Sep 27, 2015

an idea, maybe

I think this might work.

These fabrics from the last post and what I am calling my "Ellen Challenge" using WTIL donated fabric from Fabric Traditions.  Others have received other fabric bundles from what their group posts have said.  I look forward to seeing what they come up with.



So I'm thinking that the Quatrefoil block from Missouri Star Quilt Company will work just fine though I have yardage instead of pre-cuts.  I think that is preferable as there will be less waste with what I have available.



Ellen sent about 2 yards of the floral and approximately a yard of the two contrasting prints.  I'll need one or two more colors for contrast and a bunch of background.  This is do-able.   I'll do it up in EQ in a minute to get it Wrap 'Em target sized or larger.  Kids DO come in all sizes.  This will verify how many 4 patch strips to cut and just how many background strips to cut for the 4 patches.  Jennie said 9 but not sure if that covered 8 flippy corners per block.

Okay, I think I have come to a decision and am NOT waffling and changing my mind looking for the next "squirrel" to distract my attention, LOL.  Trust me, it happens----a lot.  I may not be sewing much lately but I do think about it, a lot, too much.

Oscar logged about 4 hours of outside time yesterday afternoon and I got most of the two deadline blocks completed.  You'll have to take my word for this as I cannot share any pictures of them until after the retreat next month.  The 6 inch fall (not Halloween) block is done.  The 12 inch Quilt of Valor block is almost done, just have to join the sections (4 short seams).  I chose to foundation piece both of them for accuracy but the QOV choice was mostly because of the odd sizes I would have had to cut the components.  9 divisions does not divided evenly into the requested 12 inch finished.  If I were to ever make one of these again, I would go with 1 1/2 inch strips and let it finish at 13.5.  Far easier than so many 16th's of any inch, right?

 I'll carve out a little sewing time after Oscar goes to bed or heads outside for awhile.  It looks like it might rain any minute so I doubt he is heading out anytime soon.  Besides, he is conked out on the floor near my feet here on the couch.  Meanwhile, Skyler is napping up the pass through up high.  In the evening, his go to spot is the end of the coffee table since I put down the fall leaf table runner on it.  There or the couch arm by "my" spot.

None of us got a whole lot of sleep last night though I logged about 4 hours early on. Oscar woke me up around 3 whimpering in his bed.  Thinking he needed to potty or didn't feel well, I let him go out.  He cleaned up what was left in his food bowl, drank a bunch of water, may or may not have done his business.  I was out with Oscar on the patio in my pjs  Actually it was kinda nice out there.  Cooler than in the house, breeze blowing.  We tried again.  He didn't go back to sleep, Skyle rwas roaming around  because I was roaming around. I did not get back to sleep though trust me, I tried. By then it  was about 4:15.  Whimpering and whining, again or still?  Repeat all the above but minus the food and water.  This trip, he was barking out there and I will not have him disturbing the neighborhood.   I still couldn't back to sleep and had switched to the master bedroom trying to drown out the LOUD cricket chirping sounds from outside, in the crawl space and the front bushes.  The air return sort of accentuates the noise and it is right outside my bedroom.  In spite of a closed door and window, the noise is in stereo.  Meanwhile, Skyler managed to worm himself into the master bedroom and commences to scratch, lick, groom himself.   Not conducive to sleep.  I bailed again for my own bed though this time Oscar was back to sleep and Skyler got the master bed all to himself.  It is 5:30 by then.  THX to some Motrin and exhaustion, I finally awakened at 10:15 having achieved the elusive "cool, dark and quiet" in spite of those darned crickets.  How cold does it have to get to kill off this year's crop of crickets anyway???

Worse still is this has not been an isolated incident.  I've strung a couple of "can't get to sleep in the first place" night together lately.  Friday night it was whining dog, those darned crickets and topped off by the low battery beeping of the carbon monoxide/gas detector thing. I had no idea that there was a battery even in there as DJ put the thing up on the advice of someone who came to service the furnace and ducts.   I only knock the thing off on the floor periodically when vacuuming in the hallway.  Always says "O" but that is a good thing, LOL.  Anyway, I'm thinking that the noise from notification beeps is what woke Oscar in the first place as it hurt his ears.  Hurt mine and humans are no where near the hearing capabilities of dogs and cats.  I unplugged it and took the battery out till I could hunt for a new one come light of day.  I hope we all have an easier night of it tonight.  SIGH

I see some reading ahead as a book is available now from a camellia dot (net) hold the Joanne Fluke Christmas bundle of Sugar Cookie Murder, Candy Cane Murder, Plum Pudding Murder and Ginger Cookie Murder.   I finished Catherine Lloyd's Death Comes to the Village yesterday which the librarian had recommended.  There is one other book on epub that I get for only a week more and a half finished library book to read as well.   Good thing I read fast, LOL?

Hope you are enjoying your weekend----thx for stopping by.




3 comments:

  1. Those crickets can be so annoying. I had them in my crawl space (and they can live through the winter there) so I had to bug-bomb them as they were getting into the house also.

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  2. I really like this block, Linda. Glad you got a bit of sewing done. I'm still going through magazines, clipping ideas, etc. when I know someone else will one day ask, "Why on earth did she want to keep this?"

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  3. Great block! Missouri Star Quilt Company has some great tutorials - AND I love the fact that Jennie is LEFT-handed. I watched the video and noticed the block behind her left elbow (third row - last block) has the top right 4-patch going the wrong way - guess I'm not the only one who does that - ;))

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