a ha! and you thought you knew it all

No ladies (oh and men if you read this) logic does not rule when it comes to quilting. HA even if you thought you knew it all and could master any block. It will bite you. No matter how much you fight it and wrangle the bugger - it will not work.

At least there are nice bloogy people out there who come to your rescue and listen to your woes and serve you internet chocolate.

1800 QUILT SOLVED!

Thank you ever so much Vickie who kindly sent me a step by step picture email of how to do my troubled section. I was gob smacked she went into this trouble for me. The beauty of blog friends! The secret was clipping a 1/4" of the ends!

Here is the block...

and here is one of the corners. Impressed? I AM!!!!

1800 QUILT HELP!

I am working on week 4 of Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilt.

I, for the life of me cannot work out what I am doing wrong.

HELP!

The section I am having trouble with is the side triangles...

The instructions are:

Cute 1 light and 2 medium squares 3-7/8". Cur each into 4 triangles with two cuts. You need 4 light and 8 medium triangles.

I cut them as instructed... measuresments trippled checked.

Then I sewed one side on...

Then I sewed the other...

The problem is when I sew it to the main black I lose my corner.

So I need to sew the smaller triangles together a different way so I dont lose the corner.

How do I do this?

Thank you to who ever relieves me of quilt hysteria...

That is it for 2011

As the Little Man and DH read I thought I would reflect on this year. Note the quilt - I know it looks well used. My mum made it well before I was born. It is being loved and used. I prefer that than alone in a cupboard collecting dust. I love it - each piece of reused fabric reminds my sisters and mum of clothes and items mum made when they were little... She rarely crafts now. Such a shame.

We have had a great 2011 here.

* I reconnected with some old friends

* The front is officially a food patch. Lets hope it stays that way! I need to weed it (again).

* Abby joined the family.

* The Little Man has GROWN and developed and still has us all wrapped around his finger (well I like to think not me...)

*DH patent has been approved.

* Both older boys have had such a successful and fun filled year.

In 2012 I would like to achieve the following... in no order

* Welcome and enjoy having three chooky ladies!

* Finish three quilts (all here ready to go!)

* Make a Christmas Tree skirt

* Make the middle boy a Shepard's Bush stocking

* Enjoy the Little Man even more!

* Have a productive veggie patch

* Work out some way of bring more calm and peace in this household!

Hope you all can look back at 2011 with positive feeling and are looking forward to 2012! I am - though hesitant as I don't know what will happen (control freak in me) but I can see some exciting things in the horizon.

Its not like I can back out now...

How was yours by the way? We had a fabulous time from Christmas eve till boxing day. Well stretched, cruisy and easy. Love it that way. The best thing was "this is the best Christmas ever" from our middle man.

I know I said I would have this done by Christmas. That is done and gone...

But now I cannot back out on this project. With the amount of hours already put in (sigh). I propose to do a little bit each Little Man sleep and evening. Then it will get done. Eventually...

Hope you are all enjoying this time of the year. I love it with all the activities, warm weather, boys at home, hubby at home, summer fruits and the spontaneity of the days. Love it.

Christmas time...

Hi all,

All of us here at If Only I Had Chocolate wish you all a safe holiday period and a happy and healthy 2012.

30/50

30 cards made - 20 to go then I can finally start sending them off. Got to do it by tomorrow so people get them before Christmas - that is the point of them after all...

Idea taken from here

Freshly picked

A total of 1.2 kg of cherries from the tree. Our first serious crop! So sweet.

Another gift cured...

Honey, oatmeal and beezwax soap

and Caraway and Poppy Seed Soap

Just one more pillow...

I finished this project!

Just the Christmas Tree left and then I have done what I wanted to do for 2011. Love it.

I have made a plan. 2012 is going to be the quilt year again for me. First I will restart my Quilters Journal Quilt. Blocks done. Need to do the stitching. This will take a while. Then I will commence Life is Beautiful Quilt by Helen Stubbings. Already have the fabric kindly chosen by Helen herself (service ha?). Between all of that... I am going to tackle this project. A civil war block a week. Recon I can do it?