WIP Wednesday

Four Patch Frenzy
Originally uploaded by QuiltyBee

I pulled these out of the UFO box, started 2 years ago! (See more blocks at my flickr.) They are a take-off on the 4 patch frenzy (stack four layers, aligning the repeat exactly, sew each stack together). Just ironing them up got me interested again--although I'm not sure I have quite enough for a lap quilt. This project is intended for my dad, back when he turned 65! (Sorry, Dad--we're all so slow). I think I will back it with red dragonflies.

I'm not sure how to quilt this--probably in grey since the fabric is dark with greens, greys and golds and the sashing is this dark, dark grey. I'm most comfortable with straight lines, but this seems to call out for a spiral or something. Got to get them sewn together first!

It's rainy here but supposed to be nice by Friday, my day with any time at home. Hmmm--sewing or yard clean up? Yard clean up or sewing? Do I really have to ask? Boys were just made for yard clean up, right?

Sneak Woodland Peek for Julie

Sneak Woodland Peek for Julie
Originally uploaded by QuiltyBee

I spent some time on the Swap Til You Drop (STUD!) mini with the woodland theme. I wish my pictures were better, but I think the old canon is dying! I had a lot of fun with this. Hint: the wonky bug has bitten! Now I just need to quilt & bind it.

I love these swaps and quilt alongs--they really keep me going with a project!

Wonky Progress

Finally got back to my Quilt Along blocks. I switched fabrics--same prints but slightly different colorway. This will be a gift and I needed to go with reds more than purples. I still plan to finish the purple and green blocks. It's thrilling to use up this fabric. (I have so much fabric it should have it's own address.)



Today was rainy and cold, so it was great to get some sewing in--my first Friday off in a few weeks (I'm supposed to have it off). I've joined a new swap--the theme is "Woodland Wonder" and minis less than 16 inches. I have some sweet owl fabric that might work.

My older DS is off on a date, the younger DS (newly minted 14 year old) at a cold & wet football game, and in a minute DH and I will sit on the couch and watch Numbers. Have a good weekend!

Am I Wonky?

Ok, so I'm trying out the Wonky Log Cabin quilt along with Quilt Dad (see the button on the sidebar). These are great for getting some stuff DONE! However, I am also learning some hard lessons.

First off, let me explain that I see myself as very out-of-the-box, non-traditional, nearly a closet hippy type (never mind I missed that time by at least 10 years). I love innovation! I love color! I love NEW! Or so I thought.

Next, I was so excited by this quilt-along because I thought it would help me develop my scrappy, frugal side--we're talkin' major stash buster here. How green of me, don't you think? Maybe.

Lesson 1: It turns out I am not scrappy--I tried, tried, tried to be scrappy for the Scrappy Christmas Block Swap--the pattern called for at least 16 different fabrics. Now I know that I prefer a very controlled number of fabrics (Turning 20s are impossible for me), say 3 or 5. But I thought, monochromatic rings, I can do that. Hmmm. Turns out I NEED to make them not only the same color but the same value if possible. Not too scrappy.

Lesson 2: Wonky--I can do wonky! I'm kinda wonky (read non-perfectionist) already! Oh, oh--to get wonky I need to trim lots of fabric = waste. Couldn't quite do it.

My solution? Cut the strips wonky in the first place so trimming is kept to absolute slivers of fabric. Whew! I was relieved to be making progress!




I can't wait to make more blocks--maybe on Friday I can--I rediscovered a WIP that was going nowhere (possibly because of my refusal to select a variety of fabrics--these are indeed 4 different but terribly similar pieces here), so not only do I get to practice "WONKY" I get to finish up a quilt I started as a gift last year. Check out the great truly wonky (and sometimes scrappy blocks on the quilt along flickr group--just click on the button at the side).

Scrappy Christmas Block Swap DONE!

Woo hoo! I finally got a day off from work--it was great to just sew. And since I'm a little late on my Scrappy Christmas Block Swap (see the button on the sidebar), I just dove in. It took 3 shows of "Campion" on Netflix to finish them. I really like this Scrappy Hedgerow Block pattern from Oh! Fransson--her quilts are all fantastic. And I've always like log cabins and square-in-a-squares. HOWEVER, I have discovered that truly scrappy is very difficult for me. I've never been able to collect "15-20 fat quarters" for a single quilty. I always narrow it down to 3-5 fabrics. I thought this one, with its monochromatic rings might be easier for me, but it bothered me to mix types of fabric (non-Christmas with Christmas, shiny with not, lights and darks). I really wanted to at least make the rings all light or all dark. As a result, my favorite pair is the last, with its outside ring all the same fabric.

I've now joined the Old Red Barn Co. Quilt-a-long--Quilt Dad is doing a wonky log cabin quilt. Again, I don't know if I can do 15-20 FQ, but I am going to try my best to just use my stash and be a bit more spontaneous. Funny, because I really think of myself as an out-of-the-box kind of person, but I just can't mix batiks and asians, or mod and traitional! We'll see what happens next!