Desperate Housewife's Quilt: Block Fourteen

I feared this block. After making it in about an hour, I now have no idea why.

With a bit of time yesterday afternoon after getting most stuff ready for a Super Bowl party we’re attending today and before going to a hockey game last night, I decided I wanted to sew. Looking at the Desperate Housewife’s Quilt Blocks I had printed off, Block Fourteen has been staring at me for months to just cut out the pieces and sew it together. I decided it was time. Perusing my stash from a distance, I decided on using a rather colorful batik for the background since I had already made up my mind about using black and white for the ‘peepers’ as they’re called. I’ve already been using black and white as color balances with the jewel tones of the batiks, but I could have used two of the more solid batiks instead had I wanted to. I didn’t.

With all the pieces cut, it was time to start sewing them all together. I will have to admit that the hardest part was the 1/8” seam for the peepers. If I was a thinking person, I probably would have switched over to a zipper foot, but alas, my brains were obviously intent on finishing just one block and not working properly. It went together rather quickly since I chain stitched each section. Well, by quickly, I only ripped the stitches out of one of the four sections before realizing that yes, I had indeed sewed it correctly and now had to redo it. With only one GRRR… moment, I’m pinning this block as a success. Paying attention, however, is a malfunction I’ll have to work on.

Desperate Housewife's Quilt: Block Fifteen

Yes, I realized Block 31 was posted today. So I’m a little behind.

Yesterday I was hoping to knock out two blocks before my husband got home from work, but for some odd reason I felt it was more important to figure out why our network disappeared. The internet is crazy like that. It’s like a drug you can’t quit. When it suddenly vanishes without reason (and not paying your bill doesn’t count) like a junkie you keep going until you can get your next hit. At first I thought the wireless aspect of the router was kaput, so I reset everything and changed it to an unsecure network and all of our devices were able to connect so that wasn’t the problem. I’m sure a geek would’ve solved the issue in a matter of minutes, but alas, I’ve never attempted such an endeavor. Anyway, I spent the better part of the day basically rebuilding the network and I’m happy to report that all internet connected devices in the house are fully operational once again.

So, instead of at least two blocks and possibly starting to cut out fabric for That 70s Quilt I made one block in The Desperate Housewife’s Quilt series from Want it, Need it, Quilt! (http://quiltjane.blogspot.com). I will have to admit that piecing goes by much faster when you pay attention to what you are doing. Block Fifteen was the simplest of the blocks I printed out, and had the perfect place to put two little pieces of the batik Jane sent me. I can’t wait to continue making these blocks, especially since I’m so far behind on the ones I plan on doing!

Aurifil and Batik

When life gets you down, sometimes it is the little things that can help lift it back up. You know, like winning something.

 Even though I’ve been lacking in actually making the blocks for The Desperate Housewife’s Quilt at Want it, Need it, Quilt! (http://quiltjane.blogspot.com/) I somehow still won a giveaway; a sampler pack of Aurifil Threads. Jane also was kind enough to send along a good sized cut of a batik that will play really well with my current stash I’ve been using to create the blocks. Wasn’t that nice?

Anyway, now my brain is plotting which blocks to use bits and pieces of the batik she sent me. I just need to get out of this creative funk I’ve been in since finishing the Uninspired Quilt. I thought that completing that project would help but it seems to have made the problem worse. Ugh. Perhaps the best way to face the problem is dive in head first and just work on something.