A new star and a plan for Jack

So there I was, minding my own business, with no plans of starting any new projects, when one of my weekly newsletters featured a cute little framed star.  One look and I was a goner. 

One block, I said to myself.  Just one to test the pattern and the construction method they suggest.

Well, I followed the instructions (except that I used two different backgrounds instead of only one like they did) (because why would I use 3 fabrics when I could use 4?) (and I'm thinking about trying a 5th color for the star center because you know how I like to complicate things) and was quite pleased with it.

So then I made another one, using the construction I'd visualized when I first laid eyes on the block - I saw it as a basic nine-patch grid and proceeded accordingly.

(And notice how I oh so cleverly used turquoise in each block so I could justify them as RSC blocks.  Bonus points for me!)

But those little flying geese were making me grumpy.  The pattern used the squares/rectangle stitch-and-flip method for the little devils and my machine kept wanting to just chew them up.  The air was getting a bit blue what with the swearing and all.

I decided if ever a block cried out for the 4-geese-at-a-time method, this one was it.  I checked the chart for the sizes of the squares I would need.  

Hmm...  the chart said one big square 3 1/4" and four smaller squares 1 7/8".  I thought about those measurements for about 3/16 of a second and said "Oh, hell no."

There had to be an easier way.  

I wondered if I could use 3.5" squares and 2" squares instead, and then just trim them down a bit.  My only concern was that the seam allowance at the apex of the "goose" might come up short, but it turned out not to be a problem at all.  It was perfect, in fact.

Here are the untrimmed geese on the left and the trimmed on the right.  

I'm normally not a fan of go big and trim back, but in the case of these littlie-bits I'm willing to make an exception.  Since I always have 3.5" and 2" strips and squares on hand, those measurements are going to be a whole lot easier to work with.

So, yeah, looks like I've started another project.  (It's for the RSC!  Honest!)

That left me with my languishing Jack's Chain still on the design wall.  I adore this pattern and really want to get it made, but the amount of time it would spend on the wall while I sewed it together was daunting.

It wants to be worked on and isn't afraid of making me feel guilty for sewing something else.  (You should have  seen  heard  felt how fiercely it stared at me while I was making those little framed stars...)

So I've developed a plan.  The rows are basically a chain of this 5-nine-patch C-shaped unit

joined across.  I've been sewing triangles to individual nine patches, sort of as a leader/ender, which I'll start assembling into a bunch of those C-shapes and then later on add the hexagon centers.

Not all of the nine-patches will be handled that way, though.  Some will be set aside for the in-between rows which just consist of hexagons and nine-patches alternating across.

This approach lets me take it down off the design wall (and put it where it can't stare at me) while I accumulate all these bigger components.

There.  That's taken care of.  

I have a plan.

I'm almost sure it will work.

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How can the year be 4378 days long and yet July has swooshed by?

 I've been lost in the doldrums most of the summer, it seems.  I'm getting some reading done, but little else to show for my days.  It hasn't helped that today is March 518th, 2020...

A measly bit of sewing got done - here's an Antique Tiles block in dark blues,

and an assortment of Cake Stands in dark blue and various neutrals.

I did a bunch of dark blue sewing back when we were supposed to be doing light and bright blues, so I didn't push too hard this month.

If you would have asked me what quilt I'm currently working on, I would have replied, "My Jack's Chain" but the fact is that I seem to have hit a snag with it.  I got this far earlier in the month -

and stuck, because it still looks exactly the same.  I only thought I was working on it.

When a project stops moving like this, I've learned to take it as a sign that this is not the quilt I want to work on.  I thought back to the last time I'd been excited about a project and realized it was Flutterby, so I grabbed some leftover flutter-bits and a couple of yards of a really fun batik and made a back for it.

I was having such fun planning the back that I finally had to reign myself in a bit before I ended up making a whole 'nother quilt to put on the back of the first one.  (Not that it would be a bad thing, but I'm really trying to prevent myself from Making Things Harder for Myself, which is a true character flaw)

I'm going to be having a good think about Jack's Chain.  For now I'll continue making 9-patches for it, since you can never have too many 9-patches, and work up a good plan that will let me carry it forward without dragging my feet.  

