By Jove, I Think I've Got It!!

Yes I have! I do believe I've got it!! Hello lovely lovelies♡ I have figured out the pentagon border dancing around the quilt! I know; a-m-a-z-i-n-g!! Well, I think it is, as believe you me, I am that gal whose brain shuts down at the very thought of trying to resolve anything to do with maths. And, the very thought of trying to figure out an equally distanced, curved pattern of continuous pentagons in an eye pleasing arrangement around a quilt, is quite frankly beyond me.......or so I thought. All the stars aligned! No complex multiplication. No puzzling division (remember long divison....yukkity yuk). Indeed, no addition nor subtraction entered into the equation. Just guesstimating, some good old fashioned measuring, and a little playing with groups of  pentagons until I came up with a number that would fit perfectly; kinda like my kindergarten, block building days. =) 

My brother was always the maths genius of my family. Goodness he was clever (and still is). He could in his head, multiply a four digit number by another four digit number, calculating the correct answer in less than 5 seconds. He repeatedly tried to explain his methods to me, but unfortunately my brain screamed "no comprendo"! The maths gene bypassed me. I suppose I should've paid more attention throughout high school and not be chatting and giggling with my friends at the back of the room. We four girls always fought for who would take the dubious honour of being last in our maths tests. Sadly, if I remember correctly it seemed, more often than not, to be me. Maths and me.......just a no go. Maths just always seemed completely foreign to me.

First things first. These last two weeks I hand pieced little pentagons together into sets of seven. I was going to join six pentagons together as per the wedges in the rings but didn't like the look of this so I tried seven pentagons in each section. In this instance I think odd numbers creates visual interest; but then odd numbers in assemblages and groupings  always work; it always seems to be calming to my eyes. Seven.....the perfect number! Then I worked out how many sets of pentagons it would take to fit across the quilt by placing each set next to another in a continuous row. With an approximate number I then played around with measurements to get an inkling of the distance of the pentagons from the body of the quilt. As the quilt is a square I elucidated this should be easy-ish as all sides measure the same. Elementary dear Kim; this much I remember from my geometry days. Sometimes the obvious is oblivious to me. So, so happy this quilt is not a rectangle!

To be perfectly honest I have no idea how I happened upon the correct measurement. I just kept experimenting with my ruler in hand, fiddling with the pentagons until I stumbled upon 'the distance' of the pentagons from the seam joining the body of the quilt to the border fabric; both the top and bottom; and the sides. With my ruler, I then drew four straight lines around the quilt. I then lined up the top of the 1st and 7th pentagon to the line, forming a curve; continuing this process all the way round. Another measurement was made from the drawn line to the top of the 4th (the middle) pentagon ensuring all the pentagons were in line. I know, I know, clear as mud!! =) When it came to the corners there are 14 pentagons joined together forming a wider curve. This will look fabulous when it comes to finishing the quilt and I create a scalloped edging. Surprisingly the whole process didn't take very long at all. I am agog that the process wasn't more bothersome and that the little pentagons behaved. 

So, so delighted with my Skipping Around the Garden Path quilt top. Love the scrappylicious pentagons. I love how the scalloped pentagons dancing around the border turned out. Still can't quite believe it, though. =) Now for the quilting. Not quite sure how I will quilt it. I have a few thoughts but for now I will set it aside and consider what would look fabulous. For now, I will continue quilting my Hydrangea Cobblestones quilt which is what I will be working on later this evening. 

The Winter Solstice blasted by this week and now we are on the up and up moving ever so slowly towards days that are a little bit longer with each new day. The bulbs are beginning to pop up from the freezing earth causing me to dream of a far off spring. Just dreams, as thinking that spring will come once again when I am being engulfed by blustery, wintry days can sometimes be a bit of a stretch. Today, is one of those blustery and chilly days.  Spring; such a lovely word. I know it will come; for it is written in the bulbs. =) 

Thank you for stopping by lovely lovelies♡ As always you have sprinkled sunshine into my wintry day, indeed blessing me with your sweet visit♡ May this coming week bless you and be kind to you. I fear this world is becoming less kind with each new day. I'm off to make a cup of tea and drown my sorrows, for I am feeling sad....and a little weary today. I weary of the supercilious zealots who look through the lens which are always black and white. Alas, the lens I look through have always been somewhat smudged; tinted with many varying shades of grey. I suppose, "never the twain shall meet". So, so  many ponderous thoughts swirling around and around my flummoxed head.

