More Blockheads

My classes have been a frustration for me lately, and I hope you won't mind if I moan about it for a bit. (If you want to skip the moan and get straight to the quilting, scroll down about 4 paragraphs.)

The switch from face-to-face teaching to "alternate delivery systems" has frustrated me to no end for the past two weeks.

And it's not the coronavirus I'm frustrated about, although that is certainly the cause. My frustration is more with myself for being so dense about technology that I am unable to complete tasks that should be quite simple. Whereas some people have a natural aptitude for figuring it out, I can do that to a point, and then I come up against something that completely stymies me. At that point, I have spent untold hours - yes, hours - trying to figure it out.

I have definitely spent more time on my classes in switching over than I would have had we been doing things the normal way. I have done it for so long, I was on auto-pilot.

Okay, end of moan. I really do want to learn all that cool technology, and would be a willing student. I have made progress and have done some neat-o things: used some new programs, participated in virtual meetings, had a personal video chat with someone from the campus labeled a "super-user." Talk about natural aptitude! Gracious! But he is a good teacher, patient and helpful.

Now on to sewing. I continue to focus on single blocks for sew-alongs that I'm doing. Blockheads 1 from back in 2017 were all 6-inch blocks, and all I did at the time was to print out all the weekly patterns. I decided when BH3 started that I would do the corresponding weekly block of BH1. Good plan, but I have been hit or miss as far as executing it

Here are two blocks I made this week. The fabrics are from a variety of lines by French General.

The week 5 block is a Lisa Bongean creation, and we know she loves tiny pieces. This was no exception. I starched the fabric before cutting and I'm sure that saved me lots of headaches. I still had to "unstitch" some bits - and it wasn't because of the pieces being tiny. It was my fault in not trimming each unit to the correct size. All 4 of those corner units should have been trimmed; I did not, and the result was sad, to say the least. I removed the corners, trimmed them to the proper size, reattached and now I am a much happier gal.

The week 8 block is from Betsy Chutchian. Still small pieces, but fewer of them. My seam ripper and I got friendly again, because I cut the two side rectangles a half-inch too short. I love this block, and would make a whole quilt of them. Basket quilts have always been pleasing to me, but - all those triangles!

I'm growing a bit antsy. All the sew-alongs I am attempting to do have me wishing for a "right now" project. I want to sew a whole quilt, not individual blocks for the next however-many-weeks. Sampler quilts are nice, but getting to the end takes awhile. I need to see some finishes!

 Now you know how I am weathering the coronavirus pandemic. We are staying relatively secluded; drive over to Frankfort to walk the bike path; take drives; watch The Great British Baking Show binge-fashion on Netflix. I'm listening to a book when I sew, but sewing gives over to teaching far more often than normal, so the both the book and the stitching take a back seat.

Ah, well, my troubles are miniscule by most standards. I hope everyone is staying safe and being smart about distancing!

Happy Quilting, Friends!