Sew-In Mystery progress

Our SpoolSpinners Bee had a Sew-In today. Everyone worked on their own projects, but several of us worked on our monthly blocks for the "Your Way Mystery". These are the 6.5" blocks I made today, my wonky shoofly blocks. [Everyone chose their own block and fabrics, so these are going to be quite different quilts at the end.]

Eight of us worked away in the church meeting room from 10 until about 4. Naturally there was lots of chatter and commentary on each other's projects. A good time.


And here is my stack of 9-patches and hourglass blocks growing day by day. The challenge is to make ONE a day, but I am so far making four of each since my method makes two at a time, and I am working on reducing my pile of 6" and 6.5" squares. This gets twice as many used up.

After supper I got on the mowing tractor and did the lawn around the house for the first time this season. I did not go out to the meadow and do the paths because they are running in water still from all the rain recently. At this time of the year it is fun to mow and view the landscape at the same time. Our "bocce court" is just as bumpy as always.

Sara

Gratitudes:
Chocolate
Charlie had the mower ready to go
sewing progress

Camera Found

Charlie found my camera on a table where he stacks the books he is currently reading. Did I put it there?

So here are a few of those projects from the last days:

These are four of the orphan blocks I sized UP with green and blue logs, and I think they will have a lot of white around them for a summer quilt. Made three more last night, so now I have 9, and that's all there's goinig to be! This qualifies as a "project improv".

And this is the layout I am thinking will use up a lot of 6.5" scrap squares once I have made them into 9-patches and hourglass blocks. This will be a form of Leaders and Enders as I work on other things.

Today I hope to make the binding and put it on the Orange Crush quilt. And make a label.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Slept under the Double Delight quilt last night and the warmth was perfect.

Mosaic Tiles gone to Kathie

At a lunch party I gave the Mosiac Tiles quilt to my friend Kathie for her birthday. This quilt is the result of the New Year's mystery.

And here is the back, pieced out of the left-overs and stash. I would call this a "Nap quilt" as it is a little small for a twin bed.

And here is a Liberated Star (or wonky) I made last night.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Happy Birthday to Kathie!

Made brioche dough for the second time

Getting diningroom cleared up for Easter dinner

Correct, but still wonky

I went to add my photos to the flickr site for the Australian bushfire Star blocks, and there I found that everyone else was making all their blocks with LIGHT backgrounds. I hadn't seen this detail on the original blog posting, but there it was indeed in the flickr description. So that puts two of my three blocks out of the game. When I found this out, I went back into the sewing room and made two more to replace them.

Sara

Gratitudes:

I HAVE a sewing room and stash that hasn't burned up
Slept REALLY late today, no need to get moving
Heating up leftover chicken for dinner, so no hard thought

Another star for Australia

Those stars are too much fun. I had to make another one when I remembered that eight points might no be enough for a truly WONKY, whacky, liberated star. And maybe stars aren't often "centered" against the sky, but wandering around the heavens!

Sara

Wonky stars for Australia

Today I made these two wonky or liberated stars. Tia Curtis is making a collection for those who have lost everything in the terrible fires in Australia. They are to be 12.5" unfinished, so I looked in the box of 4.5" squares to get the right sized pieces. There were the light blue triangles already cut! [I'm impressed that my re-organizing (which isn't finished) has such an immediate payoff.] However the first block, white with blue star, came out 1/8th inch too small. Probably because I thought I could do it OK with the wrong foot on the machine. Had to be enlarged with additional strips on two sides. So the second one I changed the foot back to the regular one, and made the pieces over-large and then cut the block down. And I then hada enough room to NOT match the corners where the star arms meet/don't meet. A little more wonky.


Here's the way the reorganization improvement was looking a day ago. No don't tell me there is work still to be done. . . I HAVE cut up that pile of scraps near the iron, and I have even "filed" a few more odd pieces that can be used in making backings. I, if only I, can tell that things have improved. And so far I'm doing 30 minutes of cutting scraps everyday. Two days. Hmmm, 21 days to make a new habit?


Now to go find an envelope for mailing these two stars to Tia, who luckily has a n FBO address in the US as well as one in Australia.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Charlie took the dog away while the cleaning woman was here (else Zeke barks the whole time)
Found those triangles!
Ate lunch on time

Oh, wow! I just went back and added the link to Tia's blog. I have never done that before. And it's easy. Sort of. So now you can click on her name and get the whole story at her blog.