ALL LITTLE MORE TO THE LEFT

 Today on the Brave Patch Monday Sewcial we skipped the 30 Minutes of Play.  Instead, I got the 'blocks' I've made over the year so far and put them up on my design wall.  Then we all decided on where we thought the blocks should be placed.  

I got a lot of advice, mostly unanimous, and moved the blocks around. 

It was a lot of fun and gave me a lot of ideas and things to consider.

VERTICAL QUILTING

Having loaded the City Noise on the machine yesterday going side to side so I could quilt vertical lines on it, I started on that this morning.  

Every vertical seam needs to stay perfectly straight or the quilting will show it off.  So there's a lot of checking, pulling and pushing to make sure it's all good before I start quilting.

I'm using a medium yellow 50wt Aurifil thread and spacing the lines randomly, plus or minus a quarter-inch.

After that, I wanted to go back and make that #32 Playcation 2022 block that I had skipped over.  And in the process of that I realized I'd skipped #31, too.  So, I did both.   They are so relaxing.

 

ONWARD AND UPWARD

I finally got the City Noise quilt onto the longarm.  I got it all set up and ready.

I had a back already made.  It's a kind of a weird one, too.  I don't know what I was thinking.  I used heavy-duty Ikea fabrics and a cotton/linen fabric.  It's interesting, but weird.

Then I made another Playcation 2022 improv block, #33.  Afterwards, I realized I skipped #32.  Uh, oh.  I'll get it tomorrow.

Then I took that great big Solstice Star quilt out into the front yard to take photos.

 

SOLSTICE STAR QUILTED

 I finished the quilting on the Solstice Star this morning. 

 Then I made the binding and sewed it on while gabbing with the Brave Patch Finish it Friday bunch.

TWO ON THURSDAY

 After I spent the morning quilting on the Solstice Star quilt I managed to make two more of the Art East Quilting's Mini Charm blocks.  These two were especially intricate, and a little frustrating at times.  But, they sure are cute.

WEDNESDAY PLAY

 I worked on Solstice Star, quilting the center part of the star and moving on.  

Then a package arrived full of some wonderful stuff!

Which I immediately put into the washer - separated by colors, of course.

Then, more catching up.  First, I made the next block for Art East Quilting's Minis.  This is block #28 The Original.  It went together pretty fast.

Then, I was able to make two more improv blocks.  I tuned into Cheryl Arkison's videos of Playcation 2022.  

WOMAN POWER

 I quilted a bit more on the Solstice Star, then went on to the fun stuff.

I made the next Art East Quilting's Mini block, #27 The Ice Cream:

The the really fun stuff, another improv block from Cheryl Arkison:

This is a power pose - woman power!

I got a little frustrated though when I started putting the background in.  I didn't realize I was almost out of that dark teal.  This is it.  I sure hope I ordered more and it's in the Missouri Star order that's arriving today.

Oh, and I mailed my Rhythm in Blues quilt off to Houston this morning, too.  Good luck!

CATCHING UP

 I've put off a lot of my weekly and monthly projects lately.  I got to work on some of them today during our Brave Patch Monday Sewcial get-together.

First was doing this month's Block of the Month with Seattle Modern Quilt Guild.  I made the corner squares so I could attach the borders we made last month.

Then I started on the Art East Quilting Mini Charm blocks.  I think I'm five weeks behind.  I only had time to get one of those done.  If I do one a day the rest of the week, I'll be caught up.

I did get some quilting done on the Solstice Star, too.  

HALF WAY

 I'm working on the quilting of Solstice Star.  I'm not half way, but I've been quilting 1" space straight lines and I've made it to the star.  I have to decide how I'm going to quilt it and with what color thread(s).

But, a little break and fun sewing first. 

I made block number 26 of Cheryl Arkison's Playcation 2022.  That's half way through the year.

THURSDAY THINGS

 I got the Solstice Star quilt loaded onto the longarm and quilted straight lines one inch apart until I had to roll it.  Then I moved onto something more fun.

I went back to the Cheryl Arkison Playcation 2022 blocks.  Today was blocks 24 and 25.  

CRUSHING IT QUILTED

 I finally finished the quilting on Crushing It.  I had Erik do it, because what I had planned was going to take too long.

Go, Erik, go.  He did a beautiful job.

BACK HOME

Back home from Whidbey Island,  I took my project out and put it up on my work wall, where I'll have more room to work on it.  And I got everything put back in place - sewing machine, tools and stuff.

Then, after I got the fabrics sorted, I put some more triangles up.  Here's how it looks now.

It's nice to be home.

DAY 4 OF VOLTRON!

 I haven't been sleeping well and woke up feeling really bad.  I'm a bit anxious about Darrell's family coming next week.  We have so much to do to get ready for them.  So, I decided to go home today.

I did stay through lunch and get a little more work done before I left.

I took pictures of the other's projects, too.

Here's what mine looked like before I packed it up. 

FORT EBEY STATE PARK

 I got up early and went into Oak Harbor for some coffee and egg bites.  I had plenty of time before class, so I stopped at Fort Ebey State Park.  

It is so beautiful here.

DAY THREE OF VOLTRON!

 I got up and went for an absolutely gorgeous walk up by the Ebey's Landing National Park Visitor's Center.  I think the trail is called the Pratt Trail.  It was very windy, but the temperature was perfect and the air smelled of the sea, fresh!

Then it was back to working on Voltron! at the Pacific NW Art School with Irene Roderick.

DAY TWO OF VOLTRON

 More strip sets to make.  

Charan and Nikki

Some started cutting theirs into triangles and putting them up.

I kept making strip sets into the afternoon.

Then I thought I better start cutting and designing.

We stopped a little early and all drove out to the studio of Marcia Derse.  She graciously invited us to visit and shop her fabrics.  She gave us a tour and showed us how her fabric designing process works.