What's the time, Mr Wolf?

In August last year, Nicky had a project published in the Fat Quarterly zakka issue (issue 18) - she made a clock (I've looked for a photo of it/blog post about it but can't seem to find one, sorry!).  She kindly sent me the canvas and clock gubbins to make my own and I've finally got round to it!


I decided to (hand) piece a hexagon block which had twelve segments so that it would be easy to tell the time.  Choosing this block also meant that I didn't need to cut a hole in the middle for the spindle - I simply stopped stitching an eighth of an inch before the centre of the block (to create a hole approximately a quarter of an inch in diameter) and, obviously, didn't do my usual circling of the intersection.  I used three 10" 'Miss Kate' squares (by Bonnie and Camille, for Moda - these were a present from a fabric fairy) and have a few small scraps left for future projects:

You can't see the central hole in this photo but it is there, just hidden by the seam allowances!

I then hand pieced a background from the remains of a fat quarter and some of the red and orange scraps left from the star:

Awful photo but most of the strip is red, with a touch of orange on the right-hand side - you can see it better in the next photo.

And then (hand) appliquéd the hexagon in place:

I covered the canvas (12" square) with a layer of Warm and White wadding (secured on the back with masking tape) and then, with the help of a friend who is the possessor of a 'straight eye' (something I wish I had!) and many, many drawing pins, it was stretched over the canvas and pinned in place on the back:

It keeps good time, once I got the 'levels' of the three handles right - at first they kept bumping into each other!

I'm really pleased with this little project which was quite quick to make (compared to some of my other projects, at least!  This was finished in just over three weeks and at least a week of that was the gap between finishing the appliqué and seeing my straight-eyed friend so I could have finished it much faster if I had a straight eye.  Or if I'd used a solid background!)

Thanks for the inspiration and necessary equipment, Nicky!


This is a finish on my Finish Along list (my list is here) and I'll be linking up with Adrianne when the time comes.

Spring is definitely on its way, isn't it?  (Although March has definitely come in like a lion...roll on the lamb!) I've been out in the garden checking on all my plants and giving them encouragement, as well as (mentally!) putting each one into one of the following categories: definitely dead/possibly dead/definitely alive/too early to tell - a little stock take, if you like!  There are fewer plants on the definitely/possibly dead list than on all the others, which is always a bonus!

I planted up several pots of spring flowering bulbs last autumn and am starting to see the fruits of my labour - these dwarf iris are definitely my favourite at the moment and I'm planning to get some more in September:

Archie had a birthday in February (he's now fifteen!) and he celebrated with a hedgehog:

 I think we're going to be good friends, don't you?  No, I'm not licking my lips.  Honest!

Now?  Can I say hello now?!

Did you say something?  No, hedgehog isn't hurt, we're just playing...

Yum yum!  Isn't this game fun, hedgehog? You like your feet being chewed, don't you?!!

I'm linking up with Lynne for Fresh Sewing Day and hope to be back relatively soon (before the month is out at the very least!) to continue with my catch up and show you the Christmas presents I made - yes, I'm that far behind with my blogging!!

Thanks for popping in!