Biddy, Bags, and Blocks

The Retreat Bag pattern that I showed off a couple of days ago actually comes in two sizes, so, flushed with success and with fabric left over, I made the smaller size bag, adding handles and an outside pocket.

I like this one, too.  The larger one has been pressed into service as an organizer for block pieces for quilts I'm not actually making, so it's a good thing it's got a lot of room...

And believe it or not, I actually got a block for the 365 Challenge done.  I dropped the ball on this quilt project last year around this time, so I'm trying to get it up and running again.

That's the block for May 23.  Now I just need to back up and sew the 18th-22nd, and then I'll be ready to roll.
Well, that's the plan, anyway.  Some of you are familiar with my plans...

About the only RSC sewing I got done this week was a spool, a couple of hourglasses, and a little red green hen.  She's going into the Clucker collection with the other biddies.

Oh, and another Glitter.   Had to make a little Glitter, ya see.

The pieces are cut for the next Burgoyne Surrounded block.  I think I've now got a pretty good handle on the best way (for me) to sew this block.

It involves laying out all the 1.5" x 6" pieces, so I don't get confused while making the four patches and nine patches.

Not that I would get confused, of course.
It's purely a coincidence that my seam ripper is showing signs of wear...



Linking with SoScrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday's last week of scrappy green goodness, and with Quilting is more fun than Housework for Oh, Scrap!  Come see all the colorful fun!

Who stole three quarters of my October?

Apparently time has been whooshing by this month without me noticing.  October is almost over already?!?

Time to get some more rainbow blocks done, I think!

A piglet, of course!

I think she said her name is Twiggy.  Or possibly Autumn.  It was hard to understand since she had a mouth full of polkadots...

After a bit of searching (because I had put my orange/gold/yellow strips in a place for safe keeping, and you know what that means), I finally got some pieces cut out for some of my other RSC blocks.

And I even managed to sew a few together!

Along with some hourglass leader/enders, too.  Those are starting to add up enough that I'm tempted to play with them. 
Maybe even use some in another medallion quilt...


Linking with Soscrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday - come see all the scrappy fun!

Stormy seas

On the non-rainbow front, I've been busily piecing bits for my Storm at Sea.  Working with this extremely limited color palette is a weird experience - you know me and my usual riot of color.  Blue/green/teal is a whole different game, whether I set it straight

or on point.

I'm still deciding about that, though usually I'm really leaning to that on point set.
But sooner or later, as I'm chugging out blocks that are remarkably similar, my brain will step out of the room and I end up with something like this.

After a quick waltz with my buddy Jack (the Ripper), and a restitch, I figure it might be a good idea to reach for something completely different.
Luckily I've got a lot of pieces cut for this:

Glitter is a good antidote to blue/green/teal.

And I'm still making piles of hourglasses as my leader/enders.  Keeping a stack of 3.5" squares next to the sewing machine really pays off.

Though given the fact that I'm using 3.5" strips and squares for hourglasses, Glitter, and Storm at Sea, my 3.5" bin is emptying out fast.  I may have to go on a cutting rampage one of these days.  Hopefully my brain will stay in the room while that rotary cutter is flashing...


So with all these scrappy projects going on, I'm linking to Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework.  Come see what everyone is up to this week!

Multiscrapping

It's no secret that I always have a lot of projects underway.  I'm just not a straight-line kind of person, who makes a clear goal and then diligently works to accomplish it.  It's a wonderful strategy for a lot of people, but I just can't do it.
So, here's a peek at my cutting table where I'm cutting 3.5" strips into useful bits.

The rectangles at upper left will be cut into background pieces for Glitter.  The large triangles are for Storm at Sea.  The squares at lower left are for Quilty 365 (which is currently bogged down and in hiatus, but that's no reason to stop cutting squares for it) and for my new Bonnie Hunter leader/ender hourglasses.  You can see where I've stacked and marked some squares at lower center and have some completed blocks at lower right.

I'd been wanting to make hourglass blocks since I saw them on a couple of other people's blogs, and then when Bonnie announced it as her yearly leader/ender challenge, I was sooooo in.
You can see I've already started to accumulate a few as I work on these whole other blocks.

These star blocks are made with scraps of 2.5" strips that were left over from a couple of other projects.  Because I'm all about the scrappy here.
Speaking of scrappy, a couple of these little guys turned up today.

Lately they've been hanging out down at the creek, trying to beat the heat.  If it doesn't cool off soon, I may join them...


Linking with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework.  Come see all the fun we're having with scraps this week!
And also linking with Scraptastic Tuesday with Mrs Sew & Sow.  Even more scrappy fun!