A different finish...

March 31st - where did the days go??? (sorry for the cliche!)

I've had such a busy month at work, I can't wait for the Easter break (just 4 more days at school!). Not only are we still screen printing like mad, I have also been to a number of e-learning related courses and now I'm setting up a trial for online teaching for next term. 24h definitely not enough in one day!!! There is next term's topics to plan, a singing group (visiting tutor Tonga Vaea from Three Houses Down!) to organise, students for the student-led ICT conference need to be selected (another teacher is training them up pheww). Well, after we will have won the Lotto Jackpot tonight, something will have to give, and it ain't gonna be the quilting!!!

I had really wanted to have my QD9 completed as March finish. All 16 blocks are quilted, via QUAYG put together into four lots of four and I have cut the binding strips to connect these into one. BUT: I have had to order more white-on-white for the borders last night!!! Damn, I knew all along it might not be enough (I had forgotten to count the front of the binding strips twice as you fold them in half). Well, it should be here by the holidays so that might become an early April finish :-)

Instead I picked up one of my UFO / WIPs and quickly finished it this morning:

Feeling dizzy :-)? This was made by request of oldest DS who enjoys reading Horrible History, Horrible Science and Murderous Maths books where this was shown. Originally he wanted it as a placemat, but it turned out a bit too big for that.

It actually is very simple, because all these strips are of the same width, but the placement of the black and white squares creates this optical illusion when viewed from a distance. I cut strips of black and white fabric and sewed them together. Next I cut them in stripes the other way. Instead of putting them together with matching corners, I slightly offset them (all the same distance actually). I then painstakingly folded all edges under 1/4" and with satinstitch in grey I appliqued it onto my batting which had the yellow strips already attached (sew and flip). I don't know if you get the same illusion with out the grey stitching around all the squares - we struggled to see it, but only later realised that you need to stand further away. Yellow machine binding around the outside and voila, my March finish!

Just to prove that it all is (more or less) straight lines!

Probably not my tidiest work (that machine binding bugs me...) but I enjoy the resulting optical illusion effect. His Highness = oldest DS happy and wants to use it as Chess Board with a twist ;-)

I quickly need to mention a new tool I am getting to like more and more - my new Hera Marker! Jeanette DeNicholis Meyer had them at her Whangarei Workshop for use with silk etc. I found them at the Bernina Shop in Whangarei (and saw it after at Spotlight in Whangarei for a lot less :-)) and have been using it to mark straight lines on cotton and on batting, e.g. 1/4" for the machine binding and it works brilliantly! Easy to use and no worries about marks not coming off!!! They seem to come in at least two sizes, I bought the smaller one with pointy tip because that could come in handy for applique I thought.

I better go, two of my children are starving!!!! Bad mother...