Something Shiney

Do you shop at Connecting Threads?  My magazines have drool blotches but I can usually resist the urge to purchase anything.  Until this ...

I simply couldn't resist the yummy goodness of the cheddar and navy blue combination.

I don't normally purchase fat quarter bundles, but my hope was to develop a palette for a class project in September before purchasing the yardage I need.  Alas, I don't think this combo will work for that quilt.  BUT, I have a plan.

This is when you know it's time to stop sewing ...

Stay tuned for further developments!

Jingle Bells

Before I forget, I want to thank everyone for the lovely comments on my Stay-at-Home Round Robin.  Many were No-Reply comments so I am not able to respond personally.  It warmed my heart to have so many positive reactions.

No, it's not Christmas yet.  After I finished the SAHRR I was looking for my next project and decided to work on an earlier SAHRR that deserved to be finished.  I was trying to set some previously-made 4-patches on point, but my measurements on the setting fabric was off so I put t aside.

Instead, I pulled a project box off the pile, thinking it would be a quick finish.

I thought I only had the bow left to fuse on so I sent Alex downstairs in search of my stash of fusible web.  In the meantime, I checked the contents of the box and discovered only the four white strip sections were complete.  The green edge to the ribbon had been cut, but not the red ribbon. I managed to get the lower portion done before I ran out of steam.  It obviously needs to be evened up.

My attention was diverted by another shiney object; I'll tell you more in the next post.

Around the Robin

I have participated in several stay-at-home round robins in recent years, but this is my first time reaching flimsy status.  It will finish at 46 inches.

A star salvaged from an unfinished table runner was my beginning block.

Round 1 - Block with first initial:  The star needed a border so I (Libby) chose to do London Roads.

Round 2 - HSTs:  I was fortunate that I had a stash of finished HSTs in the appropriate colors.

Round 3 - Stars:  I made Ohio Stars to anchor the corners of Round 2 and the upcoming Round  4.    (talk about a math challenge!)

Round 4 - Slashed Block:  I was able to incorporate the three colors of the star in several.

Round 5 - Log Cabin:  I chose to do a scrappy courthouse steps variation, giving me an opportunity to incorporate more pink in the quilt. The B/W center 4Ps were made from remnants of Round 1.

Round 6 - Kites:  I used those as cornerstones for Round 5 and finished the piece with a 3-inch border.

This was lots of fun and really gave my brain a math workout!  I appreciate all the thought and effort that went into organizing this challenge.

Linking up with  Quilting Gail for the final parade of quilts.

Breaking the Silence

No, I didn't give up blogging for Lent ... I've been through a challenging time, not much sewing going on.  

First, we attended a PGA tournament in Orlando in early March.  We had premier tickets with valet parking, clubhouse access, and on-site transportation.  We enjoyed the special amenities (including daily gifts) and the first two days of the tournament, but apparently the drive down had taken a toll on my legs.  They collapsed twice in one day, the first time being at the clubhouse in the tiny ladies' room stall with no grab bars and an in-swing door!  Fortunately an EMT was able to rescue me. 

So I ended up in the hospital for a day.  I woke from an afternoon nap to see a man standing in my hospital room, holding a vase of flowers and a bag of Trader Joe's chocolate-covered pretzels. 

The gentleman was the Development Director for the tournament and the flowers were from the staff that we had gotten to know those first two days.  I told him how much we had been enjoying the accommodations and complimented the staff and their thoughtfulness, but said the ladies' room definitely needed to be upgraded to ADA standards!  (And he agreed!  I think he was just glad we weren't going to sue!)

The long drive back home didn't help my legs, either so I've been taking it easy, but I did push myself to get the last border on my SAHRR so that I will have something to show in the parade on Monday

Overall I'm happy with the result.  Alex loves it.  I think I will hand it off to a local long-armer to be quilted soon.  I just need to find the right fabric for the back.

One Down, Three to Go

I finished the first side of the SAHRR Round 5!  I had my doubts since log cabin is not my favorite block as I said before.  But I've got to say I'm surprisingly pleased with the results.  Look!  It fits -- thanks to an extra "log/step" between each block.  Coulda knocked me over when I laid it out.

Not only am I happy with the courthouse steps, but now that I see everything together, I notice the totally unplanned repetition of 45-degree angles.  Overall it reminds me of an American Indian woven blanket.  

With luck and a little effort I may have it all together by the end of the week.

Nearing the Finish Line

That 5th round of the Stay at Home Round Robin (announced over a week ago) is taking WAY too long!  The prompt was for log cabin blocks and I opted to do the courthouse steps variation.  Let me just say that log cabin is probably my least favorite thing to sew -- boring!  And I can never keep them square.  

My cutting table is an absolute mess.

In the meantime I have already finished round 6 -- with four kite blocks for my corners.  

I had made a bunch of tiny 4-patches (2" finished) with the leftovers from Round 1; they became the base for my courthouse steps.  The "steps" are cut from 1-1/4" strips, finishing at 3/4".  So my blocks will finish at 5".  After several attempts at color options, I decided to make them all pink and black alternating with the background.  It feels like a never-ending process, but with luck I'll be finished with the top before the final reveal!  I'm thinking this will be the orientation with the black edge against the body of the quilt, but that decision will be made when I finish the courthouse steps blocks.

I'm anticipating that I'll add a border of one of the main fabrics when all is said and done.

Pardon the Interruption

I've taken a break from the SAHRR in order to work on a quicky project for my physical therapist.  She is expecting her first baby in April.  It's a boy and she has decorated the baby's room in a western/cowboy theme.  I have one more visit scheduled next week so I've been whipping up a quick baby quilt for her.  

The border is my own design and I'm thrilled with the overall look, not to mention how quickly it has gone together  (I won't talk about how many times I had to unsew the triangles to make them go in the correct direction!)  Only one intersection is slightly off, but I don't think the baby will notice.  The print fabric itself isn't particularly "western," but the colors remind me of jeans and bandanas.

It is a moldy-oldie, Polka Dot Garden by In the Beginning dated 2011, though I don't think I've had it that long.  The blue and red semi-solids by Kona Bay Fabrics are dated 2014.  The pattern was designed by Jennifer Heynen specifically for this fabric.

This project has been in my To-Do pile for a very long time!

I spent my time at Devo on Tuesday fussy-cutting the print fabric.  It was starting to look like Swiss cheese until I realized I could work my way up one side next to the selvage with a minimum amount of waste.  I have enough left over for the back, but I think I will use this neutral Teddy bear print on the back for a break from all the color, instead. What do you think?

I hope to get it ditch-quilted this weekend, once I practice with my walking foot....