ongoing sewing

Hey, that title rhymes, LOL.

I started sewing a bit from the Belles challenge scraps last night. Actually I was sewing in part to make sure the Jem was going to behave before I drag it off to class in Pell City tomorrow. ( I had some tension issues the last time I used it. ) Mostly I wanted to make a dent in that little bin since it has a lot of little things planned for it---see the label on the little bin, LOL. After a few days of cutting, I was ready to sew!

Rail blocks seemed to be the easiest to start with. It takes a lot of blocks to make enough for a top since they finish at 4.5 inches hence the "ongoing sewing". I have blocks leftover from the last quilt I made for a jump start on the next one. I am thinking this time I will do straight sets rather than on point with a heart pieced in.

Bowtie blocks are also another ongoing project around here. I have a whole container set aside for that purpose---3D type and the diagonal corner method. Again, there are a few leftover from the last tops I did . Funny, but I didn't really cut that many 3.5 inch squares this time around. I had pulled a lot of possible strips from a larger bin when I cut for the Twin Sisters the other day. I saw it as an opportunity to straighten out the contents and I cut up some of the short pieces, etc. Some bits did land in the bowtie container but I recognize a few of the fabrics as challenge fabrics or from my own scrap bag. For continuity I tend to use the same color background throughout but I really would not have to---maybe next time.

Since I have been making the rails with pairs of strips, what do you do with the singletons? The stack you see next to the machine are the one that mate up with that pile of blocks in progress. Singletons, are grouped in another pile for now. I did piece two bands though that you see above. I trimmed down the one you see on the cutting mat from the original 5 inch width to 3.5. Those can be used for a Miss Rosie's "Grandma's Scrap Bag" or RR crossing bands. Ongoing sewing.

BUT I also have a plan for another of Miss Rosie's patterns called " Ashcombe". To see what those two patterns look like, visit the Miss Rosie's Quilt Company site HERE and then do a ctrl+F and type in the quilt name---then click on "view patterns". I own the pattern but drew it up in EQ to re-size the blocks to use my available strip size (I have a boat load of 2 inch strips to use up!!) and see just how many blocks I need for the project to make one Wrap 'Em size. Drawing in EQ allows me to produce a printout to count up do my calculations for setting triangles etc. Generally I mark up rather than mark up the pattern pages itself and then file it away in my donation quilt notebook for future reference.

I told you about the nickel squares plan the other day---that 4 patch diagonal chain (or whatever it is called) or Puss in the Corner, Billie Lauder style. I just didn't get any of those sewn yesterday for examples. Maybe those will be a "design wall Monday" fodder, LOL. I just have to remember which machine I used when I do this for consistent seam allowances. Maybe ALL ongoing projects should be designated to the Jem, in that case.

We had a storm blow thru last night after midnight. There was some risk for damaging straight line winds and one point around 1 in the morning we were under tornado watch then warnings. The weather radio sounded three times and the outside sirens, twice. As much as you would like to complain about that, it is foolish to just shut it off since it there for our protection. No one got much sleep early on, just sayin'. Skyler gets a little hyper. DJ says there was 1.6 inches of much needed rain in our rain gauge and we did have a fair amount of wind along with it. Our power stayed on though others may not have been so lucky. I never did hear/see any lightning or thunder for being under a severe t-storm warning. Sun's out this morning--and I'll get my walking in.

And that is how it goes around here-------hope you get some sewing in this weekend!