March Block, HIve 6

March, the month for mad hares, and my block for Katie almost sent me mad. Not Katie's fault at all, I quickly add, but my fault entirely. Katie, who blogs at karma willow designs and is on instagram as @karmawillow asked us for a Wanta Fanta block. No, I'd never heard of it either. Katie is taking part in two bees and as her times as queen bee are close together, decided to multi task and ask both bees for the same block. As the quilt is for her husband, she wanted the white and colours reversed.

The block is made up of 4 smaller blocks, 2 x 9 square blocks, made into snowballs, and 2 paper pieced blocks made up of 4 small individual blocks. Although I have foundation pieced before, and   I am no expert, I have enjoyed it. And, I love English paper piecing my Liberty fabrics. This did however really fox me. I see from another bee's blog post, Cheryl, she struggled with it too. Tracey and Katie herself came to my rescue on ig. The problem was in the printing. I had printed the pages "to size" rather than at 100% so this means the templates are a smidgeon smaller. This explained why my finished 4 block came in at 1/4" smaller. Now, 1/4" is nothing really over 4 blocks but, when joined to the next block 1/4" is a helluva lot. In this case size is very important!

So, I had a solution, but I didn't really. My printer is a photographic printer and it wouldn't cooperate. Last week was so, so busy and I didn't get the chance to visit my local library to reprint. One reason why I shouldn't have left work! So, I tried to enlarge each square a tiny amount to keep to the finished 3.5" individual blocks. But, the points don't quite match. Like the ballerina, I tried and tried to get the points but this was the best I could manage Katie.

I hate to admit defeat.

Next month it is my turn to be Queen Bee. And for once in my life I'm organised. Practice square is sown and tutorial is written. Its fun, I hope. Bright, I hope. The excitement is mounting ....

As Katie had requested purple, I have included my favourite poem, "Warning" by Jenny Joseph.

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.