Weekend Worrier...er I mean Warrior

Thank you for your comments after my last post. I was cheered up just to know that you cared enough to think of me.
After my little whinge, I decided to get myself more organised.
I didn't get more free time, just made me use the free bits I had a bit better.
The weekend still got eaten up by stuff I had to do: 

• go to a 10yr old netball final (they won - Grand finals next Saturday morning(the bad mummy in me is groaning at the thought of one more netball game*smacks hand*)).
• go to a brother-in-law's 50th.
• clean the bathroom (job I hate the most!).
• wash ( 4 full loads , onto the line, and bring them in again. and just between you and me there will be 5 children folding clothes while they watch tv tonight!).
• umpteen day to day "circular" jobs: eg fill dishwasher, put dishwasher on, empty dishwasher.

I rushed everything  so I could announe that from 1pm onwards on Sunday,

I WOULD BE QUILTING.

Here is what I was working on today.

This is the square-in-a-square border of the Mariners Compass quilt. 

I have 96 of these to make and I didn't realise how much work is involved in them.

I have to cut 96 X 2 3/4" light value centre squares. Then cut 192 x 2 5/8" dark value squares and cut them once for half-square triangles.

They end up slightly bigger than 3 1/2", so they then have to be trimmed to size.

Don't you just love a little bit of maths with your quilting? I know I do!!!!

I also was going for the 'light centre, dark outer' look, which I think I've achieved, but now don't like the dark value 'cause it's...well...too gloomy looking.

I spent some of my time cutting medium value triangles and mixing them up with the dark value ones. I am much happier with the way they look.
I even managed to think ahead and take photos to show a shortcut that evolved when I got sick of pinning and unpinning each of the triangles.


First, fold the centre square into half and finger crease each side. Then repeat with the other side.

Line up the first triangles with outer edges matching and the point in line with the crease on the opposite edge.

Sew this down, open out the triangle and finger press. Then repeat with the opposite side triangle.

Do this for the 3rd and 4th sides, keeping the seams pushed flat with your finger.

See these little corner triangles...

Well you MUST cut them off...

Otherwise you end up with a sad looking seam...and I really don't want to start more un-sewing

So there you have it. A sort of  square-in-a-square tutorial.

This isn't the end of these little beasties...I have to trim them to 3 1/2 inches, so they will fit in with the borders...and I still have about 50 to go! I hope to knock them off tonight - fingers crossed.

98 blog posts sitting on the wall, what would happen if another one was published? There'd be 99 blog posts sitting on the wall...

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...