WIP Weds

This is where I left off last night at 8:30.  Another of my FWIS blocks but one of my additions and/or substitutions called "Crazy Anne"  #1856.  This is the 17th block of 111.

I used a Marti Michell suggestion on the conversion chart for this one but added another short cut to eliminate another seam.   The process I used might be a good "hint" for another post so I will get some pictures and graphics so it might make more sense than my describing it. 

I cut it out with instructions from EQ but that left that pink and background piece with a very long skinny, machine eating shape.  I would call that a recipe for disaster!!  I do own a set of Tri-Recs rulers and knew from past use they had a way of nubbing those off that made it easier to line up and stitch the pieces without guessing how much to off set the overlying piece. It appears to be right on the money but I think I need to square up those "Mary's Triangle" units a bit before I join the remaining sections. 

Of course, after I posted the other day I had to play with the Twister ruler a bit but mostly because I wanted to size a block would result if you put 4 charm squares together.  The answer was 9 inch finished (9.5 with seam allowances).  BUT I cut and stitched the whole block up and still need something for demo purposes.

Not anymore----I slapped 4 squares together and just need to put on the background bits and I'll be set for Belles on this coming Tuesday.  Maybe I'll just join the two blocks and put some sort of frame around them for another placemat??  Or more likely it will go in my long awaited Oxmoor House adapted Christmas quilt.  My blogging lefthandedquilter pal and her friend Linda are starting their Christmas race.  It was tempting to pull that out and join in but I am resisting..........for now anyway.  Too many irons in the fire at the moment.

 I was playing around with this on Monday afternoon as well.  Oh, you KNEW I would, LOL.   Pat may be joining Cher, Norma and I when we do the twister sew date.   She has a guild challenge coming up and this might be a pattern option.  I mentioned that Martha Thompson tells you to warm up to the technique by  making a placemat---or 4, LOL.   This technique is from her book Square Dance, after all, but someone made a ruler to make the cutting easier than marking around it with a template.  The acrylic ruler with feet stays put while you cut........ which is nice. 

Anyway, she says to cut the squares 4.5 inches and the border around it about 3 inches. Set the squares in a 3 x 4 grid.  Once you border the twisted stuff again it would finish up about 14 1/2 x 17 inches.  Pat wondered how big this might turn out.  Mine unstitched , measures that exactly.  If my math is correct I think I would lose 2 inches in the length and 1 1/2 in the width and that should STILL fit my plates.  I'm just goofing around and don't know what I would use for a border anyway since most of these were charms and cut 5 inch squares from another project.   That mini red print looks pink and I should have separated the colors in that dark blob in the corner, LOL.   The picture is not showing as much contrast as there is in real life.  BUT it will do for an example.   I've got more Christmas squares leftover but just not bright ones such as the ones I used in this one.  I could easily pull 12 more and whip another placemat in another colorway.

And here is another chapter in the "make me happy" category.  As a quilter who loves vintage quilts, this box is pure gold to me!  The shoe box stuffed with fabric arrived yesterday from my mom.  (I knew it was coming.)  I didn't have time to really dig through it yet but I love that red stuff on the top!!   There are bits of 30s in there too but as I said, I have not had time to look through the treasure this box contains.  THX Mom.  If not this quilt, then one down the line.

She called yesterday to tell me that she had finished the binding on a very special bed sized quilt.  I am happy dancing for her as I know it is not easy for her to do that hand work with achy wrists and hands.  She always does the donation quilt binding on the machine.  You see, the 2nd grandchild is getting married on October 6th.  Blake and Julia live in central IL about an hour from where I am from but have decided to getting married in the Denver area.  ( Julia has some family there.  So does Blake--my sister Janet and her family.)  They know that the quilt is coming.  In fact, they had asked for some of the fabric swatches to help in picking out the bed linens and curtains.  I know what pattern Mom had picked out and what color was basically selected but I cannot wait to see a picture of it.

The wedding will be small and a reception held later so no, I am not going to the wedding.  My sister Diane (the MOG) has made travel arrangements for both sets of grandparents, her husband and herself as well as Blake's sister and her husband to get out there on various time schedules but they all fly back on the same plane.  Maybe Blake and Julia are "on their own" for getting to Denver. I'll have to ask Mom the next time I talk to her.  Can't have a wedding without the bride and groom!!

Well, daylight is burning and I had planned on making some cookies to take to the quilt set up tomorrow.  We were down to 49 for an overnight temp and even with the sun beating down, it is only up 10 degrees from that now.  Translation:  I won't mind the oven being on while I bake about 5 dozen Pride of Iowa cookies, LOL.  And DJ won't mind home baked goodies either.