Saturday, October 20, 2018

It's Easy Being Green!

Forest or sage green is the RSC colour of the month for Angela's soscrappy challenge. I do love forest green, such an intense colour with depths of mystery and beauty both. I have quite a bit of scraps of it too; didn't have to cut any 2.5" squares to get 32 for my two blocks. I did have to cut 3" squares for the HSTs.

Both forest and sage feature in these. It's looking like that around me now, the grass is an incredible emerald green, the English oak and another mystery tree, maybe a beech, a rich forest green, the original mystery tree I asked about turning a yellow-green and yellow, and the black walnuts a medium green. Lots of green shades for sure! I laid all 20 blocks out on the design wall and played around a little to see if I need to add more or how to set them...
and this is what I've come up with so far.
What do you think? Instead of doing the rainbow colour order exactly, I grouped the warm colours and the cool colours, mirror-imaging them, and then because it's a 4X5 block set, the middle row ends up dark blue and turquoise like that, which I think is rather interesting. I might just sew it exactly as is, which will make a 48X60" throw, a decent size! I've had greys, browns and blacks in my previous RSC quilts, but somehow don't feel a need in this one.

In other QAL news, Fireburst is now a flimsy, awaiting another border I think, and then quilting. May I just say right here before you all, that menopause sucks: Always an excellent speller, I have issues with homonyms now and then, think I mentioned that, (here and hear/ reed and read etc). There's sometimes a disconnect between my brain and my fingers as I type. That disconnect is also at times between my brain and my mouth. Odd words come out, "I was vacuuming the sink when I noticed the suction was poor," I see rug in my mind, and sink comes out. I used to be able to add up numbers super-quick in my head; I could just 'see' the totals; now I usually have to write them down or do them slowly in my head twice or more. Spatial things elude me from time to time too: I get left and right mixed up (but I still have a great sense of north/south/east/west, must be the farmer side of me from my dad that still works fine) ands mirror-imaging, as in the quilt above or visualizing a flip of blocks can cause my brain to misfire. It is both frustrating, and I'll admit a bit worrisome.

Where is this going? Well I sewed the centre block for Tish's (The Madd Quilter) Fireburst mystery. Got the pieces out that were required, set them out...wait a minute; something's not right...
Somehow I had four flying geese with fabric 2? And eight extra 2.5" squares of fabric 1? I wondered why I'd had to cut those purple ones extra, and still had lots of pink; thought maybe I misread somewhere, but forged on, and thought I'd do a count of the chart pieces later to see if there was an error...oh there was; it was Sandra's error!

So I took apart the purple 'wings' and put the eight pink squares in their place, re-sewed. Pressed. Laid down the centre block, all fixed, in its place:
wtf
Sent it to Tish, and she said well, I may have given her an idea for a design element; have the geese pointing to the centre block instead of away... She's nice like that; makes me feel less stupid. However, I ripped. Again. and pointed all four pink geese/arrows flower buds away from the centre.
Much better
Isn't that pink lovely by the way? It's a Craftsy Boundless Blenders (and ya, that's an affiliate link and it will take you to them.) I have them in a couple of the colourways and they are all gorgeous in colour and in hand. Remember bluprint still has their deal for that sweet box (US residents only, sniff) when you sign up for the annual subscription, as I did, but I didn't get the package part, found out the hard way, so beware please, it's good only for US residents. I am enjoying my subscription though!

Sewed all the blocks together, and took it outside into the sunshine on the green grass!


Doesn't it just sing spring?! It's spring in the southern hemisphere right? I love this, and thank you to Tish for a great first mystery. Well done. She'd showed me the quilt before the msytery started, but this is when being in the menopausal brain fog is an advantage, because I'd totally forgotten what it looked like other than a 'burst' effect!

I'm contemplating adding a final border of some kind as it's just 32". Mind you, it would be a nice-sized table centre for spring. Here's the second: What do you think? for this post! Thanks for your input.😁

In final blogging news, I still haven't fixed my no-reply blogger issue where I can't comment on blogger blogs with the comment box at the bottom of the post, but I wrote to a blogger forum and got a couple of fixes. The first one didn't work. Sigh. Takes time away from sewing, so I'll try the other fixes another day. Sometimes I can do the Open URL option, sometimes not.

Linking up
soscrappy

18 comments:

  1. I really like the layout you have for your RSC blocks this year. The center blocks mirrored so perfectly have a nice balance and harmony.

    It's weird how the brain and memory is much more fluid than I think we ever really discuss. Some days I am sharp and can do mental math. Others I can't even remember the two numbers I want to add up or divide or whatever. And don't get my husband started on homonyms; with his synthesia it's basically impossible for him to spell and those are the devil words in the English language.

    I think your Fireburst quilt top is a very happy spring time table topper; I'd personally not add a border, but then again I can envision just how to use it in my home at that size, you know?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like that layout for your RSC blocks, too - I like the grouping of warm and cool colors like that. I'm going to have to remember that! I love that background fabric of your Fireburst Mystery! A perfect inspiration for all the other colors you chose!

