As soon as I admitted defeat with my 2.5" strips I tuned my attention to the drawer of 2" strips, which would neither open nor close without a struggle. I wrenched it out and started cutting everything into 5" rectangles and 2" squares. Then I sewed them into these two blocks, which was a very satisfying and speedy process. It's not going to be pretty, but the blocks are no trouble to sew, completely mindless, and like all my favourite scrap patterns there is a place for darks, and lights, and mediums. So all the strips should have a home, no matter what.

Except for the fact that I seem to have cut (Overcut of course) several fabrics that I used as sashings in other quilts, and I couldn't really put them all in these blocks because there would be no room for other fabric. And I had a huge amount of double pink and indigo strips, which didn't seem to fit with the other blocks.

Onto plan 2. I dug out my Orphans pile, which is almost confined to a 55 litre tub, except for the overflow which lives in another project box. And a box from the Post Office. And a drawer under the cutting table. Every time I think I can Conquer the Orphans I come face to face with how many I actually have; A Lot!

Undaunted I pulled out a pile of pink and indigo blocks, and set about using up those 2" strips as the setting. Which let me to ponder the question, 'Why must I always make a Pattern out of odd things?' I strive to just throw things together, I have tried for years to just bung things together and cut off the excess, and I just can't do it. I end up labouring to create order from chaos.

I don't know whether to regard it as a personality problem or a saving grace. Because while I love the work of Bonnie and Tonya in the random department, I also like to work my own way. I guess I like to put my own stamp on things. I need to see some form of pattern and predictability. But I did use up most of those pink and indigo strips, and now I'm going to add a TOTALLY random border of blocks, all in pink and blue tones. I can so do this...

Just for my own amusement yesterday, I put my Dad's old thermomenter on the back verandah. This is from the late '50s, so it doesn't have a Celcius scale on it, but I didn't need that to know that it was hot. In the shade of the back verandah, where all my precious plants are sheltering, it was 110 degrees. I don't know if my fuchsias will survive, they are dried to a crisp. I've filled my bathroom up with plants that I hope to nurse through this heatwave, but the bigger pots will have to take their chances. My zucchini and tomato bushes are laughing at the heat, so hopefully they will pull through, as will the roses. But it's absolutely brutal. Autumn will be such a welcome relief.