Finished or Not

It's Friday!

I realize I never mentioned progress on an old project last month.  One of the Rainbow Scrap Challenges from 2018 was the Squared Away Sampler designed by Mari/Academic Quilter.  When I put them up on the design wall I was short one block to do a 3x4 setting so I made another one.

Then I set about combining them with my current favorite background alternate squares.

It remains unfinished because I am auditioning borders.  Oh, and as I was putting it back in the box, I found the missing block that I had "borrowed" for a guild lecture.  I guess that means I'm starting another sampler ... or it could become my label.

This week I did finish my abbreviated version of Jenn's Journey (top, back, border) which I'm calling Lib's Trek because of all my starts and stops on that project.

I continued working on Jack's in the Pond (more detail here).

And I took a peak ahead at the end of my alphabet and couldn't resist pulling out Wilderness.  It began as a panel of wild animal silhouettes that was left over from this quilt the Rock Island Rockers made for the park office to celebrate our 10th year of retreating in January 2015.

I had already added log cabin strings to the silhouettes and was contemplating how to stretch them with an alternate block when I came across a batik panel of leaves.  This is my progress to date.

I had to add strips to the sides of the leaves to make them the same size as the panel blocks.  I like the offset look that creates.  It has not been assembled yet and I am auditioning borders.  I am thinking this would make a nice wheelchair quilt for a gentleman.

Linking with Finished or Not Friday.

Back to My Regular Programming

Finish #19 of 20 in '20

A few days late, but I finished Jenn's Journey a/k/a Lib's Trek today.

It's a little over 40" square and I think it will make a nice wheelchair quilt so I prepped a flannel back.

The dark blue batik binding is ready, as well.  Now to find space and time to get it all together!

Pardon the Interruption

On to another eclectic design wall.

The project on the left is a subject for another day.  Ignore the single On Ringo Lake block that appeared in a box of batik bits.  It's Great to be Square, on the right, is returning to the box until I have time to make some replacement blocks which are already cut.  Actually, it never had a box!  I found these blocks wrapped around the replacement parts in a tote of batiks I was culling through.   On the table at the lower left is the project I was actively working on, Jenn's Journey, which I am renaming Lib's Trek.

  

My goal was to finish this last week but I took a break to consider borders.  In that batik search I mentioned above, I came across this interesting piece:

It is directional and only a small chunk so it may need some supplement for the top and bottom borders.

The main interruption to progress, however, was Jack's in the Pond.

The current plan is to stop at 9 blocks.  The remaining three are mostly cut and ready to stitch.  At this point it will be 45"square.  I may add some sashing and definitely a border.

I hope everyone had a pleasant and safe holiday weekend.

Jack's in the Pond

After I expressed my concern over the complexity of Jack's Chain, Wanda/Exuberant Color suggested that I put the one finished block in a table mat and use the 9-patches in another project.

That thought kept rattling around in my head.  But what to do?  

Coincidentally, a replacement window salesman stopped by on Wednesday with the measuring guys so that he could show me the quilt he made while working for McCalls Quilting in the 90s.  Apparently all the employees have to know how to quilt, regardless of their task on the magazines.  He also brought a 1997 issue he worked on that had a Goose in the Pond quilt.

Our copy machine had been unplugged to give the measuring guys access to the window in DH's office so I snapped a quick photo with the phone.  I've always liked this block.  So today I made a sample.

And also a negative version.

The blocks will finish at 15" so it won't take many to make a whole quilt.  Now, what to do with all the stripsets I've already made ...

Thursday's Tip

Read the Directions!

I will preface this post by saying that I am not a fan of specialty rulers, especially those that are good for only one task, and most especially those that work for a limited size of block.  I make an exception for those made by Deb Tucker/Studio 180 Designs because of their versatility.

I think I mentioned earlier that I "cheated" on Jenn's Journey by using some already-made snail's trail blocks.  

However, this decision also affected the dimensions of the diamonds and square-in-a-square blocks (versus what was in the pattern).  I thought I was smart enough to figure out what I needed to do.  That was my first mistake!  The second was not making any notes on what I was planning to do and letting it sit in a box for over a year. 😕

In the project box I found Deb Tucker's Diamond Rects ruler which I used to establish the odd angle for cutting the diamonds. But I didn't notice that the ruler also included measurements for cutting the corners.  Instead I used the corners I found in the box. As a result, my Diamond blocks were coming out 1/8"too narrow. I was able to compensate for that in the seams.

Then I spent hours trying to figure out how big to cut the center square for the square-in-a-square blocks.  I had gone through this same exercise just a few weeks ago when I was working on Everlasting! (shown below). 

 

Well, duh!  I have Deb Tucker's Square Squared ruler hanging on the ruler board!  It tells me to cut the center squares from a 3-1/2" strip.

So I cut 3-1/2" squares.  And I'm thinking why would anyone need a template to cut a square?

The ruler also told me how big to cut the corners.

Which I dutifully followed.  But my SiaS was too big and the points would be cut off ... because the square which I cut from a 3-1/2" strip would have been 3-3/8" if I had used the ruler template!

Just so you know -- I know how to cut 3/8" but I understand not everyone has a ruler with eighth-inch markings so I'm not making a negative comment about the ruler.  I obviously did not read the instructions!

Eclectic Design Wall

'Nuff said!

Meanwhile ...

Back at the Alphabet

The plus side of my working my way through the alphabet is that I have been very productive.  The downside is I've been easily distracted -- not by shiny things, but by beautiful fabrics that have been hiding away in project boxes.  

If I remember correctly, I had made it through F - Flying Geese.  I despised that fabric so much I totally ditched that project.

Oh, wait, I made it through G by finishing Gypsy Wife a/k/a Corona Wife.

But the curves in Glorified/Improved 9-Patch are still staring at me from the side table.

All of the Hs remain in the box ...

... though I do use Happy Surprise as L/Es some days.  Jo Kramer/Jo's Country Junction  coincidentally showed a completed Harriet's Legacy quilt today and I am struggling with the temptation to get back to that one.  It's a medallion style with rounds of different blocks so it would be easy to work on one round at a time and to stop when I have had enough ... Can you tell I'm wavering?

That brings me up to J.

Jack's Chain has intrigued me for years.  I got as far as constructing one block.

All the bright triangles are cut and stripsets are waiting to make more 9-patches.

My dilemma is figuring out the best way to put the blocks together.  I have accumulated several patterns and magazine articles on the subject, but it doesn't look easy.  Nevertheless, I am barging ahead with the 9-patches, using them as leader/enders.

Jenn's Journey is close to the assembly point. 

You can see on the picture that I plan to do just one quadrant of the quilt.  I "cheated" a bit in the class by using some finished snail's trail blocks purloined from another ill-fated project.

They aren't the exact size of the pattern so I was having to make some adjustments in the sizes of the SiS and diamonds.  If I remember correctly, I was not happy with my fabric selection for the diamonds.  I really should move this one to completion as a table topper.  That will be my goal for this week!