Getting back on the horse... or bicycle... or sewing machine

It's been a pretty much sewing free week.  Heading back to work complete with flu bugs, head cold and cough meant that after work entertainment included collapsing into a chair and doing as little as possible.  It also gave me time to think and reassess fabric, sewing and life in general.  It's pretty low when you complain about fabric arriving!

Saturday it was time to get back into the saddle.

My LQS has a monthly stitching Saturday - last Saturday of the month; and I knew that the time spent away from household chores (which despite my best efforts were mounting), amongst like minded lovely ladies, in a shop full of gorgeous fabric, was just what I needed to restore my inner equilibrium.  I was right.

I took an old FQ bundle (Eiko by Jay-cyn Designs) which has been lurking in my stash cupboard since September last year,

with plans for a new project, There's a Square in There by Kate Conklin Designs.

 - nothing too complicated or testing, but good old enjoyable sewing.  This quilt is cut in much the same way as the Buggy Barn stack and slash quilts... with a pile of two printed fabrics, and two plain fabrics turning into four log cabin style blocks.  With my eight fat quarters, I have enough to make the design as shown (16 blocks).  Although I've increased the size to use as much of the fat quarter as possible, which means roughly 15" finished blocks instead of 13" per the pattern.

My first stack... still to be trimmed down:

Every now and then I swapped out the plain strip, and added a bit of text fabric.

And my second stack has the last round of logs to be sewn on.  Not a bad start.

OK, I'm starting to feel more like myself now :0)

I bought a pattern I've loved since I first saw it... by Edytar Sitar.

This is my inspiration for wanting to add applique to my Double Wedding Ring blocks.  Today I was lucky enough to be able to select some batik fat quarters to blend with my patterned fabrics... I am very happy with my selection, although I'm still not 100% certain how it is all going to work out.

I've also been pondering about what colour background to use for the Supernova blocks on my design wall.

Did anyone else order from The Fat Quarter Shop's 25% off sale a few weeks ago?  I decided to order some black on black prints from their Muslin Mates range, and make the decision to go black on this one.  The prints are more charcoal on black... but I think they'll still work fine.  I need to go through my stash and pull out some more black prints - I know there are more hiding in there.

These are really black in real life

During the holidays, I did manage to sew the second block of Amy Gibson's Sugar Club BOM, which I'm using a variety of Bonnie & Camille fabrics.

And the first block in all its matching wonderfulness:

OK, that's me all caught up... focus for this week is to make progress on the log cabin blocks. I've already ordered a backing for it... so wouldn't it be funny to have the front finished before the backing arrives?

She Quilts therefore She Lives

A bit of a longer break than normal... not to say that I haven't been quilting, just that it's been rather monotonous... and combined with rather bleak weather conditions over the past couple of weeks, and a rather unhealthy looking pile of washing - blogging has just taken a bit of a back seat.  But I'm back :0)

First up, big news, I've finished quilting the Tokyo Subway!  Woohoo.

I rather lost interest in the quilting pattern somewhere between square 1 - 100. 

Of course, there were 1600 squares that needed to be filled, with exactly the same pattern.  I've discovered that it is not only poor posture that makes your shoulders ache while quilting - when you are doing really repetitive stuff, there is not enough variation in your movements... and you just sort of seize up.

I've also cut my binding strips - and look forward to attaching these next week.

 My Amy Gibson Sugar Club blocks have been winking at me...

 and the leftover Japanese Lady Quilt fabric (a variety of Bonnie & Camille fabrics)... were just itching to be cut up and started.  Did I mention that I am officially off the new fabric/new projects diet?  Luckily it finishes at the end of the month anyway.  I think this is going to be really pretty.

The Supernova blocks just keep growing... on the design wall at least. 

It has been a real challenge to get the leftover squares from the Tokyo Subway to fit into the colour scheme that I had chosen.  It would have been easier if there were more orange squares left... but with this combination, and stretching the colour scheme guidelines, it should work out fine.  Now I just need to finish cutting up a few more triangles, decide on a background colour (one vote so far for light... any other suggestions?), and actually start sewing all these little bits together.

Cuddling up in front of the fire has been conducive to getting some stitchery blocks finished.  I know, it's hard to believe I've left these unloved for so long... they really weren't that bad.

Block 6

Block 7

The first part of Block 8

That just leaves Block 8 Part Two and Block 9.  Then the construction can start.  No-one will be in the least surprised that I'm thinking about putting it together a bit different from the instructions.  However my hopes to do some designing in EQ7 have been dashed as I am having difficulties in getting the programme to run on my computer.  It has been a most frustrating weekend.

Although I did get new slippers...

... which are nice and warm and just a wee bit whimsical.

Well, that's me for the week... what is everyone else up to?

* What looks like a new project?

* Smells like a new project?
* Tastes like a new project?
* Feels like a new project?

But is technically not a new project?

Playing with the left over Tokyo Subway squares on my design wall!

I have had several A-ha moments about what to do with my left overs - a scrap Granny Square quilt... a Scrap Vomit quilt... a Plus Quilt... there were endless options.  As part of my tidying mission last weekend, I came upon a small coloured diagram that I made a LONG time ago, a Supernova quilt block by Lee at Freshly Pieced.

Lee's finished quilt

On the design wall so far... still undecided about the background colour to use.

Lee ran a quiltalong of this quilt here - having updated the piecing instructions after making her first version - using strip piecing techniques and no half square triangles.  I'm not all that flash at strip piecing - and since I had all the squares to start off with - using the original block layout suited me just fine.

I never use colour wheel theories when making colour decisions.  And I mean never.  But I do have a very good book which discusses all the possible options - which I look at occasionally and never follow.  I thought this might be a good opportunity to make use of the book, so my blocks (so far) feature this Main Colour with Three Opposite Colours theory.  

I also broke open my new Fiskars rotary cutter I scored for Mothers Day.  It is a little beauty!  The blade needs to be adjusted for left hand use - but once that's done, it has great balance, fits beautifully in my hand and cuts like a dream.  I also won't have to worry about sneaky right handers borrowing it at group stitching events!  It is going to take a wee while to get used to the blade lock on and off function - pushing the tab to open the blade is OK, because it's much the same as my Olfa cutter - but the release is a button  to push in - and I'm still in the "pull the tab back" mode, which doesn't do anything.  All in all, very happy.

On the Tokyo Subway quilting front (just in case Dad is reading) - I have finished the first quarter!  Woohoo!!!  And after today's efforts, I am half way through the second quarter.  The quilting is not slow - but it is also not fast.   There are 1600 squares in this quilt, and each needs to get a melon shape quilted in it.  My shoulders are currently asking - "was this your idea?"

Why yes, it was my idea.  And isn't it looking!