One Block Wonder Finished!

It's done!  This one was fun to put together, trying to decide where to put the blocks, and matching all those seams.  But nearly every step of the way, it tested my patience.  From my earlier posts, the tradewinds played havoc with my design wall.  Then the problems with my sewing machine!!!

Two of my favorite blocks:

Now on to the Japanese Jigsaw puzzle.....

Quilting Frustration

I got my blue One Block Wonder on the frame a couple of weeks ago.  I managed to quilt a couple of rows and then things went to heck in a handbasket!  The top thread started shredding and breaking every 12 inches or so.

Since then, I have rethreaded that sewing machine until I can do it blindfolded.  I've cleaned and recleaned it, oiled it, taken it apart and put it back together.  I've tried a myriad of tension settings until I found one that worked.  I changed out the needle 4 times!  Thinking I got a bad spool of thread, I ordered a new one only to find out that the new spool shredded as badly as the original!  Every time I tried something and it didn't work, I'd have to walk away for awhile, do some more research, and then try something else.  This kind of frustration I do NOT handle well.

What was really confusing was that the sewing machine would work perfectly when I took it off the frame and tested it on a table (and I tried that several times).  It just didn't make sense!  And then last night, I thought of something else.  It dawned on me that after trying 4 Janome-brand needles without success, I wondered another brand would work.  Somewhere on the internet, I'd read that the Janome could also use Schmetz needles.  In my Bernina attachments, I found I had several packages of Schmetz QUILTING needles, size 100/14.

I put one on the Janome this morning and the darn thing worked! Yippee!  I finished quilting that miserable quilt this afternoon.  All this "trial and tribulation" was either a test or makes me think if OBW's are not for me!

But now I can look forward to taking the Japanese Jigzaw quilt class next weekend.  

One Block Wonder - Finished!

With my previous projects, I really enjoyed following the steps for a specific pattern and I knew all along the way what the finished product was supposed to look like.  Many people enjoy creating One Block Wonders and I was curious about the process, so I signed up for a class.  Donna, the teacher, was wonderful.  She had lots of ideas, but I think the main thing I came away with was that we have to retrain our eye to look for movement in color when placing the blocks.  Everyone was going to come up with something different.  There was no right or wrong.

Little did I know how difficult it was going to be for me.  I had no problem with the cutting of the "hex's" and sewing them together.  What I had to wrap my head around was the concept that I didn't know what the quilt was going to look like until it was done.  The process of placing the blocks in to some sort of design took me into uncharted territory.

I had the "hex's" on the design wall for weeks, changing a block here and there until I guess I finally just gave up.  This is the finished product and I can still see a few blocks that I "should" have moved.

I feel like I have NO imagination which is why I struggle with these types of projects.  I love putting together kits because someone else has already chosen the pattern and the fabric.  Somebody else's imagination.  I would love to expand into a long-arm sewing machine but the idea of doing free-motion versus using pantographs terrifies me.  Everybody says all it takes is practice, practice, practice.  But for me, it's like jumping off a cliff. 

Anyway, I am glad it's finished and I think I like it.  And, guess what!  I've got a blue one I have to put together now!  Glutton for punishment probably.  But it also stretches the boundaries and that's a good thing.

One Block Wonder - Finished!

With my previous projects, I really enjoyed following the steps for a specific pattern and I knew all along the way what the finished product was supposed to look like.  Many people enjoy creating One Block Wonders and I was curious about the process, so I signed up for a class.  Donna, the teacher, was wonderful.  She had lots of ideas, but I think the main thing I came away with was that we have to retrain our eye to look for movement in color when placing the blocks.  Everyone was going to come up with something different.  There was no right or wrong.

Little did I know how difficult it was going to be for me.  I had no problem with the cutting of the "hex's" and sewing them together.  What I had to wrap my head around was the concept that I didn't know what the quilt was going to look like until it was done.  The process of placing the blocks in to some sort of design took me into uncharted territory.

I had the "hex's" on the design wall for weeks, changing a block here and there until I guess I finally just gave up.  This is the finished product and I can still see a few blocks that I "should" have moved.

I feel like I have NO imagination which is why I struggle with these types of projects.  I love putting together kits because someone else has already chosen the pattern and the fabric.  Somebody else's imagination.  I would love to expand into a long-arm sewing machine but the idea of doing free-motion versus using pantographs terrifies me.  Everybody says all it takes is practice, practice, practice.  But for me, it's like jumping off a cliff. 

Anyway, I am glad it's finished and I think I like it.  And, guess what!  I've got a blue one I have to put together now!  Glutton for punishment probably.  But it also stretches the boundaries and that's a good thing.

Back to Square One (Almost)

Like the rest of the country, we have had weather problems, though not as severe as some areas.  Here in the islands, it's been LOTs of rain along with flash flood warnings.  Compared to many other places, we've been very, very lucky...until tonight.

I've been slowly getting the pink One Block Wonder quilted.  At the same time, I've been arranging the blue one on the design wall.  Every time I walked past it, I changed a block or two.  Today, I'd pretty much decided it was ready to sew together.

We usually keep most of our windows open using the tradewinds to keep the house cool.  Today, it was disaster (a little one).  A rainstorm hit late this afternoon bringing with it a LOT of wind.  It knocked over my design wall scattering quilt pieces all over the entryway.

Now I have about 110 pieces that I have to match up and start over.  Darn it!

Back to Square One (Almost)

Like the rest of the country, we have had weather problems, though not as severe as some areas.  Here in the islands, it's been LOTs of rain along with flash flood warnings.  Compared to many other places, we've been very, very lucky...until tonight.

I've been slowly getting the pink One Block Wonder quilted.  At the same time, I've been arranging the blue one on the design wall.  Every time I walked past it, I changed a block or two.  Today, I'd pretty much decided it was ready to sew together.

We usually keep most of our windows open using the tradewinds to keep the house cool.  Today, it was disaster (a little one).  A rainstorm hit late this afternoon bringing with it a LOT of wind.  It knocked over my design wall scattering quilt pieces all over the entryway.

Now I have about 110 pieces that I have to match up and start over.  Darn it!

I must be bored...

Trying to burn excess vacation time before the end of the year, I've spent the last week and a half at home.  I can't remember the last time I stayed home for such a long period.  Three- or four-day weekends are more my style.  Anything longer than that is usually used to get off this island for a time.

Now that the holidays are over, I've been doing everything possible in order to stay OUT of the refrigerator and not feed my face!  So far today, I've kept busy cleaning house and mucking out my sewing "cave."  I finished a new Tessellating Pinwheels that just needed binding.  That pink/blue One Block Wonder is now on the frame, but we're waiting for the batting to arrive.  It might be NEXT year before I get that one done.  I got out another, smaller One Block Wonder that I have to cut more hex's and it's waiting patiently on the table.

Then I got a wild hair and pulled out my cross-stitching stuff outta the garage and have spent the last hour or so trying to scan the pattern in to the computer.  (I like to mark up copies of the pattern and leave the original as-is.)  Only problem is that we upgraded my PC to Windows 7 not long ago and it doesn't want to see my scanner!  Just now got it to work while updating this blog.  (I love my Mac, I love my Mac).

One of my dining room chairs has come apart so, armed with Scott's staple gun, I reupholstered a new seat cover and put the chair back together.

Oh yeah, and I got back on the WeightWatchers website and started tracking again today after two weeks of playing hookie.  I guess sticking to my diet has to be my New Year's resolution (again), darn it!

And the day's not over yet!