Friday, November 20, 2015

Still playing with blocks

Now I know I've been dragging a lot of ideas through here lately, as I dither over choices for RSC2016.  (Not that I'm excited or looking forward to it or anything.)
But believe it or not, I've also had a bunch of ideas that I scratched off the list.
Like this one:


 which can also be spun and arranged like this.



But I decided I had to draw the line somewhere, and that some of my ideas had to go, just so I don't end 2016 gibbering in a corner buried in unfinished quilts.
Then I saw a quilt using this block, done up in blue and white, that would be even better in rainbow colors.
The block may have gone back on the 'possibles' list...

Another contender is this one:


I think it's called Hovering Hawks, though it's an old traditional block that probably has twenty different names, so I could just call it Charlie if I felt like it, and who could argue?
Not only is it a pretty block, but it's dirt simple to piece.  I'm given to putting blocks on point, and this would look good set that way, but I'm thinking this would be a good one to stray from my usual approach and let it hold onto that diagonal line.  The backgrounds would carry the rainbow colors, and I could use a lightish or medium sashing.
So, what am I up to now?  A dozen quilts?  Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, I can do that.

In other rainbow news, I've started sewing rows of Ohio stars together.


I'm going fabric shopping with my sister-in-law Saturday and will be looking for that rain-spatter gray for the setting triangles, and a darker gray/black for an outer border.  (I think.  Maybe.  Still undecided on the border.)
Family is coming for Thanksgiving and my design floor has to go back to being a floor floor.  Since I don't want to try to stack up those blocks and then have to lay them out again later (and arrange and rearrange them because that's what I do), I'm going to at least get the rows assembled.
Anything that reduces the dithering is a good plan...


Linking to So Scrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday.  Come see the rainbow fun!

15 comments:

Julierose said...

Quiltus Interruptuss is going on here, too lol! I am slowing down on the sewing and getting ready for the Turkey Day dinner here.....it's hard to stop in the middle of a streak; and harder to get yourself back into making again, I think...
but so it goes, hugs, Julierose

LA Paylor said...

dithering reduction... I know I know

Now I like the colorful blocks at the top. I vote for those.
It's just dh, Cole and I for Thanksgiving again, so they've already lived with my mess so no need to clean up.

Judy said...

Design Sheet - lay out your quilt blocks on a sheet. Then when you have to move it, sleep on the arrangement or want to work on another quilt, just fold it up and all the blocks are right where you left them when you unfold the sheet again.

Magpie Sue said...

I'm holding at about half a dozen ideas for next year's RSC. You sure made up some pretty sample blocks.

Quiltdivajulie said...

Digital photos help too - when you want to rearrange blocks but don't want to lose the current iteration/idea.

Mystic Quilter said...

I do exactly what Julie is advocating - digital photos. I have done this many times even with a design wall and it's a great way of keeping a record.

Chantal said...

So many blocks so little fabric lol.
When I have to pick my design floor clean, I take a picture. I find it easy to follow when I want to lay down the not-sewn-together quilt. Have a great weekend. ;^)

Deb A said...

I too take a picture.... I tend to find the mistakes that way! Also... something about two cats who think blocks laying on the floor are there for them to play with and scatter about. Good luck - I need to deep clean before Thursday as well (my MIL gets hives when in my messy house, can't have that so must pick up and deep clean). It makes decorating for xmas on Friday much easier as well.

The Joyful Quilter said...

I'm looking forward to seeing what you found on your shopping trip!!

Anonymous said...

Decisions, decisions. I spend a lot more time thinking than actually sewing.

I pick up my blocks left to right, pin a paper on the top one to the left labeled "left" and the row number. So far it has worked.

If I'm going to put it away for a long time I add to the label the total number of rows, like "1 of 6"

scraphappy said...

Narrowing down the choices for next year is a process. I love the sample blue quilt you linked to. Whatever you decide though, having new projects to ponder is the perfect excuse for finishing off current projects.

deb @ frugal little bungalow said...

Yes call it Charlie ! :) I had a nice chuckle at that one :)

Cathy said...

Charlie looks like a good choice. I copied a pattern called Tennessee from Quilter's Cache that looks a lot like it but with scrappy background.

No design wall here either. If I care about layout I have to lay on floor and then I gather them up in rows and number them. It's trickier when rows are on point and small as I've found out when I made Little Monkeys.

How do you sew them together without the raindroppy fabric for the side triangles?

Sally Trude said...

Wait a minute! I thought the WHOLE point of the RSC Challenge was to end up "gibbering in a corner buried in unfinished quilts." In fact, I thought that was the meaning of life.

Sheila said...

Same thing here. Lots of 2016 RSC ideas on my list, just not enough time for all of them.