But I made the best of it. I was unsupervised - DH was on a golf trip! I had all this stuff already out from the retreat, so why not get ALL the rest of it out and stir it up a bit?? So out came to bags, bins, boxes and bushel baskets of scraps that live here and there in the condo! And it just exploded from there!!! By Wednesday, even I was appalled at what a mess I had made!!!
I had a short list of projects I started gathering for retreat. No I didn't get to all of them, still haven't!!! - but now it's time to get organized (in order to create loads of chaos in our condo!) If I'm going to get all the scraps out, I need a list of what needs to be cut. There are 10 projects on my list and I need sizes from 10" squares to 2.5" squares! So - cut cut cut! Stack stack stack and keep it organized! We're going to need chocolate!
First up is a smaller version of that awesome asymmetrical rainbow diamond. If I cut the squares at 5.5" then the HSTs will finish at 4". That will work !! Should I pair it with a white on white fabric again? Or something with more pizzazz? Time will tell! First I have to find all those bright fabrics I used before. Oh-oh!
Another project on the list is 'Slash a Stash'. Sounds like fun, doesn't it!! It's not what comes up with Google - I tried. In fact, it's surprisingly hard to find online. So I pulled out the blurry printed instructions from 2003, designed by Susan Fuquay for American Quilt Retailer Magazine. It was a free give away pattern at a Quilt Store. Here's a link to someone else talking about it! It's a scrappy asymmetrical Bento Box. 6" square surrounded by 3.5" strips of one fabric, like a Happy Block. Make many of these blocks. Then cut them asymmetrically - shuffle and rejoin. Turns out darn cute - or at least I'm hoping it will!
The printed pattern just uses 6 pairs of FQs. But let's face it - all fabric goes together, right? So choose your favorites and start sewing them together.
There's Angles and Squares from the book "A Thread Runs Through It" by Barbara Dieges. A variation of Road to Oklahoma?
There's Many Scrappy Trips by Bonnie Hunter. 16 x 2.5 strips
There's a Moda Bake Shop pattern called Basic Math.
Most of what I like this year is asymmetrical! Goodness - that's kind of quirky!! But I'm going with it!
Big news - I also finished an UFO this weekend!! Hoo-Rah! I was Lady In Waiting #9 and headed toward UFO Queen at the speed of light!! What a relief to be back in slacker heaven! Hmmm, I mean the bottom of the list!
This quilt is a QOV quilt. Based on the 'Mystery at the Tea Shop' which our guild ran as a mystery this last year. (We didn't know the name of it at the time, of course!!) The mystery was smaller than required by QOV so I made 10 extra blocks and put in sashing strips that made a secondary pattern.
SS, a QOV long-armer in Eugene quilted it for me and I put the binding on it, ran it through the wash and labeled it. Done-done!! I even had a sunny day to take a picture of it outside! I haven't said that very often lately!
Taken in the side yard of our condo building. The sun was so bright off the ocean, I couldn't even get a good shot of the ocean as backgroud!
I also topped and made a back for this baby quilt for the famous Brookings Yearly Baby Shower - I'm sure you're tired of hearing about it!!
Front Back
Made from some jungle prints I used in a strippie quilt for a great nephew's baby quilt years ago. But a fellow Stashbusters member- a Yahoo online group - posted this baby quilt. That is one clever design! I've already been thinking about the next one(s) I want to make!!
I used 8" blocks. 4 1/2" squares for the 4 patches. Top and bottom borders to lengthen it - easy peasy. Yep, it's an addition to the cutting list!
This week is busy. Haircut, Valentine's Day. I have to make a presentation to the Veteran's Group here. We'd like to make QOV presentation at the quilt show. If anyone out there (yes, you my invisible friends) has done this before, please let me know. I have a few questions! AND just between you and me, this type of thing makes me very nervous! I don't know enough about how QOV works to tell someone else, especially a room full of non-quilters! Yikes!
And Friday is the first meeting of "Mod Squad"! Showing my age, but a group of us would like to learn modern design methods for quilts. And that name just makes me smile!! When I was at Houston last fall, I met Deborah Boschert. Her quilts are fabulous! I bought her book "Art Quilt Collage" and talked a few like-minded quilters into working through the book as a workshop.
It's a case of the blind leading the halt! But we have a few really good teachers in the group. We'll take turns leading the sessions. I lead on Friday! We're going over page 20 - getting inspired from photographs.
Our goal is to make a 15 inch square example of the designated design each month. We are to 'sneak' it into the shop where we meet before the next meeting. The owner is going to keep our anonymity, hang them in the classroom area. We're going to gently critique them and try to guess who made what!! We'll see how long that lasts! Next year we hope to have an 'endcap' at the quilt show showing our process and what we've created. Another reason to be nervous - but of course, everyone in the class knows we're all beginners ... and hopefully will be bringing their patience along too.
The last new-to-me technique that I got hooked on this week is "Magic Numbers" quilt method. Yep, it's also asymmetrical but 'cubist'??? I had hauled some leftover fabric and blocks from a YBR I did 8 years ago for a DGS. (8 years???) I wanted to use it up, it's darn cute, but not make another YBR.
I love YBR - but the blocks are quite big for a crib quilt. I wanted it the same but different! This afternoon I had my second boo-boo this week. (I stubbed my little toe HARD putting furniture back in place. Yowzer!
I was just cleaning all the quilt supplies, piles and tools back into the sewing room before DH came home!! Well, I had to ice the toe. So I started playing with all the pieces I'd cut at retreat. It's so very addicting! I did cut additional shapes. 4.5x6.5; 3.5x3.5; 3.5x6.5; etc. And yes, it is magic - they do all go together! So fun!
See what I mean about 'cubist'?!? It's currently 22 x 25. Since I gave myself more part sizes, I haven't worked out a new 'block' pattern yet. It's been fun to add to one side then the next. I'm going to need more parts cut and ready to go! I think I'll aiim for 36x45 for size. Unless it's so darn cute I'll dump the baby shower idea and make it king-size for our bed!!!!
Oh, that is so me!! Tee-hee!
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