Having fun............

My friend Wig suggested that I just use 16 blocks but the problem with that is the sizes I cut the blocks. There were 3 widths I ended up with, but many different heights to the blocks. That is how I decided on 3 vertical rows and I could use 15 of the 17 blocks for them. But she got me thinking........I decided to see how many heights of blocks that I had and tried horizontal rows. I have 3 rows that match up and the bottom row is several different ones but I can trim them all to match. With this version I can use 16 of the blocks.

I looked in the books again (see Thursday's post) to see what Gwen and Freddy had used to separate the blocks. I went through my stash and came up with a few candidates.

The one I was specifically looking for is the many triangles below. I only have a fat quarter of it so I could use it to add a strip to the sides of individual blocks to space them but I wouldn't have enough of any one of the sizes to do sashing.

The first one I cut was the circles. I was cutting from the wrong side to get 1/4" seam allowance on each side of the circles and was surprised when I turned it over to see they were all in the cool colors. The next row is warm colors but I have to skip that one because it has the seam allowance for this row cut out of it.
Next I tried this black and white stripe which I was sure that I would like. Then I decided to try different widths of the black and white and was too lazy to remove dots and realized I like the combination of the dots and stripes. (See, laziness pays off sometimes.)
I can tell there will be some more playtime with this one and meanwhile I am starting another set of blocks (quarter log cabin squares) since I have all of the scraps sorted into short, medium and long lengths. I'm also adding some dotted fabrics and some other bright tone on tones. I'm excited about this project. The last one, the stars in the rich color palette was too planned. With this one I don't know what will happen next and that is the exciting part to me.

Amaryllis and new wonky project

All four of the main flowers are open with the bud on top not quite ready. The next bud stalk is last year's plant and the one on the right is the second stalk on this plant. Surprise! another bud stalk coming up on this one, 3 on one bulb.

I sewed all of the rest of the blocks for this wonky quilt yesterday. I used all of the wonky 4 patches that were in my spare parts bin as the centers. If I want to make any more blocks I'll have to make more centers, maybe the same, maybe not. I had a piece of black and white checkerboard that I made for a different project and then didn't use it. I'm auditioning it as a possible vertical sashing. Here are some more left over black and white blocks from a long time ago that I'm also auditioning. No decisions yet. The gas company has set the date for my meter to be moved to the outside so now I have to move everything that is in that corner to prepare. I have 12 days to get ready so I can take my time moving things around.

Big bloom, new project.....

The first flower is totally open now, number 2 is almost as big and the other 3 buds have a ways to go. I love this color in the middle of winter.Last night I started the new project with the spare parts (see yesterday's post). Below is a black and white scrap bag emptied on my sewing cabinet.

Next came the Kaffe fabrics scrap bag.

Here are the first 2 blocks. I finished 2 more but didn't get them trimmed yet.

And this is the mess that it creates when you work on this style block. I know Suzie Homemaker wouldn't be able to stand this mess, but I'm not related to her so it doesn't bother me.

I spent some time pressing some of the wrinkled fabrics from the 2 scrap bags last night and I will cut some of the larger ones down to smaller pieces today.

A bloom, an almost finish, an new idea...

I noticed at 4 p.m yesterday that the amaryllis is starting to bloom. I'll take more pictures as the other flowers open.I finished the last 2 blocks for this star quilt. You have all been very encouraging and like the color/fabric choices. It has not met my expectations and that is my own fault. I wanted it to be more purple and the gold/rust color seems to be taking over. I still have a chance in the border however. I will leave the blocks on the design wall and audition some borders.

Here are leftovers from production line cutting when I started. I may use some of them in one of the borders. So, I hit the books last night. I needed some inspiration so I grabbed the 2 collaborative quilt books. I have seen the idea below done in all florals somewhere too and it is a definite possibility of some playtime fun in the near future. Gwen and Freddy have a whole section devoted to the spare parts that they have combined into quilts. I have the spare parts below left from a quilt I made about 3 years ago. They look like good centers for some log cabin style wonky blocks. I will be teaching a finishing class today, so no sewing until evening.

Two more, getting there slowly

I made 2 more blocks yesterday, the 2 corners in the top row. This may not be the final layout but it is the best with the 10 blocks that are done.This mostly green one is on the design board to sew today. Then I have to analyze the group and see what needs to be in the last block.

I only have one more block to embroider for the ABC quilt that is a store sample. I put the blocks up on a design wall so I can see which colors to use for the remaining patchwork.

I dedicated one cutting table to just this project. It is an old wooden drafting table that I have had in the basement for over 20years. Here are the rest of the fabrics waiting to be cut.

The amaryllis isn't quite open but maybe tomorrow. Someone mentioned that they can be planted outside. Yes, they can, but I just leave them in their pots and put them on the north side of the house for the summer. I bring them in just before the first frost and put the pots in a closed cardboard box in my garage which is about 50 degrees. You need to give them at least 8 weeks rest in the dark according to one set of directions. The key to getting them to bloom again the next year is to fertilize them after they have bloomed and in the summer. I always forget to do that so I'm lucky if I get 2 or 3 of them to rebloom. I know a lady that plants hers outside and fertilizes them faithfully and she says lots of them rebloom the next winter.

One block, a little progress

I thought I would get 2 blocks done but one was all that happened. I didn't have 4 matching corner squares cut so I decided to just use 2 fabrics that have the same colors that were already cut.I have 8 blocks done now. I can't see this becoming a huge quilt. I may stop at 12 stars and since they are 12" blocks that won't be a very big quilt, more like a wallhanging.

I found another stack of squares made from this same group of fabric so I made a second star to go with the one from the other day.

It looks like I will have 5 blossoms on this amaryllis stalk. The bud on last year's plant is getting ready to open too.

I made the final three blocks so I can get this class sample sewn together. I will be at the store Thursday teaching a finishing class so I want to have it done by then.

The reference to the pattern for this quilt is here on a previous post.

January quota met

I finished my 4 little preemie quilts for a local hospital (donation through my church) on the last day of January, one for each week of the month. I'm using all of the scraps left over from cutting the gowns and receiving blankets.

To keep the edges thin and flexible I just use a serger finish on them.

They measure anywhere from 18" to 24", some are square, some are rectangular.

I met my self imposed quota of 4 finished quilts in January too and added a tablerunner for good measure. They can be seen on previous January posts. I cut a few more pieces for the star quilt but didn't get any blocks made yesterday. That is what I will work on today.