CWD: John Morgan

November 28, 1863: 15 years old Cora Owens Hume wrote in her diary

- Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah! I feel like I want to be somewhere that I can scream as loud as I can. I think I will get into the cellar and then no Yankee can hear me. Yes, Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah, for John Morgan and six of his men have escaped from prison. They dug through the floor in some way. - quote from Civil War Diary Quilt written by R. Youngs

Today's block is John Morgan. It's an easy one;o)
I wrote down some of the cutting instructions. You can see them in the adjacent photo.

 63. John Morgan

Happy Thanksgiving Day to everyone!!!

- although here in Finland we do not spend it...

A Busy Postman...

.... brought to us some treats today!

This year also Fenix got his very own SSCS -parcel. THANK YOU, Santa's little helper MARIA!!!

You know we are very excited...

somehow we had to hold back our horses... or something..., that we won't open them before Christmas Eve!

See you on Thursday... then it's again CWD block day!

LUS: C-7 Democratic Watchman

Niin se vaan on, että mitä helpompi blokki (tai muu tekele), sitä käsittämättömämpiä virheitä tekee!

Last night I had an hour between two TV -programs, which I wanted to watch. I didn't fancy to knit or read or do anything else. Because the BOW of Loyal Union Sampler looked quite easy, I went to the sewing room, ironed the fabrics, cutted them and... vau! I had still 45 minutes left! Maybe I'll sew the block right now... there is only Quick-Pieced Flying Geese units and Quick-Pieced Square-On-Point unit.

So everything supposed to be QUICK!

Kaikki ei kuitenkaan aina mene niin kuin Strömsössä;o)

Square-On-Point unit went well... it was exactly 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"... although usually I have problems with them (always too small or uneven). 

I was happy... so far SO GOO:D!

Then the FG units... It felt a little bit odd, when I laid the first two square onto the big light green fabric. They didn't overlap each other so much as they should... 

I looked the clock... oh, better just hurry, that I get this block finished before Midsomer Murders!

I sewed, cut them separately and Voila!... DAMN, damn!! I had four all too big (= wide) FG unit! Furthermore their seam allowances were all too narrow!

WHAT has happened?!?!

My mistake was, that I had cut the light green square for FG units 1/4" too big  (it should have been 

4 1/4" x 4 1/4" square)!!! Luckily it was too BIG, not too small and the mistake was easy to repair...

... but just after Midsomer;o)

Block C-7 Democratic Watchman

Jo aikoja sitten... joskus lokakuun alkupuolella Soile, Töölön Tilkkupajasta, "haastoi kaikki bloggaajat avaamaan aarrekaappinsa ja kertomaan, millaisia välineitä / erikoishärpäkkeitä käyttää tilkkutöitä tehdessään".

Mietin sitä jonkun tovin - ja toisenkin;o) - huomasin, että aika yksinkertaisilla välineillä pärjäilee...

melko pitkälle...

  - lyijykynä, the RATKOJA, hyvä leikkuri, ISO, tukeva neulatyyny, ompelukoneen tilkkutyöjalka ja valikoima erilaisia viivaimia!

Viivaimia minulle onkin kertynyt mukavan kokoinen valikoima - kuvassa ei läheskään kaikki, mutta mieluisimmat = eniten käytössä kuluneet;o)

Koska tuon edellisen blokin kanssa oli hieman "ohjelmaa" lentävien hanhien kanssa, niin esittelen tässä kaksi tuumaviivainta (olen tuumaihminen), jotka ovat oivia apulaisia niitä ommeltaessa.

 Folded Corner Clipper

Hyvä esittely sen käytöstä löytyy Modan ... the Cutting Table blogista täältä.

FCC:n avulla olen lähes poikkeuksetta onnistunut saamaan OIKEAN kokoisia ja muotoisia lentäviä hanhia!

Plussana: ei tarvita kulmasta kulmaan piirrettyjä viivoja! Tosin edellytyksenä on, että koneessa on 1/4" saumanvaralla varustettu paininjalka.

