Monday 23 January 2012

De-cluttering, the weekend just gone and more Farmers

I was catching up online and reading Helen's Archie's Blog and she's got a fantastic idea - she got it from Di, who got it from her sister Geri....and no doubt there'll be heaps of folks adding a 'LIKE' button on their blogs to reduce the amount of wordsmithing - you know, when you want to acknowledge you've read a post, and enjoyed it, but have nothing really concrete to say about it - I say lame stuff like 'lovely colours', or 'great block' and while I genuinely love whatever it is, lame comments create additional work for the blogger who feels compelled to respond to every comment - even the lame ones!  So, in order to declutter and reduce time spent on the computer when I can be sewing, I'm going to use the 'LIKE' button if it's available and I have nothing pertinent to say - that way the blogger can see their post is appreciated without having to send a reply to me, the bloggee - and I've added one on mine - mine is 'What's not to....' and you click 'LIKE' if you're so inclined - and/or leave a comment obviously - I LURRRRVE those........and Bob is very much your uncle, as Fanny is your aunt...perfick!!

Last Friday, my husband and I (Queenly wave) drove to the Bellarine Peninsula and spent a couple of days with a whole host of folks, including family and friends of family with lots of babies, in a luxurious holiday home complete with lap pool, quad bike and tennis court.  Wow - it was wonderfully relaxing and wonderfully entertaining with all them babies (because I don't have babies at home, I can say that it was the best wake-up call - babies laughing and playing together - not sure their parents would agree!).  My sister, niece and I made a huge roast dinner for 12 adults on saturday night and overall there was a lot of talking, watching tennis, lazing, reading, playing tennis, swimming, quad biking and football (the AFL type - all the blokes were Aussies and have not yet succumbed to the Beautiful Game).  I even managed a spot of stash building at a wonderful LQS called The Naked Sheep (she hasn't got a website yet, but the shop is inside the Gateway Plaza Shopping Centre, 621-659 Bellarine Highway, Leopold 3224) and the service was absolutely sensational - Amanda offered to cut a FQ from any bolt in the shop as well as searched, downloaded and printed a sock pattern for the Noro wool I bought.  So if you're ever in the vicinity, go and check her out.

just picked what I like - nothing much matches!

and already started the socks - easy to do when watching the Tennis
 Before we left for the weekend, I had a bit of a spurt on and made 6 new Farmers blocks, so now I'm up to 72 (wow, only 39 to go....).  The Pine Tree block (no. 67) was a stinker - I had all sorts of issues with the points - I could say it was because I'm using my new machine and the 1/4" foot is really 3/16" and I'm having a couple of issues adjusting from the old 1/4" foot - but good workwomen don't blame their tools and all that - so instead of unpicking I got out the Inktense watercolour pencils and some fabric goo and coloured a couple in - stepping back you can't tell and I won't ever make the block again - not my cup of tea at all......

Top row: 69-Practical orchard, 71-Puss in the corner
Middle row: 72-Railroad, 68-Postage stamp
Bottom row: 67-Pine tree, 70-Prairie queen
I think number 68, Postage stamp is my favourite of these - red, asymmetrical - no wonder the fabulous Rita of RPQ  made a complete quilt using this block.  Now I really must make some more patterns up in EQ for the remaining 39 blocks so I can keep going - not this week though, too many things to prepare for class next week....arrivedeci

8 comments:

  1. Great idea from, umm, who ever started it. I wish I'd read it before I sat down to try to read through over 200 posts that were in google reader after I'd been away for a couple of days. I love reading everyone's blog posts but sometimes i't just too hard to be able to respond with an intelligent comment when I have so many that I want to read through.
    Your couple of days away sound lovely and I love your blocks, they are all fabulous. Great idea for fixing the block, love it!

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  2. So you caved :). Welcome back to knitting.
    Great blocks. I don't think I'm fussed on the pine tree block pattern either

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  3. EEEkk!!!! Now I am terrified of making that Pine Tree block. You are so creative to think of coloring it in. Mine would have landed on the floor with a foot stomping on top of it a few times. :)

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  4. LOL Good idea for cutting back on emails. I agree--sometimes you just LIKE something and don't necessarily have much to say. LOVE LOVE the yarn! Can't wait to see the finished socks. I'm SO into that right now--but it's keeping me from my other crafts! Not enough hours in the day...

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  5. Like the like button and thank you for the mention! The Naked Sheep (great name!) sounds like a wonderful shop, such wonderful service! I love the blue square spiral fabric you got - any idea what it is?!

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  6. Oooh, sounds like a lovely weekend, and well done on conquering all those farmers' wives. As for the like button, I added one to my blog when they first came out last year. People used them for a couple of weeks, then forgot all about them. Oh well!

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  7. Your vacation sounds idyllic--hard for me to keep remembering that it's your summer now. I love the work on your blocks; I have to say that Practical Orchard is one of my favs, and I could see lots of possibilities with that block, too. I'm also so glad to hear that you do what I do--pick a bunch of fabrics at random if for no other reason than you like them (I did a lot of that at Road to California).

    Elizabeth E.
    occasionalpiece.wordpress.com

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  8. I love #72. And I like the like button idea but right now it is enough getting out of bed and not sitcking a finger up at the day before it has even started!

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