Dabbling

 Sometimes after I've made a big effort to finish something I don't know what to tackle next. I've spent some time cutting up shirts and contemplating the UFO list. I ironed a whole bunch of scraps and FQs that I intend to cut up for the strip drawers. I went through the photos I've saved on my phone and computer and I drew up possible new projects in my graph paper book.

In keeping with my resolution to get in touch with all my UFOs I pulled out my Plaid project and cut more pieces for those blocks. 

I can use 3.5" strips for both sections of these blocks, and then just add in 1.5" squares from my overflowing basket of them. I'll sew this lot up tomorrow and then decide where it's going.

Tonight I tackled my 1.25" strips that resulted from the last time I cut up scraps. 

I sorted them all into lengths and, consulting my list of sizes for my Log Cabin blocks, cut them all into pieces for more blocks.

 Oddly enough, though I was cutting sizes randomly, I ended up with enough pieces for 11 blocks exactly. That seems very strange to me, when I wasn't trying to do that. But then I added them to the piles I already have and it became apparent that I need a lot more light pieces. I guess I'll get busy tomorrow cutting up more light fabrics into 1.25" strips.

I don't feel very motivated at night, so I just sewed up the Scrappy Mountain Majesty blocks. 

I unearthed a whole heap of fabric scraps that I can cut more squares out of, so I'll tackle that tomorrow.  Maybe after a couple of days dabbling in this and that I'll have come to a decision about my next project.

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Second goal accomplished

Well it's in one piece, so that's a major accomplishment.

I have to work out a border for it now. the original quilt just had some pink and white triangles, but I don't know if I'm happy with that. I did try it, but I didn't think it framed the centre of the quilt properly.

I thought this shirting would look good with the pink triangles, but it just looks dirty with the rest of the top, so I'll have to keep auditioning fabrics.

I sewed up another lot of HSTs for my Scrappy Mountain Majesty blocks, this will make another 30 to add to the pile. My least favourite part is trimming the big HSTs down to 8"; it's really hard for me to see the details, and the ruler kept shifting as I cut.

I solved that by making a ledge of masking tape on my 8.5" square ruler. It locks the ruler in place like a Bloc Lock ruler and it's been working really well. My squares are accurate and my eyes are much happier. I think I saw how to do it on a Karen Brown video, but I really can't remember.

So now I have some simple mindless sewing ahead of me while I contemplate my November goals.

A while ago I indulged in some speciality rulers, but I haven't had a chance to use them all, so I will aim to do that next month. Mereth road tested the V block ruler and liked it; I do use the Folded Corner ruler and I love it, but the other two need to be used yet.  I would like a few more of the Studio 180 rulers, but the 8-point star one I want is $93. Yikes. 

My thinking is that I don't really need more fabric, so when I want a treat I could buy tools to make my patchwork easier instead. Which is good reasoning, but wow, $93 could buy a lot of $1 FQs. Just saying.....

This is my Chicago Peace rose, blooming happily. Usually the spring roses are spoilt by rain or singed by the sun, but this year they have had a chance to be beautiful. I'm grateful the weather has been so pleasant.

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One Thing Accomplished

It's not finished, I'm going to do some sort of narrow border, but it's in one piece and all the leftovers are banished to a deep dark drawer. It's 54 " x 66" so far, and it doesn't need to be much bigger but a border will stabilise those edges. I can say I've met that goal for October.

I don't know what I want to work on next, I'm sort of sick of the tiny scraps. I'll cut up a heap for my Log Cabins, but I've no desire to sew either of them,

Last year I mucked around and made a pile of sampler blocks in various sizes. I wanted something that I had to concentrate on producing, not batch sewing like I usually do. I went through EQ8 and Barbara Brackman's Blockbase software and came up with interesting blocks that it would take some effort to piece. I've never completed a sampler quilt, only orphan quilts, and thought it would be nice to have some new blocks to play with.

