75% chance of failure due to mush brain

I think the lockdown is affecting my brain.  I am slowly sewing my 204 half-square triangles into four panels for the Giggleswick Mill quilt. Each square has four possible orientations so I have a 25% chance guaranteed of getting it right.  The two side panels were straightforward: 14 rows of three blocks each.  I laid the stacks on my ironing surface in order, sewed each row, then sewed the rows into a panel. The top and bottom horizontal rows are three rows of 20 triangles each (60 altogether in each panel), with three columns being orientated differently to the remaining 17 columns (so that they match  the side panels). 

I set off confidently, partly on autopilot, I have sewn many stacks of blocks together before this.  After sewing 20 or so, I suddenly realised that I had just been blindly adding the next square without looking at the orientation properly and it was all a jumble.  Unpicking number one.

Much smarter now, and congratulating myself on remembering that the last three columns are orientated differently, I sewed together 51 squares into the three rows.  Then I looked at the picture in the book and realised it should have been the first three columns in a different orientation, and there was now no way to re-orientate my 51 squares.  Unpicking number two (which took much longer and included accidentally ripping one square so badly that I had to replace it).

I now proceeded very carefully, and even pinned an HST upside down on my pincushion so that I could check the orientation of each square before seaming it right sides together with the previous square.  I sewed together about 27 squares, then discovered that while I had the top row correctly orientated, I had managed to not only reverse the next two rows, but had even managed to twist some of the blocks in those rows. More unpicking. By now I feel like a cretin.  And each time I unpicked I had to be careful to get the squares back into their correctly ordered stacks, and the squares were getting more stretched. 

Propping the book picture directly in front of my sewing machine, and holding each square in turn to compare it to the book AND the preceding square, I slowly managed to sew all 60 squares correctly, then into a panel.  Sigh.  I used to be good at this. And I still have the fourth panel of 60 to sew.

The saying 'use it or lose it' is thrown around a lot and I think that's what is happening: my brain is turning to mush through lack of daily challenges like navigating a commute or dealing with work issues.

I forgot to blog a knitting finish from a few weeks ago, which is the mini-skeins hearts hat.  I have now added a pompom.  I'm still trying to decide if I want to knit wristers to match.

I finished the first of the nine cross stitch houses and have started on the adjoining one. And I needle tatted a little star. I'm still having trouble with the tension on the needle tatting, it just seems to be coming out floppier than shuttle tatting and therefore harder to get sizes of rings and chains to match properly.  The first pic is just after finishing, floppy and wobbly.

 The second pic is after giving it a squirt of starch and ironing it dry.

I can't decide if I like needle tatting or not. It definitely seems easier in concept than shuttle tatting, but I'm not very happy with my results so far, I guess I need more practice.

I spent a few days this week sewing together a gift made from a printed panel, which I posted on Thursday.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed my trip to the post office, my first since the lockdown, It felt like such a normal thing to do and I even enjoyed eyeing up the stationery and giftware while standing in the socially-distanced queue. Will hopefully post some blog photos next week.  And I've started another Chinese dollshouse kit - this one makes a cute little house that fits inside a glass globe.

My procrastinating job this week has been to learn how to do three-cornered stitch to create a hexagonal centre for the Bucks Lace doiley that I made last year.  After practicing on some scrap fabric, I have carefully stitched a hexagon with a finished edge using some fine hankerchief cotton which hopefully will turn out to be the correct size.  It's drying at the moment after a little wash.  If it is the right size then I will sew the lace edging onto it.  If it is too small then I will have to try again.

The garden is looking really nice now with several things in flower. I wandered around with the camera and snapped some shots.

Yesterday was VE Day with scaled down celebrations. We really enjoyed a documentary on Channel 5 called 'VE Day: The Lost Films' which included several home cinefilms shot by amateurs at the time, some of them using colour film.  Somehow seeing it in colour just made it seem so relevant and real, with people just like you or I enjoying parties and street dances. It won't be like that when the lockdown is lifted, people will still be scared about infection.  The PM is supposed to make an announcement tomorrow about relaxing slightly some of the restrictions, I am interested to see by how much. It feels too early for any widescale relaxation and I'm not expecting mine or DS's offices to re-open, for example.

I'm going to venture out the shops again tomorrow as we are running low on food, hopefully it won't be too busy and I can keep well away from other shoppers (although there is always one isn't there who is completely oblivious).  Hope you are managing to keep stocked up.