Miinuksena: ei sovellu sellaisille projekteille, joissa ei ole varaa "tuhlata" kangasta. HUOM! Kulmapaloista voi ommella 2 -väri kolmio-neliöitä (HST), joten kangasta ei mene hukkaan!

Toinen hyödyllinen erikoisviivain ommeltaessa lentäviä hanhia on Open Gate Quilts:n...

Fit to Be Geese

Niitä on saatavilla ainakin kahta eri kokoa. Itselläni on tuo pienempi viivain - olen sellainen pienen näpertäjä:o)

Hyvä tutorial sen käytöstä löytyy täältä. 

Alkuun palatakseni... niin, vaikka olisi kuinka oivia, hyödyllisiä, käteviä vippaskonsti - härpäkkeitä, niin erheitä sattuu tilkkuilijan taipaleilla! 

Mutta virheistähän oppii... ainakin jonkin aikaa muistaa taas lukea ohjeita paremmin ja TARKEMMIN okulaarit päässä;o)

HAUSKAA SUNNUNTAITA... and a Happy New WEEK!!!

PS. As you see we (Fenix & I) decided to start a Christmas time here in a blogland ;o)

Courthouse Steps... and UPS!...

...Sparklers!!!! Bling!

Now I do not mean that I would have fallen down the stairs of the courthouse and saw sparks. I have never been to the courthouse... and I hope I never be... So the sparks, which I saw were quite different...

Today our postman delivered the sixth block of the 2013 Designer Mystery BOM. And I had to sew it... HETI!... sofort!... forthwith! I guess my eyes sparkled all the time, when I sewed ;o) 

The block's name is "Sparklers". It's designed by Kate Spain.

I do not know, if it's just an illusion, but it seems to me that these blocks are becoming increasingly interesting month by month... I surely don't regret that I joined also this BOM!

Can you believe this BOM is already in a mid way? Time really rushes!!!

The first three blocks are BASKETs, the next three are STARs... 

uuuhhhrrr...., I'm thrilled... what is coming next....

BeFORE the postman visited, I sewed this week's Quilty Fun Sew Along blocks...

two Courthouse Steps - blocks!

If until now you've been wondering... am I crazy or what... and what do I write ... maybe you are now back on track in my mad funny tale...

Yes, these are those steps;o)

I did my steps with dotty fabrics... but I didn't want to make them as scrappy as Lori (& other Sew Alongers) has made.

Maybe I have said this many times earlier, but I use rarely bright colors... BUT after this Sew along I'll know what color therapy means! It feels SO good to watch and fiddle the fabrics... full of colors!!!!

Because I already warmed the machine B. for the sparkles, I sewed two 8" stars for my OH, My Stars -quilt.

Now I have ALL 12" and 8" star blocks ready! Only eleven 4" stars is undone.

OhMy... so close but still so far away from... the quilt...

Here's those all 8" stars!

Each star has the same white background fabric, but the light has altered so much, when I have photographed them, that's why the backgrounds are not similar in this collage...

Wishing you Quilty or Sparkling Fun time!!!

PS. Erehdyin eilen käymään Marimekon Outletissa, ja mukaanhan lähti palalaarista muutama palanen mm. tuota hurmaavaa Rati Riti Ralla -kangasta... Harmitti, kun ei ollut kuin pieniä paloja! Olisi aika veikeää essuna...

LUS: G-4 Massachusetts... and few other thing

I am so happily lucky that I don't have to talk to you now... 

because pronouncing this block's name... Mas... Massasaschusss... äsh... would be totally impossible! - at least to me;o)

 Loyal Union Sampler BOW - G-4 Massachusetts

OhMy...- even the writing of the name is difficult, I have to look it again from Jennifer's book...

This is the first LUS block, which I sewed using Luna Notte's fabric with a black background. I was a little frightened, would it be too gloomy block... therefore I chose the black fabric with the large flower print... maybe it's not too gloomy!?! Or what do you think?

Then I'll write few words in Finnish about the craft fair. The photo below shows you what I found there;o)

Tampereen Kädentaidot 2013 sitten oli... 

tässä jotain, mitä minun kasseihini tarttui... Voi, minuu...

