Tag: Process

I spent most of the day yesterday out with Kelly and making banana bread. The Young Man budgeted for $40 worth of bananas for his Eagle Project and then BOUGHT THEM!!! People ate bananas, but $40 is a lot of bananas and we had a about 20 left after the project. By yesterday 12 were left, which meant 3 double batches of banana bread. I spent about 3.5 hours in the kitchen, including a walking trip to Trader Joe’s because I ran out of eggs. I got some steps in, but used up a lot of sewing time on this ‘project.’

Thus, the design wall looks pretty similar to last week’s version. I have high hopes that the end is nearing on a few projects, but time will tell, especially with holidays coming up.

1. More of the red 2″ squares for my 4 patches. I really need to cut some 2″ turquoise squares. I just can’t seem to get to it.

2. Black & Grey Teenaged Boy Donation Quilt blocks. I finally finished that last block that had been languishing, for, what seemed like, weeks. Next step is to layout all the blocks and look at them. I need to decide whether to sew them together with sashing or not. I hear red fabrics crying out for my attention when I think about this quilt.

3. Pieces and part of the PIQF Cross blocks. I have the other background parts cut as well; they are just somewhere else waiting for me to have a moment to decide on the fabric for the on point squares.

4. Start of a donation block for BAMQG. Made with leaders and enders technique yesterday as I sewed another side of a Russian Rubix border together.

5. My PIQF Cross blocks, some only partially sewn.

5.5 This is the PIQF Cross block that TFQ made. Somehow it got separated from its friends, though, perhaps, it volunteered to play referee between the red 2″ patches from and the Teenaged Boy Donation Quilt. 😉

6. Russian Rubix Octagons. I am still making a few blocks for the border. I am not sure if I will use these in the Russian Rubix quilt or if they will be part of the Snowball/9 Patch quilt I have in mind. If I do that piece it will be the third quilt I make from that collection of fabrics. It is interesting to do that. Perhaps I can consider it a series?

7. Most recent FOTY rectangles. These are the last of the fabrics that TFQ pressed for me. I need to toss another load of new fabric into the wash and continue on.

 

I am linking up with Judy over at the Patchwork Times. Looking through a few of the other links is fun. I see projects and things that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen.

It seems a little odd to keep posting these photos of what looks like the same design wall week after week. Still there is some difference. You can see the blocks I am making for the project TFQ and I are working on.

The octagons are still there, because I am still stuck on the Russian Rubix border. I got a little push in the right direction, but I just I haven’t had a chance to do any sewing. I will be really happy when I have a chance to finish the border so I can get the octagons off my wall and put something else up there.

1- As in the previous week, these are the pieces and parts for red and turquoise four patches. Ir eally need to find some more turquoise fabrics.

2- These patches are the start of the newest batch of FOTY 2014 rectangles.

3- Octagons from the Russian Rubix quilt top.

4- Finished red and turquoise four patches

5- Donation blocks, mostly finished, but one in process

6- PIQF Inspiration blocks in process

7- PIQF Inspiration blocks in in cutting stage

I am linking up with Judy Laquidara’s Patchwork Times

Again, my design wall looks remarkably similar to what I posted last time. C’est la vie. I have to remind myself that it isn’t speed that I am going for (though sometimes it isn’t true), it is engaging with the process that is important.

#1: I am still making those turquoise and red four patches. I have a lot more patches than blocks at the moment, though fewer than last time, because I did indeed get busy and made a few. I still have too many other leaders and enders at the moment to make real progress on any one quilt top.

#2: I have a few more squares finished for the Teenaged Boy Donation Quilt and some in progress as well. I dug out some more blacks and greys to add some variety. Some came from the edges of the T-shirt quilt and I thought it was a good use of that remnant.

#3: I decided to make another Owl, like Henry. I took the leftover mosaic piecing from Henry and added some more to it. I am also most out of chocolate brown so I hope the piece is large enough. I haven’t gotten the pattern out to check, but I will soon.

#4: some red and turquoise 4 patches in process. I used a few for leaders and enders, though I have enough leaders and enders to see me through nearly an eternity of projects.

#5:  those octagons are still taking up a lot of space. As you might remember, I decided I would start with the top row and sew all of the octagons in each of those colors. The goal was to get the small triangles sewn to the octagons, so the next step would be to make the blocks with a variety of colors. My idea was that once the stack on my sewing table had been sewn, I would take the octagon off the design wall and sew that, thus reducing the space being hogged on my design wall. It didn’t work. It didn’t work because partway through my grand plan I have enough blocks to make a BIG quilt and many more octagons. I have to mull over ideas, which includes putting octagons in the scrap bin or making journal covers out of them. I have a border idea that will use a bunch more so we’ll just have to see.

