Quilting??

Wow, thanks for all of your interest in Java Love.  Lots of downloads - I hope you enjoy the pattern and that you make someone happy with the gift (or make yourself happy).

So I'm a bit under the weather, got a serious cold and I'm being a baby about it.   At first I thought it was going to be a sinus infection, but now it seems to be headed for the lungs.   Good excuse not to exercise, but I am still sitting in the sun a little.   You always think that the cold northern weather makes you sick, but I get just as many colds and flu down here in Florida.   Luckily as a pharmacist I have a stash of good OTCs, so I am dosing myself up liberally. Enough whining.

I signed up for an on-line class with a website called Craftsy.  Have you seen it yet??  The class is to make a quilt block a month, so I thought it would help me learn to quilt.  I hate "live classes" - can't explain it, but it's true - so maybe this will work for me.

Made a trip to Joanne's and a few quilt shops last week, and bought my supplies.  Then finally decided to buy my fabric from Etsy.  I bought Amy Butler's Soul Blossom collection - I love love love her designs.

I moved the laptop off the desk, added the sewing machine, added a table for cutting and ironing - voila - a quilting area with a view.

First block went great.  I sewed the wrong sides together once - no big deal.
Also left my iron on the ironing mat too long and put a little scorch on the pad - oops - clearly I don't iron very often, right?

It was called the asterisk block, and it turned out pretty good.   Not quite even, but for a first try, I can live with it.

Second block - not so great.  Once it was done, it was smaller than the needed 12.5 " square.

So I thought I must have measured the initial block wrong, so I made it again, making sure the base block started out at 12" as instructed.   FPS.  It is still too small.   I am putting it aside for now - I am too annoyed to follow up on what when wrong.

Might need to consult the teacher or read the forum.  I can't be the only fool with this problem.  It is a pretty block tho!

And last but not least, my Etsy shop, Mermaid Knitting, is going great.   I love working with such a lovely yarn, and knitters seem to like the mini-skeins.  Look what the mailman brought me to today...

A box of Koigu  - 19 colors - soon to be mini-skeins.  Guess who will be winding yarn for the next few days??