... näyttää ihan Lankahullun päiväkirjan kuvasivulta...

Mutta eihän tuossa ole kuin langat parhaimmillaan 13 pariin sukkia... ja se sukkainen joulu taitaa tulla taas ensi vuonna;o) Olikohan tuo tarpeeksi vakuuttava selitys lankaostoille?

Kankaisen Ommellaan.fi -osastolta tarttui kohtuullinen! määrä kankaita mukaan... tarkoituksena oli ostaa vaaleita taustakankaita. Melkein meni nappiin!

Liekö tuossa mosaiikissa sitten uuden harrastuksen alku?

Perjantain Summa summaarum: Hauska, antoisan uuvuttava päivä kaikkinensa! Aikaa vain olisi pitänyt olla enempi...

Tension in Chookyblue's Secret Santa Claus Swap 2013 is growing... an excitement is almost palpable....

Tomorrow is the first day of the postage... and as you see I'm ready as a scout ;o)

This little rosy girl will deliver my secret parcel to my pal far, far and even farer away...

I'll trust her that she will success in her job... and my SSCS pal will receive her gifts in time!

... while one week seems to over - again! - ... 

I wish you ALL a WONDERful upcoming week!!!!

CWD: Fasting and Knitting

November 15, 1861. 16 years old Sarah Lois Wadley wrote in her diary:

This is the fast day appointed by our President to pray for a continuance of those blessings which God has thus far bestowed upon us. - I have not eaten any meat or butter, however, having been reading and knitting socks all day. - (quote from The Civil War Diary Quilt written by R. Youngs)

CWD block #118 - Fasting and Knitting

The block looked like a medium-difficult block to me. First I thought that I foundation paper piece it... but nevertheless there is many pieces (8 mini blocks) to sew together. I took "a risk" and decided to test my measuring skills;o)

I cut the fabrics for mini blocks like this:

Cream A: cut 8 - 1 5/8" x 1 5/8" squares

Green & Purple B: cut 4 - 2" x 2" squares

* cut them diagonally once. You have now 8 green and 8 purple B triangles.

Green & Purple C: cut 4 - 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares

* cut them diagonally once. You have now 8 green and 8 purple C triangles.

After I had sewn them together I had a little bit... but just a bit.. larger rectangle than is needed for the mini blocks... so  I trimmed the mini block like this:

The finished Fasting and Knitting -block is quite ok! And it's just 6 1/2" x 6 1/2"... you can guess I'm a happy lady;o)

And I want to wish you a HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

PS. I cheated on you a little bit, because I sewed this block already on Wednesday. Today, on Friday November 15, I'm on the Finland's largest craft fair. I left there early in the morning... come home very late at the evening. I'll go there by bus (about 8 hours sitting in the bus... blaah)... it's very likely that I'll knit socks for the entire journey;o)

Twinkling Tuesday

I'm almost 100 % sure that you have already heard of this...

Quilty Fun Sewalong & Blog Tour.

Lori's fantastic book was released about month ago. It's full of color and happiness like Lori's blog. Every time, when I need some color therapy I visit at her blog. As soon as I heard that she will publish a book I decided to have it;o)

She hosted a Row-along... was it last year? I don't remember exact... and these colorful blocks: apples, stars, mittens, mugs etc... became familiar to us quilty people. At the time I hadn't time to be in... and I have regretted it. So this time I'm in right from the start! JIHUU!!!

 Last week (the first week) we sewed APPLEs!

I collected one autumn apple 'Punainen Melba', one summer apple 'Valkeakuulas', one winter apple 'Lobo' and one 'Granny Smith'. The first three apple varieties are grown (also) here in Finland.

This autumn has been so dark, RAINY and gray... Oh, I really need these fresh shades!!!!

Where the snow lingers??? We need more light!!!

And also the photographing is a bit of a challenge in these conditions... 

at least to me... with a poor camera...

If you like to watch the other Quilty Fun Sew Along -blocks, you'll find them here.

"See" you again on Friday!

It's a new CWD block coming...