Katy's HST class

I've been getting on with my homework for Katy's class this week. We started off making 48 x 5" squares in prints and 48 x 5" squares in a solid or background.  As I mentioned here, I was a bit short of time with one thing and another, so I grabbed a fat quarter bundle of Pearl Bracelets off the sewing table and a wodge of white on white for the solid, as it was all I had that was big enough to get all those squares from.  Fortuitously, in the bag I used to carry the fabric was my fat eighth bundle of Michael Miller's Mirror Dots, which I thought would provide a fab contrast, while continuing the circles theme.  

I didn't have time to plan or the brain power for maths on Saturday morning, so I just randomly selected fabrics that gave a rough rainbow range of colour, and started cutting squares.  Once we had a stack cut, rather than using the method of matching two squares, marking from corner to corner, sewing either side and then cutting into two, Katy told us we were going the bias route.

So we cut all the squares in half, and then matched the triangles and sewed together along the bias edges. As Katy said, learning to overcome the fear of bias sewing pays dividends in so many ways - not least in being able to sew curves with confidence.  

During my unplanned cutting, instead of the 96 expected squares, I managed to end up with 131!  Once they were all pressed and trimmed down to 4" and laid out on the spare bed which doubles for a design wall, I found I was one square short, so I rustled up a couple more and finished off the layout.

I'm going for an off-centred concentric rainbow squares kind of a deal.  Tonight, when I got home, I found out one of the various menagerie had decided they didn't like that layout and kindly rearranged it for me!  Luckily I'd taken a photo and could put it back in it's original format.

I decided to sew it together in blocks of 16 squares, and last night got the first three bits done and sewn together.  I took it super slowly, taking one pair of squares at a time to sew, then taking them back in the spare room to press and check the layout and line up the next one for stitching.  It means I'm walking miles between the spare rooms, but taking it very slowly and carefully seems to be paying dividends.  What do you think of it so far?

Hopefully by Friday night they'll all be sewn together and it'll just be a case of deciding what background colour to sent the finished mega-block into. I'm torn between dark blue, dark grey or dark purple.  I'm not sure white will really set it off -  - any suggestions? 

You'll be happy to know I did spot the mistake in this before I started sewing!

Life is a roller coaster...

I'm sorry I was away for longer than expected, but the weekend in Wales didn't go entirely according to plan, thanks to a mystery virus that landed me in hospital at the start of the week with suspected meningitis.  I'm very happy to say, after many somewhat painful tests, including a lumbar puncture, that was ruled out, but I'm only really now back in full health.

After that less than auspicious start, I went back to work on Thursday to confirmation of a promotion I'd applied for.  As this will come with a permanent contract, and a rather juicy pay rise, you can imagine that was fantastic news after the last few months. 

Then, to round the rapidly improving week off, remember this? Well, guess where I spent yesterday? Yep, only in day one of Katy's fantabulous class.  And what a great time was had by all.  It was all a bit of a panic getting ready for the class as I wasn't sure I'd be well enough to go, and then I had a last minute visit from my lovely baby sis, so it was a bit of a case of grabbing a fat quarter bundle of pearl bracelets off the sewing table, whichever solid I had enough of to cut 48 x 5" squares, (which happened to be a white on white by Makower) and in a last minute flash of inspiration, the fat 8th bundle of the Michael Miller mirror dots. (OK, not inspiration at all, they just happened to be in the bag I wanted to use!)

So we learned all about half square triangles, Katy had us cutting the squares in half and sewing along the bias edges to get us used to bias sewing - useful for curves and all sorts of other stuff.  And we got them all chain pieced - this is something I haven't done often, but I can see the advantages - speed and thread-preservation mainly.

One of the most exciting bits for me was using the electronic Janome's Annie has for the classes - I've never used a computerised sewing machine before and got more than a little excited about the fact the needle would always stop in the up position!  And the speed control.... I'm thinking I can see what part of that new pay rise will be going towards.....

So here's a little mosaic of the day. We were sent home with loads of homework, because we all gossiped too much and didn't sew enough!  I have somehow managed to end up with 131 HSTs instead of the 96 planned, and having done my layout ready to sew up before next week's day two, I've still managed to end up with one missing, so I've got one more to rustle up this evening and then I can start sewing them together.  Hopefully, I'll have it finished by next week, 'cos I don't want to end up in detention.....