Cooking and Sewing

You may fail to see the correlation between the two subjects in the title of today's post but in this household there is. Because I sew the same way I cook. I don't follow recipes very well and just get on with it. As I say to the girls, 'What's the worst that can happen? You can't eat what you made. So what? Get a takeaway and learn from the experience.' I improvise. I play with food. I put in a little of this and a little of that. I have been cooking for a long time. Therefore these days much more goes right in the kitchen than wrong. I am confident about my kitchen skills.

But as I sat there sewing today it occurred to me that I have taken on quilting in the same manner. I have mentioned before that I have never used a quilting pattern. I never saw the need. I look at photos of quilts. I have seen some I love. I have replicated some parts of patterns but never the pattern as a whole. I change things to suit my needs. Isn't that what quilters do? Each and every quilt ever created, with a pattern or without, is unique and reflects the quilter who made it. Making blocks is a matter of simple maths - or more complicated in some instances!

And just as a matter of record, I seem to crochet with the same haphazard mindset.

So, back to the matter at hand today. I was winging it once again. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. It just took a while and involved more pulling out of stitches than was entertaining. But I got there in the end and I am so pleased with the result of my play with fabric. I look at it and already know what I wish I had done differently, but let me tell you - it was hard enough for me to manage this.

I wanted the effect of the pinwheels starting to blow away in the wind. Not sure if I accomplished it totally but I did manage to make what I saw in my imagination.

I wish that I had done the top middle pink pinwheel a little more off to the right as it looks too close to the one on the left as I put it off kilter. But the blue one that has totally lost its moorings I think I managed well.

I still have to hand applique the pinwheel points down, the ones that go over the pink box line surrounding the pinwheels. That shouldn't take long. Then I need to think about the backing. I may go and look at another project while I ponder this over the next couple of days. I enjoyed this challenge though.

I already  have in mind to quilt it like the wind is blowing from the bottom left hand corner. Can't describe it but as per usual I can see it with my mind.

Tonight I will start crocheting a border for my brown granny squares. I have made as many squares as my yarn supply will allow so time to bring on the next stage.

Don't worry, there is still some chocolate bunny and the remote to keep me company after the girls go to bed.

Susan