January's Lovely Finish

Sometimes, less is more.

Sometimes, several failed attempts will lead you to the answer.   And that's how it was when I was auditioning borders for this quilt.

Here's the first attempt.  I didn't have to go any further before it seemed clear to me it would pull too much attention away from the main dish–the hand pieced sunflower blocks.

After trying several others, I realized that less is more and that I liked the quilt with it's narrow checkerboard, just as it is.

To complete this top, I had to draft a block pattern for the one I couldn't find when I pulled out this Block of the Month from 2010, make those blocks, bring some order to this visual cacophony of color and cats in deciding upon an arrangement, and decide on borders and make them.

I'm linking to the Lovely Finishes party ... and thinking about what to choose for a February finish.

To make Melissa and Shanna super happy, my January goal-setting post is here.

Designing on the Wall

For those who wondered if I am still arranging and re-arranging those brightly colored hand-pieced sunflower-style blocks on my design wall ... after moving them around (a lot) I did sew them together a week ago or so.

This weekend, I added the inner border blocks, by trial and error (the rejects are out of frame of the photo). I still need three more 4-patch corners before I move onto my plan for the outer border.

Grace Hopper, the photo-bombing cat, had just jumped in my chair to prevent me from sitting until I took care of something for her.  I think she found the little dot of light my camera produced more interesting than the quilt I was trying to photograph.

Look closely and you can see the paper sketch in the upper right corner.

After seeing a product placement post on someone's blog for triangles on a roll, I immediately had two thoughts:

1. It would be a great way to make the spiky border I envisioned.
2. The commercial product would most likely not be available in the size I needed, nor would I be likely to find it in Santa Fe. 

So, I drew my own, perfectly proportioned for my quilt ... now all I have to do is print a bunch of foundations, glue-stick them together to create segments for each side and get busy paper piecing the border. 

I don't know if this will be finished in time to be officially counted as a Lovely Finish this month, but I'm happy enough with the progress, that, either way, it will truly be lovely to me.

Thinking about Slow Stitch Sunday

I finished the quilting on the Cotton Robin quilt at my house yesterday.  I can't share a photo until it's finished and received by the owner.  This photo shows some of the thread I auditioned and the back of quilt #3.  I ended up using 4 of the 6 thread colors.

Today I plan to add a piped binding and hanging sleeve and stitch it down later, so that it will be ready to be sent home tomorrow.  So, it's a secret project for me for slow stitch Sunday.

 Earlier this week, on BillieBee's Blog, I won a Star Flower pattern.  I don't know why I haven't yet jumped on the hexie bandwagon ... but this variation appeals to me A LOT.  These are Billie's star flowers in progress.   I see a similarly scrappy version as my future slow sunday project.  Thanks, Billie!

But first, I'll be on the hunt for a protractor so I can draw the pattern and make templates for the last of the hand pieced quilt-along blocks.  Hmmm ...  Sunday evening may turn out to be more about pencil and paper and drawing than stitching today, but I hope to wrap up both tasks tonight.

How do you spend your Sunday evenings?

  

I'm working on the Slow Stitch Sunday habit

These are the latest three of the hand-pieced blocks. These blocks are the August blocks from the 2010 Quilt-Along.

It's been a distracting week and not much quilting  happened at Sophie Junction.

Early last week I had a job interview that went really well–I'm hopeful, but could definitely use prayers and crossed fingers for luck.

The rest of the week was spent dealing with a leak from the upstairs bath into the dining area downstairs ... I'm sure there's a Murphy's Law about how leaks happen over beautiful antiques.  Fortunately I discovered it and moved the furniture out of the way before any real damage was done ... I wish I could say the same about the ceiling.  It's dry enough here that mold shouldn't be an issue and things should dry out quickly so that repairs (to the tile upstairs and the ceiling downstairs) can be made.

I'm determined that whatever else happens, I will make time on Sunday for some handwork until it becomes automatic and I've always got something to pick up and work on.  Kathy's Slow Stitch Sunday has been a great motivator.

For me, it's probably taking the time to prepare and make sure I have something to stitch that is the biggest challenge. This afternoon, I'm preparing templates and choosing/cutting fabrics for the next blocks.  I confess that I am not preparing much in advance, because I find that I often change my mind and am recutting pieces in a different fabric.  After making the first block, I decided to modify the pattern slightly.  Here's the original block (left) and the re-designed version (with the black & white section split and combined with yellow).

For me, ripping out stitches made by hand is just as tedious, but I really do prefer the modified block.

I'm also linking up with the Block Lotto Weekend Update.

My Colorful Monday Morning Design Wall

It must be the arrival of Spring that has influenced my choices ... these blocks on my design wall makes me smile whenever I walk into the room. 

