Back to Blogging!

I just looked at the last time I posted anything and I took a seriously long break!  Oh well, everyone deserves to have some time off over the holidays...

I have a bunch of things to finish up and I'm doing some project planning.  I'm not going to call what I'm doing anything like making a resolution, because we all know how those go.  But I do want to do better at starts and finishes this year.  My stash just keeps growing and I have to do something before my family nominates me for the Hoarders TV shows!

I'm seriously into scrap usage these days, and by scrap usage I mean using up those bins and bins of things that I've cut up from the leftovers of other projects.  I was so industrious about cutting small chunks of fabric into the planned 2 inch/3 1/2 inch/5 inch pieces that I now have many more than I can use in a weekend...  so I'd like to get going on sewing some of those bits together.

In my weekly blog review I come across lovely things and good patterns.  Right now I'm crazy about log cabins in all shapes and forms.  You're saying shapes and forms?  Log Cabins?  What?

How about wonky log cabins?  Triangle log cabins?  Hexy log cabins?  Ha!  You knew that, right?

None of these LCs is going to help me on the squares, but they're clearing out the strips and chunks bag.  This week the ladies at the church guild are getting a lesson in how to do these types of squares because I kid you not, we have a stash there too!

Next project I'm going to try with them is to return to my spool blocks or maybe some bow ties.  We can do some nine patches if we can find sets... I think I have a bin of fours and fives of the same colors that the grands sorted out for me one Saturday if I can find it.  A nine patch of two inch squares turns out to measure five inches if your seam allowances are right.  (A four patch of twos should be 3 1/2 inches...)

Here's a nice tutorial about Bow Ties on Quilty Pleasures: 

http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quiltypleasures/2015/01/qm-bitty-blocks-things-to-consider/

These spools were two inch squares and two by five inch strips.  Matching colors are good, but if you use similar colors and pair them with one background color per block it works too.  I have a box of these units I should finish up.

On the list!

Also to complete:

More doll inventory for the shop in Mukwonago
A commission to make an outfit for a beautician doll
Two Christmas quilts to layer, quilt and bind
My 1600 Inches Jelly Roll batik needs layering, quilting and binding

I suppose I should finish up the Phone Guy's Wife quilt...

 And the Black and White and Stars too.

OK, I'm stopping with the list now.  Too much to do, too little time!  I need to win the lottery so I can quit my job and stay home and

Sew on....