C’est la Vie

This is all I have to show after spending a great day at the annual Craft & Quilt Fair last week. Yes, I did remember to take my camera and yes, I took lots of photos of some beautiful quilts which featured in two quilt challenges – True Blue and Lest We Forget in honour of the Gallipoli landing, as well as demonstrations and workshops. Unfortunately, after downloading them onto my (new) laptop, it decided that it would not turn on the next morning and I had to take it back to the shop – for the third time! Too bad I so efficiently deleted the photos from my camera after downloading.

So the good news is that I was given a store credit to replace my laptop (a different brand this time!) but the bad news is that I lost all my data.

As if that wasn’t enough, I just purchased a new washing machine in the last few days and used it for the first time yesterday. The first load went through perfectly; unfortunately it broke down on the second load, which then got rewashed about 4 times while I tried to get the water to drain out, which it refused to do. Result – a very clean laundry floor and a new washing machine being delivered tomorrow.

They say these things happen in three’s …… can’t wait to see what happens next!

Fun with Bias Binding

I’ve been umm-ing and arr-ing about purchasing a Simplicity Bias Tape Maker for ages, and after seeing it on special recently, decided to go ahead – and I am so pleased I did.

Apart from the fact that I find it very difficult to resist a gadget, this little machine works very well and I was delighted with perfect bias binding in a matter of minutes when I tested it out.

So of course, the next question was – what to make! I couldn’t wait to get started and luckily happened across a blog called “Made by Loulabelle”. Verity has many excellent tutorials but the one which caught my eye was the Knitting Needle Roll which had some bias binding on it – perfect! I highly recommend you visit this site – the tutorial was very easy to follow and I was so pleased with the result that I made a second one for my friend so that she could store her knitting needles as well. (So much nicer than the annoying plastic container that I had been using.)

Knitting Needle Rolls

As for the binding machine, I have seen mixed reviews but I am more than happy with my purchase. The 1″ tip is standard and is what I used for my project. It produced the narrowest binding in the photo below which has been pressed in half. Very easy to insert the strip into the tip if you cut the fabric on an angle.

Various other tips are available separately, and I tried out the 1-1/4″ tip. Unlike the narrow tip (and because I didn’t read the small print on the packet) I didn’t realise until I tested it, that this wide tip only folds the fabric in half; so you have to insert the strip into the side of the tip, which is a bit fiddly but so worth it when you think how much binding you need for a quilt, and this machine does it very quickly with a press of the button. So much easier than trying to create bias tape perfectly with the iron – gotta be worth the price just to have no more burnt fingers!

Simplicity Bias Tape Maker

This post is dedicated to my friend, Maria, who was the inspiration for the Knitting Needle Roll. Thank you for providing me needles and yarn so that I could knit a scarf on the trip back home from Sydney.

At Sea

Thur, June 6

We have now had four sea days since leaving Langkawi and it is quite scary how one day leads into another when we are not really doing much!

Still keeping to some sort of exercise regime with the excellent gym as well as line dancing and Zumba. Alex is in a trivia team and we try to get the day started with a visit to the pool and walk the stairs as much as possible instead of taking the lift.

Craft activities are on every day which I have enjoyed very much as well. So far I have done origami and have made gift boxes, bags and baskets, a bookmark and dimensional art. I would never have thought of using pistachio shells to make a flower for decoration, so I am getting lots of new ideas.

The lady who does all these wonderful projects is an American lady, Shirley and her husband, Dale. They have been teaching craft on ships for the past 20 years! She had to bring all her own supplies and manages to teach us something new in about an hour or so. A couple of the projects have been carried over to Day 2. A great concept and they do such a wonderful job.

I think I have only had two cocktails and one breakfast of pancakes, maple syrup and bacon so doing well so far. The food is excellent.

Yesterday we had a piracy drill which basically meant that we had to all go to our cabins when we heard the ship’s bell, and wait there with the door propped open and curtains closed until instructed. I have noticed extra security around the decks and the fire hoses and LRAD (long range audio device I think) at the ready in case any unknown craft approaches us.

Last night we passed Cape Comorin on the southern most point of India. Today we continue up the west coast of India and tonight we will pass the coast line of Goa as we make our way to Mumbai.