MAGPIE'S MUMBLINGS

A blog about my interests, which include fabric landscapes and various and assorted other artsy pursuits and sometimes known to contain mumblings of a random nature.

Monday, February 27, 2023

Mourning and hexies

 I have managed to put together the center section of the hexie quilt...

Please ignore the messy background!

The wide back fabrics have both arrived - white for the background behind the hexies and a really pretty purple for the backing.  Now I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to wrestle with all that fabric in order to applique the hexies in place.  And then comes the border which is going to involve yet more wrestling and, I'm sure, a certain amount of colourful language as well.  I am DETERMINED to get 'er done though.

And yes, I'm in mourning.  I mentioned in my previous post that my well-loved and trusty Canon Power Shot digital camera was having issues.  Boud (thank you) suggested that cleaning the lens might be the problem, but alas that didn't work.  I think it's just plain worn out.  After about twelve years of pretty much daily use  I suppose it's to be expected.  Luckily Jack never uses his Nikon CoolPix so I  have one to fall back on.  Now another learning curve commences.

- Have a scroll through THESE and be prepared to be wowed!

- If you're a quilter, perhaps having one of THESE might be handy.

- HERE is a fun idea some of you might like.

- THESE made me smile.

- THIS is a really pretty afghan pattern.

- Have a scroll through all the amazing embroideries found HERE.

Here is your quote of the day..."When you've done something wrong, admit it and be sorry.  No one in history has ever choked to death from swallowing his pride"





30 comments:

  1. How lovely the centre of your hexie quilt looks.... so pretty! Have fun with the new camera!! Hugs Christine xx

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    1. I'm dreading having to figure out how to applique this part of the hexie project onto the background. Methinks wrestling yards of fabric isn't going to be the least bit fun.
      Resident Chef's camera is about the same age as mine but he's hardly ever used it so hopefully I'll get a few years out of it.

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  2. You are so talented, I'm sure you can figure it all out. The quilt is beautiful.

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    1. I've always known I hated sane quilting and this project is reminding me that I was right all along. Of course it would be my plan to make it larger than a queen size so it will entirely cover our bed to the floor....glutton for punishment I am!

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  3. You are making quick work of this hexie quilt! I feel for you about the camera. I have a red PowerShot that I used to use so much, until I got a good cell phone camera. That is a great little camera! If you lived in the US I'd send you mine so that it would have a happy new home.

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    1. My Power Shot is bright fushia pink so hard to lose it on my desk. Resident Chef's is black so I already know it will disappear in the chaos on a regular basis. I guess I have to think of a way to give it a proper funeral.

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  4. That's a long life for a digital camera! I sympathise with the learning curve for a new camera. One reason I've bought Canons at least three times running (they have a loyalty discount/free return program, by the way) is that switching to a fancy Nikon on my last job that bought me a camera for work was such a colossal pain in the neck. (Nothing against Nikon; some of my favorite film cameras have been Nikons. I think I just get bored quickly when faced with a massive User Manual.) Anyway... that quilt just gets better and better. Love it!

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    1. User Manual? There's a user manual??? Who knew! (and yes, I'm kidding). And yes, I know my trusty Canon has given me more years of service than most cameras so I really can't complain (or at least I shouldn't!).

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  5. You don't shrink from challenges! The hexie adventure is one. It's going to be wonderful. Do polishing the lens didn't do it? At least you have a fallback.

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    1. No, sadly the lens polish wasn't the problem. I was quite hopeful that it would magically work miracles, but not the case. I know I'm fortunate to have another camera that I can use.

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  6. Looking beautiful!
    Wow is right, those paper flowers are stunning.

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    1. I've never been a fan of working with paper but I must admit those flowers certainly caught my eye.

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  7. Wowza! That is going to be a beauty finished. Just a thought about your camera - assuming since it's digital that you're using an SD or some other card in it and wondering if you erase a lot of your pictures? I think they start to degrade after a certain amount of erasures and the blurriness could be from that..... if I explained that okay. I had a little Olympus point and shoot that was so convenient to use but the problem I had was the battery stopped holding enough of a charge and then the replacement started doing the same thing. So I started relying on my cell phone.

