Another Possibility

I have been cutting a few more strips of print fabric and pairing them up with solid strips. Now that I have made a number of blocks I am getting into a routine. I want to get sets of prints and solids paired up so that all I need to do is sew and press.
Getting things ready to just sew seems to me like good progress, even though I have only made these 3 sets in the last few days

This morning I got another idea for the pattern and solid blocks from Mary Huey's blog,  Quilting through Rose Colored Trifocals

This is what I worked out in EQ7.  In Mary's pattern this would have been made by combining the 9 patch blocks  with another block but this is the look that would be achieved.  The quilt would go together faster because there are also solid background squares. Check out Mary's pattern here. You can purchase the pattern on her Etsy shop and it is a bargain.
Sh is a good teacher and has great ideas for simplifying the piecing.

This may be my next solids and prints project. After all, I am still in love with the 9 patch block and I still have a huge amount of leftovers and scraps..

Two More Sets of Blocks.

I was able to sew 2 more sets of Framed 9 Patch blocks. They both sewed up without problems. These are really easy blocks but some of the previous blocks gave me some small problems, all user error. There are always some mishaps that happen when I haven't done much sewing for a while. It is really because I don't pay enough attention to precision. 


A long time ago I realized that what frustrated me the most was when everything did not fit together without "fudging".  I identified the habits that led to imprecise cutting and I pursued the precise quarter inch until I had it down pat. I make it a habit to check my seam allowances after each step instead of waiting until the block is finished.  I like knowing that all my blocks are "right on" when it is time to sew them together. It just  makes things so much more enjoyable.

However, some days for one reason or another my skills are not up to par and I spend more time fixing that I consider fun.

Today was not one of those days.😊 

26 Blocks

I now have 26 blocks. They don't take a lot of time to sew but it seems that I can't get more than 2 pairs done in a day.  Nevertheless, I am making progress.   

These are the 9 locks I finished in the last 2 days. The all measure exactly 8 inches square though the photo doesn't look like it.

I am missing photos of 4 more blocks. I had 13 in my last post and now I have 26. I thought I had shots of all the new blocks........ oh well, I guess not.














Here are all 26 blocks. The more blocks I make the better I like them. I can't believe that I have usually avoided solid colors in my quilts except for narrow inner borders or sashing.

After I had a few blocks finished to put up on the wall, I thought I would have to make sure that I had a fairly equal number of each solid color. With a small number of blocks the yellow seemed to stand out too much. With more blocks that no longer seems to be a problem. I am beginning to think that there are not going to be a lot of  picky rules about the final layout.  I am also finding that I don't have to agonize over each choice of the solid color to go with the prints; the solid only needs to contrast enough to show up well.  This shot of all the blocks doesn't show the contrast as much as the ones in the collage of the newest blocks; in real life the colors of all the fabrics are much more vibrant.. Blame the photographer!

I am already starting to cut solids and prints for Double 4 Patch blocks. I have had a long love affair with the Triple 4 patch quilts and I have made at least 3 for myself (which have somehow all found new homes). I made many blocks for the monthly request for members of the Friendship group. I cut leftover fabrics for the blocks all the time and I have a box of squares cut for Triple 4 Patch blocks and instead of making the smallest 4 patches with black/dark and white fabric, I will use 2 1/2 inch squares in a variety of solid colors.

OOPS!

Our quilt group at church met last Saturday and I brought home some odd sized/shaped pieces of fabric to cut into squares and strips. This time I am concentrating mostly on 6 inch squares trying for multiples of 4 or more  that will coordinate for large 9 patch blocks for quilts that will go to Jamaica. I was able to use some of the small scraps from cutting for the Donna Poster blocks and 8 inch Framed 9 patch  blocks.

Today, I made these 2 blocks with smaller odd pieces of one purple print and some of my own solids.

Oops!
I made the one on the right first and I didn't like it as well as I thought I would. I had enough small scraps to make another with a different color solid; when I compared them I saw my mistake. I hesitated to fix it because it meant unsewing 5 seams and moreover the block had measured a perfect 8 inches.  I had lunch and did the dishes and came back to my sewing room and picked up my seam ripper and I did it!

I was bothered enough to know that if I waited to do it and forgot and sewed it into the quilt I would end up taking it out and it would be more work in the end. It went together almost as perfectly with about 1/16 of and inch space where  the side strip was sewn on. Because it is not on the corner it will not be a problem.

The background purple is really dark but it comes across as purple and not navy.  I was happy to  be able to use the small scraps because my own stash is not heavy on purple.

These are some of the 6 inch squares I cut. The unicorns were pretty far apart as were the bunnies and birds so I only got 2 unicorns and the bunny square is only 4 1/2 inches but it can go into Donna Poster scrap blocks that is kind of an ongoing project..
I think the purple shows up a little better in this photo because I found some dark gray fabric to put beside them.

I will be making more of the Framed 9 patch blocks. I love the way they look in the quilts on Lynn Dykstra's blog. The solid fabrics in the blocks add cohesiveness even though the solids and prints as all different.
After I cut the rest of the 6 inch squares for our church group I will  get back to some sewing of my own again. 

Scraps

When I was rummaging through boxes and Ziploc bags and baskets etc, I came across a Ziploc bag with inch these 6 1/2 blocks. They are left over blocks from this baby quilt and there was also a bag of unsorted scraps of the same fabrics

.

I was amazed at the amount of unsorted scraps I had shoved into bags or just shoved into the bottom of  my large laundry basket of scraps. I have decided that I need to tackle that basket by making improve squares. I pulled out an assortment of fabrics that are the same and similar and made a few blocks.

The larger piece on the bottom was intended to be  a larger piece from which I would cut 6 1/2 inch squares. After getting this far I remembered that I really would rather make squares approximately the size I want and trim them. I can use the smaller pieces or fabric (of which I have many many more) and I have more control over how the seams fall on the outside of the squares. I will probably cut a 6 1/2 inch square from this and use what I cut away as the start of another block.
I  am not sure if I will make another baby quilt similar to the one I made first or if I will use these as centers for wonky stars or some other kind of 9 patch block with a large center square. I am in no hurry to finish this so it will be an ongoing project. I need to control the mess in some way so I will probably sort the scraps by colors into shoe boxes. I can put the lids on  the boxes and stack them when I am not working on them.

I plan to take care of that before bedtime and then start tomorrow to put all the Christmas quilts and linens away. When that is done I will take care of taking down the Christmas tree. I know that Jack will call me Mrs. Scrooge, he really loves the Christmas tree and he always complains that I take it down too soon. He should be the one to deal with the cat and her shenanigans with the tree.