Two quilt tops.................

I changed 2 blocks after yesterday's layouts.  In the bottom right corner I exchanged the 2 blue blocks with each other to get a little more light in the bottom row.  This measures about 48" x 71.5" right now.  This top represents late winter/early spring snow on the ground with the earliest bulbs popping up and blooming.  I don't have any of those bulbs but I think they would be Crocus, Snowdrops and Grape Hyacinth and maybe some others.

Then I took the rest of the blocks and there were enough for a 20 block quilt top.  This is a mix of dark and light blocks with a majority of dark blocks.  This one measures 48" x 59.5".

 

3 tries...........

After pressing the last 3 blocks I went to the design wall for the final layout.

After looking at this on the wall and the photo on the computer I decided I wanted to move the bottom left block to the top right corner.

That was better.  Now I'm not happy with the bottom right corner block. The light fabric in it is too dark.

I added back in one of the blocks I had pulled out for the bottom right corner and then exchanged the first and third blocks in the bottom row with each other.  I think I'm happy with it now but I'll make the decision after I look at it a few times this morning.

After I had the layout pretty much decided I sewed some more of the spring pastel 16 patches.  There are 2 of each combination so I have 24 sewn now.

The bottom left block looks better in real life than it does in the photo.  It still might be one that comes out of the final group.  Either that or it may be placed in a corner of the quilt top.

 

3 Winged Square (Cut Glass Dish) blocks................

I got three more Winged Square blocks cut and sewn yesterday.  They aren't pressed yet but I have some other things to turn the iron on for today so they will look better the next time you see them.

I tried to use the blue print here with another light fabric and it wasn't working.  I'm glad I waited until I found another that worked better with it.

I just had to have another orange block.

This block may not make into the light block quilt but I just had to make it.  I love the combination of fabrics.

I took all of the Winged Square blocks off the design wall and used my lint roller to clean off the stray threads.  Then it was time to put up this finished quilt for its portrait. After quilting it is 55" x 75".

Since the backing is three vertical strips of flannel I had to fold back 2 corners to see all of the fabrics.

I had to include closeups of some of the fabrics in the 4" x 8" bricks.

Some 16 patch fun............

I couldn't wait to slice some stratas for the spring 16 patch blocks.

There are 2 blocks for each combination of fabrics.  The mottled fabrics look different in every square so the blocks don't always look alike.

I have 8 blocks sewn so far.  But now I need to finalize some ideas on the Winged Square blocks today.  It's nice to have more than one project to work on.

The 2 blooms on the small pink cactus were hanging downward so I had to get down on my knees and point the camera up at the blooms.  They are so pretty.  I had to take the photo near the window because it was a dreary day.  Otherwise I would have put it up somewhere high to take the photo.

The mother plant has 3 blooms and at least 3 more buds to open.

We didn't get much snow yesterday and next week is a string of 40 degrees days so there will be melting.  This is the best part of winter.

7 more strips sets................

I decided yesterday would be a good day to do my grocery shopping before the next snow storm on Thursday into Friday.  The good thing about this part of winter is that we get above freezing weather shortly after most of the snowstorms so melting takes place.

There wasn't much on TV to watch so I worked on cleaning off tables (again!) and then sewed 7 more strip sets for the spring 16 patch.  Today I need to cut some more batting off the roll so I can take it off my work table.  I try to pick the most likely to be quilted tops and cut their batting in hopes it will really inspire me.  Maybe I'll get around to piecing some backs too.

 

3 hours of sewing............

Finally some new shows for the season were on last night....3 hours worth.  First thing I made was one more Winged Square block.  I knew I wanted another orange one.  The block is really square, photo is taken at an angle.  This block took most of the first hour to be assembled.

Then I sewed 12 more sets for the spring 16 patch quilt.

The pale pink Cactus is finally blooming.  This is the one that used to bloom 3 - 5 times every winter.  This is the first time this winter.

Here is more of a side view of it.  This is one of my 2 favorite plants.  The other is the orange one.

This smaller plant is from a piece that broke off the large plant and I had it in water on the kitchen windowsill for about 3 years.  I finally planted it last spring.  It always blooms at the same time as the mother plant.  There is another little piece in another pot that I think might be another piece of it and it has a bud now too.

