Not A Finish

So I measured three times and trimmed all the blocks to the size I wanted then I added the sashing.  Then came the disappointment.  This just doesn't look as good in real life as I thought it would in my head.  Which really doesn't surprise me, things always look better in my head than on my design wall.

I don't think this is horrible or anything, I just don't think the piecing adds anything to the project, I think I can do better and I know these wonderfully stitched blocks deserve better.

You know me, I have no problem un-sewing my disasters.  My biggest disappointment is that I actually cut the blocks.  Looking back on it, I should have pinned the blocks to my design wall, made the sashing, put it on my design wall, THEN cut the blocks if I was happy.

Oh well, that will just be part of the challenge, how to use these blocks given their current size.  Don't worry, I'm sure I'll come up with something, I always do!  I'm nothing if not stubborn, I won't quit until I'm happy.

Thanks for all the great comments and compliments on these blocks.  I agree, I am very very fortunate to be the recipient of these blocks, and while it's really impossible to repay someone for such an amazing act of kindness, I plan to try, and to also share the happiness I feel by somehow making others feel the same way.

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Hocuspocusville Surprise

So way back in May of 2010, I got the wacky idea to try and stitch these Hocuspocusville blocks by Crab-apple Hill.  I had no problems picking out my background fabric, selecting my thread, and tracing the pattern onto the fabric.  The problems started when I tried stitching my first block.  I didn't get any further than the top of one tree before I figured out that I would never be happy with my effort so I quit.    I even gave away the pattern.  I felt bad about giving up so easily, I really loved the pattern, but I just moved on to something else and forgot all about it.  Until I would see someone's blog who was successfully working on Hocuspocusville, then I would be disappointed all over again.

Well imagine my surprise and pure delight when these blocks arrived in my mailbox.

Yes, someone who reads my blog took pity on me and for over a year worked on stitching these blocks for me!!  The person who sent the blocks said it was OK for me to blog about the blocks but to please not mention their name, which I respect and understand.  I had no idea she was working away on them until they arrived at my house  I also have no idea how she was able to part with them, let alone send them to me in regular mail!!  

Aren't the blocks amazing, I can't pick a favorite, I love them all.

So I've had these blocks for months not really sure how to set them.  I knew two things, I wanted to improve on the blocks setting from the pattern, I thought the center pieced blocks overpowered the stitched outer blocks, and I wanted this project to be Lifetime Quilt Number 113, just for fun.  Once I got to Lifetime Quilt 110 I got serious about looking for some fabric to add to this project.  

I found and bought these two bundles from the Fat Quarter Shop.

Candy Corn by Renne Nanneman and 

Dark Magic, also by Rene Nanemann.  The Fat Quarter Shop still has bundles of these fabrics available.

I wanted fabric with a fall/Halloween feel, a small print, a variety of ghoulish colors, and something with brown and yellow in it.  The thread used to stitch these blocks is dark brown so I was needing some brown in my fabric.  Candy Corn could not have been any more perfect.

So I've measured the block size and design size for each block and have come up with this setting.  I plan to piece a scrappy stripped border, sort of creating a Halloween street to go around all the blocks.

I've checked my math no less than 4 times, it's time to trim the blocks to their required size and add some fabric, keep your fingers crossed that all goes well for me, I'm a nervous wreck that I'll make a mistake and ruin the whole thing.

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Voila!

My blue and white quilt is done.

This quilt has a different feel for me, but I like the simple, clean and fresh look of this quilt.  

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 112

It finished at 49" x 68"

It has 1019 pieces

The blue fabric is 14755 from Indigo Crossing by Minick and Simpson for Moda

My body has finally adjusted to my time zone and I'm almost over my cold.  It's a good thing, I have a lot of summer sewing left to do and am running out of summer.  Plus, I've added Canasta to my To Do list for this month, the Schnibbles quilt that Sinta and Sherri selected for the month of August.  Have you seen it, surely it's on your To Do list too!

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It's Friday!

Here's an in-progress picture of my blue and white project.

Do you ever use this tape on your rulers?  I need to square these blocks to 4 3/4", so I marked the 

2 3/8" line with the tape.  This keeps me from making a cutting mistake and helps the process go faster.

I got a few requests for more vacation pictures, so here are a few more, I'll share some more next week too.

Palaise Garnier - Paris Opera House.

We toured the inside which was as breathtaking as the outside.  This is the opera house in the Phantom of the Opera story.

Notre Dame at night.

Gargoyle at Notre Dame

Stained glass window at Notre Dame - the blue is called Notre Dame blue.

A great example of why we didn't  struggle with the language.

Roof of our cab, drawings by the cab driver's 6 year old son.

Enjoy your weekend, I plan to enjoy mine!

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Sweets

My body enjoyed Paris so much it's wanting to stay on Paris time, I've yet to adjust back to my time zone, plus I've come down with a summer cold.  I was eager to get back in my sewing room but didn't feel up to finishing any of the projects I've started or should be starting.  (No Lincoln Schnibbles for me this month, guess that one will stay on my To Do list, and I LIVE in the "land of Lincoln"!)

I just felt like making some half square triangle units. So that's what I've been doing, when I've not been napping.

No big plan or pattern in mind, I'm just going with the flow.

One of the many fun things my daughter and I did while in Paris was to take a pastry and chocolate food tour.  I've taken food tours in other cities and loved them.  Seattle has the best I've tried in the states.  If you've not ever tried a food tour, the next time you're in a big city do some checking, most cities do offer them.  

Our guide was a native New Yorker who writes for food magazines and now lives in Paris.  She took us to probably 8 different shops, let us drool over all the display cases while she talked about each shop's specialties, and then she would purchase whatever we wanted to try or what she though we should try.

So we just walked shop to shop looking at amazing food.

At this point we weren't eating any food, we were just learning about it and selecting it.

Finally, after hitting 6 shops, we took our goodies to a wine shop where we sampled everything while drinking champaign.

We were in a group with 5 other Americans, an aunt and niece traveling together, and 3 college friends, all from out east, and all female.  They were a fun group and we all got along great, comparing notes on where we had been in Paris and where to go.

When we first started the tasting we were like "bring it on", after walking and selecting all the goodies we couldn't wait to eat.

But towards the end I realized something I never knew about myself, I have a limit when it comes to sweets.  Most everyone else was the same way, too full to try everything.

We finished the tasting by stopping for ice cream, and we all made room for one last treat.

It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Paris.

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