More sewing, more designing...................

I sewed at least 20 new blocks yesterday and got them up on the design wall.  To complete this in symmetrical order I need to add one more row to the top plus filling in the top row as it is.  It would then be 72" tall but will only be 30" wide as it is.  It will take 72 more blocks to widen it to 48".  That means 98 more blocks which is 25 more pairs of fabric because there are 4 of each combination sewn into blocks (except for one combination).  It's not set in stone that this will be the layout however. 

More cutting............

I only did cutting yesterday in addition to putting away a lot of things.  There are enough pieces cut here for 18 pieced rectangles.

My smallest pink cactus is blooming again and the red ones are almost done.

The champagne color has a few buds again and one full bloom.  In the background is the other red plant with its last blooms.

It has turned cold here again but 50s predicted for next weekend.  We might get snow today, we might get only rain and sleet.  Once again we are near the temperature change boundary of the storm.

Miscellany........

 I haven't had a haircut for 13 months.  Luckily I have some natural curl.  My hair is about half gray and half dark brown so in the sun the silver shines.  My son said I look like I did when I was younger with my hair longer.  I told him I would take that as a compliment.

I was going through some of my UFOs and came across this one which I called Spring Star and was started early last year.  I never decided on a layout and stalled on the project.  I think it is time to make a decision.

I was thinking yesterday that our jumping from project to project isn't our fault.  It is part of our training in school.  We spent a little time on science, a little on geography, a little on math, etc. changing from subject to subject all day.  We didn't start on science and not stop until we had completed the whole year's amount and then start another subject.  So why do we beat ourselves up for working on many different projects?

And in the weather?  They are talking snow tomorrow.

Playing all day.........

I can see this is going to be fun to play with on the design wall.  There are only 3 seams from top to bottom and 7 seams side to side so this would be square if sewn now.  It will be a little deceiving in the layout compared to how it will look sewn.

I added another row to the bottom to see how it will look expanded.  Lots more cutting and lots more playing in my future.

Meanwhile I keep looking at the Hattie's Choice quilt.  There are lots of perfect and almost perfect black points matching.

And then there are areas with points that aren't quite meeting.  If I pick out 2 every night and fix them it might not seem like such a chore.  Or I could leave them because in the overall look they aren't noticed.

Yesterday morning I had company.  My granddaughter and the 3 great-grandchildren are here from 2 states away and they along with my other local granddaughter came over for a fun time outside.  The littlest is almost 18 months and the other 2 are 4 1/2 and 7.  We went around to the backyard to see if anything was coming up and found these crocuses just past my lot line in my neighbor's yard.  I think squirrels must have planted them because I don't remember seeing them in previous years. 

In the kitchen and the studio...........

 I have spent the last 2 mornings in the kitchen making treats for the family.  Tuesday morning I made a double batch of Chex Mix to use up the rest of the ingredients.  That got some big boxes out of my pantry.

Yesterday morning I made a double batch of Kringlas.  The last time I showed these some people mistakenly called them Kringles.  I had to look up those since I had never seen them.  Kringlas are a Norwegian treat and I have 2 family recipes.

I got all of the seams sewn on the Hattie's Choice quilt top.  I need to press it and then I will play with border ideas for a couple days.  Right now it is 40" x 55.5".

New die arrived..........

 I had to try out the new half rectangle die and make sure it worked properly.  If you cut all of your fabrics face up you get the  ones on the left.  If you cut all fabrics face down you get the ones on the right.

Some patterns will use the rectangles cut both ways and some need them all alike.  On the left, all alike, the other 2 samples cut both ways, fabrics face up and face down on the die.

These are cut both ways.  You have to know what your pattern will be before you know which way to cut them.  I had fun just cutting up some Kaffe collective prints in a layer cake (10" squares) to play.

This is the pattern on the package.  It still needs 4 corner squares 6" finished size added to the block.  All half rectangles are cut fabric face up.  I'm going to have fun with this die.

Last night I started sewing the Hattie's Choice quilt top together.  I have all of the seams sewn one direction and one row sewn the other way, 6 seams to go.

All of the snow has finally melted.  I was surprised how fast the 3' tall snowbank along the driveway melted but then it has been in the high 50s and mid 60s for a few days.

35 blocks and final layout?..............

I made the last block for the Hattie's Choice quilt.  I did move a couple blocks at the bottom to fit in the new block ( 2 in, 2 up from bottom right corner).  I'm pretty sure this is the final layout but I decided to wait until this morning to be sure.  Seeing it in both artificial light last night and natural light today helps to make the decision.  

I decided to rake the layer of leaves from the flower beds in the back yard so the early plants can see some sunshine and start growing.  It was a thin layer of leaves but they were meshed together like a blanket from having all of the heavy snow on top of them for over 2 months.  Now we have some rain coming this week.