goofing around?

Or am I planning my next quilt(s)?  I prefer the latter but it sure feels like I'm playing too.  This is supposed to be fun after all or why do it?

As this year's guild newsletter editor I was sent a copy of the meeting minutes for inclusion in the next issue.  Of course, I read it because I missed that last meeting and let me tell you, those girls were busy with it being the first official meeting for 2014.  Not only is the quilt show just month's away  (early March), but it is time to start new challenge quilts and the annual block of the month projects.  I'm not clear on what all the Block of the Month will entail but I should have signed up if I'm interested.  Irene said they were doing it like a mystery quilt. I don't know about that part! After all, I am all about the process from point A to point B and want to know what it might look like to pick fabrics.

The other thing that sounded interesting is a challenge quilt that one of the members had done with the now defunct quilt shop in Trussville.  It involves using the first letter of your first name and inserting 3 elements that use that letter.  For example, her name begins with J so she picked Jewel Box for the block, jet black fabric and hers had a bit of a jungle theme.  The resultant quilt is to be donated to Project Linus, at the May meeting, and will help meet the membership requirement for a minimum of 1 pro bono quilt for the program year.  Kill two birds with one stone, right?

So what begins with L???  All I could come up with for blocks off the top of my head was Log Cabin and Lemoyne Star.  I don't really want to do an 8 pointed star and surely someone else with the L name will do a log cabin.  HMMMM   I went through BlockBase search box to look.  I love BlockBase for the historical applications but they have this cool quick quilt button where you see a 4 x 4 block set of what it would look like block to block, unsashed etc.  Sometimes it looks pretty cool and other times you can see that on point, alternating blocks or sashing would be the way to go.

Here's what I came up with today while playing---some I kind of like and could see doing.

L Stripe #Y011---not so much

Now this one I do like and I have made a Strip Twist shown in that post on the bed this fall----all that is different is maybe the center is smaller and they add a pieced bi-rangle type piece where the Strip Twist is a plain square.  Heck, I even have a bi-rangle ruler so I am guessing you can strip piece the two colors together and then cut the units with the ruler.   Oh the block name is Lacy Lattice Work #2583

This one is called Ladies' Aid Album #1719.  I do like it but if I were to actually make it I would not piece these like actual blocks but rather than components to eliminate a bunch of lines were the blocks would join.

Now this one is Ladies' Aid Block #1221.  It is kind of cool but I cannot help tilting my head to the left and seeing this as blocks on point with some pieced filler for the setting triangles and corner triangles.  All I see is big 4 X blocks and another block that is quite similar to a block called "Practical Orchard"  I have one to do in my Farmer's Wife Sampler so that is why it sprang to mind.  (That and one I have sewn already called Storm Signal.)  See what you think below--change the colors a bit and I think it is the same block!

This one is called Lattice #1181.  I like this coloration but the one I had initially looked at had the diagonal piece done in all the same color in which case it COULD be done on point, with sashing, not those pointy things to match up.  and make more 4 X blocks for the centers.  You would again, have to make pieced setting triangles to complete the look.

I know this next one as Double Attic Windows and have actually made a few in my time as pro bono quilts but I sure didn't miter the corners,  not when you can do flippy cornered triangles and get the same look in the end, LOL.  Technically it is called Lattice Square #1407b

Letter L quilt for this one #2409.  Yep, you got it---I see it on point, LOL.  4 patches on point and eliminate the extra pieced line in the triangles around it.  Not crazy about it though.

This one is sort of a version of Thousand Pyramids but actually it is called Lace Edge Quilt or Lightning Strips #112b.  A bit too fussy on something I would be giving away but you never know.

Then how easy would this one be?  Often called "Endless Stair(s)" it is also called London Stairs #1110

Then you have all the ones like what is normally called Churn Dash but it has 3 L names---Lincoln's Platform, Love Knot and Ludlow's Favorite #1646a

But guess what this one that I know as Dutch Windmill or Hearts and Gizzards is called??  You got it, Lover's Knot #1500.  I have some foundation stuff to do this one on hand, should I want to.  Eleanor Burns had a book from 1995 that I got with some bday money when the quilt shop in in Pell City was still open, years ago still waiting.  Maybe??

I am still thinking that the Lacy Lattice Work might be my favorite but only if I can come up with the color of fabric that starts with L----so any ideas there???  Lavender, lilac, lime green, what else?.  LOL.  How does lavender even look with lime green.  Do I even have any lime green?  Will they not take the quilt if I can only come up with 2 elements?  I think not.

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The other thing that had my attention this morning was shopping online at Connecting Threads.  My lefthanded quilter friend and I had worked out a swap for the contents of my scrap basket and whatever else I wanted to put in there.  Like the contents of two of those little bins on my shelving units for example.   She asks what I may want in return and I say in effect "what do you have to offer?"  This time she made it easy and got me a gift card at CT.  I used it to get some of that yummy rhapsody in blue fabric that I hope will work for the great niece or nephew that will be arriving in July sometime.  I have heard the nursery is a NE nautical theme and I already told my mom that I want to make a Storm at Seas for them.

I made a version of Storm at Seas some time back as a Noah's ark fabric challenge between my mom, Joy and I.  Then I later took the leftover ark fabric that the three of us had not used and made another nine patch and snowball.  It is in the same post from July 20, 2006.    Should be fun----and thanks again, my friend!

But just today as the emails were flying back and forth, she said she had some fpp sailboat blocks that I might want.  I said yes and in exchange she is getting some of the stuff from my plaid/homespun stash.  I dug around in the box in the closet and came up with a small pile fairly easily, LOL. . I think we are even now, or soon will be!

And just like that, it is time to think about fixing supper.  I fixed tuna melts for lunch but dang it, another meal as rolled around.  Best get out to the kitchen!  Tomorrow, I'm cutting and sewing!  Didn't happen today but tomorrow is another day to get back into it.