one stitch at the time






Thanks for your many kind comments on my last post. I am pleased to say that we have now narrowed down the number of partygoers to around 20, which is not so much really. Sam is happy to have us back and offered to look after James and Alistair yesterday while I was at work. I am told they were a bit annoying (there's a surprise) and didn't engage or play and there were apparently several tantrums also. At one point they complained that they didn't want to do anything so Sam asked them to sit on a chair and do nothing. After a few minutes they were more than happy to play a game, the spell was broken. Quite clever I thought.

I have been working on my hexagon quilt while in Denmark. I took three rows of hexagons with me, which was just the right number. I was a bit worried I might run out but I alternated with knitting so all was good. I spent many happy hours sitting on the garden deck stitching. Sometimes I listened to an audiobook, sometimes to the background noise that a normal family makes. There were lots of invisible but noisy birds, too as the cottage was surrounded by woodland and shrubs on three sides.

I am glad I chose a random assembly for my hexagons, I feel quite relaxed about it. I don't think the emerging quilt top is quite wide enough yet, I shall add a few rows on the side soon. I basted enough hexagons for a good sized single bed quilt. I am thinking bedspread for our guest bed, which is a day bed when not in use. I rather like the backside of the quilt, with the white papers still in. I am wondering if I would be able to make something like that one day, a white hexagon with colourful frame. I think I shall like my quilt to have straight sides and will have to make some half hexagons. Later. For now I am happy adding hexagons, one stitch at the time. It is a slow process, the stitches are teeny tiny and the thread superfine. It frequently slips out of the eye of the needle, which is annoying. I started to tie the thread to the needle using a single loop. I slips through the fabric as if not there and I spend far less time now rethreading the needle. I use one length of thread to sew each hexagon to the growing quilt rather than doing each side individually. On each corner, I tie a small knot by feeding the needle twice through the loop created by the whip stitch, then I tug it tight. In the final corner, I make two little knots. I hope this gives the quilt top some stability as there is less opportunity for beginnings and ends to come loose and if one does come loose, it will not extend beyond one hexagon side.

I have started thinking about Alistair's quilt. I am fairly certain the design is going to involve circles but I am not sure about the fabric at all. I have spent the last year or so making random crazy quilts and I feel a bit of calm is in order. I took my quilting fabric boxes of the shelves but didn't feel inspired. I shall mull it over for a while, maybe try picking fabrics on a different day. Alistair doesn't really care about fabric choosing much and is happy for me to make whatever I like. He might be interested if I photographed each piece of fabric I own and he could arrange it on a screen.... he would be glued to a screen all day long if I let him. That, or kicking a ball. Alistair is very single minded like that.

Poor Jack had an accident while chasing our resident squirrel in the garden. He fell of a wall and got a big cut in his leg while tumbling over the gabion blocks. His leg stuck out in an odd angle also and I was nearly sick. It must have been a dislocation as it moved into its normal position quickly. Jack required out of hours emergency care. Six stitches were necessary to close the wound but there were no bone breaks or other internal injuries. Jack was blissfully sedated and it took 24 hours before his normal personality came through again. Now wearing a cone he reassures me that his days of chasing wildlife are over. As if.

Finally, does anyone have a rug/carpet cleaner? I am tired of kneeling on my rugs and scrubbing and was wondering if I should buy one. I have rented a carpet cleaner machine previously but it does add up if the rugs are well used.

Have a wonderful Wednesday! xx

Comments

  1. You are a hero for tackling a hexie quilt. I did one 12" square for Meg's sample quilt and it put me off for life! Ooh, your poor dog that must have been pretty scary. Check out my blog for a free t-shirt pattern, I think you would like it. Love Jo xx
    https://joeveryday19.blogspot.com/2018/07/free-one-hour-top-pattern.html#comment-form

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  2. Wow, those hexagons look wonderful. Such intricate work. I still haven't tried them. I want to, but I think I'll make a mess of them. Someday. I'm glad to hear the party wasn't quite as big as you'd thought. I'm sorry to hear about Jack and I hope he'll be okay. I have no advice on carpet cleaners. I'm really hoping to stop having carpet altogether someday, so I haven't invested in a cleaner. My carpets are shameful!

