Testing 1 - 2- 3...

I took the kit that I showed this morning and did a test run to see how successful the kit is.  I do consider these kits to be starter packs and that they definitely need a little input from your own stash.  Since some of the prints are larger, not every kit has the same motif in the print so there is no way a kit can be a 'paint by number' - if you are old enough to know what I'm talking about.  I do my best to put a good assortment of values and colors in the kits.  I used 196 of the 200 pieces in the kit for this sample and it isn't perfect.  I would definitely go to my fabric stash and look for a better value/color piece for a couple places.

It was a 3 Dr. Pepper day..........

I found 20 more fabrics and cut them and I think I have 200 now.  I will double check my count this morning.  I always lay out one kit in color groups and value order so I can see what I still need to fill in for value and color gaps.  It took 3 Dr. Peppers to get it done yesterday.  Back in the day, you know before the middle age sag started (I'm 71), I used to drink 6 cans of pop (soda) a day.  I have never drank coffee or tea and prefer a cold drink with carbonation.  I knew lots of people who drank in excess of 6 cups of coffee with cream and sugar every day so I didn't consider what I was doing an excess.  Add 30 years, and now I have to deprive myself of all of the good stuff because just looking at it puts on the pounds.  I only allow myself 2 cans of Dr. Pepper a day now but yesterday I had to go over the limit.  I'm ready to start in on the batik kits now.  I'll try to keep my drinking under control with that kit.

An escape from work......

I cut 10 more fabrics for the kits, at 180 now, 20 to go.  By late afternoon I was ready for a break from searching for the rest of the fabrics.  I have been wanting to cut into this gray dotted fabric and I knew I wanted to pair it with Kaffe, Jacobs and Mabley fabrics.  I went with the 4" finished triangle and started cutting.  I will do a little cutting for this each day and when I have time to get serious about it, it will be all ready to sew and play with it on the design wall.

The design opportunities will be many but it may end up a zig zag.

Now that I have a project to play with, the work hours won't seem so bad.  I know there will be reward time every day.

Playing with blocks.......

I got 25 fabrics cut yesterday for the kits and then I needed to do something else.  I knew I had a bin of Strips that Sizzle blocks from a couple years ago to play with.  These 2 groups only had 12 blocks each so they will probably become table runners.

These 2 groups have more blocks, probably enough for lap size quilts.  Here is a link to some layouts I tried with the 2 groups together in the same quilt.  If you want to see more play with the blocks and students' blocks, click on Strips that Sizzle on my Label list on the right sidebar.

Choosing fabrics, cutting, wonkies again.....

It takes a long time to choose all of the fabrics for a colorwash kit.  As I am cutting I have one kit laid out in color groups so I can see which ones are still short and which have enough.  This is the next batch to cut.

Above are some of the fabrics that I have already cut and groups of 145 squares.  55 fabrics to go and I have 30 chosen.

I added 4 more rounds to Wonky 5.

This shot is for perspective of size.  The design wall is 7' tall and 8' wide and these are numbers 5 and 4 on the left and 1 on the right.

3 more rounds......

I did lots more cutting and only a little bit of sewing.  I have added 3 more rounds but I see I need to be more careful with the widths and put some wide ones on the left and narrow on the right to even this out.  I'm going to put another pieced border on and I'm letting some ideas roam around in my head until I make a decision.

I'm going to teach one more session of my Color Class here in Sandwich IL on Wed. July 25th.  I can take 3 more students so if there is anyone in this area interested, my email link is on the right sidebar.  This is the class that explores color, value, and blend while playing with a kit of 100 squares of fabric and some color wheel wedges.

No sew day........

Despite the lack of rain, the front garden looks pretty good.  It is overgrown and was due for a make over but because I was gone at the prime time to tackle it and then the drought set in, it's a good thing it was left alone.  Because it is so crowded, the small plants are shaded and doing well.  The tall ones are the drought resistant ones so they thrive too.

The black eyed Susan blossoms are pretty puny this year however.

As bad as the hostas look this year, they are still sending up flower stalks.  This one is in a pot and will get planted in the back garden in the fall before the first frost.

For the last few years I have been taking cuttings off my coleus plants in the fall and keeping them alive in water all winter.  Then in the early summer I plant them in pots and they become big bushy plants.  I could plant them in pots in the house but I'm usually too lazy to do it and they stay in the jar with a little water to cover the new roots for 7-8 months.

I got some cutting done for my kits yesterday but no sewing.  I think I need to spend a day working on my Wonky 1-5 pieces.