Some of them weren't hard, but I chose to do them in sizes that weren't easy to draft.This LeMoyne star inside pieced triangle corners was one of my favourites.

 It took some figuring out, because the star grid didn't correspond to the outside triangles. 

I think this was my favourite, I had to work to get those points matching, but it's a pretty block. I can see a whole quilt of these blocks. One day....

I've always loved the Rolling Star blocks, and finished a whole quilt in the early 80's, hand quilted with with feather wreaths. I have no idea where that quilt is now, it vanished after a quilt exhibition.

Or maybe this graphic triangle block is my favourite. It was fun to make something other than the usual stars and 9-patches and Happy Blocks.

Seeing as I don't know what project to work on next I might just pick another couple of blocks to make while I think about it. It's nice just concentrating on one block instead of 25, or 42.

And another top from the archives: Moth In The Window, another Bonnie Hunter quilt in shirts and chambray. My goodness I use a lot of her patterns! 42 blocks were enough for a quilt, but I'd cut out many more.

 I gritted my teeth and sewed them all up, but I don't want to see them again for a while. I didn't enjoy them half as much as I thought I would. 

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October Goals

My goal for October was to get in touch with all the projects I have, in their various boxes and containers. And plastic bags, as it turns out. There are only a few days left in the month, so I really need to step up the pace.

There are 2 projects that I really want either finished or set up ready to finish.  One is the Bitcoin top, and the other is those pesky little 9-Patches. I'm sick of the amount of space they are taking up, so something needs to be done about them.

If the Bitcoin is in one piece I'll be content with that.  It will probably get a border, but I'll decide that later. It depends if I have pieces leftover. 

If the tiny 9-Patches are sewn into their 12" blocks I'll be happy with that. It would take another afternoon to sash the blocks and get the main part of the top done. It will have a border of pink and cream HSTs, but again, that will be a later task. I'll sew them in batches I think. 

I think there's a good chance of me making significant progress, if I can just concentrate.

There are 2 things I started as leader-enders, that I haven't mentioned yet. Both were begun a a way to use up my never-ending supply of blue fabric and scraps. I love blue, but I'm sick of these particular ones, and because I have so much of them they never seem to get any less. I'm not sure that I've made any headway yet. 

One is Triple Treat, which was a Bonnie Hunter leader-ender from a couple years ago. 

This has the added advantage of using up my red scraps, which I"ve come to hate for some reason. I keep finding containers of them stashed away, and I'm sick of the sight of them. I won't mind if they all vanish into these blocks.

The other is Four Patch Fun, this years challenge. 

I see I started with 2.5" strips and then moved to 2" scraps, of which I have an abundance. Over the winter I worked at cutting up scraps and even yardage, and made a lot of little kits all ready to piece in between my serious sewing.

I resisted making the Triple Treat a primary project while I was dealing with the string blocks, but I may just put them in first place soon. I really enjoy making them, they are so easy to put together now that the 4patches are all made.

Mereth brought me back some Verbena seedlings after her last trip to Adelaide. She potted them on for me, until we can decide where they will live permanently. They are so happy, and so pretty. I'm grateful that I have a gardening sister who helps me have a garden.

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Strings and such

I go back and forth on string piecing. I hate it, I hate the mess, I hate how it takes over the sewing space. But then I can't throw out the skinny strips and bits that aren't suitable for piecing blocks. So I begin strip piecing something to get rid of them, vowing it will be the last time. And then I like the results so much I think it's worth it.

This winter I had a prolonged bout of stringing.

I have so many shirt strings. I mean, SO many. I pieced these 7" blocks over fabric squares to see if I preferred that. It was OK, but I can't say I like the finished patchwork. It seems a little heavy, even though I used very thin fabric. I'm not sure I would do that again. But it needs a border, so I'll have to deal with that eventually. And I actively like removing papers from my string piecing, so not having to do that is not a deciding factor at all.

I had a collection of white and cream strings that needed their own blocks.