Anyway, I must be off as the kettle is whistling a steaming song and I feel in the mood for a ginger biscuit, or two; enjoying the warmth of the family room with sunbeams warming both my body and soul♡ Sunbeams, dancing across a room....makes for a not so fabulous happy snap, but oh, how they cheer my  heart♡

 I do hope your day is a lovely one ♡

Until the next time..................

Linking this week to Kathy's, Slow Sunday Stitching,  

Frédérique's, Quilting, Patchwork, Applique

 Cynthia at Oh Scrap

Skipping Around The Garden Path, Again♡

Hello lovely lovelies♡ Welcome to my little place, this very chilly Sunday. It was a blue-sky day, where outside the winds were a-blowing all day, but inside the sun's rays sprinkled warmth and cheeriness wherever they touched. It was one of those washing-flapping-in-the-wind, kinda days. Freezing outside but warm as toast inside.

This week I laid my pretty Tilda Chic Escape fabrics aside for a little while and picked up my Skipping Around The Garden Path quilt. The last time I chatted about this pretty I had finished all the blocks; the days were warm, the cosmos were sashaying and the dahlias were putting on a glorious show. This week I stitched all the blocks together. There were a few sunny days where  my sewing room was awash with warm sunshine, where I cosied down for many an hour soaking up all the cheery rays. It took a little while as I had to make certain the squares met exactly. When I handstitched all the wedges together, I didn't actually sew down the sides of each of the intersecting squares because when I eventually joined these together, if indeed these didn't meet perfectly, I would manipulate each one so they did. I hope to hand stitch these down later this evening (though I fear I have run out of time) when I join the other slow stitching lovelies at Kathy's place. 

I want to add a border around the outside, so I have a thought of hand stitching pentagons in a continuous arrangement skipping all the way around the edge. These pentagons will be stitched onto lengths of the slate grey fabric. I have no idea if this will work, but I will certainly give it a whirl. As I am a mathematically challenged gal I am going to make it up as I go along. Just playing yet again. So, I have covered many more pentagon EPP shapes and have begun to stitch these together in groups of six. I thought too, that this quilt would look fabulous with a scalloped edging all the way around, but of course this is jumping the gun, just a little. =) 

Now to see if what is in my muddly head can translate to lots of happy pentagons filled with scrappy loveliness, skipping around the border of the quilt. Another good-in-theory, lame brain notion perhaps?? But.....if it pans out in the end, then I will be doing a happy dance. =) If perchance it goes belly up, then at least I will have oodles of scrappy pentagons in readiness for another pretty sometime down my hand stitching path.

Hoping you enjoy a lovely week, lovely lovelies♡ Thank you for gifting my day with your lovely visit♡ May you find small joys in the ordinary of the everyday♡ See you next week........perhaps. =)

Until the next time..................

Tilda, Glorious, Tilda♡

Hello, lovely lovelies♡ Well....June 1st finally arrived! And, although here in Australia the calendar refers to this day as the first day of winter, my least favourite of the seasons, here in my little place this fact surprisingly did not cause me any alarm. No discontentment, no displeasure; indeed no regret here.  For it was the day that Tilda's new glorious collection 'Chic Escape was to be released to the world!

My good husband and my good self jumped out of bed with glee. For it was the day that he and me were to rock up at my favourite patchwork shop, before it opened, to be first in line, so that I might empty my purse and purchase metre upon metre of the glorious fabrics.  Well, I do tell a fib....just a little one, for my Pete wasn't quite as enthused to greet the wintry-like morn quite like me.  But, he did nevertheless. He even cooked breakfast for me before we embarked on our little 'adventure'. He is a good man, is My Pete. I did query a week ago that perhaps we could camp on the doorstep of the shop overnight, but to my astonishment he said, a monosyllabic, NO. Did I say last week  he and me have been strolling along the path of matrimonial bliss for 44 years? Oh dear...I wonder if we will add another year to that number?? 

