I have a 9-block pillow that I made to take to the Arachne '98 get-together. I wanted something cheap in case I found something better while I was in England; I could either ditch it completely or ship the blocks home in a box. It also had to be lightweight and break down easily to fit in a smaller suitcase, and be flexible enough to handle whatever project the teacher handed out.
I skipped the whole "wood base" thing and made my base from cardboard: two lids from copy paper boxes, glued together and then I glued cotton fabric around the edges to pretty it up a bit. I could put the cardboard base in my suitcase, pack clothes under and around it, and fit the individual blocks in, wherever. I did sew the covers on the blocks, but you don't have to - pins, fabric glue or iron-on interfacing work nicely. I didn't think about it when I covered my blocks and put the main seam on the bottom, but if you put the main seam along a corner or on a side, you can make the blocks reversible and they'll last twice as long. The pillow still goes to classes and conferences and the box lid base is holding up pretty well. I used 6-inch blocks - I'd go a little bigger, next time; 18" is a bit small for some projects - but they fit my "one and only" pillow from Snowgoose, so I can put them in the bigger pillow when I need it. As for what I want most - keeping it on a personal level - I'd agree that time is my biggest wish. I'd like a lot more time to work on my lace and develop my skills. Sometimes a project sits for too long and I have to "relearn" that piece. Some evenings, it just doesn't pay to get the pillow out and set up (no room for a permanent workspace) for the hour or so I have left in the day to work on it. (Those evenings, I end up knitting, spinning, or making needlelace; or just sitting, when my brain won't function anymore.) I'd like to be more active in IOLI and our local club, but that will have to wait until I retire from the "8 - 5" life. Helen, your dream of a week alone with your lace pillows and a beautiful view is perfect. I've always imagined a cabin at the beach with a view of the surf, but that's not surprising, given our respective locations. <g> I have two projects left from classes I took last summer, and I've resolved to finish them before another class comes along or starting anything new out of my stash. Tonight, I'm going to reacquaint myself with the Bucks piece from Denver and then I'll work on it at the county fair on Saturday, another fair next Saturday, and each demo I attend until it's done. The other one is fussier - I'll work on that one at home. Back to the spreadsheets, LeAnn in Aloha, Oregon - in between the Pacific and Mt. Hood. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