I didn't get very far with them, but I really like the muted effect. I need to amass a lot more strips like this before I can go on and make more.

Blue and green is my favourite colour combination, and they were the largest bin of strings. I really put a dent in it with these blocks. I added another 9 before I ran out of variety, so they went back in the box to wait.

I think these bright blocks are my favourites, out of all the string blocks.

That bright stripe fabric down the diagonal of each block was scavenged from a bin of fabric at the op-shop.  Someone had attempted patchwork with giant 15" squares and then stuffed it all in a bag and donated it. There were a lot of solid squares sewn haphazardly together, in what I call clown colours; really harsh reds, yellows and blues. Those were donated back, but I kept this cheerful stripe. I was limited in what I could do with it, because it was all cut into squares, but I instantly thought of string piecing. I pieced these blocks in the middle of a very cold spell of winter, and it was so cheerful that it made me forget the foul weather outside.

I tried very hard to keep my mess to a minimum, but eventually I ran out of strings and patience. When I've had enough I just pack it all away and go back to my normal piecing. Until the next time.

I love these pink flowers on a succulent that I grew from my FIL's garden. He created a beautiful garden no matter where they lived. When I see these lovely flowers I always think of him

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I AM the Squirrel

This picture looks exactly the same as the previous one, but they all are finished and ready to put together. I can't face pulling out the shirts just yet, I'm not ready to make a mess with them, so it can wait a little while. It's a relief to have them complete though.

I'm busy sewing up the Scrappy Mountain Majesty blocks. They are all done and I'm ready to pick out the next set of 20 pairs of squares.

I might have laid out a few on the design wall and started sewing them all together.  I usually have 10 rows of 7.5" blocks, with 10 in each row., That makes a decent size quilt. I'll sew this lot together and label the rows, and put it aside until I have more ready.

A blogger I read recently described herself as a 'craft mad squirrel on a hamster wheel' and that resonated with me. Not because I switch from one craft to another as she does, but because I leap from one project to another with such ease. My projects aren't the squirrels, distracting me. I am the squirrel.

I saw someone making a colour wash like Terry Rowland's, so I watched her videos on YouTube. 

Oh dear. Before I knew it I'd gathered up a heap of little bits from scrap bags and finished projects and started kitting up little 3.5" squares. It's surprising how many scrapbags that I've acquired from opshops and quilt shops contain small bits of Kaffe or Tula fabrics, or bits of huge florals that don't mix well with my other fabric. I found all these without really looking, so I have no doubt that I'll manage to find enough for the 300 or so blocks for a big colourwash. But it will definitely be a long term commitment.

My garden is full of flowers, mainly geraniums or gerberas. The hard to kill type, so that they last through our summers. This one is like a snowball of double flowers, so pretty. They can be the simplest of flowers, but the doubles are stunning.

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What's next?

I worked all day yesterday on the shirts and now there are 6 plates appliqued. I forgot to get a picture of that, hopefully tomorrow I can show them all completed.

My little cross blocks are multiplying, seemingly without any effort on my part. They are still cute.

My drawers full of modern FQs are calling me.

I'm very tempted to get busy cutting these up, but I haven't chosen a pattern yet. If I used half of each one, would the remainder fit in one drawer? How many quilts would that make?  These are the questions that occupy my mind while I sew.

I picked up a bundle of scraps for a dollar from the op-shop; these were offcuts from quilts backings, complete with cotton batting still attached. I'll use the batting scraps to make some potholders and place mats, and the smallest scraps will go straight into my Log Cabin projects.

There were some useful sized pieces in there, including a handful of very old prints in little pieces.  How old?

The blue is part of my 37yo son's baby quilt, the pink is the scrap I picked up yesterday.  It's old.

After I'd appliqued for a couple of hours I needed some simple sewing time. This collection of triangles was quickly transformed into squares, and then sliced up to make 40 Scrappy Mountain Majesty blocks. 

Blissful block building is ahead.

It's all so straight forward after the intricacies of machine applique.

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