How Do You Make a Greek Cross?

Simples, call him a Block!

As I have said a few times I am sewing with Aqua, Grey and Orange as a challenge, I am also working my way through Tula Pink,s book City Sampler and learning a great deal as I go. The first thing that I learnt was that the ruler I was using was the wrong size for my little cutting board, I was doing these in Wales so took my smallest board. The second was that on such small pieces my 1/4" seam left a lot to be desired!! I blame the foot!!

I decided to just Carry On Regardless and not bother to trim any of the blocks after all I was using scraps and off cuts of fabric that I did not much care for. Bad Pam all fabric is good, I have to get it in the right combination.

Here is some of my work along side the images from the book

See how wonky my seams are, mind you they have not been pressed yet, notice also that in my haste I left grey out, no idea how that happened.

I would like this more with a lighter orange I think.

Wonky seam strikes again, that middle square does not fit in.

I quite like this one so when I found that I needed to make a 12 1/2" block in these colours I decided to scale it up

Not impressed but it was a dummy run, That will be me who's the dummy.

I did this because I am in the next round of a 12 1/2" block swap and I have been given the same person to make for as the last round, as she is also the Swap Mama I guess she liked my Dutchman's Puzzle block. 

This is where the Cross Greek comes in.

This is my version of the Greek Cross Block, I have used much softer shades in this and although the orange is still dominant there is not too much of it. I like this but just in case my recipient does not I will make it up in brighter fabrics and send both, from cutting to pressing the finished block took 20 minutes so an extra one is not going to hurt me.

I am going to keep working through my book until I run out of one of the colours, then I will lay the blocks out and sash them, I hope to get a quilt out of it which will be donated to a local charity, provided that it is good enough. I would not give shoddy and sloppy work away.

Here is the bolder version and I quite like it but not as much as the first, I gave them both a good pressing and then checked the size.................... Rats, Rats and double Rats, they are both 1/4" too small. I checked my 1/4" seams, all fine so it must be the initial pattern measurements, they obviously require a scant seam but did not say so. I really could not be bothered to do the math so made a complete new block.

A Pinwheel block  and this I do like and it measures 12 1/2" , as I was cutting I cut most of these fabrics up and have these plus some scraps.

These just need sewing together.

Last but not least there are 4 of these.

I enjoyed my sewing but am still miffed about the small blocks, I am going to put borders on them and turn them into cushions, no idea where they will go but go they will.

I needed to look at something restfull, this is the river that runs through Cardigan.

And this is Kaitlyn having a little rest while we walked round the shops.

That,s better, much more calm and relaxed, I was getting a bit uptight over those blocks.

We had some of the Bacon Chops for dinner yesterday, I soaked 2 in some cold water for an hour then diced them up. I diced 3 sticks of celery, 1 green pepper and 1 brown onion and sweated them in a drizzle of oil, I chopped 4 cloves of garlic and 1 deseeded green chili and added them and cooked for another 3 minutes or so. Then I put in the bacon, 4 skinned and diced tomatoes, 1 1/2 pints of veg stock and a sprinkle of mixed herbs from the garden. In to the slow cooker, on high, for 3 hours, make up herby dumpling mix, AP, and put in the pot for 30 minutes. Shredded some spring greens and steamed them for 15 minutes, job done.

When we finished eating the slow cooker went on again with a massive beef casserole, both meat and veg came out of the freezer, this cooked away while I pottered about. The casserole will do at least 3 meals for us, 1 with potato, 1 in a large Yorkshire Pudding each and 1 in a pie. There may well be a portion for Francesca to have as a packed lunch.

She takes a lunch and a flask of tea every day and for months her 2 colleagues have gently mocked her, this week she returned to work to find that both of them have a lunch and a flask. They did the math and were spending £50 a week on food, tea and coffee each. That is my weekly budget.

Sorry, that was my budget, I am aiming at £10 per week for a while.

Enough already.

Reasons to be grateful.

1. My groaning full larder and freezers.

2. Our plans for the future.

3. Ben, settled down and playing again.

4. Michael, just for being.

5. Waking up to another glorious day.

Now I have to put my laundry out and take Ben for another walk.

         

                                                  TTFN        Pam