LOTS OF 4-PATCHES

 I spent some time yesterday and most of today cutting strips, sewing them together, slicing again and sewing into 4-patches.

I have almost all of the 'stripes' done.  I need more 'background'.  I cut the strips for those and sewed them together.  But, I had to leave them for tomorrow.  I'm done for the day.

So, here is what it looks like at this point.  I may move things around here and there.  Or change out some colors.  I don't know.  I'm going to sleep on it (figuratively).

BLACK AND WHITE STRIP

 I took all of the leftover cuts from the black and white strips and the white and black strips I cut the 5" squares from for the All Eyez On Me quilt that I'm starting.  This was an easy sew - mindlessly (well, almost mindlessly) alternating darks and lights until I had a very long strip.  I'll use it on the backing - if I ever make the top.  I think I'm going to call it "Crushing It".  Because.

Then I made HST squares out the leftover pieces from the charm pack I used.  I paired them with a white with black crossword print fabric.  Now I also have 24 4" HSTs for the back.

FINISHING A TULA PROJECT

I got out the container with the Nebula BOM blocks, fabrics and instructions.  The blocks are all done, now the joining parts just need to be cut out and made.

I cut out a lot of triangles, diamonds and a few other shapes - but not all.

And the sewing together began. 

Chain-piecing...boring.

ADDING TRIANGLES

 Spent a good part of the day adding HST squares to each other.

Once the rows were made, I started adding them to the center squares.

28/100

I was busy today doing housework and stuff.  Then the West Seattle Nursery called and said I could come and shop, they are only doing it by appointment.  So, I quickly went and bought a bunch of plants.  When I got home, I had to plant them all.  I didn't get much time for working on the scrap bucket. 

V'S BIRTHDAY

Today is Victoria's 18th birthday.  She's all grown up.  Happy Birthday!

I finished cutting up the fabrics for the Flower Power kit that I had started cutting yesterday.

Then I chain-pieced the first half of one of the blocks.

Bentley is also enjoying the new bed I got for the dogs.

We went to Julie and Jeff's to celebrate Steve's Retirement.  Yea!

WEDNESDAY WORK

Here is this week's Block Head 2 block.

And then I decided to go off on another tangent.  Of course.  But I love it.

It involves a lot of little one inch squares and half-square-triangles.  I made them oversized then trimmed them down to 1-1/2".

the trimmings

Finished seven inch block.

I love the way the back looks, too.

The pattern calls for a pieced border around each block with paper-pieced corners.   I made them wrong and quit for the day.

I had a hard time with the corners, so this is where I ended for the day.

FINISHED IT TODAY

I only had a few blocks left to make, so making them was the plan for the day.

Then I thought, instead of doing something else, I just finished the top!

It's horrible having a hot steamy iron right next to you when the temperature outside goes up over 80 degrees.  But one must.

Blocks all done and up on the wall.

I love these numbered pins.  They help me keep the blocks in order when I sew them together.

All done.

Now on to the backing....and quilting....and binding.

FIXED IT

I fixed the City Sampler block I made incorrectly yesterday.  

I just had to unsew the center seam, swap the two parts and sew them back together.  Done.

It doesn't look like how I had planned it though.

I made the next block, too.

Darrell and I went to the Alki Art Fair.  The weather was nice and cool with a slight marine breeze.  We walked up and down, bought a squirrel sculpture to put up outside, then left to go have lunch.  We went to Soaring Hearts to test out a new mattress for him.  They are very expensive, we have to think about it.

After we got back from our day out I made a set of Mortar and Putty blocks.

CHAINING

I spent my sewing day chaining these wedges.  They need to have a point on the end, made by sewing the top edges together.  

Then there was lots of ironing to do.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

I remembered my purpose and started working on a small quilt that has been sitting around for awhile.  Duh.

Simple piecing - easy peasy.

I've still got to make the sashing.  

And find the other one like this - I think I've lost it.

This came in the mail today-  

Solids of the Month!  and a new color card, too.

PIECING BIG

One of the odd things about this Wallflower quilt kit I'm working on is the size of the pieces and blocks.
I usually work in smaller pieces.  These blocks end up being 18" square, which seem so big!
I was busy most of the day, and only got a few more of the other blocks done.
I think there's only five left to sew together.

FLYING GEESE UNITS

I'm working on this Wallflower Quilt kit.  The directions introduced me to a new way to making Flying Geese units.  It is a very strange way to do it.  I wonder how anyone ever wrapped their mind around this and came up with this convoluted process.  But I like it.

May the Fourth Be With You!

BABY QUILT TOP FINISHED

Another almost full day working on this and I 've got the top finished.

I was sewing together two rows at a time - chain piecing them and taking the pieces off the wall two at a time.  It's a good system that works for me.

Of course, with an odd number of rows I end up having to do the last of them as a group of three.  So, I have to label them or I get confused.  Even then I have to pay attention and keep checking that I'm sewing the pieces onto the proper rows.

Here's the completed top.  It's still a little too wide.  I'll add a strip to the back with the leftovers and it will be fine!

BLACK TRIANGLE SQUARES

I sewed up the colored triangles with the black triangles.

I counted 113 as I was ironing them...

I think I need 116.  Drat.

BIG SQUARES CUT AND PIECED

Here is the main center square, consisting of two half-square triangles, cut and sewn together.  

Back to chain piecing - haven't done this in a while.

35 squares is all I need

FRIDAY FUN

The done-pile is getting bigger than the not-done-pile.

PIECING CURVES

Wow, how long has it been since I worked on this quilt?

Too long.

I have lots of excuses, though.

But, I spent a good hour or two today, organizing and sorting and trying to remember where I left off, so I could actually do some piecing.

It's all curves for a while, I better get used to it.  

Hopefully, I'll get good at it.

I am going to come out to the studio and spend a half hour every night this week.

Watch me.

MAKING LITTLE FOUR PATCHES

I started on my new quilt project using my dyed fabrics.

First thing was to make some four-patches.

I did it the easy way.  I got out a sharp pencil and figured out how many of each color combo I needed.  I cut a bunch of strips from the different fabrics, joined them together according to plan and then chain pieced them.  Easy-peasey.

Step One - sewing strips together.

Step Two -Join two of the strips right-sides-together and then cut them cross-ways.

Step Three - Chain those together.

Step Four - Iron open and voila!

107 Four Patches