Finally--Some Progress

Above is the finale of my block-sewing for my Plan B quilt. It's been so long since I sat down and sewed for a bit that I decided to finish these today. It really didn't take long. I ended up making all the little HSTs that finished at 1-1/2" square. I think it was worth it.

I hope to get the blocks sewn together soon. Then I get to decide on a border! I might need some help then. Stay tuned to put your two cents in.

~Joan

Plan B Update

I haven't sewn much lately. I have been working little by little on my Plan B quilt. Here are 24 blocks laid out. I need to make about 60 more of the little HSTs for the light star blocks. I just have had a very dry sewing spell. I should say piecing. I did make a large cafe-type curtain today for the store where my oldest two daughters work. That's something I've been wanting to do for the owner for some time. A couple from my church own the store. Only their family and my 2 daughters work there.

I never could find fabric that I thought would be appropriate for the curtain. I know it will fade fairly quickly because it's in direct sun. I wanted a light fabric as opposed to a dark print. I ended up making it from navy/white heavy ticking with a white lining. The main purpose was to hide the cleaning bottles that they keep on the windowsill as well as blocking some of the sun coming in that window.

A note of gratitude...Yesterday our little 5-speed car was totalled when my husband was driving home from a coworker's house (we think it was totalled--still waiting for insurance adjustors to give us the final word). I thank God that my husband was not injured. A second earlier and my DH would have been smashed in instead of the back door and wheel area. Thank you, God!

~Joan

More Musings on Plan B

Just wanted to use an attention-getting color for a change.

As I was looking at my Plan B blocks from a couple posts ago, it occurred to me that I have not even made 50% of the dark background ones!! And I was getting all hung up about using the same units in a block. I can use one unit of a color combination per block and run out long before I finish the dark blocks. But it will be finished...some day.

This post is for those who think I whip out every quilt in a couple days (you know who you are!!). Much, MUCH more to do on this one!

~Joan

Design Wall Input

Dear Quilters,

I'd like your input on what you like and don't like about your design wall. We're about to make some major changes in my sewing/school room. The design wall (48" x 60")formerly rested on the elevated fireplace hearth. It's a sheet of insulated foamboard artfully covered by a flannel-back tablecloth which is taped to the back of the board. I want something larger that won't hold the threads as much. I hope to have the whole wall that it's resting against in this picture for a design wall area in the near future. It is on top of a banquet-sized table and leaning against the wall.

The quilt blocks on the design wall now are eventually going to be 9 x 9 blocks. As you can see, I'm a little short on space.

These are my Plan B blocks. The little HSTs are not hard, just tedious. I think I still need enough for 20 blocks (that's 160 HSTs that finish at 1-1/2" square...no problem!).

See my next post for what's happening outside.

~Joan in NC

Eight Plan B Blocks

Remember the poll from a while back? It was about the above blocks. I decided to go with the original pattern design instead of these blocks. I don't know why I thought I needed to hurry to finish this. For what it's worth, your votes were exactly even for the new way and the original way.

Today I did laundry for 2 of my sons (translated sewing time). I stitched up a bunch of the HSTs needed for the dark blocks. I used my Easy Angle Ruler and cut the pieces from 2" strips. I got quite a few done. They finish at 2" square. Me, oh my!

I think the reason that I make so many quilts is just my compulsive personality. Marcie, you can stop laughing now.

I have a hard time *just* sitting. It about kills me. For example, tonight I had to go pick my son up at work. I thought he might be eating after he clocked out, so I grabbed my hand-sewing bag as I dashed out the door. I got almost a whole row of my Seeds of Kindness pieces hand-sewn together in the 15-20 minutes it took him to eat supper. We got to chat as well, which is always a blessing.

I do plan to show you my new ironing station (that makes it sound so special). It is a much better use of the space.

~Joan

Plan D??

Just sewed up a few of the dark blocks because now I'm wondering..."is the original light star/dark background block worth the work?" In the picture above, the bottom left block is the original one in the pattern book. If you look at the block on the far right bottom corner and the top middle, notice how the piecing isn't as elaborate as the "original"? I would need to cut and piece 328 of the HST units if I went with the original pattern (that's 656 triangles that finish at 1-1/2" square when pieced). If I employed the same piecing as the other blocks (cream background above), I would save oodles of time. I think it would look marginally nicer done the original way, but would it be worth the extra "oodles" of time? I don't think so, but I can be swayed. What do YOU think? There's a POLL for you to vote at the top left of the blog page if you wish. It will be there a week.

~Joan

Which TWO of These Blocks Are Not Like The Others?

I have some new-found b-friends (that's what my WH calls my blog friends) that are into scrap quilts as much as I am, or so it appears! I have spent much of my sewing time recently thinking about why I make the quilts I do. Why not just pick out 3 or 4 fabrics and sew a quilt from them?? Several well-used cliches come to mind..."There's no accounting for taste." "To each his own." "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." We all have our favorite colors, designs, styles. That doesn't mean if I like my quilt better than yours that you're not a good person or I don't like YOU!! I digress.

