For the last 5 weeks we have been shape and pattern as part of the design component and blocked pieces for the stitched bit. I have a new camera which is fantastic, a proper SLR as I have been disappointed in the photos I have taken on my bridge camera - they haven't been as sharp as I would have hoped and it has been bugging me. I have given the new one a bit of an airing by taking some photos of what I have been doing. I have tried the manual settings and although the photos are OK I need to work on the technique and learn some theory. The photos taken on auto are fab though! I really like them.
We started off with some hand piecing which, if I am honest, I think I prefer to machine piecing. It is so much easier to tease and shape the pieces into place and certainly a lot less hassle and kinder to the fabric when you have to unpick as I seem to have to do all too often. This is a simple four patch.
Not the best composed picture in the world but you can just about see how all the seams line up and the edges are square which is always a bit of 'yes!' moment when you open it out and realise it is spot on!
After that we had to machine some simple blocks which is much more tricky in my opinion. Probably I haven't had as much practice. If it works it is very quick but if it doesn't, well, lets just say you might well have been quicker doing it by hand the time it takes to unpick!
This is a simple nine patch.
Again not the best photography (I did say I had a lot to learn) but the seams are lining up so I was quite pleased. The next one, whose name escapes me for the minute, was better both in terms of the machining and the photo!
Having said it was better, now it is uploaded I can see all the creases in the fabric and the fact it isn't straight. <<sign>> I can't win - either the sewing is great and not the photo or the photo is great and not the block!
I have a few more complicated blocks that aren't finished. A union star handpieced block which is looking a bit wonky on the bias seams and machine block square with inset triangles and squares where the two halves don't meet in the middle properly. I will hopefully do those this week and more if I can.
Did anybody go to the Knitting and Stitching show at Ally Pally? Great wasn't it. So much to see and so many fabulous knitty stitchy things to try. I could have spent a fortune but since I had just bought my camera I resisted. I am making this scarf from one of the lovely balls of yarn I bought there. It is great because it ruffles all by itself!
It is simply 7 knit stitches across and it grows quite quickly. I feel a bit guilty doing anything else when I have so much sewing to do but at least with this you make a lot of progress with very little time and effort so I have a little go every now and then, when it isn't worth getting my sewing needles out. I am not sure how long it is going to be but I shall keep going until there is no more yarn left! I reckon it will be long enough.
That's it for now. Got to do some proper work. Please feel free to comment - I would really appreciate knowing that somebody is reading some of this. It gets a bit lonely when you don't know who, if anybody you are writing for.
Thanks for reading. xx
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