I've finished a few more hand-pieced blocks from Bonnie's Sunflower QAL (from 2010) in the past couple weeks.  I was excited about making progress on this 3-years old project but ran into an oops over the weekend when I pulled out the rest of the block patterns which Bonnie had kindly mailed to me in Texas and found I'm missing one.  Ruh roh.  I'm telling myself that it's an opportunity to try to design a block and create templates for the 12th pattern.


I like the way the birds look at the top of the wall, a little like birds on a white.   These are my April blocks for the Block Lotto.

They are a 6 by 9 inch (finished size) basic bird block, made in bright colors with black (or black and white) beaks and legs on a soft blue background.  Makers can decide if they want to make left- or right-facing birds and can make some choices about how tall and how to position the legs ... after I made them, I realized that several of mine look like they're striking a pose a la Angelina Jolie at the Oscars.

You can download a print-friendly copy of the pattern here:

Bird Block Pattern

If you would like to join us for the Block Lotto and make bird blocks to enter for a chance to win more, you's find the April guidelines here:

April is for the Birds

(I will also add it to my Freebies page for future reference.)

And more information about the Block Lotto and how it works, here:

An Illustrated History

Block Lotto Basics

Blocks we’ve Made

The butterfly blocks are rejects from Cock-a-Doodle Tea Towel are still on the wall because I have a plan for them ... I just need to find the time and inclination.

Today, I'm joining the list at Lynn's BOMs Away Monday and Judy's Design Wall Monday.

Nature Abhors a Vacuum ...

My design wall was all but blank for a couple days and I couldn't stand it anymore.

This afternoon, I pulled out these hand-pieced blocks from 2010 and put them up, to give those two unused butterfly blocks some company.   (My cotton robin project is also on the wall ... but since it's a secret, I cropped it out).

 

These blocks were made were block-of-the-month patterns some friends from my small group in Michigan were piecing and I wanted to play along.  I think they all finished their quilts from these blocks, while life and a few moves got in my way and I only got as far as "June"  These blocks, some fabrics and all envelopes with the block patterns have been packed away far too long.

My original plan was to make three blocks from each pattern for a total of 36 blocks for a wall hanging that would be approximately 50 inches square. For Slow Stitch Sunday, I'm picking this up again. 

While I continue quilting the challenge quilt  (here, with Grace Hopper's help), and develop some FMQ technique on the Singer 301, I think some hand-piecing will provide a relaxing balance.

And who knows? I might actually make some progress on this three-year-old work in progress.

Quilt-Along Progress Report

When I finished knitting the Brandywine shawl on March 3, I didn't start a new handwork project right away because I expected Bonnie's March block for the quilt-along to arrive any day.  I'd already seen photos of blocks made by Bonnie and others on their blogs and I was already looking forward to piecing the March block.

Except it didn't come and by the end of March, my enthusiasm for the project was considerably dampened.   I was a little irritated with myself for creating yet more orphan blocks, even though it was through no fault of my own . . . this time. 

On March 31, I received an envelope from Bonnie with the patterns from March-through-May.  And over the weekend, I pieced 3 each of the March and April blocks.  I pulled out the January and February blocks and put the first four months of the year up on the design wall.

Four months down, eight more to go.

Obviously, I still haven't yet squared up and trimmed the blocks . . .  maybe I'll do that before I pack them away again. 

There are individual photos of the blocks on Flickr in my Quilt-along 2010 photo set, if you want to take a closer look.

And for links to the design walls of other quilters around blogland, check out Judy Laquidera's Design Wall Monday blog post.

February Quilt Along Blocks

During a night of LOST and Mens Figure Skating, I pieced my February blocks for Bonnie's quilt along.

. . . speaking of Lost, When I walked past the Angelika theater at Mockingbird Station, I wondered if this happening in theaters everywhere?

Catching up with the Quilt Along

When some interesting blocks started showing up on Cyndee's,  Linda's and  Ruth's blogs, I really wanted to play along.  I tracked them back to their source and contacted Bonnie through her blog, the Scrappy Bee,  and asked to be included  ... and she gratiously agreed and mailed me the patterns for January and February.

Yesterday, I switched from knitting to hand-piecing while I watch the Olympics and here are my January blocks.







(I didn't crop these very well–they will fit together in a perfect circle)




I'm thinking I'll make 3 of each block for a total of thirty-six 7.5 inch blocks and an asymmetrical arrangement at the end of the year. Color/fabric-wise, I decided to choose a fabric I'd resisting cutting and colors that aren't in my go-to crayon box.

Bonnie has posted a photo of the March block ... I need to keep busy so that my February blocks will be finished by the time it arrives in my mailbox.