Busy as a Beaver, Cough Cough

I am finally feeling better after having a serious cold since Saturday afternoon.  I had a busy quilting week in between coughing fits!

Before I got sick, I went with a friend to pick up our mystery quilts we did at the Patchwork Plus retreat.  The quilting was done in a leaf similar to what is in the green background fabric, using green on top and a dark fuschia on the bottom.  It looks awesome.  Now all I have to do is bind it -- with all the other projects I am working on, I think this will be done in February at the earliest!

I also finished piecing the KAQ mystery quilt, and just need to put on the border.  I'll probably send it out for quilting.

Last Saturday I completed my Block of the Week - it looks good in the picture, but has some definite construction issues so I'll probably redo it using the same fabrics later.

Grandmother's Choice Week 16

I've been working steadily on the binding of the VMI quilt:

And finally, I have been slowly but surely been catching up with the Easy Street mystery quilt by Bonnie Hunter.  I have all the units sewn except the last step of step 4 (sewing flying geese units together) and 20 four patch units.  I have all the extra pieces cut from each step (squares and rectangles and triangles, oh my!)  And of course now I need to do step 5 which came out today!

What's on YOUR Ironing Board?

I am trying to catch up to complete the Easy Street mystery quilt steps I missed while on my business trip.  I have all the 4 patches sewn, all the flying geese sewn, all the pieces for the shaded 4 patches cut, and the first step of the shaded 4 patches sewn.  Now I need to iron!

Here's what it looks like so far:

Everything waiting to be pressed!

Four Squares Ironed...see the ones waiting to the left?

Flying Geese to press

First step of shaded four patches to press

It's Saturday!

So it's Saturday and it's Block of the Week time!  I had two blocks to do this week as I was out of town on business for a couple of weeks.  I decided to use my standard turquoise dot fabric in one as a main fabric and in the other block as the background.  I did not dither too much this week on fabric selections as I have a lot to get done.  They aren't perfect, but here are blocks 14 and 15:

Week 14 - Bride's Knot: Invisible Women

Week 15: Centennial: New Zealand's Victory

I borrowed ColvinKiwiQuilt's idea of a ring setting in the Bride's Knot by fussy cutting a print that reminds me of a solitaire diamond.  Can you imagine that a woman used to lose all her financial assets and decision-making powers upon marriage?  Glad that got fixed!

I went a little crazy in the block for week 15.  I originally was going to use the b/w wavy fabric in the bride's knot, similar to how honas52 used her purple version of the fabric.  When I decided to use the turquoise in the corners, though, I decided I wanted a more traditional look to the block.  When I saw the rectangles in week 15's block, I knew I could not resist using the fabric there.  Don't look at it too long or you might get a headache!  I cannot end without mentioning how great it is that New Zealand led the way in rights for women - 100 years ago!  Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!

I decided to snap a shot of the 15 blocks so far - my design wall is covered, so I took the shot on a table.

First Fifteen Blocks

 It looks like I need more with a light background, similar to weeks 5 and 8 so they don't stick out like a sore thumb at the end.  Dear me, I'll have to control my bright impulses for a few more blocks!

This is a really fun project and I'm enjoying it immensely.

Now....off to work on the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt.

Hotel Room Shenanigans

I have been on a business trip for the last week, and am having some sewing withdrawal!  I got a quick shot of retail therapy in by visiting a local quilt shop and helped the economy a bit.  I also brought fabric to cut up for a Zipper quilt I want to make.  I am cutting 88 4.5" x 7.5" rectangles and 560 1.5" x 2.5" rectangles.

The colors are pretty saturated in this picture, but they are actually pretty pastel greens and yellows.  I wanted to do something in a calmer palette than I usually choose.  I am also adding white dimple fabric to the mix.

I have also looked at the blogs for Grandmother's Choice and Easy Street!  I will be so far behind by Saturday when I return.  Here's what I will need to do to catch up:

 Grandmother's Choice Week 14, Bride's Knot: Invisible Women

Grandmother's Choice Week 15 (I'll see it on Saturday)

Easy Street Step 1 - Finish sewing 192 four-patch squares - I have most of the two-patches done.
Easy Street Step 2 - Cut and sew 128 flying geese units
Easy Street Step 3 - I'll find out on Friday.

I think I may be sewing this weekend!

I'm looking forward to the holidays and spending time with my mom, my best friend, her husband and her two kids, 1 kid's spouse, 1 kid's fiance, and 1 adorable grandson.

The biggest issue I have right now is catching up with my sewing.

My friends, life is good!

Easy Street Step 1 Progress

So far I have cut the strips for step 1, sewed strips together and subcut most of them.  I need about 75 more subcuts, and I still need to sew all the 4 patches together.  Sheesh, first week and I'm already behind!  I plan to catch up between Christmas and New Year's if I have to during my week off of work!  We'll see if it takes me that long to catch up.

Strips

Four patches pinned and ready to sew are in the bin

I just love this color palette!  Here's my fabric - still need to add a bit of darker turquoise or teal.  I am wondering if it should be (mostly) tone on tone, or if the white prints on teal/turquoise/aqua will work.  Do you have most tonal choices in your colored fabric, or are you using prints?

Busy Weekend

This has been a hectic weekend with the end of the Thanksgiving holiday and two projects on the task list for quilting.

Yes, it's block of the week time again, this time we are celebrating universal suffrage.  The block is called "Everybody's Favorite".  I wanted to get it finished Saturday morning, so I jumped online first thing -- even before I had my Diet Coke!  I think I should have taken the time to go get the soda because I had to resew one seam at least 5 times!!  Ah well, it's a smidge wonky, but as they say it won't be noticed by someone on a galloping horse.  This block actually makes me smile as I used my very favorite red flower in it and 2, count 'em 2, plaids!

There's another version being done that is just great.  I had no idea how to draft it, and these fabrics would not have worked in that version,  It is fun seeing what others do.

I had another project start this weekend -- a mystery quilt with Bonnie Hunter -- see the link under the blogs I follow.  It is scheduled to run for 6-8 weeks, coming out every Friday.  My weekends will be busy!  Here's my fabric selections:

Aqua/Teal, Apple Green, Purples and ...

.... grey and block on white prints

The grey and black on white prints are this weeks assignment....make 190-something 4 square patches from 2 inch strips!  I got most of the strips sewn and subcut, but was unable to finish because I thought I should actually take clothes with me on my business trip this week!

I will be behind for both projects as I'm out of town until Dec 8th.  Lots of catching up to do over the holidays!

So, there's my quilting world for now,

Deciding When to Stop - Red/White Challenge

My guild is turning 40 this year and has issued a challenge for the annual quilt show to make a quilt with 40 of something or to make a quilt in the guild colors of red and white.  I have never done a two-color quilt before, so I decided to make a red and white quilt.  I am using a pattern from Kaffe Fassett's book, Quilts en Provence, by Liza Prior Lucy called "Gameboard Quilt".

I am at a decision point for how many "rounds" I am going to complete for this quilt.  Here's the two options:

I like the one on the left because it is nice and clean.  I added another round on the right (corners are sewn, but they are not sewn onto the center piece) so that the dark red would end up on point.  The quilt in the book has yet another round added, but I do not want to go that large.

How do you decide when to stop adding onto a quilt?

Bonus question:  Would you just bind this one as is (that's what the book has) or would you add a border?