Thanks (and masks and stuff) - and a winner!

Firstly, just a quick note to say thank you to all of you who have left comments or emailed me about my dad - I am trying to respond to everyone individually but if I don't get back to you straightaway or somehow manage to miss you, I still want to say thank you for all the kind words, thoughts, good wishes and prayers - it's a lovely warm snuggly feeling to be a part of such a nice group of people, even if I've never actually met most of you in person :)


And now, quilty & arty things...

I actually got some sewing done this morning - when I decided I wasn't going back to sleep after talking to people on the phone (about 6am) I came down and did stuff on the computer, so by the time DH and kids were getting up, I was ready to go upstairs and hit the sewing room (I think my response to any situation is to go to my sewing room, lol...)



After finishing putting together the blocks from yesterday, I worked on this little set of 3 cards for a masks theme - I had the masks from a shop a while back, and decided to put a few little faces on the cards - I think I might send these in plastic sleeves, though, as the faces might be a little thick for the machines. I haven't done the backs yet, will sort that out later.

As mentioned, I also finished sewing together the blocks for the nine-patch baby quilt - a couple people have asked about doing that type of block - it's very simple, really - you just take two same size squares of fabric, say 8", and stack them together right side up (or down, but make sure they both face the same way, not right sides together), then cut them across in the same direction twice - the wonkier and more acutely angled you make the cuts, the more you may have to trim the block - you can cut them anywhere you like as long as you end up with three "strips". Then you sew them back together again a/b/a and b/a/b. Then you stack the blocks together again - again facing the same direction - and cut them twice going the other way (across the cuts you have previously sewn together rather than along them), then sew those strips together 1/2/1 and 2/1/2. Then you trim to whatever size you want. I can't remember precisely how much you lose - I'm thinking I started with an 8" square to end up with a 6" square, but I might be slightly off. This is an excellent type of block to do for a swap, as the blocks always end up the right size...

Those of you who are in the fibreandstitch group as subscribers to the excellent new e-zine, Fibre and Stitch, may well recognise this item at left as a start to a Lutradur and Lace Challenge piece. A challenge was issued in the group to use a technique in one of the articles in the zine, which uses lutradur and scrim and lace as the base for a painted surface. As you can perhaps tell, I haven't yet done the painting part. Might start that tomorrow - I have a couple of CCRRs I need to work on, too, so painting might be a good thing to focus on tomorrow.


And, I do believe it's time to announce the winner for my very first Monday Giveaway (the huge pile of HST units) - the name drawn, at random, by DD2, Olivia, who reminded me it was her turn to pick a name (Alex did most of the the blogversary cards) is Helen (Quilts & ATCs) . Congratulations, Helen. I have your address, I'm fairly sure, and will get your HSTs out to you sometime - perhaps even tomorrow, as I do have to go to the post office already anyway.

New giveaway will be posted tomorrow, with the slightly altered rules that you have to post a comment on the actual giveaway Monday post to be enterred in the draw (much easier that way as I can simply choose a random number (or a child can) from among those commentors). So be sure to stop by and comment if you want to win. It's a nice giveaway tomorow, if I do say so myself. (How's that for a tease!)