The Beach Ball Blanket

Yesterday I was sewing with a red hot needle and flaming thread. I had started the quilting on this quilt Monday and finished the quilting yesterday.

I quickly cut strips for the binding and sewed them on. Seeing that I still had some time before I had to meet the bus I started stitching it down to the back.

I even put it through the washer and drier before my quilt meeting last night.

It measures 38 x 45.5 inches.

Whew.

I think it might be time to adjust to a slower rhythm for fall and work on some of my hand quilting projects. I could use a take along project that doesn't require a lot of thought.

P is usually very tired after school but we have gotten in a little play ground time.

The fall food frenzy is also slowing down. We are still getting a few raspberries for yogurt and cereal and I have a few more batches of applesauce to make too.

Family Fun with Scraps

We've tried out a few more variations for the drunkard's path.

I love projects like this where the whole family gets involved. D and M have each tried a different layout. B suggested a completely random design that involves rolling a four sided die 120 times.

I think this design looks a little boring and flat. P says that she can't see the pattern here.

Here is a little block that P is putting together.

She pulled these pieces from my pile of cut fabrics. She has sewn them on her hand crank chain stitch machine. We have had to sew each square a couple of times. It is a good thing that chain stitch is easy to take out! She want to turn this into a tiny doll quilt but with not batting. I think I'll have her make it like a pillowcase and turn it. She hopes to have it finished to enter in the fair on Sunday.

Straightening Up

I finished sewing all the blocks for drunkard's path today. What do you think about this layout?

As I said before there are too many choices.

Today also involved a bit of cleaning up. D helped me move a big file cabinet. It was sort of right beside/in front of one of the windows in my sewing room and cast a big shadow. It is now on the far side of the room in a corner. My room seems a bit brighter and the space in the middle is bigger. Yay.

Miss Petunia and I also did a big clean out of her desk in preparation for the start of Kindergarten!

Scrap Management - or What Was I Thinking?!

I have had some quilt designs forming in my head for a while now. Modern, minimalist, and solid colors have been the focus. I have refrained from starting anything new until my UFO pile is tamed.

I've been feeling very productive this summer. This weekend I finished binding the basket quilt (pictures to come after it has been washed) and pin basted the half square triangle quilt.

Well.... I was in the sewing room doing a little tidy up and ran across some drunkard's path templates that I have had for more than 15 years and never used. I think something snapped right then. Before I knew it the scrap suitcase was open and there was fabric everywhere.

Soon I had two neat piles ready to sew into a new scrap quilt. Not the minimalist quilt that was in my head but something that should be fun!

Cutting from the templates had the added bonus of creating another stack of quarter circle pieces for a different project. These are smaller than the ones needed for the pattern because they were cut away from the square pieces.  I may sew them into circles to applique on another quilt.

In addition to the neat piles ready for sewing I also had a ginormous pile of very small scraps. I didn't want to throw them out but I didn't want to put the tiny scraps back in the suitcase either. SOOOOOOO, I have been cutting them into 1.5 inch squares. I'll try keeping the basket of them next to the sewing machine and sew them together as leader and ender fabrics while sewing my other projects. Who knows what that will turn into.

Back to the drunkard's path...I knew I had a moment of insanity - well much longer than a moment considering how many pieces I cut for this quilt - when I sat at the machine to start sewing.

Curved. Piecing.

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Remember this project? Back in April of 2009 I cut back on my progress and it eventually got buried and I have no idea where it is right now. Someday I am sure I will run across it again.

I actually do have some of the new pieces sewn together and I'll really try to keep with it this time. I am trying for a baby quilt so there is hope.If nothing else my scrap case is neater.