Friday, November 22, 2019

WIP Update

I am stitching away on my November challenge for Island Batik where we are to make a lap size or larger quilt using tools of some kind within our sewing rooms. I chose to work with the Sidekick ruler that I've had for a couple of years now. I also used the Hex N More ruler, which was an unplanned bonus. Both of these are by Jaybird Quilts.
I must say I suddenly had a flashback to when I was a kid, playing with my wooden mosaics! These fabrics, however, are so much more beautiful than my primary coloured mosaics.



I've worked with hexagons and triangles before when I made several of Bethany Reynolds' Stack 'n Whack quilts to get the kaleidoscope effect. This project has shapes within triangles, which is pretty cool. Here is a bunch of the triangle blocks just plonked on the design wall; as I make more (and there are several more made since this photo) I rearrange and think...

I am limited, which is usually a part of a challenge, right, by having a set of 2.5" strips, and two yards each of coordinating yardage, which is the purple dot one in the triangle centres, and the seaweed-looking pale green ones in the other triangle centres. Those triangles are cut at 3.5", so had to be out of yardage. For several of her half diamond, ergo 60° triangles in the Gravity pattern, which is what I've based these triangles on, she uses larger pieces than I cannot cut out of a 2.5" strip, so my inside shapes are limited by that.

However.

A. It is making me use my brain to come up with some other designs within the triangles of my own.

B. It is making me do some math, both computing and geometry.

All good for the aging brain, right?

C. It is making me think that man, I need to make this Gravity quilt, for which I bought the Kona kit!

I find one's eye definitely is roving over these triangles. What am I doing for background? Ahhh, well there will be a surprise. I hope. With just eight days left, I am focused on this project and ignoring the squirrels that are tickling me with their whiskers and whispers. (Oh, it is HARD to ignore them.)

The big fat pumpkin squirrel has had to take a back seat for now, though when I met up with a couple of friends on Tuesday to sew at the library in the little hamlet next door to my town, I did get all the blocks together in columns and two columns with their sashing sewn on. I couldn't take a concentration-required project like this triangle quilt there!

That was just for a photo for you, dear readers! It's been taken down so the triangles can take over! If you've chased a squirrel this past month, the DrEAMi linkup is Saturday, November 30.

Other squirrels of the monetary kind are whispering, and I am sure that most of the world seems to have now adopted the American Black Friday cray-cray. You've probably been getting pre-Black Friday notes in your email, as have I... Anyhow from Connecting Threads today, for which I believe I am an affiliate again, (must check with them, note to self) they are giving a variegated thread set free with a $75 purchase.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday they do a daily deal, and they are usually pretty good. I sew with their cotton thread, quilt on both my Bernina and my Avanté, and it's great thread, every so slightly thicker than Gütermann or Aurifil but no difference in lint and quite the difference in price!

Finally, life squirrels, no they can't be called that, because they are not frivolous or perhaps unnecessary, have taken away from sewing time. We are now about to put some colour on the kitchen walls (squeal! we went and bought paint yesterday), and the upstairs sewing room has been getting its first coat of mud! The electrician is due to come back for his final install in about a week, so I may have some pretty exciting photos in the very near future. Of course, this means I have to sit down and draw out the measurements of my sewing room on the graph paper where I jotted them down, and then do some planning, no more avoiding allowed... Fun homework, though it stresses me out too, as I want to get it right. Thank you so very much for the kind comments about my blog and my writing on the La Vie en Rose post; I often write 'out into the void', and it is so very heartwarming to me to hear from you, and I treasure those comments. It was so odd in a good way, that several of you wrote to me at the same time. Appreciation goes such a long way.😘😘

And last call to enter the draw at 'A Piece of' blog hop by Island Batik. There have been some jaw-dropping quilts, and I do hope you've had a chance to see them, such inspiration, such talent. Here is the link to the pretty fabulous giveaway.

10 comments:

  1. Oooh, very exciting life squirrel news! I look forward to seeing what your triangles grow and become.

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  2. The pumpkins are looking good together, and I cannot wait to see what you are going to use for background for those fun triangles. You go ahead and focus, I'm wrangling squirrels here, so just send 'em my way. I can squirrel-sit and quilt while you play mental gymnastics :-)

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  3. I love my Jaybird rulers. You need to get Gravity made. LOL

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  4. Fun to see your WIPs! And happy to hear your home project is also moving along so well—happiness ahead!

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  5. Those triangles have caught my attention I like the direction you seem to be going with them. And yeah math is good for the brain. Sewing room planning good news. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

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  6. Here we are getting to the end of the month again and here you and I are still working away on our IB project!!! Did you re-apply?

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  7. Fun triangles! Can't wait to see the finish. Whoohoo on painting and your sewing room design. Kind of like going through a pregnancy with all the anticipation, lol!

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  8. I have the Hex-n-more and small Sidekick rulers and have made two small table toppers (well, let's be real, only one is finished and gifted). I need to play with them some more.
    Pat

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  9. Those are such cool triangle blocks! Are they from the Gravity pattern, or completely from your geometric brain? I love them and keep peering at them, finding new shapes :)

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  10. I love these rulers...as you will see mine I hope by Tuesday made with the same...quilting by the end of the week!

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