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.

Linking with SoScrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday and with Quilting is more fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!  Come join the fun!

My quilt has overpowered my design wall

 I've now got all four quadrants of Totally Demented put together and up on the design wall.

With ...umm ...parts of it draped artistically over the design floor.  And also flapping casually in the breeze off to the right.

This puppy is big.

As I finished each quadrant, I hung it up on the wall and tried to ignore the theme from Jaws that was now playing in the back of my head.  And getting louder.

Each quarter of the quilt is 48x48", and it's going to finish up at 96x96".

The thought of trying to wrestle that bulk through the harp of my sewing machine made me realize that I really would be totally demented by the finish.

Also bald.  From ripping my hair out as I cursed into the sky.

I calmed down considerably when it dawned on me that I can just quilt each quad separately and sew them all together afterward.

Aha!  I have a plan!

What could possibly go wrong?

(Shhh!  Don't tell me!)

Paltry rainbow bits

I didn't get much chance to sew this week, and no time at all for RSC's February color, even though purple (purple!) is one of my favorite colors.  (Yes, you caught me.  I have a lot of favorite colors.  (Orange!)  But isn't life just nicer when you have a lot of favorites?)

I did manage to get one block more done for January, though,

before I started folding light blues and putting them away.  (No really.  Imagine me folding and putting away.  I know, right?)

See?  Folding and stacking as I finish with each one.

Mostly because my fabric shelves are looking like this and I was starting to worry about being injured in an avalanche...

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

In a Pickle!

Ya know, Cathy is such a good bad good bad good bad ...umm... strong influence on me!  She says 'squirrel' and I commence to chasing.

Because look what happened...

I got pickled.

Now I've got some decisions to make.  Continue with paper piecing like I did with this pickle?
I'm not wild about the detritus.  I'd definitely go back to my usual freezer paper technique.

And I'm not so sure that hand piecing wouldn't be just as fast (or even possibly faster) than machine piecing.

I'm also thinking I might want to go a little bigger...

Since it's pink, I'll be linking with SoScrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday!  Come see all the fun!  There might be pickles!  And squirrels!

A little sleight of hand(work)

I recently realized that I haven't mentioned this quilt in quite a while.  I've been happily (and slowly) (very slowly) handquilting it for absolutely forever.

Little by little,

inch by inch,

I'm getting it done.  Well, the center part is almost done - then onward to the borders!
My quilting isn't what it used to be, between old eyes and creeping arthritis, but it means a lot to me to finish this by hand.  It's going to my youngest daughter when I finally get that last stitch in.

I really enjoy doing handwork, but I've been thinking a lot lately about coming up with a handwork project that's more portable than a gigantic quilt.  I go visit my kids often enough that it would be nice to have a suitable traveling project.
La Passacaglia is in the running, since I got Millefiori Quilts for Christmas and have been drooling all over the pages ever since.  But I've also been thinking along the lines of a simpler hexie quilt as a way to warm up to the precision of La Pass.  (See?  I can occasionally be sensible.  Sort of.)

Then I saw these blocks inspired by this quilt and fell head over heels in love.
So I took one of the diamonds for a test drive.

I'm using the flat back whipstitch to sew the hexies together, which has the advantage of the stitching being almost invisible  on the front.  It also seems to be easier to fit the hexies together by working with them flat, though that might just be me.

For the first diamond, I tried glue basting.  I'm going to use thread basting for the second one, then decide which technique I like better.

Oh, did I mention the size?

Yeah.  Wee little hexies.

Well, you know what I always say -
Go Small or Go Home.


I'm linking with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more Fun than Housework, and at Slow Sunday Stitching (for the first time!) at  Kathy's Quilts.  Come see all the beautiful work!

If I could think of a title, it would go right here

This isn't much of a year-end post, I admit.  I'm not one for setting goals, and I never make resolutions.  (My last New Year's Resolution was years ago - it was to never make another New Year's Resolution, and it's been the only one I've ever managed to keep.)
That being said, I'm trying to get a little bit more organized by investing in some bins.  And some labels.  (I'm told that labels are very important for organizing.  I'm testing it out and will report back later.)

The monkeys said that bright light hurts their eyes, so they prefer to live in the shoebox.  Privately, I suspect they just like to plot their shenanigans out of sight.  I'm willing to play along, but if they get too rowdy, I'm getting the duct tape.
Most of the blocks I made for RSC2016 will continue into RSC2017 - the Jacks & Sixes, the Buckeye Beauties, the Whatchacallit Star, the Rainbow Regatta wee ships, and Chantal's Pinwheels.  I'm also making Centennial stars, which caught my fancy in October and clamored to be included.  Since I'd planned to stop making piglets after Higgledy Piggledy was done, I figured I could add another block to my rainbow tsunami.  But, I'm probably going to just keep on making piggies, since I have almost enough left over to make another quilt anyway, and besides, I'd miss making the little rascals every month.
And my beloved Kaleidoscopes...

Angela says purple is the color for January, so since I have all those purples out for En Provence anyway, I decided to go ahead and make a purple kaleidoscope.
So, this is either the first block of RSC2017, or the last block of RSC2016.  Tough call.

Linking with So Scrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday.  Come see all the fun!
And that kaleidoscope means I can link to Kaleidoscopes of Butterflies over at Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting.  Come see!

Thank you, Bonnie, because I clearly don't have enough projects already started.

So, the other day Bonnie Hunter ran the Official Trailer for her next Mystery Quilt.  I'd been on the fence about whether to participate or not (it would be my first), and then she flashed the colors.
Red, gold, black, gray, and buckets of neutrals.
Oh, my.
Color me enthused!  The only color scheme that could have sucked me in any harder would be...  um...  Well, I can't think of anything right now, but if it occurs to me, I'll be sure to share with y'all.
I started pulling colors, to see what I had and what I'd need.
Golds are looking better than I would have thought.

Though most of them are darker in real life.  And I think I've still got a couple more somewhere.  Maybe.

Black?  Not so good.  I've got a few more than these, but not a lot.  But that's okay, since I've been planning to build up my stock in black anyway, inspired by what several quilters have been doing with black and white prints.

.
And red?  I definitely need reds.  I'd added a few since I discovered my woeful lack of red for RSC, but I still don't have a lot.  (And, as I discovered when I stared poking through them today, most of my reds involve either Christmas or cows.)  (Moo.)

And who doesn't need more neutrals?  Ever?

So, I've got enough to start the mystery, and the gaps I have are ones I had planned to fill anyway.

I think it's fate.  Clearly.
Sign me up.

I see knitting in my future!

Because this came out today!

Only I'm going to use double knitting, to avoid the floats and to make it even warmer.  And reversible.  And because it's twice as much work.
Because that's how I approach life:  What can I possibly do to complicate this?