 

Second finish for February 2022............

I finished the binding on the bricks flannel quilt yesterday.

Juliequilt, you are a no reply....you wanted to know if the binding is flannel too.  Yes it is.  I only buy good quality flannel and none of it is loosely woven in this quilt.  The one I chose for this binding was one of the lighter weight ones so it isn't too bulky in a double binding.

This quilt finished at 55" x 75" after quilting.

Last night I paired 28 more sets of strips for my spring 16 patch.

I sewed 4 of the pairs while watching TV last night.  There are a total of 8 sets sewn so far out of a minimum of 32 sets.  I haven't decided what size I am making yet.

 

Ready for binding..........

The flannel bricks quilt is quilted with a large loose meander.  It is so soft and cuddly.

The quilting barely shows up with the depth of the flannel so no fancy quilting is needed.

Three fabrics make up the backing; vertical seams in the backing.

It is trimmed and waiting for its binding.

I have this piece of a splatter print in a muted pink that I think will work fine for binding.

In the main floor studio I turned the warm color Winged Square blocks on point.

In this layout I turned all of the blocks 90 degrees.  Just play time, it isn't very exciting.

We got up to mid 40s yesterday and most of the snow has melted again.  40s predicted for part of today and part of tomorrow so the only snow left should be the piles along my driveway.  Then we are back to the 20s again.  It's still winter in northern IL.

Getting ready to quilt.............

I finally got my table cleaned off so I could cut some batting for this quilt.  I pressed the flannel backing and loaded it and then put the batting on.  The top is just laying loose on top of the other 2 layers.  I'm getting closer to a finish.

Behind me as I stand at the longarm is this double design wall with the improv blocks.  I have added about 6 blocks since the last photo.  I still have to make some more blocks so this will stay here for awhile.

I just needed some mindless sewing last night so I started piecing the strips for my batik spring 16 patch.

 

Sunset..............

When I look out my front window (east) and the house across the street has turned pink I know it is time to grab my camera and go to my kitchen window (west) and try to capture the scene.  I love it when the sky is pink, blue and white.

It took me 2 hours to find enough backing pieces for the bricks flannel quilt top.  I kept doing the math for how much more I needed in width.  Then I spied this long narrow piece of striped flannel and that made up the final inches I needed.  It is a leftover piece from cutting pj pants a few Christmases ago.  Now I just need to clear the table where I cut the batting and I might get this one finished soon.

I spent the evening hand sewing the bottom edge of 2 hanging sleeves on wallhangings.  They have been laying over the back of a chair for a couple months.  Time to get it done.

 

Only a little play time.............

I only did a little playing with blocks yesterday.  I decided to try color groups starting with orange at the top and green at the bottom.  I have some of the blocks turned the wrong way in the bottom 2 rows.

I like the blocks in the top half but now I'm not sure I like the ones with the gray background.  I may make a few more specific blocks.

I turned the bottom blocks to their correct orientation.

When I started this quilt I was making a block I love and using all of the triangles that were cut from my larger Kaffe collective scraps, no specific color selection and mostly high contrast blocks.  Now as I finish up I am choosing special color combinations.  I need to think a bit on where I go from here.  As for this arrangement of blocks, no, I don't like it.

This is the amount of snow left from previous snowstorms, photo taken late afternoon Wednesday.

This is yesterday's view, snow starting around noon and continuing until after 6 p.m.  I haven't shoveled yet but I did clear a small part of my porch and think there was around 4" of heavy wet snow.

Inside I'm nice and cozy.  This quilt finished 5 years ago is my current selection hanging over the back of a bench.  This was 2 random groups of blocks that I happened to have laying next to each other and I realized they were the same size blocks.  An accidental quilt, not planned in any sense.

4 more blocks........view from the computer chair................

I'm in the final stretch.  I like the layout I have now but I probably will still move the blocks around.  I have the photo I can always come back to if I decide this is what I want to sew.

At the other end of the wall I have some of the blocks I pulled out of the mix and added to the dark blocks in red tones.

There is also a pile of 6 dark blue and green blocks not being used.

Below are the 4 newest blocks.