GEtting nowhere fast . !

Im NOT being negative ! honest.

I have just reached a bit of an impass with some stuff . The large peacock quilt top was a nightmare to quilt and I don't like it so I am going to pull out ALL the quilting on a 72 x 70 top ... that's a lot of crap .

I managed ot quilt one small lap size quilt to go to a local charity ..however Idon;t know about you but it takes a while for the "right" quilt pattern ....ie how yr going to quilt it to really JUMP OUT at you ;.  I mean I can't stipple EVERYTHING really .

Feathers are nice but they require balance and if it's not up to scratch or just looks wonky or a bit naff then it's NOT good enough . Why should my people receive something I don't feel is good enough .

SO you se I sort of sit there and think .. oh boy ...

THe right quilt pattern can take a lot of viewing to evolve. You might look at yr quilt top in different light ... it looks like it needs X or y style ... but you get started and you think NO ! it needs curves or swoops or links or plain ...  so you know it's worth the wait really .

Why am I so wound up about this ?? Well I suppose that each piece is a piece of me ... I appreciate Iam not perfect , I appreciate I am human and make errors and mistakes  however and it is a however and NOT a but ..... well ok would I go out in a green skirt and a red shirt ?? answer ... NO .

Would I wear yellow with red ??? ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh nooooo

SO why choose crappy quilting just because you want a project finished? I want it to be right .

So anyway life is interesting and busy . Nothing new there we al lknow and have much the same .
Show me a woman NOt doing 4 things ato nce and I will be  checking for a pulse quite frankly .

Rowan has been away on a school trip to France to see the trenches at Arras and Vimy Ridge  as well as making croissant in a bakery . Eating snails ( garliucky rubber) and going to the sea life centre.

Mark has been busy with national examinations and is finally home and working 12 + hours a day to make sure the exams are done in a fair and proper manner .

I finally got over another one of those VILE migraines and went to have a go on my friends 750 Bernina. O kthis is a source of much discussion ... why spend £2500 on a machine?? well quite frankl;y because it is BLOODY AMAZING !

This was well just WOW . It will take a while to save for one of my own but I can borrow Jo;s as required. which might be useful as I "need" to make some stuff. LOL . I struggled with the BSR function and that I feel is my own hand eye co-ord causing the problem ... Im so usedo t doing it myself .

SO yes only 5 days to go to DRAW date and so to the first person who reads and replies ot this I will send a SUPRISE . Send yr reply to ravenquilts@gmail.com

Squirrels or Bears ??.... send yr answer .

Anyway Im off ot make some spicy thai food for lunch . Peace love and alkaseltzer

Raven XXX

17 days until the DRAW!

YUP so only 17 days to go which also means 17 days to my birthday ....hmmmm not sure how I feel about that fulcrum of my 40's ... over the top and heading towards my 50;s .

I;ve never really been bothered by my age, my looks, my hair style ( you wouldn't with mad hair like mine)  so this birthday and my underlying niggles .well it sort of suprises me I am so bothered. Maybe a life ( so far ) of not being bothered is culminating in a few weeks of potential MLC.

Im sure DH and DD and DCs  are all looking at me and thinking oh boy here we go ...  but anyway ..

I still battle on with the McCalls quilt top . Im getting there slooooooooooooooooooooowwwwly as it is a lot of small piecing  and it takes time to piece and clip and press and piece and clip and press . It should be ok .. It's a bit pastelly wishy washy for me .

I have also broken my golden rule ...............and bought a quilt pattern .
I buy books . but never ever one off patterns but this one I thought ...............hmmm ok give it a go .
So for the princely sum of $8 or so .... I bought an interesting interwoven style pattern . Now the pattern saysu se bright colurs to get plenty of mix but I feel the need for blue .

BLue is the colour .
Soft blue, deep blue , aqua blue, turquoise, sky blue different size spots and dots . It might be a rights dogs dinner  you never know but it has the potential to be glorious .

My mother and husband ask who are these for ............................ HAHAHAHAHAHAH you're kidding right ???
Maybe display maybe demo I dunno but I am making them .
Again I will post pics as I progress and as I also say . blogging ain;t sewing and we're not here necessarily for the blogging so get sewing.
Have a great day people and remember :

 Have the courage of your conviction. 
  Remove false friends and those who irritate you . 
Stop looking at things that make you cross.
WOrk at things that you are good at and make you happy . 
Make the most of what you have
Stop wishing for what will never happen . 
GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE  
Love ya! Raven

Ah Tuesday !!

The Joy of an unexpected day off is a rare and splendid thing.

Time to do shopping and find a bargain on your every day stuff like colour catchers ( essential when washing quilts for the first time ) and tea on major sale... so you get 4 boxes for the price of one ..... RESULT .

It also means I get to sit and sew as wel lwhen I would not expect to . I am on the school run today as DH is in London at a meeting and so I suppose I ought to go and get the child at 4pm ... LOL .

But it technically means 5 hours of sewing !

Well considering I stepped right out of my comfort zone and am making a McCalls free pattern quilt
 http://www.mccallsquilting.com/blogs/blog/2013/05/10/friday-freebie-corner-candy-shop-lap-quilt-pattern/

This one in these colours ... well ................... lets just see how it goes.

The pattern does say lap quilt .. but Im looking and thinking lap ?? of what ?? a chiuhaha  ( the dog you have to remember to stop spelling !)

the 9 patch blocks are miniscule  3x3 finished size ! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkk   but anyway stop bitching and get sewing . I will post pictures as I progress but I will say ................... STARCH /STAY PRESS is your friend on stuff like this . it really keeps those edges tight and stops frayting and makes that scant 1/4 a lot easier.

OK there;s another controversy ... the 1/4 inch and scant 1/4 .................................. look people as long as you are consistent your pattern will be fine .

A bit more than 1/4 and you will end up with a bulkier seam and a smaller top but that's fine ...
a bit less and you run the risk of a split in the seam but hey it's YOUR choice. You know I loathe quilt police and mealy mouthed bitching. I can do MMB  if proviked but .......................... you;ve really got to go some.

Anyway enjoy YOUR sewing. Love your work and look after yourselves.
See it's a short one today ... lucky things

It;s nearly my birthday so it;s time for a giveaway . !

GIVEAWAY

 OK I am about to hit another birthday . Some of you know and some of you don't that I recently had another bout of trip to hospital for problems in the breast.  This is the 2nd time in 12 months and I am delighted ot say I am ok of anything majorly serious. BUT  I have friends who haven't bene so lucky and are currently going through treatment. So ................. please check REGULARLY . Caught early you improve yr chances .

So I am reaching another birthday in tact ! So I think we had better do a giveaway .

So I am going to giveaway either a $20 gift certificate for the FAT QUARTER SHOP or CONNECTING THREADS or you can have a gift cert for JAQ fabric wshwre you can get a pack of 12 FQ for under $20 !!! all designer loveliness .......   or if yr in the UK I have 2 cans of 505 spray and a metre of lusciousness.

What do you need to do to enter ... well .................. comment is one thing ... invite people to join who comment as well , mention it on Facebook and in yr blog  and you get extra tickets in the pot .

The closing date... the 31st MAY  ... my birthday. 

Lets see who reads and enjoys the slightly scatter brained Raven effect .  

YOU MUST POST ON THIS THREAD TO BE ENTERED !
YOU GET AN ENTRY PER LINK OR COMMENT ...