Adapting

The light of my dreams came with a couple of attachments. There's a clip to hold a pattern and a magnifying lens to help me see itty bitty details. I don't anticipate using either of them much, so I wasn't too worried when the only lens available didn't have quite the right fitting for the model I bought. I figured that either I'd work something out with the help of my local hardware store or I'd find a way to set the lens up on my worktable and do without it on the light itself. It took me a couple of days to get to the hardware store. Here's the result:

I came home with two options: each cost $1.10--no great risk there. This morning I rigged up the lens on the standing lamp. I'll test it out tonight. I have a couple of ideas of how to tweek the set up if it's not quite right. Otherwise I'll revert to plan B. I do like a bit of a challenge, especially when the stakes aren't very high.

Raffle Quilt Progress

Yesterday morning's task was to get the blocks for the Sussex Neighbourhood House Raffle Quilt ready to hand out to the people who will sew them. I started the planning for this quilt a while back, but then stalled a little. I had an overall design with interlocking friendship stars. I'd resolved the dilemma of how to piece it--valuing participation over efficiency. Last week I sat down with L and mapped out a timeline. The next thing to settle on was colours. We decided on the House colours: this blue, yellow, red-pink combo features on the mosaic facade of our building and has become our signature tune.

The quilt is going to have a scrappy look, but within this colour scheme. I picked up some paint chips from the hardware store to give people a colour reference point. We decided to ask each person to contribute blues and yellows and use a set fabric for the red colour. Luckily I had this hand-dye in my collection--just enough.
A sheet of instructions, a sandwich bag with paint chips and the hand-dyed fabric for each contributor and we're away. The Quilters' Circle met yesterday afternoon so I had my perfect opportunity to hand out the kits. A couple of the knitters who meet at the same time are also quilters, as are several of the staff, so I easily got to the target of nine blocks. Now to wait for the completed blocks to come in. Then we'll have the fun of piecing them together to make a quilt top. Meanwhile the raffle ticket team are already getting themselves organised. We're planning on selling tickets from early August and drawing the raffle at the AGM in mid-September, so the timeline is looking good.

Wall of Colour

I dropped in to the local hardware shop a couple of days ago. I'm gradually collecting the makings of a Japanese braiding stool for Kumihimo. I managed to find a set of circular hole saws, which I'm hoping will work for the central hole in the stool. Before I can try them out I need to remember where I put the wooden plate, which I've allocated for the project--things are still somewhat disorganised around here.

While I was there I stopped to pick up some paint chips: I have a collection which I use to demonstrate and experiment with colour matching. Who could resist this array: Interestingly, despite the wide variety of colours avalable, I struggled to put together a simple colour wheel of primary and secondary colours. A lot of the shades are muted and there are lots and lots of neutrals. But I did head out with a handful of colour to add to my collection.