Rosette 2 completed

I am not a social animal but there is nothing like a visit by good friends, eating, drinking, chatting and watching amazing sport on television, we had such an evening yesterday and have every intention of repeating the fun again over the weekend.

In the mean time I am making good progress on my Millefiori and I must say, I like this rosette so much better than my first.

Rosette 2 – Second round

I am always in awe when completing the following round of a rosette.  When looking at this rosette after round 1, it seemed the rosette would be greenish/blue and here just one round later it almost turned into a pink and yellow rosette.

Worst of all I so wanted it to be a purple rosette.  So much for thinking I can decide what my Millefiori is going to look like.

I’ve taken the last of this course of antibiotics and I am rather fed up with medicine and my body seeming to attract every impossible virus, parasite, bug, germ or infection.  I honestly believe that since 2012 I’ve taken more medication than in the 50 years prior to that.  Then my doctor tells me unless we get seriously good rain most people with an already weak immune system will keep on suffering from these irritating ailments mostly brought on by allergies. So much to look forward to!

Rosette 2 – First round

I am still struggling with an awful cold, sore throat, irritating cough, runny nose and somewhat of a fever but the ideal excuse to stay in my PJ’s, watch quilt videos and do some hand sewing.  All the while the washing machine was running and even though feeling under the weather,   I had clean bedding, towels and clothing at the end of the day.

DH and the gardener worked outside making a side wall and gate higher seeing that our new Border collie easily jumps this wall and small gate which would allow him to escape from our yard.

When my hands started to act up again, I decided to only do this much quilting and then give myself a break again.  Two of the hexagons in this round were made by my co-workers.

Rosette 2: Centre hexagon

Okay I’ve started this one, not much but at least a start and I am rather chuffed about this beginning. 

Now I must just remember not to try and do too much and screw my hands up again.  Had a haircut and I feel light and in the mood for Summer.  A pity the wind blows up terrible dust leaving a layer on every possible surface.

Rosette 2, only beginning

With my hands still not willing to work, I put all my Freezer paper hexagons needed for this rosette up against the design wall and I’ve realised, if Rosette 1 didn’t drive me nuts, this one might.

 If you turn one hexagon the wrong way around or have one single fabric in the wrong place, you will have a totally different pattern and even end up with yet another star as in Rosette 6 and I am not even sure that I like the star in Rosette 6.

And as if I wasn’t depressed enough by now (check, first glass of wine going down well already!) I took out some fabric to see how and where this could go.  After staring and starting and staring at these, I decided to go for the second glass of wine.  At least I can pour and drink wine rather successfully.

Why is it that when you find that perfect picture on fabric you'd like to use for your centre piece there would only be 3 on a 3 yard piece of fabric and then not near the sides, top or bottom but right in the centre???  Looking at the photo above, none of these fabrics even seem to go together.  Sigh.

Rosette 1

I did it!!! I know I complained all the way through making Rosette 1 and yes, it was a back breaker but now that it is done, I feel great.  Okay not my wrist, thumb and inner hand; these can feel the strain of constant hand work.

After adding the final round I feel much better about the colours too and even though some participants suggested starting with a smaller rosette first, I am glad I got this monster out of the way.

In the process I have learnt a couple of very valuable lessons to remember in the Millefiore quilt along.

Do not use scraps, you may want to repeat the fabric and/or colour later

Leave large enough seam allowances.  Because I eyeball and use the rotary cutter I’ve really left a couple of skimpy seam allowances on some shapes

Print all your blocks in as many as you need and put these in order on the design wall.  This way you can see how the shapes will flow into each other making the planning on which fabric/colour to use so much easier.

And with all of this said, I can proudly show off Rosette number 1.

DH was just as clever when it came to creating and made this neat car seat for our parrot, Meeko.  Now she looks me in the eye when we travel.

Rosette 1 –third round

Phew!.... done with this.  This is no mean feat, seriously and I admire those participants who post about their completed rosettes as if it was just another afternoon accomplishment.  Some even talk about another.  Definitely not, this will truly be one of those quilts where I’d say, been there, done that, no more!

With hubby out of town for one evening I rounded up a couple of friends for a ladies’ night and it was so much fun with a girl’s only dinner table.  Thanks to you all.

O crap

I thought I was making good progress on my Millefiori when I started sewing round 3 of Rosette 1 to the body but then just as I put the rosette on a flat surface to add the next piece, I noticed that I’ve turned the one hexagon the wrong way.  The green should have been against the second row like the first hexagon in this colour.

Unpicking, here I come!  I am however glad that I saw it when I did as I can recall a couple of quilts completely finished before I noted the mistake.

Rosette 1 –two rounds

Quilting friend, Sonja and I decided to take on this little project and I for one, didn’t have the foggiest to what I got myself in to.  I read the comments by the other participants in which they said, you don’t decide how this quilt will look, the quilt decides for you but nah…. I thought I knew better, mine would be planned and perfect…. Famous last words.

I had plenty of cat fabric and with my son and DIL in mind (cat people) I wanted to use these in the quilt.  Little did I know that my first cat kaleidoscope would turn out to form my least favourite colours and I had to build the rest of the Millefiore on that! Got to round two of my first rosette and hit a total blank.  Dreamt about the quilt, woke up at 4 am to sit and stare at fabric but nothing happened.

Took major time out and focused on something else but this was it initially looked like after 2 rounds.  One of the participants even said I should start with another rosette as number 1 is the hardest…… now they tell me!

Not relating

If anyone told me my first rosette would be in these dull colours I would have laughed at them.  These are so NOT what I am used to work with but now I understand what the other participants in the Millefiore Quilt Along meant when they say that this quilt plays with your mind.  It seems the first fussy cutting kaleidoscope determines the outcome of the rest of the rosette and I wanted to use cat fabric I had in my stash.

Enough of quilting.  This is the first weekend in 3 with DH not out of town, so I think quilting should be on the back burner for at least this evening.