Tag Archive

I believe that social media can be a powerful tool for people who can use them properly. Me, I’m handicapped in a couple of ways, mainly due to the fact that (a) I don’t have anything original to contribute, which makes it less likely that any of my me-too posts will find a fan following and (b) I’m not actually a very social person, meaning I find it difficult to make small talk or fluently praise in public, therefore there will be no reciprocal chat or praise coming my way either. I honestly find it difficult to make my Twitter feed quantitatively different from my Instagram feed, for example. What could I possibly say in 140 characters that one picture cannot convey effectively?

Currently, however, I’m being dutifully prolific on Instagram, as I am doing two sew-a-longs (or block-a-longs). I blogged about the HST (half square triangle) sampler a couple of posts ago, and then a new one began on the 17th August, based on a book by designer Tula Pink, which has a hundred different 6″ blocks. The small size is daunting, but I hope to get them done. I’m always looking for external sources of discipline, as I have none within me. The pressure to post a block every day will hopefully make sure I make something every day.

I am a couple of blocks away from catching up with the HST sampler. Here is a collage below of the eight I finished since I last posted on the subject.

They are, clockwise from top left, Pointed, Intersection, Diagonal, Faceted Stripe, Starshine, Rockpool, Turnstile and Introspection.

I’ve been trying to stay faithful to the designer’s colour palette in this sampler, while in the 100 blocks, I have a different palette in mind and only hope I can be true to it over the entire sampler. Working from stash within the constraints of its size and my own fabric, colour and pattern prejudices means choosing a pleasing and effective range for each block is quite challenging. I have a feeling those of you who follow my progress must be quite familiar with most of my fabric stash already, seeing as so much of it seems to occur again and again in whatever I do.

I do think I am learning from my endeavours, even if in minute amounts given my  mental capacity and aptitude. Old dogs and all that.