A few more blocks

It is time to take my blocks off my puny little design board in my upstairs studio and put them on a big design wall in the basement. The top left block is the first one that has a different dark large triangle instead of matching the small triangles like the rest of the blocks. I put one half block on the right side to try that for setting triangles. I will look through my stash tomorrow for a non-pieced setting fabric.I want to thank everyone for their supportive comments yesterday about my cross wallhanging. I had been struggling with it and needed the positive feedback. A lot of the commenters were either anonymous or bloggers who don't have their email enabled so I can't thank you through email but I really appreciate the fact that you made the effort to comment.

HAPPY EASTER

This is the cobblestone quilt project I have been working with a self imposed deadline of Easter. While I was making it two hymns repeated themselves over and over in my head, "Low in the Grave He Lay (He Arose!)" and "The Old Rugged Cross". I had a vision of what it should look like and it didn't come out like I expected. I might have to make a second one to more true to the vision. I had some technical problems with this after I got it sewn together so I will be doing some un-sewing this week. Even though every vertical row seemed to be straight while it was on the design wall, it is curving to the left which means the right side is longer. I may be able to correct it by taking off one or two rows and straightening them.

For a change we are going to have a fairly warm day on Easter even though it started out below freezing. I got some of the leaves raked off the flower beds yesterday and was happy to see some of the early perennials peeking out.

Layout fun

I have 8 blocks done now so it was layout fun time. On point horizontal division.

On point vertical division.

If I do them on point I can fill in with half blocks on the sides or pick a fabric for setting triangles. I did the first two quilts with straight rows. Here is the link to the summer and autumn quilts.

Did you know you could have typed Lady of the Lake in the search box at the top of the blog and it would have brought up all of the posts with those words in them? That is what I did to locate the post for the link.

New Hoffman batiks!

There are new Hoffman batiks twice a year and the new ones just arrived at Batiks Plus. They have a blog now. If you click on the link you will go to their home page and near the upper left you can click on their blog link and see all of the new batiks in color groups. The one on the left is Marigold, a new color and the black background is Onyx. The whole Onyx series is so sophisticated. I had to order a few just to see if they were as beautiful as they looked on the screen, and yes they are! Remember to sign up for their newsletter and you will get a $10 coupon to be used toward an order.


I have made a little progress on the Lady of the Lake blocks. There will be some duller greens in there too because they make the clear bright ones really sing.

I lucked out at the used paperback book store in town yesterday. I needed 2 from a series before I could start reading them as well as some by authors recommended on other quilters' blogs. Someone asked about the Twilight series of books that are on my books that I have read list. The reason I started reading them was because my granddaughters were reading them and I wanted to know what the buzz was all about. I wouldn't normally read anything vampire, but this series isn't overly gruesome. I enjoyed reading just to see what else could the author possibly come up with to continue the story.

Lady of the Lake progress

I have pieced 2 blocks so far. Thangles can be chain pieced too. Just line them up and sew the same line on each, cut off the one in the back and bring it around to the front, etc. and continue until all of the lines are sewn on all of them.

I cut a bunch of the big triangles and some more strips.

When I started I was just using strips that were cut earlier and I didn't plan ahead. When I looked for this green fabric so I could cut the large triangles I couldn't find any more of it. I will have to see if I have anything to substitute that won't look too different.

I thought about making some of the blocks scrappy and others matched. I will probably try it and see if I like it that way.

Starting a new project

I am mid way through several projects but none seemed perfect to work on while I watched TV last night so I started another new one. I have 2 Lady of the Lake quilts, one summer and one autumn and I still wanted to make spring. It may not be as big as the other 2. It will all depend on how much I love it as I am making it.It looks like the weather is finally settling down and I should be able to get out and start raking the leaves off the flower beds. I see the peonies are starting to peek out of the ground and the lilies are up everywhere. Maybe spring is really here now.

Cleaning day

Yesterday afternoon the sun was streaming in the kitchen windows and I had the urge to clean the kitchen floor. That is one of my least favorite jobs, but the sunshine made me do it! Then last night I looked at my 2 very dusty pincushions overflowing with needles that needed to be thrown away, a few bent pins in with the good ones, and an assortment of sewing machine needles that were gently used. The little pinwheel one has fabric from a dress I made for my daughter when she was around 10 years old. She is in her 40's now. It is about 4" square and has always been one of my favorites. The other is one of the felted wool ones that I purchased about 8 years ago. I emptied them and used scotch tape to pick up all of the dust and lint and then refilled them. It is amazing how little time it takes to do a job that I can procrastinate about for years. I needed more light colored cobblestone blocks for my in progress project.

The light was perfect yesterday morning to get a close shot of the Christmas cactus flower.

Here is another shot. They are so delicate and beautiful.

The snow is gone and it got up to the mid 40's yesterday afternoon. I hear the storm is headed south. I hope it doesn't freeze too many flowering trees and other blooms.