    ReplyDelete
  3. While you chose an uncommon setting for your RSC quilt, it REALLY works!! Best of luck on the assembly.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your fireburst sings spring and I agree with Yvonne no border. As for homonyms they can be a bit of a pain. I know what I mean it's got to be everyone else who has the problem...haha

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ohh, I love all your rainbow colored blocks! The arrangement looks very pleasing to the eyes.

    Your mystery quilt is adorable!!! Bright and cheerful! How about adding a 3" border all around, quilting it and send it off to Jack's Basket? They've delivered 500 baskets to parents of newborn Down Syndrome babies just in 2018, and they are in need of more blankets/quilts, size 36" X 36". Just a thought!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good morning! Your RSC project is just wonderful. Love the colors and the layout.
    Like you, my mind was on the fritz a couple of times when I was cutting and assembling the Fireburst quilt. I had to rip things apart a few times and it is not a complicated project. My spatial sense or maybe just the focus on directions wasn't there. Even now that it is assembled, there is a mistake!! I will share that later this week. I am putting a border on mine and I like Nancy's idea about donating to Jack's Basket. I think that is a great suggestion and will use my quilt for that.

    Also, I suddenly cannot comment on several blogs - it is so frustrating. Ugh, technology is annoying sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love your RSC colour blocks and the layout looks good to me. The Fireburst quilt is perfect for a table topper on a bright spring day.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Those rainbow blocks look yummy...my colors for sure. I wouldn't add black, brown or grey, either. You play with layout after layout to see if there is something else, but when you hit on something you like, stick with it!!! More time to sew!!!

    I'd personally add a border to the Fireburst...if I had enough of one of the colors used in it. Small quilts like that don't work for me any other way.

    As for menopause...don't get me started! I say the wrong things even when thinking the right ones. People probably think I should be committed. And names...always had a little problem with them but now..my family members get the first name off my tongue even if it isn't theirs. My mom had to run through the names of all her kids before she got to the right one! Didn't know this was part of menopause....

    Enjoy sewing.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Sandra! I like how your comment box opens in a separate screen but I can still see your post! It's hard to remember what to comment on when the whole post disappears. I love the size and the blocks for your scrappy challenge. it is a great way to bust those scraps, and I love all the low volume backgrounds. Oh Fireburst! Your's looks beautiful, but we have had our issues with it as well. All us - not Tish! Just this morning Sue said hey, I need these blocks. She had recut some fabric because the blocks were missing in plain sight. Ahhh, it will be a miracle if we get it complete but we will. I love your fabric choices especially the pink with the background fabric. Well the green matches it perfectly too - I love the whole darn thing. I'm on the fence about border or no border being added. However you go it will look fabulous. ~smile~ Roseanne

    ReplyDelete
  10. Had to grin at your switcheroo with the Fireburst pieces. If you would've only flipped the one on the right, you would've had a little fish in the center. I can see where Tish is going with a design element, and it would be a cool one, so your little mishap was helpful! I don't know if I'd add a border. Not planning to with mine, but I could see there would be possibilities. Now that I'm post-menopause, all I can say is that you get used to the mind snaps. I wouldn't worry too much!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for sharing your Fireburst story. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one. Never thought to blame it in menopause.....all these years I just thought I was slowly slipping. I will say, sometimes it gets scary. Border or no border. Guess it depends on what your intentions for the little quilt are going to be.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Those Craftsy blenders are terrific! I may have to get some to have on hand. Now you have me thinking about a border when I wasn't going to....oh shucks. I am having many of the same problems with math and space and time! I think some of it is grief. I think some of it is the dullness brought on by menopause. I did what you did with the first four blocks! Also, just trying to figure out some of the Island Batik quilts I have found harder than they should be. I am glad to hear what the cause may be!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love your RSC block layout. They're looking fabulous together! I smiled at your snafus with the Fireburst quilt, getting things turned around or mixed up is so easily done and sometimes it's so hard to see. But Tish is right, it would make for a different look to the quilt, so it's worth exploring :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love your Tish's mystery quilt block! The colors are happy ones. I am not a fan of pale pink, but that pink is bright and cheerful.

    I also love your thought process on arranging your rainbow scrap challenge blocks. It is perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Like the layout of the RSC blocks. It's more challenging to get a pleasing balance with your approach than by following the rainbow, but your works. The fireburst looks great too- the pink makes it. Now, slow down. Get some sleep. That aging brain'll be just fine if you give it time to work.

    ReplyDelete
  16. You could definitely stitch up the RSC quilt just as it is, that's a great layout. I've decided that my brain misfires are the result of just having so much stuffed in there, that sometimes the wrong piece of info just inserts itself somewhere. So you are in good company there.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Forest green is one of my favourite colours, I use it for painting too. Sage is green is so pretty too, I even love it as wall colour. I like your grouping of the blocks very much. So sorry you had to take the Fireburst mystery apart. That stinks! Tish is right, the geese pointing to the centre block would have looked very nice too. Well, your finished flimsy is beautiful. I would definitely add a border. I think it would pull everything together.


    -Soma

    ReplyDelete
  18. Two lovely projects Sandra - you definitely aren't the only one having those Duh moments!! I've missed doing the RSC this year so am planning on trying again with it next year. Trish's QAL is also an inticing project...the colours you have used are so fresh.

    ReplyDelete