Saturday, December 08, 2007

I don't particularly like piecing 9-patches, they bore me for some reason. So it was with nothing like enthusiasm that I saw the next instruction for the Carolina Crossroads mystery was to make 100 of the things.After a mammoth effort I have pieced and cut all the pieces, and now I'll use them as leader-enders in between my other sewing projects. I'm glad to have that chore behind me; it used up the dregs of my 1 1/2" strips, so I will have to cut some more from my stash. I'll weed out all the FQs that have been whittled away, and that will stock the strip drawers as well as make room in the stash drawers. I'm so glad to see the last of some of these little strips, I thought I'd never use them up; they were The Strips That Would Not Die.

Thank heavens Bonnie has gone away for the weekend, and it will be a while before installment three of the mystery!

I sewed together some of the waste triangles from the binding strips, and decided that a Broken Dishes quilt would use them up nicely. Each block takes 16 dark and 16 light triangles, perfect for my leftovers. Every block will use the waste triangles from the bindings of two finished quilts; when I have enough blocks to make a quilt there will be a serious amount of work represented. I tried pressing the seams open, and to one side, and I do think the open seams were nicer. The block went together very easily and it lies flatter than the other. And the back is really neat!
During the week I found time to clean up another garage sale find. It's only silver plate, but it's as heavy as lead, which makes it just perfect as a ruler rack. I love the sun gleaming on it, makes me smile. However, I don't think that I'll be cleaning it too regularly; it's got too many hard to reach places. If I have a spare half an hour I'd rather have coffee and sew than clean silver!

8 comments:

  1. I am very impressed with your backside (of your block of course, lol). I would NEVER show one of mine-all loose threads and skewed seams. Well done.

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  2. I love this post! Your nine patches are great, the leftovers blocks are wonderful and the new ruler holder is so creative! Hope you are enjoying the mystery quilt. I think it's just so much fun seeing how the same pattern looks with so many different fabrics and color combinations.

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  3. I just know you are a secret nine-patch lover...haha! YOur broken dishes half-square triangle just puts me to shame. It is so perfect! I am glad to know the seams rested nicely open, I will try that on my next one. Love that inventive ruler holder!

    Have a wonderful day!!

    Julie

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  4. Oh your 9 patches look great, and that silver plate is so cool for your rulers! And the broken dishes blocks are really cool! What a great idea!

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  5. I love the colors you chose for the mystery. I really like the garage sale find for your rulers. What a good idea!

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  6. Love your ruler holder. I was at a friend's house today, and she was talking about a good way to clean silver. I'll find out the full details because I would like to know too. It was something involving washing soda (don't know what that is) and a piece of foil scrunched up in a big dish of water with your silver. I think it is something to do with the reaction between the stuff in the foil and the soda. Sounds easy, so I'll let you know when I find out. No polishing little corners etc

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  7. I just love your ruler stand! I am a freak too, I love polishing silver!
    I think your broken dishes are very pretty, & soo neat!

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  8. Ok, more nine patches with this next lot, did you see? I thought of you. Luckily, Bonnie says this is the last...

    JulieQ

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