With both Brit Quilt Swap 3 and Sailors Mouth Swap all done and sent off, I was feeling a bit more like catching up on things could be achievable...
My second bee, Modern Stitches Bee, kicked off in August, and I got off to a terrible start by not getting my blocks done til last week... oops...
September was Chrissys turn, and she requested the Four Acres block from the 99 Modern Blocks book. Now, I had some experience with this block before. Unfortunately not good experience either. Last time I made it my logs went totally wonky. As in not a single 90 degree angle to be had on the entire thing... This time, however, I was utterly determined. I took it one log at a time. I pinned and took it slow, I had even measured a quarter inch from edge of each new log and drew a line on with my Frixxon pen to sew along. I finger pressed each one as I went along.
When I had my two lovely square framed blocks, the next step was the painful "cut into four" bit. As I had to cut them, I took them to the ironing board to press them properly first. BIG MISTAKE. Two reasonably good blocks ruined, neither were even or square after that. One was so bad I had to ditch it completely and start again. When I had version two ready to press, I starched first. This time, not only did it go wonky, I discovered that the brown I'd used had a distinct aversion to direct heat too...
Nothing to do but grit my teeth and get on with it. Again, I have one block a bit bigger than the other... ooops.
But aren't photos brilliant?! Don't you just love that in the photos, all 6 blocks look reasonably pretty, and apart from the odd vanishing point, I'd say in the photos they don't look quite so disastrous.
It might have taken all week, and that was with 4 blocks pre-cut, but I did get them all done, and 4 siggy blocks (forgot to send one for Brit Bee August... oops...) and posted off this morning. Phew!
Also got my stack of charms cut for Rebecca's Low Volume Swap, and got them in the post too.
Best of all though, I got STACKS of post this week....much to the bemusement of postie... The Japanese Charm Swap is gathering momentum and I now have 46 sets of charms out of 56... I am getting quite excited! Hard to believe it, but so far most of them are looking even nicer in real life - and they looked pretty awesome in pictures too! Fingers crossed this time next week I might have them all in and ready to sort.
Other than all that... I've had nothing but making lots of sweary mini's on my mind! Couldn't possibly have had anything to do with the language in the cupboard this week, no, not at all....
