Handy Tip of the Day

If you are like me (careless that is to say) then you might want to heed the following advice. When you leave your rotary cutter with the blade locked in the out position (because I break the rules and I do this all the time), and your finger knocks into said blade in the process of placing a new piece of fabric on the cutting board, and then your brain registers pain - look at your finger! Don't wait until you realise that it feels 'sticky' before you take a proper look and realise that the sticky stuff is actually blood and you have been happily going about cutting fabric oblivious of the fact. It is just plain stupid! Thankfully I was not cutting the fabric for my bee blocks at the time because I do not how I would have been able to explain that one to Laura!

Once I had staunched the blood flow (superficial wound with not long term damage I assure you - it's just that fingers like to bleed, or mine do is seems), I did turn my hands to the Brit Bee October blocks. Laura sent some gorgeous fabric for us to play with and the only instructions were to make star blocks. Any kind of star as long as it was a star. Yippee! I could do that.

I set to the task, realising that I had characteristically left it to the last moment seeing as how I wouldn't be around to do any sewing at the beginning of the week, choosing to be out gallivanting with the girls and my mother instead.

The hardest part of the task was the pondering design bit. It took me a while, which surprised me as I thought stars were my element and that it would be the easiest peasiest task of all. But I didn't want to hand in a bog standard star. Laura knows I can do those kind. I wanted something a little different. I eventually came up with this (with a lot of help from Flickr and the originality of other quilters out there).

I have been using even more HSTs in the second block, and in the process exhausted the supply of white with my enthusiastic cutting, so shall have to wait for a top up from Laura Jane before the block is completed. So far I have this much done.

It might be a good thing that I cannot do any more on this today. Now I might turn my hand to other important things, like packing a small suitcase for this little gallivanting trip I am off on with the girls. Mustn't forget to pack the toothbrush and other essentials because my mind is all wrapped up in HST piecing. I'll not be responding to comments for a few days. Do forgive me but I will be too busy enjoying the pleasures of our capital city. Bye!

Susan