Thursday, December 3, 2020

Still puttering along

 Well, after November's abysmal showing, let's see if I can do a little better in December.  At this point in 2020, it's getting a little hard to rub two thoughts together, so mostly I've continued with projects already underway.

One thing I've been looking forward to is Bonnie Hunter's Mystery - the first clue dropped last Friday.  As usual, I'll be making roughly half(-ish) of the necessary components as we go along.  (I don't really need another humungous quilt top sitting around!)

(And also, I'm still not 100% convinced about this whole 'gray' thing, despite y'all's best efforts to tell me it'll be fine)

My biggest effort has gone into Sand Castles 2.  I've now got 40 done out of the 48 blocks needed.


I've been diligently putting together 4-patches and string corners, so the final push should go fairly quickly.  Then I'll just have the endless stringy borders to stitch - see this post for the wonderful awful wonderful idea I had for borders.

And I finally got a bit of RSC sewing done.  It's always hard for me to keep any kind of RSC momentum going in November and December.  Technically I should be trying to get a finish done, but since my blocks tend to run small and take multiple years to gather enough for a quilt, I'm highly unlikely to be thinking 'flimsy time'.
But, ta-da!  Here's a light green PSP postage stamp for January, which means I've got blocks for the full year of 2020.  I think I'll need at least another year to make these lovelies, so look for a flimsy no sooner than 2022...


I've been cutting mountains of 1.5" squares for my 4-patch collection and postage stamp blocks, plus those needed for Easy Peasy. (Bonnie Hunter's leader/ender challenge for this year, which is actually called Easy Breezy, but my brain rejects that in favor of Easy Peasy every single time so I give up)

Speaking of Easy Peasy, I've been thinking ahead to how I'll set them.  (I know, but I swear I can't help myself)

My first idea was just to set them alternating with a plain square, which would be easy and quick and not overly complicated.


But you know me - overly-complicated is my middle name.  So I got to thinking about another Bonnie leader/ender challenge - Shoo Fly Shoo, which was last year's block.  I'd managed to skip that challenge because those little blocks are OMG-cute, and I know a trap when I see one.
But, hey - what's the harm in just making a couple of the little things, just to see...


I think I'll need to make a few more shoo fly blocks before I decide.  (It probably won't work - it looks like too much work with just a load of mush for the payoff)  

Worst case scenario is that I might have started another quilt.

Oops.



(ETA:  I'd been planning to add links to ScrapHappy Saturday and Oh Scrap when the weekend got here and now here it is the weekend!  So here I am rushing back in here to link up!)

15 comments:

Cathy said...

Haha! I love the “I know a trap when I see one”..... and yet you got sucked in! Just like most of us do. Unless they have a vaccine for the PSP by January, I’m sure I’ll be coming down with that one myself...

Gretchen Weaver said...

I've made several easy breezy or peasy quilts, I just put sashing in between my blocks. Your idea for shoofly blocks is interesting but then you like squirrels better than I do. Happy stitching with whatever you decide to do!

julieQ said...

I made the gray black, for my blocks. I think yours are pretty!! I just don't have any gray!

Libby in TN said...

I love shooflies but I think the combo with the easy-peasy block is muddled and doesn't really show off the beauty of either block. You know I swore off BH last year, but now I'm thinking about all those yellow/gray cutoff HSTs from the monster quilt ...

MissPat said...

Start another quilt? Not you, Queen of the I've got to finish this quilt before I start another one ... or 5. I still want to know what's become of those monkeys that were lost in the jungle many years ago. Not that I should talk, having Chantel's pinwheels still spinning in the wind, lo these many years.
Pat

Quiltdivajulie said...

I am making the Easy Peasy blocks in a larger size (2.5" squares) - LOVE your idea of setting them with alternate blocks. I need to add that thought to my project's working file. (not the shoo fly blocks though - I agree about too much work for too much mush).

Ann said...

So many cute blocks. Your colors always shine but your Sand Castles is my favorite. What fun to see it again.

Mystic Quilter said...

So only eight more blocks needed now for Sand Castles, it's looking awesome! I had wondered if you would be going with the Mystery again from Bonnie Hunter, good for you and also for the leaders and enders. I quite often think what a great idea she has with the leaders and enders and mean to take part - never happens!

Sally Trude said...

Why is Buddy jumping up and down and barking his head off? Oh...a squirrel. Also, it is about time for PSP20 to mutate into PSP21. And I was thrown off about the gray too because of the reference to roads and the dark paint chips. But it looks like its really about softer, lighter grays.

Angie said...

Thanks for the Easy Peasy (darn, I had trained my brain on Breezy, but now I'm messed up again!) setting idea! I'm making the blocks with 2.5 inch pieces, so the 9-patch setting will work great. Except I'll need a lot more blocks that what I've got now...

cityquilter grace said...

love the sand castles pattern and your blocks too...

Louise said...

Just the right alternate block will make those Peasies shine! Don't ask me what block that will be, though. My brain is as mushy as overcooked peas-ies these days. Maybe fancy cornerstones can serve the purpose?

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

There will never be an end to all the quilty inspiration we see and want to try! I'll enjoy following along as you try using gray in your BH mystery. And Sandcastles is looking wonderful! I'm trying some star blocks as alternates to my Easy Breezy blocks - still deciding if that's what I want to do for sure.

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Scraps can sure lead you down a lot of rabbit holes! I like the idea of using an alternate block with the easy peasy blocks. Thanks for sharing all your scrappy goodness with Oh Scrap!

Susie H said...

Your Sandcastles are AMAZING and I did look back to see the wonderful border you're planning on going with. I've been doing the Easy Peasy blocks too. They're so fun to work on in between whatever it is I'm really working on. Of course, I haven't even given a thought on how I'll be finishing it up. Maybe I'll wait to see what you decide! Lol!