Alas, we should've stayed in bed to enjoy a leisurely cup of tea because enroute to the amassing of these sumptuous fabrics, Sarah,  the lovely proprietor of my favourite patchwork shop, rang to say the fabrics were delayed and she didn't know when they would arrive. So, we diverted from our chosen course, and continued to drive down a picturesque, winding road in search for some tea and cake. There are always beautiful views to drink in, especially on the road less travelled. All was not lost. =)

So...3rd June rolled around and with word the night before that the fabrics had arrived; and much like Groundhog Day, the two of us  set off once more the very next morning to acquire some lovely Tilda pretties. As I opened the door  all the lovely bolts of Chic Escape were before me just waiting for me to choose. Good thing we arrived early though, as the lovely Sarah was busily cutting fabrics to fill online orders.  After having chosen a quite a few fabrics,  I did wonder if the EFTPOS machine would explode as the final amount spent was keyed in. Thank goodness....all was well. You American lovelies are very spoilt with the prices you pay for your patchwork fabrics.  Here in Australia we seem to pay through the nose; two and a half times what you pay. But, that's okay, as I really wouldn't want to live anywhere else but Australia these days, for so many reasons.  Also, I did wonder if Pete would buckle under the weight of all the fabrics, as we made our way to the car but again, no; all was good. So, he and me journeyed home with me petting all my lovely pretties and at intervals me exclaiming "wow....will you look at this peacock....look at this vase.....just have a gander at the roses....!". Pete just smiled and kept driving with both eyes on the road ahead. For I know he didn't want us to meet our untimely demise, just yet......at least not till I had a chance to play with my Tilda pretties.=)

Anyway, let us chat about the gorgeous fabrics that is  Tilda's Chic Escape. They are all so very chic and give the feeling of escaping into another era where grand old houses which have stood tall and strong for hundreds of years, burgeoning with antiques, chandeliers; dimpled and at places threadbare, well-used chintz-covered sofas with coordinated fabrics (chintz again) draping from 20ft high leadlight windows, puddling on the floor. The colour palette is bolder and deeper, and the patterns bigger than the Tilda fabrics we are used to. As I pet and look at these fabrics more closely, I am struck by what a clever designer Tone Finnanger is, both in pattern, obviously; but also the unexpected colour and tonal choices. Along with Chic Escape there are ditsy little flowers, Daisyfield, to coordinate with Chic Escape. They are all truly gorgeous, imparting a feeling of joie de vivre. 

There are vases with chinoserie-like patterns spilling over with flowers; peacocks strutting their stuff, with tail plumage trailing behind them as they preen amongst a background of climbing roses, and heady arrangements of blousy roses mingling with other flowers. All the patterns luxuriant, full-bodied and screaming sumptuousness. Sumptuousness, I hear you ask?? Is there such a word?? Well, there is now. =)

Now to imagine what I will fashion from these lovely fabrics?? Perhaps a few 'just because' quilts as gifts for friends. Perhaps a quilt for me.  Some to find a home, perhaps, on my quilted coat, which is at the moment just a fanciful imagination?? Oh, I most certainly can see a proud and beautiful peacock strutting somewhere on my quilted coat. I can definitely see broderie perse pretties, too. So, so many possibilities.

Oh, and about my previous words that the arrival of Old Man Winter did not cause me any discontent, nor indeed displeasure; forget it!   I was obviously not quite right in the head. The rush of blood to my cerebral region was evidently caused from excitement of the procurement of these splendiferous fabrics. Just a tad hasty, perhaps, in my nonchalance of the frigid season. Because today, Old Man Winter has blasted in, swirling and howling all around the place in a furious and frenzied manner. Huffing and puffing, and trying to blow my house down. But, thus far my little  abode is still standing upon the foundations. Heavy rain, and at times gale-force winds was my lot this Sunday. I'm surmising the  frigid fellow is settling in with the determination to stay for a long while. Not to worry. With the fires belching out fevered  heat and me playing with my Tilda pretties, perhaps 'The Big Freeze' will be tolerable.

As it is Sunday, I really should think about a little slow stitching, after all I suppose that is why I'm here. =) Truth be told my 'little' photo shoot has taken the good part of my day. I capture a photo or two in one setting, then another; with my muddly brain exploding with ideas. Now I really should pack everything away. What I need is an assistant to tidy up as I go. =) This post has really been to a showcase Tilda's Chic Escape fabrics. Later this evening I think I might begin to prepare a few hexies together from my gorgeous Tilda fabrics for the patchwork coat. Not slow stitching exactly but the beginnings of some. There surely must be a spot or two for some hexies on the coat. About this coat?? It may well turn out as one of those better-in-theory-than-in-practice kinda projects, but it will be fun playing, nevertheless. Always the eternal dreamer.  =)

Thank you for stopping by♡ Hoping you enjoy a pleasant week, lovely lovelies♡ Enjoy your Sunday. Hoping yours is a sunnier one than mine.  'Tis a good thing I took much too many happy snaps of my Tilda pretties, outside, yesterday, when there were blue skies. =)

Until the next time.........