Thursday 10 February 2011

Sore fingers

I feel like I've had quite a busy week, though at the same time I don't exactly feel like I got a huge amount done!  I did manage to merit  a new nickname from my man..  He's calling me Conan (the destroyer) now cos on friday I managed to blow two lightbulbs, and knacker a stereo and two plug sockets....  Okay so they just happened, I didnt actually 'do' anything, but he does have a point when he says that nothing goes wrong when he's home...  It's been a pretty good week Narcolepsy wise, most of the times I fell asleep were fortunately when I sat on the sofa - although I did fall asleep in the bath again, but the bath is so old it doesn't have enough enamel on it to be slippery so my head was no where near the water.  Anyway, no nasty naps this week, no hallucinations, no vile dreams, pretty good!  In fact, the worst Narcolepsy issue of the week was repeatedly sleeping through making tea and neglecting to put milk in, not noticing till I was upstairs - black tea... ewwwwww nightmare!  As I said, pretty good week all things considered. 



I think this week I've just taken twice as long to do things, a prime example being the two days I spent just arranging and re-arranging the layout of my squares for the Nicey Jane quilt.  Big thank you to mum who had to sit and go though 20 plus photos of block layouts and reassure me that I didn't have any awkward clashes...  Taking photos helps though, there were a few times that I took a photo, left the room, looked at the picture and saw something I hadn't noticed.  I saw online someone made a design wall with cotton batting (bits of fabric will stick to cotton batting) and I'm really wishing I had a wall I could use! 



My quarter inch seams were driving me mad too.  I have a quarter inch seam foot, which I've read other sewing enthusiasts raving about, but mine clearly hates me.  No matter what I try it just pushes the top piece of fabric squint.  I pin, I go slow, I start with the needle down in the right place, but still it keeps shifting.  I've resorted to the standard foot and "measure 1/4 inch from the needle and mark with masking tape".  Which I thought was working splendidly, but on closer inspection a lot of my squares are, well, not entirely square... 



I've basted this one as much as I can (every safety pin in the house), but I'm still worried that my not-so-square squares might lead to lots of "pucking hell"...  I was still putting off quilting today and decided to baste one of the zigzag boys, with the basting gun.  I love the basting gun, not sure my fingers do though... but I don't really need sensitivity in all my fingertips really, do I? 



I had a lovely surprise this afternoon.


Window feeder? Nah..  Canopy bed? Yeah!
I've had this window feeder fully stocked and out in place for 5 weeks now, and never once have any of my feathered friends gone anywhere near it.  This little birdie has nestled into all the seeds and curled up for a kip in shelter from the rain!  Have to admire his napping skills :-)
I'm still trying to decide on the fabrics for the Single Girl Quilt too.


Can I get away with saving my yellow for a future yellow quilt?
 Although it could be said that I'm just fannying about listening to stories (Kipps by H.G. Wells at the mo') and delaying quilting Nicey Jane...  Must just get on with it.  Tomorrow... 

(doh! Spell check isnt working, sorry if you spot a clanger...)

3 comments:

  1. Love your Nicey Jane Quilt! It's more than "Nice" - it's gorgeous! Love the freshness it brings. It's bright and breezy - without going to in yer face zingy! The blocks are beautiful and your squares are pretty well matched up! Mine always go squiffy! I treated myself to some sewing feet last Autumn (thinking I'd be sewing lots!! - Ha!) haven't used the 1/4" seam foot and I have a free-motion quilting foot - which I have no idea how to attach let alone use! Love my walking foot although they say prolonged use knackers the machine!
    Ah....that's a few electrics that have gone kaput. I killed two toasters in two months. Toasters do not like Toasta bags with chicken & mushroom slices in them - regardless what the advert says!

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  2. Lol, yep, the average toaster just aint up to much! Hope you and your 1/4" seam foot work better than me and mine... Know what you mean about the walking foot, absolutely love it. The free motion foot is awesome fun, let me know when you give that one a go! And thanks for the nice words about Nicey Jane Quilt :-)

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  3. Got a really lovely wide slot toaster (they often say wide but they aren't - well not enough for my hand cut bread!) Morrisons own brand but I daren't toast anything but bread in it now!

    I need to dust the sewing machine and get Minh's curtains made we'll be taking the winter curtain down soon!

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