Progress is starting to show

And so it goes that Diamond Hill block 4 is complete! Hurrah!

applique stitched down - time to make basket fabric auditions

I finished stitching it yesterday for Slow Sunday Stitching. It's not really that slow, as there is not anywhere near as much stitching and preparation to do as there is on these Secret Garden blocks.

The next instructions for DH are issued in a week, and I am guessing that it will be cutting and machine piecing together the first four blocks to make the quilt centre.

All I have left to do is one little circle on block 2. I took it out the other night, but I thought I'd made it too small. When I went to remake it tonight, I couldn't see where I had put the fabric I wanted to use. Well then! Next task! It will turn up, or I will look again in daylight and see that the circle I appliqued is actually fine.

This morning I tried to print out block 4 of Secret Garden on my home printer. I bought an inkjet printer late last year, so it's fairly new. And I've already purchased all the inks again in the last month (over $100), and still the black ink won't work. That's it, I've googled and searched and read all the nonsense. For all the time and muddling around I could have bought a laser printer for printing black only, for about $59, and the toner is only about $60. It prints around 700 sheets. That turns out to be about 8 cents a page, plus the cost of the paper. So it's actually cheaper to go to Officeworks to print the pages out at 8 cents a page including paper. It's just the petrol to get there. In the end, it's probably cheaper to have a printer at home, and more convenient.

adapting Esther's pattern

For the moment, I will go to Officeworks every 2 weeks as Esther's new applique patterns are released, and when our spacious new home is built next year I will have plenty of room to maintain a laser printer.

This morning I printed out Secret Garden 4 at Officeworks, then enjoyed some sit down time working out how I am going to adapt the pattern to suit the Wonderland theme I've added to the previous three blocks.

adding Wonderland eccentricities

Lastly, this evening, I've prepared the last applique pieces (tiny circles) to stitch onto Secret Garden block 3. They should be stitched on tomorrow, no worries. Then there's the quote from Alice in Wonderland to stitch on (where has my redwork and embroidery hoop gone? I took it somewhere.. maybe it's under a car seat or down the back of the couch.. hmm... ) I think by Wednesday's social sewing class I will be up to preparing applique pieces for SG4, even if the quote isn't stitched on yet.