cutting and kitting

I am going to go nuts if I know I have to quilt for two more weeks----the "squirrel........oh, shiny object" syndrome will surface.  I will need to stick some other short tasks or design work in there along the way.  Since I tend to save the quilting till after lunch (the a/c is on) that leaves mornings for other things.  Can I keep on track and still have a little fun.  I certainly hope so!

As I said yesterday, I am trying to use some of the donation fabrics from various sources that I have collected along the way.  I have printed off a possible pattern that will use a pile of it called Chantal from Debby Kratovil.  Only problem:  it is square.  Kids aren't square and I want it rectangular.   I can deal with not having the featured Blank Quilting fabric.

She used a blob of the big floral, 5 squares of it, at center and then used it to border it as well.   It will have to have some white space in there for me.  Too, too busy otherwise. I don't have enough of the floral to border this thing too but I could work it into the 4 patches instead of an alternate blue.  I plan on float the design with over-sized setting triangles and then bind it with same stripe as the blocks cut on the bias.

At first I had thought I would use 6 inch completed blocks, rather than 7.5 but with no outer border I am back to the 7.5 inchers.  I cannot duplicate the actual fabrics I will use in EQ without doing a bunch of scanning and re-sizing.  Like I know that bright blue I show in the sketch is actually a green Makower print and the stripe is a mix of green and pinks but I can't draw it up that way.

I basically ignore the yardage printouts, other than how many I need to cut of the patches.  I use my own calculations---how many strips to I need to cut from what.  Here again, my quick reference sheets hanging on the pegboard come in very handy.  I can expect to get 9 cuts 4.25 across the width of a fabric strip so that helps in  how  many strips I need for the 4 patches.  You know I do have one of those fabric calculators around here somewhere that belonged to my mom.  Not sure where it is but I guess I am more used to figuring these things out myself anyway, LOL.

For the setting triangles I use a chart I copied out of my Fons and Porter Quilters Complete Guide.  I don't want to actually sew on a border of the background stuff.  Instead of cutting the quarter square triangles to fit a 7.5 inch finished square, I'll follow the size square to cut for say, a 10 inch finished square instead--almost a 16 inch and the corner square half square triangles are 8.

I have given my selections the pressing they need---ugh it is too hot in the house to stand over a steam iron.  Air is not on yet but it will be soon.   I am ready to cut and kit.   I am going to have a fun time sewing when the donation quilting is done!!  If I don't visit that block of the month deal I had pulled out, there is some duck fabric that is "quacking" at me too, LOL.  Maybe that is task for tomorrow?

And sew it goes-----stashbusting and a little change in direction if only for a little while.  BQ1 awaits after lunch.