#6: this group of FOTY 2014 patches has also been up there a long time. I started in on the big pile of fabric that I talked about last time, finally, and made a group of patches. It is not enough yet for a full post, but I am getting there. One problem is that it was a load of neutrals and those are very depressing to press one after another. It has to be done, so after the Band Review Saturday (4:30 am start) I was too tired to sew and pressing seemed the thing.

#7: the block is still on the design wall. As I said before, I made the 9 patch, but the Young Man sewed the button to the middle in Cub Scouts as part of a rank advancement, I think. Every time I look at it a flood of emotions hits me:

• Why doesn’t Boy Scouts have a sewing merit badge?
• Wishes that I had sewed more with the boy when he was small and somewhat interested.

I am still trying to think of a project in which to include it.

#8: that little Art Deco-esque flower is from one of the first swaps or challenges put on by BAMQ. I thought I would use that flower as the center of something and haven’t yet gotten to it.

#9: those are some of my favorite ATCs. I keep them near my sewing machine so I can be reminded to be creative.

#10: (far left) those are finished ATCs that I have swapped with other CQFAers. I put them in those plastic name badge holders people get at conferences and hang them up. I really need a clothesline or something, but have never gotten around to it.

#11: Paper pieced Mariner’s Compass made in a Barbara Barber class. I intend to finish it. I even still have the pieces, the pattern and the directions. I suppose it should go on my To Do List.

What is on your Design Wall?

 

>>I linked up with the Patchwork Times.

I decided to join in the Design Wall Monday posts that people write and discuss. Why not?

My design wall looks remarkably similar to the last time I posted about my design wall. I did note that I have made progress. Though we had some things to do this weekend,  I decided to make progress, thus the two photos – before and after. The Before photo was taken Saturday morning about 8:45 and I snapped (HA!) the After photo yesterday in the late afternoon.

I can’t discuss every little detail of everything on my design wall, but there are a few things. First, deciding to make progress meant that I had to actually clean up my sewing room. Horizontal surfaces were stacked with stuff, so I had to clean those off on Friday. That led to me taking photos of projects in process. I finally had a chance to lay things out.

Each of the areas are numbered, so you will see the numbers in parentheses below.

Second, (#3) those octagons are taking up a lot of space, so I decided I would start with the top row and sew all of the octagons in each of those colors until I had sewn the triangles on to each color. Once the stack on my sewing table had been sewn, I would take the octagon off the design wall and sew that. As I took them off, I would have more space on the wall.

Third, (#1) the FOTY 2014 patches had been up there a long time. I have a big pile of fabric to press, so I pressed some of that on Friday in order to fill in the group of patches,

Next, (#4) those Russian Rubix blocks had been on the all for a long time. There were pieces and parts of others on my sewing table, so those were sewn pretty early.

Fifth, (#5) I had pieces and parts of the black/grey donation blocks so I sewed those together as well.

Sixth, (#6) That Stars in Stripes 8 pointed star got very close to being made. I have to unearth the templates or rotary cutting directions for the background, so close, but no cigar.

Seventh, (#2) I am still making those turquoise and red four patches. I have a lot more patches than four patches at the moment and need to get busy. Too many other leaders and enders right at the moments.

Eighth, (#7) I made the 9 patch, but the Young Man sewed the button to the middle in Cub Scouts. I am still trying to think of a project in which to include it.

Last, (#8) those are some of my favorite ATCs. I keep them near my sewing machine so I can be reminded to be creative.

After sewing, truly, like a maniac, on and off all weekend I did make some progress.

The four patches didn’t change except that I thought about sewing them.

I took the late July/ early August batch of FOTY patches off the wall and started pressing and cutting a new batch. The ones you see on the wall happen to be Field Day.

I finished a few of the Russian Rubix colors from the top row. The last purple/violet (on the wall on the right) is a bear to get through. I cut extra octagons, so I am sewing for a long time to get through them. Clearly I was afraid someone would steal that fabric in that colorway and I wanted to have plenty. In between I have been sewing other colors as well, so there is some variety in the new blocks.

Since I had so many new quarter blocks for the Russian Rubix, I started laying out new blocks.

That 8 pointed star is still there, as you can see. It is, really, getting closer to the top of the list.

What do you think about my progress?

What’s on your design wall?

I linked up here: Judy Laquidera’s Patchwork Times