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  3. Poor pup, those pesky squirrels are nothing but trouble. Bertie is sending sympathy re the cone, the memory of his is still very fresh in his mind. Sam sounds like a top brother. The quilt is looking lovely, you have got me thinking about making one now. I have just finished knitting a little round-the-shoulders blanket. Daren't put it on the blog while the temperatures are in the mid-20s though. I always feel I am out of step with the world. Although this morning I felt a little chilly for a while. That's the trouble with hot weather, as soon as it dips back to normal it all feels cold. CJ xx

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  4. You have such patience to work with those hexagons! Poor Jack, hope he'll be feeling better soon. We had a carpet cleaner back before we ripped most of our carpets out. It did a good job.

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  5. Can't advise on a carpet cleaner but I'm mightily impressed with your quilt. It looks an absolute labour of love and very, very impressive. I made going away to uni quilts for each of our children, getting better at it each time so that poor J who went first has a rather inferior one to her brother who went last year. L (due to go next year) will have the best of the bunch by that formula :o). Ted and Pops send love to Jack. Ted says he is quite sure Jack didn't fall off the wall, he is certain the squirrel pushed him, because everyone knows squirrels are very naughty like that. Pop suggests Jack has fun taking out your legs with his cone. It's what she did and Jack Russells have to stick together xx

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  6. I think your hexie quilt is looking quite exciting and colorful.. bravo! Welcome back home and I'm glad Jack didn't break a leg. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  7. Have just enjoyed a romp through your posts since May, Christina! So glad you were able to travel with few glitches. Sorry for the worrisome paperwork regarding your living status, sorry for Jack's injury and your foot pain. I so admire your stitching!!! The gray shrug is gorgeous, and I think your quilting is great! Bravo! I have used my iPad for some book reading...just started "Is that Really You, God?" by Loren Cunningham, which is amazing so far. Thanks for keeping in touch!xx

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  8. I can imagine your quilt sewing must be therapeutic amidst all the family background noise. It’s going to be beautiful when completed. Glad normal family life has resumed and Sam is being ultra helpful. Poor old Jack, sending hugs over the airwaves to him. B x

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  9. You hexagon quilt is a thing of joy. It is bound to become a family heirloom. Pleased that Jack is okay.

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  10. I love your hexagon quilt! I’m sure it will have lovely memories of your holiday attached to it too

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  11. Thrilled to hear that all is well with Jack, not sure he will have learnt a lesson. That said its his charming naughty nature that makes him Jack. Love the hexagon quilt the fabrics are a delight together. I have a Bissell carpet cleaner that works well for us with a messy dog but the children are only here occasionally.

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  12. Love those hexies I haven't started mine yet but have sewn some patio cushions today.. not easy as my right arm is still not 100% but I did it. Poor Jack but I 'm glad the squirrel got away, I rather like them.

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  13. Smart idea about the sitting in a chair to do nothing and glad it worked out for all. Glad to fead that Jack is on the mend after the squirrel run in. No carpet cleaning advice as thankfully we get the apt rugs cleaned once a year as part of maintenance...yeah, when we lived in VA we vacuumed and had area rugs

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  14. Hello, wandered in from Countryside Tales :-)

    We have a Bissell cleaner which is brilliant and has paid for herself many times over, particularly useful for four-pawed members of the family who are messy eaters and will not learn to wipe their feet!
    https://theviewfrombagend.blogspot.com/2009/07/friends.html

    eBay has always proved cheapest for the cleaning solutions, I buy six or 12 at a time and they last ages.

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  15. I absolutely love hexagon quilts and yours is going to be a treasure . . . so colorful and pretty:)

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  16. Love your hexagons.I have a hexagon phobia lol,really want to have a go but not sure if I will do them right.Poor Jack so glad he is on the mend.We do have a brand new carpet cleaner,but not used it yet.Not much help am I lol,it is a Vax and was tried and tested by Good House Keeping.xx

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  17. Here I was so dazzled by your beautiful hexagons I almost missed the part where poor Jack got hurt. I hope he is all healed up now.

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  18. I love what you've done so far on the quilt Christina! You're really inspiring me to get started. I need to buy the right kinds of thread and needles first though. Poor Jack. Bloody squirrels.

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Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, I love to hear from you, I really do. I sometimes reply by email but I am not all that reliable... Christina xx

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