FIRST LETTERED

I got the rows sewed together on the first of three Lettered quilt tops.

I still need to put a small row of white around the outside.

Y AND Z BLOCKS

I finally finished the last two alphabet blocks...yea!

I've still got to make two corner blocks.

X BLOCK

Just one today...

U V AND W BLOCKS

More alphabet blocks for Lettered.

R S AND T BLOCKS

Working on the Lettered quilt blocks again.

Q BLOCKS

Okay, still bored and working on this old project.

Here's the Q blocks.

P BLOCKS

I just wanted to something simple and  mindless this morning.  So, I pulled out the neglected Alphabet quilt blocks I've been working on and did the P blocks.

It's been a while, so I didn't have my head into it and made the HSTs too big and had to trim them down.  I'm running out of the fabrics and I feel like I wasted some with this mistake.

PI SLICES

I finished off the Alphabet block I had started yesterday.

Then I got serious about the Pi quilt.  I cut lots of strips.  Now I just need to cut out 2400 + parts and sew them back together.  

I had printed out a circle divided into twelve sections and drew 4" and 5" squares on it, because I hadn't decided what size I was going with until now. They are going to be 4" squares.   I made templates from this.  I only need a "one" and a "two".  The "one" works for 4, 7, and 10 also. The "two" makes up the 2, 5, 8 and 11.  

From the big pile of strips I cut, I used those templates to cut out parts for the  177 blocks needed.

And sewed them together.

I trimmed those squares down using the Drunkard's Path templates I got from BettyCrockerass.  I marked the 'one' and 'two' lines on this quarter circle using the 'clock' printout above.  I used a pigma pen to make the lines, but they still were rubbing off, so I put transparent tape over them.  

What I really like about these templates are the holes used for marking.  When I trim, I also mark the center with a small pencil dot.

MORE ALPHABET

Got another Alphabet block done.  I cut twice as many HST blocks than needed.  I think I've done the same thing before, too.

FIRST THURSDAY

Granddaughter Hailey (10, soon to be 11 in a few weeks) is staying with us for a few days during her spring break from school.

I cut the fabrics and she sewed them together to make this cute pillowcase.  This is the first time she used a sewing machine.  Good job!

I wanted something simple to work on so I pulled out the neglected Alphabet quilt blocks.  I see I had left a note that I was waiting for Kona Coral color to show up last year to use on the J block.  So, I got that out and made these blocks.

This being the first Thursday of the Month, we took Hailey downtown to the Art Walk.  First, was dinner at the Cuban restaurant, Cafe Con Leche on First Ave S.

Hailey has never been to an art walk.  I think she enjoyed it.  There was some very interesting art and people to see.  The building that used to house Elliott Bay Books was having a big party for First Thursday with art and performance art and just odd people walking about.

Hailey took advantage of an exhibit that let people take their pictures using various props.

We saw some interesting art.  I didn't think about taking pictures until late in the walk.

The glass circles on the sidewalk

TUESDAY TRIO

I got three blocks done today - one of each project.

And I donated my 93rd pint of blood.  I got a purple wrap and some apple juice.

Lots of little pieces.

Finished.

Third block of Tape Measure.

M blocks of Lettered

BLOCKS AND MORE BLOCKS

 It poured down rain last night into early this morning, but it stopped just in time for Jelly and I to take a nice walk in the park.  It changed from dust to mud overnight, but the colors were spectacular.

Back home, I went back to my idea of making one block from each of my projects every day. 

First up was the Tape Measure quilt.  I accidently made the first cut through the stack of four squares before I realized that half of them were upside down.  Hmm, that means that two of them will be mirror images.  I'm thinking I might do the rest of the blocks similarly.  

 Then, it was the next letter in Lettered.

Then I got the pleasure of making number seven of Journey to Fall Paducah. [I've set aside number six, waiting for a certain color to come in.]

A couple of days ago, Bentley came up to the studio and took a nap on my six yards of Kona Premium Black fabric for above project.  He left cat hair and flotsom all over it.  Yuck.  I lucked out by putting it all into the dryer on low heat and it pretty much all came out.  That darn cat, he always finds the best spots.

For lunch, Darrell and I went to Coastline Burgers.  Then we walked down to the Farmer's Market and he took pictures for me of my quilt, Pub Path.

BACK AT IT

The last couple of days I haven't spent much time working in the studio.  Too much other stuff to take care of.  But, today after an extra long morning walk in Lincoln Park, I felt I could spend the rest of the day catching up on my sewing.

The last several weeks on my walks I could hear what sounded, at first, to me like hammering coming from the beach.  When I was down there last week, I saw what it was.  There was a man and a boy (father and son?) carving on one of the driftwood logs on the beach.  I haven't heard them this week, since, I assume, school has started.  So, I was curious about what I'd see of their work.

It's beautiful, and it looks to be completed.  It's a fish carved in a Salish Nation style.  I love it.

When I got back, I got started on catching up on my Moda Block Heads 2.  Here is this week's block:

Then I finished up putting together the 'I' block - I had already made the triangle squares.  It went together fairly quickly.

So, I made another one.  I skipped the 'J' because I want to use a color I don't currently have. 

Then it was on to 'Tape Measure' - another kit I bought that is exactly like Mortar and Putty, but in different fabrics.  I already had it all cut out, so it was on to sewing the blocks.

After that I still had a little time, so I ironed and cut up some of the fabric for another kit I bought.  I didn't take photos.

BLOCKS FOR THE WEEK

I got a little behind on the blocks for this week.  I got them caught up today.  I didn't feel like doing much of anything.  I did not get enough sleep, having been woken up too early by someone making noises in the kitchen.  I hate when that happens.

Here are this week's Moda Block Heads 2 and Splendid Sampler 2 blocks.

And then I worked on the next Alphabet Letter: