something fun

The quilt at left is a UFO that Nancy started and sent on to the quilt group. Theramae was up to the task of assembling the Double Irish Chain. I quilted it on Labor Day and finished the binding on Friday. It will be going out to Wrap The in Love Headquarters sometime next week with whatever quilts are turned in at the meeting. I love the little daisy print in the Puss in the Corner type squares. Too cute!

I'm almost done with all the binding lacking one short side and about 20 inches of a long side to go on the last one. I have stated before that it is NOT my favorite thing of the quilting process but in the interest of getting that box sent, I opted not to wait till month's end t0 let someone else in the group do it. Here is Pippi (below) "helping" me bind the abandoned block quilt and generally, settling in for the evening. Okay, cat, I can take a hint and quit for the night.

After spending three (or was it four?) days, working on binding the four quilts in my stack I was ready to do something fun today. I was chatting with Norma yesterday; she has been working hard on customer quilts and was also ready to take a break from the "hafta" work. We have been talking about trying the 4-patch Stacked Posie from HD Designs so today was the day!!

This is a "stack and whack" type technique but so much easier than the other two versions I have tried in the past. You just need four pieces of fabric and it is four patches---easy peasy piecing. No weird angles or bias edges to contend with. I had to cut my strips/squares 2 3/4 inches as I had a wide repeat and not much fabric for the 4th strip I needed. My blocks will finish at 4.5 inches and I got 32 out of half the yardage I had available. This was what was left on the bolt from some fabric I picked up the retreat. Busting stash and having a ball sewing today!

Norma apparently could not wait to get started because she already had her cutting done and a few blocks made by the time I caught up with her this morning. I think she had 12 blocks done while I was just studying my fabric for the length of the repeats but that helped get me started because she could confirm what I thought the first steps were. She might have made a decision about her sashing and cornerstones fabric too. Me? I'll wait till I make all the blocks I think I want to make and then decide. I am cutting the other half of the yardage tomorrow. Someone asked if I'm going to keep this one or not---that doesn't matter, I am just happy to be trying something a little different and playing with fabric today.

I have other piecing I want to do---my part of my Christmas row quilt has to be done by month's end. The merkitties challenge at some point but I have till December. Speaking of which, my mom already has hers done--quilted and everything. So cute--sorry for the fuzzy pic though. I'll take a better one at the meeting spot in a few days. She also sent Grandma's Scrap Bag top that I will quilt for Pam's Mexico project--another pattern that I am wanting to try out--nice and scrappy! I bet is was some of that fabric I spent time cutting when I was back visiting too.

She also sent a bit of fabric--one that she and I will do as a challenge between the two of us though it can wait a bit. The Puss in the Corner I cut out recently from Ellen's challenge box is one that I would like to do fairly soon. And of course, I have any number of UFOs to chose from including a whole list of personal projects I would like to get to one of these days.

Someone called about the possibility of some commission work but I have no details other than tops of her grandma made finished up for some nieces and nephews. Same thing happened last year though. I was finally done with the donation quilts and then the guy calls and needs 3 more SEC quilts made up by Christmas. The money was nice and helped pay for my new sewing machine but my stuff just got postponed-- again. We'll see what she has in mind. I can always refer her to a longarmer!