I had a lot of computer work to do yesterday so I didn't do any sewing. I did look at this pattern that I purchased last year and I might start cutting for it. I like the black and white with reds and pinks the best. Mine will have more rows than that photo though. I also want to do some more cutting of Kaffe 2.5" squares to finish up the project I started many months ago. I'm like a lot of other people, lots of ideas and not enough time to work on all of them.
I thought I would get so much done yesterday because I started sewing the cross seams in late morning. All I got done though was the four seams in this top. It is SO much prettier in person. Somehow I didn't expect to like it so well and that is why it stayed unfinished in a box for so long. The fact is I love it! I want to add a 2" border of the same leaf batik all around it. I found another piece of it in my stash so I do have enough to do that.
I had a long list of errands to do yesterday plus boxing up the last 2 sales from my pop up shop and a trip to the post office. Last night I sewed 6 long seams in one direction on the kite star quilt top and 4 seams the other way. I have 4 seams left to sew. I did move the light block from the top row before stacking the rows to take to the sewing machine. I exchanged it with one that was just a little darker.
I took the last 3 blocks down to the design wall and then spent about a half hour rearranging blocks so I could space out the blocks with red/pink and also the very dark and very light blocks. The only block I'm still questioning is the light one in the top row. I could exchange it with the second star from the left in the second horizontal row. It should finish at approximately 56" x 72".
Last night I just wanted some mindless sewing while I caught up on some TV shows. I brought all of the 2" finished triangles upstairs and got all these sewn. I need to cut some more light triangles to pair with the remaining dark triangles. I'll probably do pressing tonight while I watch a couple shows.
I had a rest day yesterday, only stripping beds and doing laundry and sewing 3 blocks. I will get to the design wall today and rearrange the blocks in a pleasing order. Then I can sew the top together.
My amazing daughter left here (60 miles west of Chicago) at 5:45 a.m. to drive to Jonesborough TN to attend Kaffe Fassett's lecture on her way home. I wasn't sure she would get there in time and when she sent me this photo it made my day. She had purchased tickets before I had my pacemaker surgery and I didn't think I was ready to travel yet. She said the program was really good and I'm sorry I couldn't be there. Brandon and Kaffe both have shirts made of their own fabrics.
All that got done yesterday was cutting. Since these 3 blocks have repeats of the light colors I will have to rearrange blocks to space them apart. My daughter and I were wrapping up all of the things related to my website for the rest of the day because she is leaving soon.
Here is another mock-up created yesterday to place in my pop up shop (which closes late in the day on Oct. 25). I had 3 more sales over the weekend so today is shipping day.
I added 7 more large squares and 5 more stars since yesterday. I have to find fabrics for 3 more stars and then I will rearrange the blocks. Rain, rain, rain....after almost a month and a half of dry weather we got a lot of rain yesterday. I would guess that it was over 5.5" and maybe way over that. My rain gauge was running over yesterday morning and it holds 2". I emptied it and we got another inch before it got dark. Then it rained hard again and there was 2" more in the guage. The trees and perennials are probably loving it as they prepare for winter.
After a social afternoon I got to the design wall to layout this quilt. The star blocks are the Kite block that I cut with my die cutter. If I made one more row on the side and one more on the end it would start and end with a star block on every row. I have enough of the alternate block fabric to make this larger.
This is what you see when you get closer to the quilt. For the cellphone readers of my blog: we realize the 2 links I have made, one below the header and one on the right sidebar don't show up for you so I'll give you the link to my new website and store here.
I have had this project in a box for quite awhile. I hadn't committed to cutting that beautiful batik into the alternating blocks. I think I'm ready now though. Here is the post where the blocks are laying on it. I had 23 pieced blocks on that post, there are 24 now. With 24 alternate squares it will make a 6 x 8 layout for a quilt approximately 48" x 64". When I get that sewn I can decide if it needs a border to become a larger quilt. I have added a link on the right sidebar for my new website. When you get to the website, the link to the shop is in the top right corner of the banner. Eventually we hope to have the blog integrated into that site. Right now we're having some technical problems with it. Anyone who has built a website knows there will always be a few quirky situations leading up to the final product.
If you are not a subscriber to my new website you now have access to my new store. It is a pop up store and will be open for 2 weeks (until October 25th). Thank you so much to all who have made purchases and those who have sent positive comments and emails! If you are not on the mailing list and want early access for future offerings, sign up here. There is also a sign up form on the right side bar.
