Anael....so sweet of you making a quilt for your friend. Everyone always feels so helpless in situations like these. I'm sure he appreciate your gesture and it I'll definitely be used. Your a kind soul!

Laurafet - Looking forward to your joining in on showing off some blocks! Hope things go well with your moving around. Teen - sounds like you are moving to just the right place. So glad you'll have some folks there with this common interest. Macybaby - I love the quilt you are currently working on. Anael - is quilting truly not a popular hobby in your country? I'm always interested to see the different countries represented as I peruse quilting boards & forums, but it's hard for me to get a perspective of how widespread it is in any one particular country.

Here's this weekend's work. I messed around with Love in a Mist (G-1) quit a bit, am going to unsew it and redo it. I get a little frustrated with the templates. I've found they are generally 1/8" too small, so add that as I cut, but then on some this is not the case and the block ends up too big, as happened on the one before G-1. So I cut G-1 according to the template and of course it finished at 6". Back to the drawing board on it.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]593803[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]593804[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]593805[/ATTACH]

Oh wow DonnaPea!! Y seams!!! Perfect!!
I don't see any templates for G1? I agree it's not an easy block!

We do have quilters here in The Netherlands. Like Teen I'm not much of a club person so I don't know if there is a guild here. Of all the people I know there's only one who once made a wall hanging......:D That's about it. Some do comment on my work, telling me I'm not a real quilter as I do everything on my sewing machine and not by hand. Of course these ladies do not quilt themselves.

donna- those are looking good!

I used the templates to get the finished measure, then added my seam allowance to get my cutting measure. I think doing it that way, my cuts and sewing matched up. I have had problems if I use the templates like pattern pieces, maybe I normally cut a bit wider than 1/4" on how I line up my rulers and don't do that when I use a template. Who knows, but normally my sewing and cutting work together well.

Anael - sounds like you have quilt police over there too - even if they are not quilters! I know that my Grandmothers adopted use of sewing machines as soon as they could, and have no doubt that if they had been around and affordable earlier in history, we'd see less hand stitched quilts. there was a time when all sewing was done by hand, and no one says "your not a real dressmaker" because you don't draft your own pattern and sew it by hand.

In reading the history of sewing machines, I find it interesting that while some thought it would put a lot of sewests out of business because one person could now make what 10 did before, that did not happen.

When clothing prices came down and more were available, people bought more. I read about people having only a few outfits, and maybe one Sunday garment for the entire year. My house was built in 1875, without closets. The original homesteaders to this area would not have needed areas just to put clothing in. We don't have the history like Europe has, and I bet large closets weren't the norm for the average person there either.

And when you start looking back, it's fun to read about laundry day and other things were took up major amounts of time and effort that we do with machines now. There was a time when you needed at least one adult just to take care of clothing (making and cleaning), cooking and preserving food.

Oh yes, we do have them here too and the non quilting kind is the worst. They told me........back in the days.....all was done by hand.....and I asked.....do you have a car or a bike even? Because back in the days they didn't have cars or bikes...haha! I know once there were sewing machines quilters used to sew at least one visible seam with the machine so people could see they own one.

When I was a child we had 2 pairs of trousers, a few cardigans and one Sunday garment which was never worn during week days. So we didn't need large closets. I don't know if we even had them, I can't remember.
My mom started doing laundry on Sunday night and finished ironing on Wednesday. No vacuum cleaner, only one tap with cold water, no shower, nothing! And it was totally normal.

Hi - I just want to thank you all for the enquiries re my hip operation, which was done on Friday 20th April. I was in some pain ( but not anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be ) for a few days, but I am getting around with the crutches and can do the stairs ok. One of the worst things are the TED stockings - really hard to change them ! I went with my DH to take our Grandson home from school this afternoon - which was my first journey out since I came out of hospital, and it was so nice to get out of the house for a while !! I am following this thread never the less and some really lovely blocks and projects being shown. I hope to get up to one of my groups on Wednesday morning - it will be so nice to see some of the girls !!
Thank you all once again and I am sorry not to have answered earlier ! Hugs, Dot.

YEAHHHHHHHHH Dotty!!!! Great to see you again! I'm glad you're doing well.
We don't use those TED stockings here, we have to have daily shots during 4 weeks after surgery to prevent blood clots.
Being able to go out of the house is great, you need that! Change of scenery :)

Thanks Anael, I am taking a tablet - similar to the shots, for 35 days plus the Teds, but I know it is all for my own health ! Hope all ok with you !

Yes I'm fine, thank you for asking. Maybe you read in this thread I have a damaged nerve in the lower abdomen. Nothing to be worried about, it might go away again - or not.

I hated those shots, I was happy when the 28 days were over.

Donna....your blocks look wonderful. The purple is one of my fav of yours so far.

Dotty....good to hear you are up and about. I remember a ride to the super market was exciting. Lol.. Sounds like you are healing and recovering nicely.

Anael....I'm relieved to hear you are of like minds with me regarding guilds/groups. They are a good fit for some and not for others. I'd rather have a weekend sewing with you guys at my house. Now, that I would love to do.

Macybaby....your memories brought many back for me. My mother made most of our church clothes and I was the 3rd owner of many garments. I remember that I took my first paycheck when I started working at age 14 and bought a new pair of jeans....which went to my little sister when I could no longer wear them. Lol!

Well, I have officially run out of craft projects. I finished everything I brought with me. May just run down to the LQS and buy another applique kit. Lol....