Emperor’s Jewels Quilt
  • Emperor’s Jewels QAYG Block 7
  • Emperor’s Jewels Block 6 Part 2
  • Emperor’s Jewels Block 6 Part 1

Archives

  • November 2017
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • September 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: