Corrugated Tweed

I have spent very available moment this week quilting large rectangles of wool tweed that will be cut into triangular shapes to form sections for the round yurt roof. I press-ganged Tania into helping me cut and piece the sections that were not long enough into stripey sections. The tweed was not particularly co-operative as it tends to stretch alarmingly. I had just enough backing fabric and not quite enough of the industrial strength wadding that is so bristly that it could be used to make pot scrubbers. I managed to piece a bit of reject poly wadding and some extra fluffy stuff for the last section. I am so glad that I suddenly decided to quilt all of the roof sections the same in long straight lines using the channel locks. Well, they are quite straight – there is the odd wobble and they not all exactly the same distance apart. The overall effect is fantastic, just like sheets of corrugated iron that are used on so many old farm buildings or the quilted outfits that I have seen photos of Mongolians wearing to keep out the wind. It is as if I made the decision consciously bearing all of these design features in mind...I have realised that I need to start jotting down interesting vocabulary if I want to write a serious book about the project with lots of pretentious references and arty-farty statements. Despite having a foul cold, I kept slogging on with the roof pieces and should have the whole lot done by the end of Monday. I treated my cold with lots of red wine and a Cadbury's Crème Egg, contrary to the Government healthy-living advice. According to the Government's latest campaign about women drinking too much wine, I will be dead soon so I'd better make sure that I enjoy life while it lasts!

I only had one outing this week to the Farm Supplies Store where I bought a new, galvanised poultry drinker and a sack of dog muesli. I ordered a box of thread over the Internet and wondered if I should plan an outfit to wear when I am interviewed for British Patchwork & Quilting Magazine. I don't want to look like an overweight 40+ quilter who lives in jeans and a woolly sweater – I want people to think that I'm really trendy. If I do get dressed up to have my photo taken I will have to get changed straight afterwards because I will just feel uncomfortable and cold.

I had no success with "Furniture @ Work" refunding my money for the office screen so now I have written an official letter that requires a response within 14 days or I will refer my complaint to Trading Standards – it is all such a waste of my precious time! Another time wasting exercise will be phoning Dell to complain about my new and broken wireless mouse. I have changed the batteries, reinstalled the software and shaken it but it is still not talking to the computer. The Podcast microphone has arrived along with a huge manual in several languages. I will have to find time to figure out how to operate yet another gadget and its associated editing software. I have a nasty feeling that there is a Parent Council meeting at my children's school this week; as Chairperson I really should go over the paperwork and make some overdue phone calls beforehand.

Perhaps Spring is on its way...the snow has been melting at last and a new Boiler Man came and replaced yet another part of the boiler so the house no longer reeks of kerosene fumes. George the Builder came to discuss taps for the ancient workshop sink that has never had running water. But The Farmer and the Bus Driver still reckon that there is a threat of snow over the next few weeks. I have had a couple of clients call and ask why their quilts have not been finished - they had forgotten that I said I wouldn't be doing anything apart from the yurt until after May.

I have decided that I will try to piece one more yurt panel with equilateral triangles since I have had a revelation over the Shrinking Dutch Triangles. I now know exactly how to join them together without losing the points but I had re-cut some of the Dutch triangles using the smaller, metric template and still have lots of them in an imperial size. Instead of dealing with them and making them all match, I have packed them back into their brown envelope and shut the drawer for a day when I have nothing else to do.

 

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