Thursday, 8 September 2011

I Blame the Fumes

Each and every time I spend too much time cleaning, breathing in those fumes from the cleaning products, I get silly ideas. Ideas that seem really good at the time. And then take me a looooong time to accomplish. So my idea to use teeny tiny HSTs for my first mug rug for the swap - well I blame that entirely on the misguided decision to give all the bathrooms a good scrub down today. I am sure otherwise I would have stuck to a simple nine patch and then spent the rest of the day in bed. Wouldn't that have been wiser use of my time?

But, no, I decided to do this instead.


I made tiny HSTs and then pieced them into pinwheels. Each HST is only 1" square when finished. Maybe it was the misguided idea that if I managed the Farmer's Wife blocks then this would be a cinch.


We won't look too closely at some of those point, okay!

I then got out some Perle cotton. I am truly addicted to this now and think about how I can use it whenever I make something.


And that is how I spent my afternoon. Cutting, and trimming (and trimming some more), and piecing, and then a bit of sewing. I think that I am almost done, though after the binding is on I will decide what to put in the white space on the right. Should it be left as is or should I do some stitching there?


I hope my secret swap partner likes it and it meets her design brief. Being fairly new to swaps I get nervous about all of that. Do you ever get over the nerve thing? Please reassure me!

Susan
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22 comments:

  1. Svetlana8 September 2011 at 18:03

    wow, this looks amazing. Great job.

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  2. Annabella8 September 2011 at 18:21

    Looking great Susan and kudos for the 1 inch HSTs! I am very nervous and when I`m nervous I get paralysed with fear - especially when the machine is playing up. May be doing it all by hand, which I don`t mind but I had better get started! What about leaving it blank and doing some FMQ of your swap partner`s name or something?

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  3. Archie The Wonder Dog8 September 2011 at 18:39

    It's fabulous - maybe I should clean more often if this is the result!! Great idea - your partner is so lucky! I'd be tempted to leave that lovely white space as it is, or perhaps quilt the outline of a couple of pinwheels...actually, I'd wait and see what everyone else suggests ;o)

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  4. Pomona8 September 2011 at 19:18

    Your tiny pieces are beautifully done!

    Pomona x

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  5. Cindy8 September 2011 at 19:31

    You nutter. 1 inch HSTs? Your partner will love it, of course. It's beautiful!
    I am really the wrong one to chat about quilting. Sorry.

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  6. Mrs Flying Blind...8 September 2011 at 19:52

    Show off! x

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  7. Sarah8 September 2011 at 20:32

    Looks lovely :-) I'm surprised thats all the fumes had you doing ;-)

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  8. Judith, Belfast8 September 2011 at 20:47

    Oh I admire anyone who tackles hsts, especially teeny ones! This is a fab MR, loving the handstitching. The white space might need a wee something, but I don't what, sorry! Jxo

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  9. Anonymous8 September 2011 at 20:51

    Your partner is going to love it. And that you took so much time to do something so intricate will make it even more special to her.

    I think a simple stitchery done in the red perle cotton... maybe a single word such Joy or perhaps her name or initials would work well in the white space.

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  10. Katherine8 September 2011 at 20:55

    Simply gorgeous. I think your swap partner will love it!

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  11. Nikki8 September 2011 at 21:02

    Oh boy maybe I'll have to rethink my housework is a last resort mantra if this is what happens when you do some. Look at those teeny tiny hsts they are fab.

    I'd be tempted to do as supermom suggested and add your swap partner's name or maybe even a spoon shape in the red perle cotton.

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  12. Catherine8 September 2011 at 21:04

    I have never done a swap before and I couldn't believe how nervous I was. One of my mug rugs were made with 1" HST - you have my admiration! And it looks fab

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  13. Trudi8 September 2011 at 21:05

    Fantastic, and if your partner doesn't like it, you can send it to me! I still don't think the housework thing is a good idea, imagine what you could achieve without the fumes! lol

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  14. Sarah @ FairyFace Designs8 September 2011 at 21:26

    Oh gorgeous, I love those pinwheels. Where do you get your perle cotton, on ebay or at your lqs?

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  15. Mad about Craft8 September 2011 at 21:54

    Beautiful!!

    I love the look of the perle thread - where did you buy it?

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  16. Shocking Hocking9 September 2011 at 00:58

    wow - it's beautiful - and perhaps the word 'quilt' in a gorgeous font down the side in the white bit - in perle thread of course

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  17. Anonymous9 September 2011 at 01:27

    you are mad. but we knew that already. 1 inch hst? really?!
    Looks fab though! And go you with the hand quilting!!
    I'm with the others that asked - where do you get your perle cotton? It costs $6-7 a roll over here so I've only bought 1. But the closest it's so far got to being used it by Abbie who quite fancies getting it out of my drawer to kick around. LOL... If it was cheaper and I could find better colours than pastel pink then I might be able to get into it more. Maybe.

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  18. Salley9 September 2011 at 10:09

    You must have 48 hours in your 24 hour day. Such clean lines in your sewing..makes for pretty mug rug. Spray with scotchguard in case lucky recipient has shakey arthritic fingers :(

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  19. Dianne Neale9 September 2011 at 10:18

    You really should be more careful with those cleaning products. I'd give them a miss in future if I were you.
    I'm not so much nervous about the swap, just worried that I'll make the wrong thing, the wrong colour, the wrong size, not good enough - etc. You know what I mean.
    Great HSTs as always

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  20. Kirsten9 September 2011 at 11:19

    Those HST's and pinwheels look wonderful Susan and I love how you have done the handstitching !!

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  21. Unknown9 September 2011 at 16:11

    This is amazing. I want.

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  22. Nicky9 September 2011 at 23:02

    Want! Need! Love!!

    Susan - what's your address as I am not sure you will post it to me!!

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