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    1. I generally erase photos as I go - otherwise it's too difficult to deal with. You could very well be right about degrading after too many erasures though but I don't know. I have another camera that is useable so I'll see how it goes with it.

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  8. Just catching up on your blog you have been busy. Loving how your hexies are coming together.

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    1. I'm just happy that I'm moving the project along. It's been hanging over my head for far too long.

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  9. Love my Nikon Cool Pix. However mine is getting pretty old now. Hopeful that it lasts a bit longer.

    Your quilt is coming along very nicely.

    God bless.

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    1. Glad you like your Nikon Cool Pix - I just have to learn the subte differences between it and my Canon.

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  10. Oh wow ...your hexie quilt is looking splendid, Mary Anne. How pretty those purple's and greens look set against the white background. I have a Nikon Coolpix and do love using it, though I must say I seem to take all my photos these days with my Oppo phone. Such a fabulous camera on the phone.....with fabulous editing capabilities.

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    1. How I wish I could ship this quilt off to you for finishing Kim. I'm at the point of wrestling with it and it's not the least bit fun. I like the hexie part of the process but now that I'm having to figure out how to actually make them into a quilt is a whole 'nother issue. Good to know you like your Nikon - hopefully I'll love this one as much as my Canon.

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  11. I have a very old (I think over 40 years old) digital Nikon. To be honest, with also owning small digital cameras, the larger Nikon sometimes sat mostly unused for years. And then I got more serious about using it. It has seen a lot more use in the last 20 years than it did in the first 20. A few years ago I couldn't get a clear picture if my life depended on it and I thought I needed to buy a new one. And now, for some reason I'm having better success with it again. I do know they wear out and I'm living on borrowed time with mine, though. I seriously dislike learning new technology. I plan to stick with Nikon whenever/if ever we replace it with a new model.

    Your hexi quilt is looking beautiful!

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    1. 40 years? That's obviously a very good camera. This little Nikon is over 12 years old but hasn't seen much use so there hopefully will be a lot of years left before I need to buy a new one. Resident Chef was happy to donate it to me because he never takes pictures.

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    2. Mary Anne, I need to correct myself and I am seriously embarrassed that I thought we'd had this camera for over 40 years. I looked it up (Nikon D5000) and saw that it was released in 2009 - which is the year we bought it. So I knew I was wrong at that point. Confused because I was sure we had taken this camera up Pike's Peak (and I dropped the lens cover - not quite over the edge of the mountain, but over a railing we weren't supposed to go beyond. For several reasons, that moment is a very distinct memory). That was in 1996. But Hub tells we didn't own a digital camera of this caliber before the one we had now. Our first camera was a nice one, but it wasn't digital. Now that I think about it, when oldest was graduating in 2007, I do remember dropping off film (or mailing it off) and getting pictures in return at that point, but I had to think really hard to remember that. The gray matter isn't what it used to be...

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    3. Wow - you didn't need to explain. And I do know all about that gray matter and what it can do (or in most cases, NOT do!).

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    4. It was actually making me kind of nuts to be so sure of something and then realize it wasn't even possible. lol Writing it out has hopefully cemented in my brain (for a while, anyway). Thanks for indulging me. :)

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    5. Can't tell you how often I've been so sure of something and then, upon investigation, discover that I was way off. So - you're in good company!

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  12. Anonymous1:55 PM

    Sherry of createology: This Hexie quilt is stunning. I like it very much! We have closed February with rain and begun March with rain. Winter has been long and very cold. I hope you and Resident Chef are cozy and warm.

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    1. At the moment I'm in the throes of hearty dislike for the hexie quilt. Wish I could wave a magic wand and have it D-O-N-E!!

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  13. OK, your new quilt design is giving me an idea to steal your method for my hexies because I'm having the hardest time adding on to square the piece. It still just comes out organic. Enjoyed visiting the sites chosen. I shared the batting roll with a friend. We buy in bulk.

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    1. You are welcome to steal my method - but it's not 'my' method actually. I found several ideas on Pinterest and am cobbling them together to make what I'm coming up with. Luckily, when it comes to batting, the lady I know who longarm quilts will supply it.

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Thank you so much for leaving comments! I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy life to talk to me. It's wonderful to know that someone is actually reading my mumblings and even more fun if I can connect with you and visit your blog.