I'm not sure I would enjoy making a completely planned quilt at all. After one block, the excitement would be gone. I wouldn't be seeing "old friends" (aka former favorite fabrics that I only have one 2" square left from)...

Last night after church I was putting together a few of the units from my Plan B quilt. I was musing over the generosity of the ladies who are selflessly sending me Thimbleberries scraps for my apple core quilt. I have only had contact 2 of the 7 before this. And I think Lisa is moving to the mainland so she can buy Thimbleberries just so she can say she participated in my quilt (LOL--I'll know when Lisa reads this!). Well, there I was, mindlessly connecting block units into the "big block".

I looked in a little drawer where I keep leftover small block units that I have marinating for a better day, and what did I see? SEVEN centers for the very block I was making...well, sort of. Look at the picture below and see how long it takes you to see "which TWO of these blocks are not like the others"...

Well, you either spotted them right off, or scrolled down out of desperation. You know I wouldn't leave you hanging! The top left and bottom right blocks are my "found" blocks that sort of looked like the blocks I was piecing. I was trying to sort through my quilt memory and remember when I made them. I think it was when I had seen the "Plan B" quilt originally, but didn't have the book yet, so was guessing at the block construction.

I was struck with inspiration for a NEW name for this quilt. It will be "Plan B...and C". The alternate 7 blocks will not stand out in the finished quilt. That's the glory of the scrap quilt. If you're close enough, anything goes!

Here is the way the block is SUPPOSED to be made...notice the corner units are two 2" squares (a color and a light) with a 2" x 3-1/2" rectangle of light beside them?

When I pieced the one below, I didn't know about the easier corner, so I pieced the center. Well, I just added a cream sashing around and put a 2" colored corner on so from a little distance (please scroll up to first picture if you forget) it appears the same as the REAL block.

I love it when a plan comes together, even if it is Plan C. Or Plan B and C!!

I had laid out a few blocks from the units I have been stockpiling. I just wanted to see how they would look. So I pieced and ironed 20 of them! That is very exciting because I only need 40 of the light background blocks. At this point in time, everyone else in my family was asleep. Translate that: no interruptions. So I thought, "Hey, the night is young, even if I'm not." I sewed up as many blocks as I had units for, and ended up with 35 blocks!! Whoo hoo--only 5 more of these to make, then I can concentrate on the light stars with the dark backgrounds. Zooming along.

More on the creative scrap process later...

~Joan

The End of The End

This will probably be the last time you see a new blog entry about this quilt (for a while, snicker, snicker). I've been asked to see the back. I picked this fabric because I like the pattern on it. I tend to be pickier about my backings if they are on a throw or bed quilt because they will be seen a lot. On a wall hanging, however, anything goes. I know if any of you visit, I can expect to see you pulling the wall hanging out from the wall to see what is on the back. Don't expect it to match!!

The slightly busy design hides the quilt starts and stops and any tiny mistakes (I know--you don't make any, but I do).

I've also had questions about how I get things done so fast. I always think I could be doing things more efficiently or faster. But here's some things I do when making a scrap quilt like Plan B, which is my current leader/ender project.

I have a shallow plastic basket that I always keep beside my sewing machine. Right now it has nothing but 2" squares in it, creams and colors.

I have a separate box for finished units. It's a shoe-box sized plastic box with a lid. Beside my sewing machine I keep small pieces in the basket (not units, which are at least 2 pieces sewn together). When I'm sewing something else, I end with a leader/ender from that instead of the scrap of trash fabric I used to sew on until it was thread-filled and then throw it away. This way I'm "sewing" all these units without actually spending time on them. Occasionally, I'll sew lots and lots of the units together if I'm not working on another project.

The units go into the box loose. After I iron and trim them to size, I safety pin them together in groups of ten so I can count them easily. I usually iron and trim a lot of them at once. They go into the box unironed and untrimmed. I count how many of each unit I need ahead of time so I can slow down on that one once I get close to my goal. Sometimes, the actual numbers can be ovewhelming. For example, for Plan B, I will need 204 four-patches made from 4 dark/colored 2" squares. That's a lot (816 squares!), but I'm over halfway there. I am cutting all my scraps into 2" squares and putting them in a shallow basket for leader/enders. Same with creams, but that's another unit.

~Joan

New Enjoyment from a Favorite Book

This is the book from which my next leader/ender (Plan B) is coming. I also want to make the quilt in the second picture at some time. In the top picture, Plan B is at the bottom right of the book cover.

When making a quilt, if I have to refer to the book's directions much, it is frustrating to have the book tend to try to close all the time. I had this book spiral bound this past week after fighting with it on and off one day. I had it done at Office Max for $3. A small price to pay for a bit of sanity, eh?

I still feel cruddy with a horrible sore throat. I spent part of this afternoon ironing and cutting I Spy quilt prints. I just laid out 3 more top centers, ready for when one of the children wants to piece them. You have to read the webbing the top instructions for keeping a laid out quilt in a stack off the design wall and ready to sew. It makes piecing so easy w/o fear of mixing up the blocks.

~Joan