New projects

In case anyone ever wondered, I'm easily distracted by new projects....which is probably why I have so many UFO's. Since the retreat i went to a couple of weeks ago, I've started a couple of new projects. The little one will finish up a cross-stitch UFO and work into an entry for a contest that Quilters Newsletter is holding for the Alzheimers Art Quilt Initiative ( click here for their blog posting about it). The top is together but will be embellished some.





The second one is a top that I've started made from 1" wide strips (cut) that I had left over from another project that I was working on at the retreat. Had too many strips to toss out, and the green top with the flowers below is how that project is turning out so far. Still need to do the Buttonhole stitching around the flowers. Next border will be more of the brown wood print fabric that I used for the first border. After that ..... who knows. =)

Gratitudes:
1. Lots of extra hrs this week at work.
2. Good grades so far in class, and the Midterm I had this week went better than I was afraid it was going to.

Blocks 14 and 15

Finished off Batik blocks 14, and 15 - and finished the yellow batik scraps for now. Still have a few left but not enough variety to make another block with. Found that I had enough browns to make one final 4" finished block center, and that is made, but haven't decided what block (will be#16 when finished) to make with it yet.

Will do that this weekend in between working on altering the waistband of a new pair of jeans (gotta take them in 3" so that they fit me). It's taking me longer than I'd like to get the seams ripped out because my hand keeps going numb and when that happens it doesn't like to work too well. =( I need the jeans to wear to my construction technology lab on Tuesday morning 'cause we'll be outside working on building a shed. And I don't want to wear my good work pants to do that! Gotta get busy on homework today as well.....got oodles of it including a lesson presentation to be written in powerpoint, visual aids to be made for the same lesson, a CAD drawing to be finished (2/3's done), a paper to be started, and a mid-term to study for. Doesn't that all sound like a fun way to spend the weekend? Meanwhile I continue to wait for the broken windows in the apt and the motor in the heater to be replaced....sigh.....

Meanwhile, here are the pics of the three latest blocks.














Gratitudes:
1. For more hrs the next couple of weeks at work
2. for the ability to alter clothes so they fit when needed

Batik Blocks Process

I'm continuing to make more batik blocks and having fun making them. And even enjoying the process of using the teeny tiny pieces that are going into the crazy pieced sections of the blocks. Don't necessarily enjoy pulling the fabric off, but that is a part of the process to making them. Taking it off a block at a time makes it easier to handle doing though. The basic steps that I've been going through to make these blocks are as follows (well after I design the pattern that is!) -

Sort out all of the same 'color' scraps into separate groups. I want these blocks to read as single colors. The color groupings of scraps that I have are as follows - yellow, gold, brown, orange, pink, green, blue, and purple. There will be multiple shades of each broad catagory of color in each block, but over all each block will read as one of the colors. Sizes of scraps range from a 1 inch triangle to larger pieces that I used for multiple pieces. Some of the pieces I've been using are shown in the pic to the right.

Once the scraps are sorted by colors, then I choose a block pattern based on what size scraps that I have and how many that I have. Once the block pattern is chosen, then I proceed to make the pieced section or sections. In this case, like those in the upper right section of the pic above. So I needed a block that would allow me to use those in it. As such I decided to make 4 - 3-inch squares that were crazy pieced, because this pattern had the smallest pieces in it. The resulting squares are shown in the pic to the left.

The final steps of the process include choosing the batik that I'll use to go with the pieced sections, make the sections of the block that are pieced 'normally' or are the final parts of the pp'd pattern, and assemble the block. In this case, the final block is shown to the right. =)

Gratitudes:
1. My road trip to WI was good and the weather was great all weekend.
2. Even tho I've managed to forget one of my flash drives in a school lab, I had already uploaded the needed class assignments so nothing was lost. =)

UFO Blocks now in a top.

Went to a quilt retreat over the weekend and had a great time with friends. Finished up several Christmas gifts and a BD gift for a friend first. Then worked on putting together a top from a set of UFO blocks. That top finishes off my UFO Challenge list for one of the groups that I'm a part of - pretty good for all that has happened this year in my life. =)

Gratitudes:
1. For the safe travels over the past weekend.
2. For school work that is going well so far.

Newest block and this week's doings....

Finished up another batik beauty block, this is number 11. Have enough orange scraps to do one more block with them and then that color may be gone.....or I may end up finishing them off in a quilted postcard....The half sq triangles used in this block were leftover from one of the earlier blocks that I made. Am really trying to not end up putting more scraps into the bags as I empty them. After I finish using up the orange scraps, will work with the yellow and gold that I've got so that I can totally empty the baggie they've been in. =)

Will be working more blocks this weekend at the retreat in WI with some good friends from one of my quilt lists that I'm headed to Thursday. Am looking to the time with them. Will have lots of other projects there with me tho to work on as well. Am taking a number of Christmas gifts with me to get finished as well.

Unfortunately my sewing time will be moderated some by homework 'cause I've got reading that I need to take with me to work on and research for my next paper that needs to be done.

And hopefully by the time I get home on Sunday the heating and fan for the heating will actually be working...both of which aren't at this time. And hopefully the broken windows will have been replaced......Not holding my breath because I've been trying to get hte windows replaced by the prop. mgnt company for over a month and they still aren't done

Gratitudes:
1. For plenty of warm quilts with the heater in my apt not working

2. For the registration process of the student version CAD software finally working tonite after 2 weeks of trying to do it.

Block Robin Possibilities

I'm getting ready to send out a sign up notice for a block robin swap to a group that I'm a part of, and am considering what I want to start out with. Last time I did this I used a piece of cross-stitch that I'd stitched yrs before and never did anything with. And will be doing the same thing this time as well. There are two pieces that I'm debating about using - I've added a picture of these to this post. The floral piece is from about 15 yrs ago, and measures out at about 6.5" by 27.5" as it is now, and the second piece is 11.5" by 17.5" and was dated 1990 for the completion of the stitching. Needless to say it's about time that I do something with both of them......LOL.

Both would need to be trimmed some to fit the 4" grid of squares. They would still end up bigger than the minimum of the equivalent of a 12" finished block. But since this would be the beginning block that's ok. =)

Not sure which way I want to go for this swap, but I've got time to figure that out because the first mailing date for the swap won't be until 1/7/11. =) What do any of you think about the two possibilities?

For those that are interested, here's a pic of the wallhanging I made from the first Block Robin I was in. Used all of the blocks that I got except one, which was a beautiful redwork feathered, floral heart. That got used as the center of a CQ wallhanging. =)

Gratitudes:
1. I've got lots of snuggly sweatshirts to wear in the cool fall weather and cool temps in my apt (heater and fan aren't working....sigh).

2. Making Headway on the pile of homework and school projects that I need to get done.