Binding time............

My colorwash wallhanging was nagging me to trim it and sew on the binding.

I got one side hand sewn and about 10" along the next edge.  My shoulder was complaining so I'll work on this over a few days.

Outside I got all of the rest of the peonies cut down and one Annabelle hydrangea bush trimmed.  It will be in the 60s today so I hope to get a lot more done. 

Gathering and planning...............

I have one group of pieces for one block on the design wall.  It may get a strip inserted in one of the long strips.  Mostly I just pressed and cut more fabric strips and put groups together for consideration.

This is one of my favorite pieces of Marcia Derse fabric and I see she has reproduced in 6 colors and it will be released for sale soon.  The only problem is that it is digitally printed and so many of those are way brighter than our screen printed fabrics and they don't always play well together.

This is the stack waiting to go back into the bin after cutting.

Greens to play with.  I'll be looking for a contrasting fabric to use with them.

Bright hot pinks and purples

A group of golds

A few oranges

And another group of browns.

Now I have to decide which group is next to play with.  We are headed into some warmer weather so I'll be doing yard and garden clean up too.  Yesterday was baking day, rhubarb cake.

 

2 more blocks...............

The new blocks in this Gridlock quilt are the 2 in the 3rd row. The one at the end of the 2nd row is just pieces on the design wall, not sewn together yet.  I cut a lot more 2.5" squares and many of them are not sewn together so I can still change my mind what is paired together.

If you are wondering which Kaffe books this quilt pattern is in, these are the 3 I have found it in.  My least favorite is in the top book where Liza used all dotted fabrics for center squares and just one consistent fabric surrounding each square.  I prefer the pieced fabric surrounding the center square. 

Moving to the design wall...........

I decided to take down the Bear Paw blocks  and clipped them in rows so I can reassemble them when I'm ready.

I started working on the checkerboard blocks for the Gridlock quilt.

Cutting more squares for the checkerboard

This is what I accomplished by bedtime last night.

I'm doing some strip piecing for the checkerboards and some loose squares sewn together.  It depends on the shape of the fabric that I'm cutting them from.

Reference: Gridlock quilt pattern in 3 Kaffe Fassett books.  They were actually all designed and made by Liza Prior Lucy, not Kaffe according to the credits in the books.  There are many designers in each book.

 

Gridlock blocks 1 - 5.........................

Refresher: the Gridlock quilts are in at least 3 of Kaffe Fassett's quilt books.

I am making mine from all Marcia Derse fabrics.

Block 1

Block 2

Block 3

Block 4

Block 5

And this is what it takes to make these blocks...pure chaos.  There is no set direction of how many strips or what color to use so it is all trial and error and a lot of fun.  I'm going to get a little more organized today.

I picked the last of the tomatoes on Sunday night.  We had a frost on Sunday night and a freeze Monday night so the plants are dead now.  Next week is supposed to be in the low 60s so I'll probably pull out the plants and put away the cages then.

 

Quilting finished.........

I finally finished the ditch quilting on the batik colorwash wallhanging.  I think I used this backing on another colorwash too.  Today I'll get it trimmed and find a binding fabric.  I have a feeling it will be purple.

Now I can concentrate on some blocks for the Gridlock quilt.  So far I'm using strips that were already cut and scraps that I can cut strips or 4.5" squares out of.  I'm ready to dig into the big bin of yardage and cut some more fabrics.

 

October 2021 monthly recap..............

I had one finish for October, a floral colorwash wallhanging.  It is 30" square.

I'm about 3/4 done with another colorwash but couldn't quite make the deadline.

I completed 3 quilt tops.  The one on the left was started over 20 years ago and I still love the fabric in it.  It is 40" x 64".  The middle one is Moda's Simply Woven pattern and it measures about 48" x 60".  It is made of all batiks.  The beauty on the right is Autumn Coneflowers 2 and it is 64" x 80" and made of all batiks.  It really echoes all of the colors of the trees too in this beautiful autumn we are in.  

The blooms on my new Hydrangea are drying up and I think I will leave them on the bush until late winter/early spring when  I will prune it.

There is a bud on one tiny Geranium.  I didn't bring it into the garage last night.  I brought in the tender plants with a prediction of possible frost.  Tonight through Wednesday night it might be a freeze.

My pot of Pansies barely made it through the hot summer because they like cool weather.  They have really perked up the last 2 weeks.

There were a few leftover Pansies that didn't fit into the large pot and ended up in a small pot.  The orange ones have a wonderful sweet scent.