COORDINATES 3

 This is the third week we've been playing Coordinates on Brave Patch Monday Sewial.  I think everyone is enjoying it.  I know I am.

QUILT FINDS HOME

 I received a text from local Sleep In Heavenly Peace organization.  They included a picture of the latest quilt of mine to find a home.

This makes me very happy.  

PUZZLING IT TOGETHER

I got out my 30 Minutes of Play blocks and pieces.  I sewed together the top part and discovered it ended up wider than I thought.  I then had to reorganize everything.  Now it's totally different.

  

COORDINATES FABRICS

 I was looking in some project boxes and found my leftover Kaleidoscope fabrics from the Trinket quilt.  There's not much left, but while talking with the ladies yesterday, it was suggested that I use those fabrics for my Cooridinates project - an improv game we are playing on the Monday Sewcial.  I quickly went looking for some more of the black to use as 'filler'.  Apparently, those fabrics are not being reproduced.  But, I did find some on Alison Glass' website for sale.  She doesn't have any of the black, but she had 'Smoke' which is a mix of black and white threads to create a grey.  So, I ordered 3 yards of that, which should be here pretty quickly (although, she may be at Quilt Market, Quilt Fest right now).  But I have enough to last a few weeks.

So, this morning I set to work reproducing the last two blocks so I'll be all ready for Monday's game.

Here they are:

UNITED SQUARES FINISHED

 I finished up the quilting yesterday.  Today I trimmed it, made the binding and sewed the binding and sleeve onto the United Squares of America quilt.

It's all done and I can submit it to Quilting Mayhem's UFO Challenge as this month's quilt.

TWOSDAY

 I made two blocks of the Solstice Sampler today.

Still one more to go to catch up.

BATTY MONDAY

 During the Brave Patch Monday Sewcial I made another Coordinates block.  This has turned out to be a very satisfying game.  I had to use my skills on this one because it needed several partial seams.

Then I made this week's Art East Quilting's Mini Charm block.  This is week 43, The Bat:

SQUIRRELLY PUMPKIN

 We drilled holes into a pumpkin, stuffed peanut butter in the holes and left it in the front yard for the squirrells to enjoy.

UNITED SQUARES

I started the quilting (finally) on The United Squares of America quilt.  This is the quilt that needs to be finished by the end of the month for Quilting Mayhem's UFO Challenge.

I had to press the top a bit first, especially the back.  All of the seams are ironed open, and needed a fresh pressing.

I'm attempting to quilt it with what would look like topographical lines.  It's not as easy as it seems, especially since I'm doing it with a continuous line.  

COULD BE BETTER

 I fell victim to another shiny object.  I bought the Block of the Month, Rooted by Sue Spargo, from Quilted Strait.  It's a wool and embroidery project.

So, I've been slowly working on it.  I could be better at the embroidery.  Hopefully, I will be at the end of the project.

This is month one in process:

ROUTINE MONDAY

 I finally feel like I'm back into my normal routine, which I missed while I was gone 'on vacation'.

Today, I worked on finishing the Coptic Book Challenge with Vintage Page Designs.  I stitched everything together and it became a book.  It was very satisfying.

Then on Brave Patch Monday Sewcial, we were introduced to a new improv exercise named Coordinates.  We randomly selected pairs of numbers and cut 'rectangles' with those measurements.  Then joined them together.  Each piece must abut a previous piece.

 Then we sewed them together, adding filler pieces as needed.

Afterwards, I made this week's Art East Quilting Mini Charm block.  This is #42 The Witch Hat:

 

GROOVY SATURDAY

 There was a Groove Session this morning with Brave Patch.  This month was about a Mash-Up, using blocks from previous project and Play Sessions, mashing them together to make a quilt top.

Sherri talked about finding commonalities with the blocks and using that to create harmony.

I got out my 30 Minutes of Play blocks that I've made over the year with the Monday Sewcial group. 

My blocks are mostly made using the same fabrics, blues, blacks and whites, and the occassion odd fabric.

This is how they looked at the beginning of the morning.

Then, afterward I worked on my Handmade book challenge.  I glued on the papers inside the covers, along with ribbons.  Then, I poked the holes in the signatures.

I went back to working on the mash-up.  This is how I left it at the end of the night.

MORE OF THAT

 Still catching up.

I worked some more on the handmade book challenge with Vintage Page Designs.  We covered the book covers today.  I didn't finish the video for the day.  I stopped after this because it was time for Brave Patch Finish it Friday, which I wanted to attend.

I made the next Art East Charm Mini block, # 41 The Pumpkin:

CATCHING UP

 I have three Art East Quilting Mini Charm Blocks to catch up on.  

But, first I worked on my handmade book challenge from Vintage Page Designs.  I cut the paper for the signatures, folded them and put them under something heavy to learn to love their new home.

Then I got to work on those mini blocks.  There's a Halloween theme happening lately.

This is block #39 The Candy Corn:

Then #40 The Skull:

GETTING HOME

 Getting home from the Art Institute was another matter.  The marathon was over and everyone was trying to get out of town at the same time. 

We made our way to the underground El along with everyone else.

The train was pretty crowded when it arrived, and it just got worse and worse until there wasn't room to jam  another person on.

ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO

 Darrell and I took the train into downtown Chicago to visit the Art Institute of Chicago.  

We didn't realize we would arrive in the middle of a marathon.  There were lots of streets closed to vehicles, police barricades and lots and lots of spectators and other people.

But, it was an easy walk to the Art Institute where we encountered a long line waiting to get in.

But, the line moved quickly and we headed straight to the second floor to check out the Impressionists first.  

Darrell was excited to find this multi-legged table by Mackintosh.