The Long Hot Days of January

 The start of a new year is usually very busy for me... lots of new projects and filling in my long school holidays with endless sewing BUT this year is a bit different with my holidays being a lot shorter, and the weather being super hot (sewing in a sweltering tin shed is not conducive to getting a whole heap done)!

I have been working on existing projects!  I know!!  Who am I??  I have also decided that I need to be more active - and have returned to vege gardening as something different to do in the slightly cooler evenings, and have been working on following a more structured housework routine (boring but as my natural housekeeping skills are low to non-existent it is long overdue).  As such I have various tidying activities that I try to complete every day as well as having a focus task for each day.  It's not huge... but its a routine and even after just over a week I am already noticing a difference to the household, mixed with some decluttering and reorganising.  Again... Who am I??  I think I am finally becoming an adult.

I've been putting off completing the last four blocks of the third quarter of my Sweet Escape quilt throughout November and December, and finally managed to finish getting these put together yesterday and today.  I'm not sure why I put these off for such a long time.

I am really looking forward to getting this last quarter done and put together... would be very nice if this happened next month but I'm not holding my breath.  So close!!

I have also pulled out the long lost Summer Sampler 2017... and completed another couple of blocks.  I really don't like foundation paper piecing... and I am hesitantly putting it out there that I'm not going to make any more quilts with FPP.

Having said that these are both really cool blocks and I'm liking how they both add an extra dimension to the existing layout... they just seem to have a lot more depth and a bit of a boho vibe.  There is just one more 12" and three 6" blocks... and lots of filler blocks left.  Realistically this will get finished this year.

I also pulled out the Stitch Pink sampler blocks and finished up a few more 12" blocks to fill the gaps in a 4 x 4 setting - you might remember that this started with a charm pack and I added some stash to fill out the gaps - especially for those blocks requiring cuts larger than 5" square.  There are some blocks that I really like that make super good use of the charm squares and I plan to keep that in mind for future charm pack sewing adventures.

Some of the blocks are designed with filler strips on two sides to bring them up to 12" finished size.  For these blocks I resized the block centres to allow the filler strips to be on all four sides and used a contrasting solid to make it a feature.  This also make better use of the charm square so a win/win solution.

This one was eventually deemed too weird modern looking for the setting.

I have now started sashing the blocks and look forward to a finished top over the next few weeks (or months).  The traditional layout just seems to suit the traditional style of the fabric and blocks - there will also be borders... to be decided.

I am finally ready to look at the new projects that have been itching to be started - I'm looking at you Orbiter Quilt.  But work tomorrow... so maybe over the weekend.