Work in progress – the Justtakes2 quilt

So these days I am working on a mystery red and white quilt from http://justtakes2.com/about-the-quilt/

The quilt started on New Year’s day and new blocks come up every 1st and 15th.

Though, mine is not a red and white quilt! I saw this grey printed poplin fabric in Jodhpur in December end and bought 6 metres of it as I thought it would team up well with the indigo blues that I have. Then, I came across this red and white quilt and thought red and grey would be good combo too. So out came an old south cotton dupatta and we were on our way.

Very soon, dawned the realisation that the difference in weights of fabric was not working too well. So, had to buy some red poplin. Anyways, here are my blocks. One to be completed today, and I am ready for the next lot coming out tomorrow.

I shall upload some photos in my next post – there is some prob in getting them all in!

Block 17 - Broken Heart

Block 16 Pine Burr

Block 12- Rocky Mountain Chain (renamed Diamond in the Rough) Joined incorrectly so does not justify its name!

Block 14 -Pinwheel

Block 15 The Basket

Block 11 - The Schoolhouse - renamed Quilt House (a little bit of work needs to be done on this one)

Block 7 Friendship Ladder

Block 13 - Flying Geese (Renamed Heading North)

Block 4 All’s Square Block

All my blocks! As on 29th February

Half my blocks

Patchwork of my life…sew many colours

I discovered patchwork while in college. The college  bookstore had a fascinating book called “All about patchwork” and I saved money to buy that. It was a princely amount of Rs.15 in an era when an orange bar was 25 paise and a choc bar was Rs.1.25. ( i still have the book – it needs a lot of patchwork, though – and some pages are missing) Scraps were not much of a problem as most of us stitched our own clothes.

I immediately launched on a grandmother’s flower garden hexagon quilt, cutting up paper hexagons, tacking them on to the patches, whip-stitching them together. I had about 20 double rosettes ready in two years and then I got impatient! so I joined them together – and made a bedspread.

For my son – translating the poem into English:)

GAMES ON A WINTER MORNING

Early on a winter morning,

Young rays of the sun

March into my house

To have a lot of fun!

Without e’er an invite,

Through the bare window

They clamber down my bed

And scamper over my floor.

In a game of make-believe,

They pretend to be my furniture.

Suddenly they stop in their tracks

And preen in front of the mirror.

They creep under my sofa.

And in their faces bright,

I spy a collection of dust,

Hiding from my sight!

Giggling, they run to find

Every dirty nook in my room,

Getting in my way, as I

Go looking for my broom.

They visit my dining table glass

To draw  patterns of  my chair.

Before you can even blink

They are dancing everywhere!

Now, this really is the limit!

Using  my chair as a ramp

Some climb  on to the ceiling

Disguised as a lamp.

 They chuckle, having fooled me

Let them snigger all they will.

They’re welcome to my house

For it is winter, still!

But,  when summer comes,

Let no one have any doubt.

With thick curtains and blinds

I will shut them out!

 (And then it goes all philosophical – but forget that!)

Dhoop Chhaon – and some tukbandi

Dhoop Chhaon 

                                                                   

Subah subah sooraj ki kirane

Tamaasha bahut dikhaati hain

Beparda khirrki paakar  bekhauff

Mere aangan  mein aati hain.

Fursh par itthlaati kaheen 

Mez kaheen kursi ka roop banaati hain

Kabhi almaari ke sheeshe mein apni

Chhabi dekh itraati hain.

                                 

 

Khaane ki mez ke kaanch par

Kya kya design banaati hain

Aur sofe ke neeche ghuskar

Safaai yaad dilaati hain!

 

Ab to ye ati hui!

Chhat par chaddh

Kaisa swaang rachaaya hai

Shaayad light jal rahi hai, mujhe

Aisa bhram dilaaya hai. 

Kuchh din ki manmaani ye,

Karlo tumko jo karna hai

Abhi to sardi ke din hain

Tumse hum ko kya darna hai!

Achha lagta ye kel tumhaara 

Har adaa tumhaari bhaati hai

Kuchh din ki ye hath-kheli,

Jaldi hi garmi aati hai.

Dhoop-chhaon ki tum hi karta,

Tumne shaayad bhulaaya hai,

Aaj apnaaya, kal bisraaya

Is jagki yeh hi maaya hai.

Hum bhi, parde mote daalkar,

Tumse bachnaa chaahenge

Narm ho tab tak achhi lagti

Varna aankh churayenge…

(This poem has been published in the Devanagari script too. An English translation can be read here.)

Logic

Cliched as it may sound, it really IS difficult to begin.

So let me begin by explaining the logic behind calling this blog betukbandi.

I wanted to call it rhymenoreason, but amazingly(?) someone already had the idea.

So…

Well,  betukbandi is a play on words.

“be-tukbandi“=  `be‘  (without) tukbandi  ( an illogical  rhyme for the sake of rhyming  )

“betuk-bandi” = betuk (illogical/ awkward) bandi (female)

This may not seem to make too much sense, but this blog is about sharing  the things I do – for no rhyme nor reason – just because I enjoy them and they help me relax.

That includes painting, patchwork and quilting,  a little bit of photography and some `tukbandi’.