Design Wall Monday

... and the week to come

Currently on my design wall:

Sunflower Braid

This project has been lanquishing for 10 years!  In 2005 I attended a class at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show with Debbie Caffrey where she taught many (if not most) of her Power Cutting techniques.  I was especially intrigued by her demonstration of cutting trapezoids (however, 10 years later I'll have to review the book to remember how I did it).  Anyway, cutting trapezoids for braid is less wasteful than cutting strips -- no ends to trim off!

Apparently in my "yellow period," I cut up everything yellow and close to yellow.  I still have a box full of yellow trapezoids, even after making 8 strips.

Box of Braid

Don't you love the label?  Another one of those office-supply store finds....

Inspired by the cover of a magazine that had yellow braid separated by appliqued flower chains, I plan to stencil flowers on my version.

Sunflower Stencil

I've hit a stumbling block, however, as my stencil inks have dried out in the years that they stood idle in a box.  So first item on today's agenda is to hit every hobby/craft store in the area to find replacements in suitable colors.

As I work my way through this project I will post updates on the process, so stay tuned.

I had no finishes last week, but continued to make progress on my 6-1/2" neutral string blocks.  I still have no plan for these; I've been mulling a few options, but would appreciate suggestions.

49 Neutral Striing Blocks

I've pretty much worked through the longer strings in the cream/beige colors.  I cut my papers at 6-1/2" because that was the size of the ruler handy at the time, plus it pretty much used a whole sheet out of a small phone book.  It takes a strip at least 9" to go across the diagonal at this size and most of my strings are a lot shorter.  I think the next time I start something like this I'll cut smaller papers as the base.  Lesson learned.

Even though there was nothing I could count out of the stash, I do have an adjustment to my report.  I underestimated my extended arm measuring technique and discovered I had actually purchased 3 yards less in Paducah!

Weekly Stash Report - May 4, 2015
     In last week:                         0.5 yards
     Adjustment last week:         -3.0 yards
     In year to Date:                 93.75 yards
     Out Year-to-Date:             31.75 yards
     Net Used 2015                  62.0 yards (red means more in than out)

Heading out to a guild retreat tomorrow; a stack of finishes awaits.  First up will be to put Butterscotch on the design wall where I can cogitate on the arrangement of blocks and make the remaining pinwheel blocks as leaders and enders while I assemble and add borders to Classic 4-Patch, Happy Talk, and the remaining Athena's Puzzles.

Check what others are working on at Patchwork Times.