September creeps along

With visitors arriving... getting the house into tip top condition (or as close as in this housework optional house) has been a top priority.  Unfortunately, the sewing shed has been converted into guest accommodation - so sewing has now been put on hold for a week or so.

The Patchwork City sew along has been cruising along.  I wasn't sure how the "one block a week" goal would pan out - after all, each block is really three mini blocks - and Elizabeth Hartman's blocks are sometimes quite complex with lots of pieces so mini really describes the size - not the time and effort involved.  But, so far... so good.

Block Two was a citrine sort of yellow... and it wasn't until I laid it out with the orange block that I realised it mysteriously a different size.  It took me a while to realise it didn't have the central sashing strip!  Duh!  After I had problems matching up the seams and had to resew some to get it perfect... then I had to unpick it anyway!

This striped Lotta Jansdotter fabric is the exact same yellow.  Funny when that happens.

It obviously looks much better with that extra separation.

I decided to use foundation paper piecing to make the small star blocks.  The book refers to using templates to cut the pieces, but from previous experience I knew this was not going to work for me.  Usually I just photocopy the pattern onto regular photocopy paper, but since it was just a small piece and I had it handy - I decided to use lunch paper to trace the templates.  OMG - it makes everything so easy being able to see through the paper!  And the lunch paper tears out so much easier.  I suppose it depends how many you need - as tracing around the pattern could get old quick - but this was a great resource for a small project.

Week 3 is this sort of peacock colour... I was super surprised to discover that I DON'T have a huge stash of this colour.  I am currently waiting on a US fabric package with a mix of different pastel tones to blend with some of the other colours in my solids fat quarter bundle.  Pastels are not my go to colour... and it is taking forever for the package to arrive.  Anybody else having issues with NZ customs??

And I've got one section of the block finished, with the second section cut out.

A couple more of the Timeless Traditions blocks have been finished also...

This 12" star is so SHARP!

And the 6" blocks are just too CUTE. 

I tried experimenting with using the same colour but light and dark tones with this one.  Not sure if I was entirely successful but it is small enough that it doesn't really matter.

Although my to do list for this month was relatively tame - I have left the RSC double nine patch block until last... even though it only took about half an hour to find and cut a multitude of dark blue squares, plus the white and black squares I needed.  Oh well, this will give me a leader/ender project as I put together some of the other projects.  I really should make this my focus for the BEGINNING of the month, instead of the END!