New Stamp

Over the weekend, I carved a beetle out of a white rubber eraser piece. I used an exacto knife and did it kind of quickly, with Halloween, it was a busy time but this is small and the general outline of a beetle is easy for me so I grabbed a minute or two and did it. I didn't get to try it out until last night, in my sketchbook. I got a design I wasn't expecting because the eraser had light imprints of the logo (I think) scattered over the flat surface of the eraser. It came out like dots on a ladybug!! Usually weird things that "Go Wrong" are problematic, but this worked out great. I don't know yet if the dots will show if I stamp on fabric, but they are great with a stamp pad on paper. Very cool. I wonder if I can use it on the header of this blog? I have wanted to put a few bugs in the grass near the dandelion, this one might be just right. I will spend some time trying to figure this out, watch for the new critter to appear!!!

More on the Round Robin

So I was all ready to work on the round robin, knew what I was going to do, and then I measured it so I could cut the for the round I was adding. It is beautifully pieced, nice and flat, and I thought about a 12 inch finish. Nope, 12 inch cut. This changes all the math, anything I piece needs to end up 11 1/2 inches finished. Not many units that are easy to measure on a quilting ruler work with that, so I need to change my plan. I think I will make templates from the diamonds she used, and work with that size, perhaps adding a thin sash with cornerstones to bring the finished size to something that will make it easier on the next person. After talking to several people doing this project ( in other Groups ) I think the challenge feels like a bit much for some of them. Perhaps a session by the committee on Round Robin ethics and etiquette would have been helpful. Using a round robin to eliminate poorly made or measured blocks isn't a fair thing. I can handle it, but I know that not everyone would be able to do something nice with that. If the block was far enough off that you rejected it from the project or abandoned it totally then you should not pass it to someone else in this context. The object of this kind of project is not to have someone else fix your work. ( apparently, a number of people have used reject blocks for the centers ) Sorry about the rant. I have taken this a a challenge and an idea is formulating, I will post a photo when I get my round on it. Now I must get back to the drawing board - literally.