Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Meadow Mystery Update

I pulled up the November instructions, and went, "Wait, what?" when I saw that October instructions had not been clicked upon...ya, two months behind I was.  However, that is all fixed now.

So here are October's half hourglass and full hourglass blocks:
Here you have 4 hourglass blocks in the centre, arranged in a pinwheel, flanked on three sides by half hourglass blocks in various fabric combinations.
I know probably everyone but me has been long ago finished the October step.  However, I thought it worth showing this tip for squaring up hourglass blocks.  I like to use either my 8" square from That Patchwork Place or my 9.5" square from Omnigrid as it has the 45-degree line marked through the centre of the ruler. Lay that line on the 45-degree seam.
Place the 2.25" dot at the centre of the block, making sure you have the point of the ruler on the 45-degree seam line at the top, and the 4.5" dot on the bottom of that 45-degree seam. Trim.  Rotate the block and repeat.  Presto! Perfectly centred "v" point in the 4.5" block!


And November's geese and square in a square blocks:
Interesting how you can see where the light source was coming from, no?  From the centre to the right of the photo  is the truest colour.
I am also sure everyone is finished their November blocks, but in case you aren't, or in case you make more geese using this no-waste method (Eleanor Burns devised it btw, and my own tutorial is here) then here are a few tips for squaring the geese up to 2.5 X 4.5" rectangles.

To make the first cut, set the 2.25" mark at the point of the goose and also at the left side seam.  Trim these two sides.  Try to get the 4.25" mark as close to the right side seam line as you can.
To trim the remaining two sides, align the 4.25" mark at that just cut side and the point of your ruler at the to-be-cut seam, ensuring you still have 1/4" above the goose peak. Trim the remaining two sides.
Here are the three stages:

Foof!  All caught up now, and tomorrow is the next step!! I pulled some of these out of the garbage to add to the pile I had created, and now I've put them in a ziploc bag...maybe I can use them for stuffing something, right?!
Quilt porn, as I've heard said around Instagram! Makes me quiver, so it does!

 I sewed a few more slabs between these two months' worth of steps:
For some reason, I like these better than the weekend's slabs.  Maybe because there is more unity in the bright yellows, green/blue/purple striped fabric and pinks?

One of the suggestions in the comments on my last post, from Rebecca Grace, was to consider offsetting the rows for my rainbow stars RSC 2016 project #1.  At first I thought, meh, don't think so; I'll lose the squares that are formed when the low volume areas meet.  Then I thought, well, let's just see how it would look...since I thought it might provide a little more interest:
I removed the grey stars, folded them in half to get an idea of what they'd look like as fillers, and stepped back....and quite liked what I saw!
Here was the first layout, just so you can compare:
It definitely has grown on me, sitting on the design wall as it has for the past few days.  It still hasn't become a flimsy yet; I was busy doing Meadow Mystery stuff!  Oh, and reading.

Books
Finished The Camel Bookmobile, by Masha Hamilton, and it is a very worthwhile read.  Not fluff at all.  Rather more true to life than one would expect/like.  Sniff.  But such a great read.  Thank you Mum, for getting it for me; not sure if it's one you heard/read about reviewed, or one that 'came' to you on the shelves of Goodwill book department. Do books do that to you too?  They sure do to me, as well as to my mum and I think my sisters as well, that is, make sure we find them.  It's quite magical how it happens time and time again when I'm in a library or bookstore, new or secondhand.  Anyhow, I will be reading more of Masha Hamilton's work, 31 Hours, next on my list: I've already put it on hold at our library.  She served in the US Embassy in Kabul, as Director of Communications, and, according to her website, is currently working as Communications Director for Concern Worldwide.

I spent some time on Concern Worldwide's site.  Here is a sobering article.  I intend to find a way to help the many Syrians that Canada has taken in, many in the Windsor area, once we return in the spring.  I cannot imagine being displaced for 4-5 years from Canada, and, like the refugees in Turkey are having to do, work in agriculture.  Here in Canada they are finding work in the greenhouses in and around Leamington, when once, in their home country they were teachers or office workers, etc.

I am so very proud of Canada, and my prime minister, Justin Trudeau, for taking in so many Syrian refugees!  Lifeline Syria in the GTA, Greater Toronto Area, was just chosen as a co-recipient of a humanitarian award for their work.  When we have recently celebrated Thanksgiving in early October in Canada, and in the United States, at the end of November, and are grateful for all we have, I hope we investigate some way that we can give to those displaced by wars, and help ease their suffering.  :-)

Linking up with
Sew Fresh Quilts

12 comments:

  1. You did really well on catching up on the Meadow Mist Mystery. I'm still a long way from finishing up November's clue and I started the first of the month. I didn't like the offset stars at first, but after looking at them a couple of times, that layout is now my favorite of the two.

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  2. I do like the offset layout better more movement in the quilt. All those trimmings can be used to stuff pet beds.

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  3. Yay for catching up just in time for December! I do like the movement with the offset (as Cindy says above). And I'm glad that there are some rational and progressive people somewhere...

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  4. Oh, wow, everything is looking splendid! Certainly inspires me. Too bad I'm packing everything up today for winter! We have a Syrian family here on our island! They're doing quite well. Enjoy your day! We're having winter weather, yuck!

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  5. Beautiful! ❤And yep, as your (younger :p) sister, books call out to me!

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  6. I'm not sure. Maybe just because it was the first layout I saw or maybe because the photo angles are a bit different, but I really lean towards the original layout on the rainbow stars.
    I often try to imagine what it would be like to leave my own home, let alone my country, to live more or less permanently in another place with a very uncertain future and less than wonderful present. I find I can't really imagine that. These stories are sad beyond belief. Good for Canada and Justin Trudeau. Each time I see a story of violence on the news here that often points towards some terrorist underpinnings, I shudder as it only seems to reinforce the less than generous feelings that seem to abound in the US these days.

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  7. Your mystery quilt will be so pretty in your favorite colors. :) And I still love the dancing stars.

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  8. I am very behind in the Meadow Mystery. I really like the movement in the offset layout!

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  9. I love the offset version. Very pretty!

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  10. Great job getting caught up. I love the green and blue prints. Hopefully I can get the December instructions done earlier rather than later.

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  11. Books defnitely call out to me , especially from full priced book shops! Well done Canada for helping so many refugees . The plight of the refugees in the camps and also still in Syria is heartbreaking

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  12. Your mystery blocks look great, I love your fabric choices.

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