Mid Month Catch Up

Setting some easy achievable goals meant that jumping in and getting something done at the start of the month, was relatively easy.  Mixed in with the easy were some slightly more challenging goals... or more correctly, ones that I had been putting off for a long time.

I decided first up to jump into my Tillies Lane applique blocks.  These were so easy and fun, I don't know why I ever put this project away.

Month Three large block

Month Three mini block

And I've been plugging away at my little hourglass blocks (I've got 11 out of 24 sewn so far), using them as a handy leader/ender project.  This one I particularly liked using my Eiko scraps.  I can see this quilt being a great memory quilt highlighting little snippets of fabric from other projects.

I also have been playing with my Stack, Shuffle, Slide blocks - finishing up the last of the piecing, and deciding on how to lay the blocks out.

This is the quilt layout according to the pattern.  All blocks are trimmed to the same size, and aligned in the same portrait rectangular way.  Small blocks are added to the outer blocks to form a circle/frame.  I just didn't like it.

First up, I didn't want to trim all my lovely blocks.  Secondly, there were some blocks I wanted to lie sideways - courtesy of using a directional text fabric.  Thirdly, a rectangular quilt doesn't suit my bed so much, and it was a bit small.  So I laid the blocks out, and played with things to get a balance of colours and patterns... and figured I quite liked it being a bit random.

I don't know whether this was the final layout or not... but you can see the general idea.

 I decided to split out the layout into chunks of six blocks in a grid 36" wide x 24" tall, and fill in with my background solid (Bella Solids "Offwhite").

Chunk One

Every now and then I add a feature hit of colour, maybe to include one of the other fabrics that doesn't appear in this grid.

Chunk Two

I'm now halfway through the third chunk now... so great progress!

Bringing myself back to my goals... I added the first cream ring around the Sugar Club blocks.

Now I just need to cut the beige fabric for round two... and add the third round.

 I also cut some Starburst Cross blocks, and pieced a few of these in among the other sewing activities.

Love, Love the fabric!

Alrighty... what else have I done?  Well, was dreading doing the applique on the next My Tweets block because (a) I couldn't really remember how I was doing it before and (b) because the next block background is a woven plaid sort of fabric, it is hard/impossible to see through for construction/alignment purposes.  But, because I have my goals... and I'm being good... I got in there and got it done!

Blanket stitch still to be done

If anyone was really closely studying this project, they would know that this is actually block 12, but I swapped it's placement as I thought it would be easier to construct on the darker fabric.

I think the last major goal for this month is to do the next Vintage Quilt Revival block.  Which is another one I'm putting off.  But I'm sure it will get done by the end of the month.