And I think I'm going to baste Flutterby for quilting because that's the one that is making my heart sing right now.  Gotta follow the tune!

Linking with SoScrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday and with Quilting is more fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!  Come see what the last days of July are bringing!

 

Aqua's last hurrah

I only got to spend a couple of hours at the sewing machine this week, what with one thing and another.  Luckily I'd already cut out the pieces I needed for the last aqua Sand Castle for April.

I'm ready for a new color!  Hopefully I'll get a little bit more sewing time soon.

In temperature quilt news, I'm caught up with my April goosies.  Here's a week's worth of flying geese waiting to be joined to the April column at left.

Happily, we had two more days in the seventies so I got to add some more yellow to the turquoises and greens.  Of course, today we hovered in the 30's and 40's, so I'll have to use more blues again.  Oh well.  The tide is turning!

And for those of you who might have been concerned about me, I'm truly not starting a Jack's Chain quilt.
Truly.

It's a mere coincidence that some nine patches attached themselves to that big hexagon while other nine patches started milling around shouting "Me!  Me next!"
So, not a Jack's Chain at all.  Simply some very confused nine patches.
Yep.


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Still digging for aqua

I found enough aqua to make another Sand Castle

and I even made another Centennial star.

(I keep telling myself I'm done making these star blocks because I probably have plenty, but I keep ignoring myself and making more.)  (It may never end...)  (I may end up with an Extremely Large Quilt.)  (Or two.)

I added the Sand Castle to the design wall where it joined the three other aquas I've made this month.  I've got pieces cut for one more in this color which I plan to get to next week.  At that point I'll sit back and wait for May's color.  (Purple?  Purple would be nice.)  (Or orange.  I like orange)

You can also see my April Goosey Temps column in this picture.  We've still only had one day above 70 degrees, so there's just that one lonely yellow goose.  I'm crossing my fingers that there'll be more warm in the near future!

I'm still plugging along with my demented bits,

though I'm going to have to stop and make some more triangles soon.  That bottomless bag of HSTs is starting to near bottom after all.

Though there's a new distraction.  I've got strips piled next to my machine, just waiting to be assembled into nine-patches.

You know, just in case I ever decide I want to make a Jack's Chain.

Never hurts to be prepared, right?


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Nothing but puttering this week

Putter putter putter.  Luckily I have lots of stuff to putter with.
(I should be trying to get Sea of Tranquility pin-basted, but I seem to be procrastinating there.  I'm looking forward to the quilting part, but the basting is always such a pain in the butt...)

I got one Sand Castle block done in aqua for the RSC.  I've found another scrap of turquoise big enough to make the next block, but I'm going to have to do some serious digging for any others.  Definitely low on aqua/turquiose.

I'm still herding my flying geese in my temperature quilt.  On Monday, yellow made its first appearance as the temp went up to 72 degrees, but it's back to normal now with temps in the 40's to 60's.

I'm looking forward to when yellow is the norm, with orange for the 80's making an occasional appearance.  Hopefully we won't see too much red - that means the temp would be over 90.  Not a fan of weather that hot, I must say.

And with avoidance extra time on my hands, I pulled out the Demented bin and made a few more blocks.

I'm up to 174 - yay!  I only need 256, so I feel like the end is in sight.  It's kind of off in the distance, but it's definitely in sight.

I'll keep assembling the little bits and making bigger bits, until all the blocks are ready to go.

Piece of cake, right?

And I found myself making these the other day.  No reason.  Really.

Just because I've been drooling over Cathy's Jack's Chains quilts is no reason to jump to conclusions.
Really.  A person can just have a sudden urge to make nine-patches.  Out-of-the-blue like.
Perfectly normal.
Yep.



Linking with Soscrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday and with Quilting is more fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!  Come see the scrappy fun!