Sunday 16 June 2013

Patchwork and Toddler dramas

                                               This weekend has been a challenge and that is an understatement in more ways than one.  I have been trying to keep this "toddler" pup entertained AND  I used a patchwork  tutorial that is all WRONG.  One lesson  I have learned (again) is that each pup is VERY different than the others and to NEVER trust a tutorial (without making a test block) , even if someone on another blog said it is great!



Friday afternoon, the lady who drives the van M-F  to collect girl3 in the morning for work and bring her home in the afternoon brought a package of rawhide chew bones too.  The girl was quite restless on Saturday so I gave her one and she loved it.  Notice the teddy is always close.....



                                 Same time, different angle...still chewing the rawhide bone.

Yes, that is cute....but SOMEONE  peed on the floor by the back door two nights/mornings in a row.  Ok, it was on the tiles and not the wood floor, but still...not cool! She seemed to have lost the plot Friday and Saturday nights!

She didn't wake me to go out, so I am trying to work out if she is unsettled because she didn't go to work over the weekend, or if I need to let her out again much later, or if it is because she is so much younger than the other two girls that she just can't go as long.
 
I was all motivated to sew this weekend.  Saturday, I spent a lot of time cutting blades for a Whirlygig quilt, which in my little world will be called Happy Dance Quilt.
I've been looking at various tutorials for some time now.
 
 I finally settled on one recommended on another blog (can't remember where) and it sounded great.  So, I cut around 250-300 print and plain white blades on Saturday so I could do some massive chain piecing on Sunday.   I cut 3 rows of 4 inch squares off of some of the fat quarters I chose earlier.

 
I cut the 4 inch squares into blades following the instructions on the tutorial and then I sewed them in pairs, print with white. I cut them apart for ease of ironing, then I counted them. There are 152 pieces in this picture. I sewed all the pairs I could until I ran out of white.  I estimate there are 250-300 more print blades left.....I did spend a fair bit of time cutting blades yesterday! 
 
I should have made a test block first...(head banging here)
This tutorial is WRONG!  It starts off with a square which you cut into equal half blades.
Well, when you sew the blades, you no longer have a square, you have a rectangle due to the seam allowance.  SO, if you wish to proceed, you will need to do some trimming to get a finished Happy Dance block.
Grrr...If you post a tutorial, please test it first to make sure it is correct...just saying!
( I was wondering if it was ME, but it is not...De also got same result as me )
 
     
 
This weekend, girl 3 has been wanting to be touching me. All. The. Time.   It's our first weekend alone together and I think she is lost not going to work all day.  When I was doing the chain piecing for the white, navy and lime quilt, she even went under the table and rested her head on my left thigh while I sewed.   *warm fuzzies*
She really is a sweetie and my favourite so far, even if she has a weak bladder.
xx debbie
 

12 comments:

  1. Oh Debbie (& De) - what a"nuisance" - about the patchwork I mean - yes a nuisance about the dog too but you can't help that as much ...

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    1. I think the puddles were my fault..I need to accept she is much younger and needs to go out more often.
      SO not happy with that tutorial though..very misleading and now I will have to trim heaps..
      xx debbie

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  2. oh thats not good for you with that tutorial and what a cute girl,have fun with her Debbie.xx

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    1. oh dear shez, she is my little sunshine...so sweet and affectionate! more than makes up for a couple of puddles lol xx debbie

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  3. dog pee and a incorrect tutorial... wanna come over for some wine?
    Hugz

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    1. mmm...a partner in crime? yes, please LOL!
      I will be cursing that tutorial way longer than the puddles though..grrr...
      xx Debbie
      hope to see you sunday!

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  4. Oh nooo. But with a face like hers... how could you remain upset with her???
    NoT HaPPy JaN...keeps popping in my head about the tut! :(

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    1. oh cheryll, she is so doggone sweet my teeth are hurting lol...the puddles were nothing..but that tutorial sure did make me grumpy! not happy I have heaps of blocks to trim now..would rather cut them right size the first time. xx debbie

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  5. Oh dear, she probably is missing her routine. Does prove you need to do a test block, I don't always do this so I think I might have just been lucky. Have a great week. Hugs.....

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    1. that was first thing De said to me, did you do a test block? LOL...yes I did (the sewing part) which was AFTER I cut about a gazillion blades all ready for some serious chain piecing. never trust an online tutorial, no matter how perfect it looks!
      xx debbie

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  6. scraps are good for test blocks luvie :) - how's that trimming going?

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    1. no trimming yet, but got pairs of blades sewn ready for ironing and all horizontal rows pieced for two "blankets of love" quilts...and chose binding, ironed but not cut yet. I will NEVER not make a test block again if I ever do an online tutorial...lesson learned lol

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