Rabbits and Squirrels

 I wrapped up this rabbit by making more stretched star blocks and settling on an arrangement.

I made a few last minute changes after this photo was taken and the blocks are now stacked and ready to trim at Devo next week.  I have picked a couple of border options to audition.

My cutting room needed straightening in the worst way, so I spent some time yesterday cutting more strips for Color Stix blocks before putting away the leftovers. 

As I was putting away some background fabrics I had purchased last week, I found myself chasing another squirrel.

I think this would be considered a "chunky" churn dash.  Debbie Caffrey calls the quilt made from them Square Knots in her book, Open a Can of Worms.  In her world a "worm" is a 2-1/2" strip so I raided my drawer and picked an assortment of pinks, yellows, blacks and greys to make the blocks.  Silly Me, I started cutting pieces according to her directions before I realized I might be able to do some strip piecing.  Oh, well, something to sew is something to do ...

Tomorrow I'll be looking for a handwork project to take on our next extended holiday.  It's a toss-up between EPP hexagons and counted X-stitch.  That's assuming I can find my glasses for close-up work!

Eclectic - It's the Way I Roll

 I don't think I can be accused of being single-minded!

The clutter on the right has been on my design wall for months and I finally started pulling some of the bits into a cohesive, though chaotic, whole today.

I recently saw an orphan block quilt done in a spiral so I'm thinking about proceeding in that style.  I've pulled a creamy Grunge to be a separator and/or pathway for the spiral.  I know, that doesn't make any sense ... hard to describe.  You'll understand when I get further along

I did manage to get the "manly" Color Stix blocks in a somewhat pleasant arrangement and they are now pinned in rows, ready to be stitched.  It will probably need a border to make it big enough for a man's lap.

AND I spent a good portion of the day cutting and stitching these blocks for a Stretched Star from Nickel Quilts.

It feels good to be stitching again!  

PERFECT!

Apparently in Canada nothing is just OK, or even good.  It's PERFECT.  (Or maybe that's how the Rocky Mountaineer employees have been trained to respond.)  Nevertheless, our recent circle tour through the Canadian Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer was as close to perfect as any vacation can get.

Apologies for the silence, but I don't like to announce when we will be away and I didn't think to schedule posts in advance.  Can you believe two weeks on the air/rails/roads and not a single visit to a quilt shop?  Maybe because of views like this. (yes, that's snow, not clouds)

Or adventures like a walk on a glacier ...

Anyway, I have spent a few hours in the sewing room room today and hope to share some progress with you soon.