Week 36 Kentucky Crossroads

I'm going to have to look back through the pile but I have the feeling we have previously had a block similar to this. However, here we have the Kentucky Crossroads block (and for the second time I had to correct my typing as I had written crosswords - I don't know why as this was an easy block to sew).

I was originally thinking to fussy cut the fabric with Union printed on it for the center but then I realized I had to use my grey main fabric somewhere so I decided to look for a fabric with lines crossing for that square and ended up with the plaid there.

This week I have been working on a quilt and making 12" blocks. After I finished pressing this block just now I looked at it and thought gee, this block looks too small. But no, it is the usual 8" finished size.

Week 34 Rosebud

It seems as though I have been fiddling with this one for long enough now. It will have to do.

I might actually look forward to an applique one after doing a number of pinwheel centers!

And this has me all caught up at last. But I am going to start cutting a new project tomorrow so I needed to be caught up. Of course that is ignoring at least three other major works in progress that have deadlines looming.

Oh well.

Week 35 Star of the West

Hurray! I got this weeks block made on the day. You'll see I took some liberties with the way I made the block. But the instructions did show it colored with just three fabrics in this way.

I took it a step further and eliminated some seams. And chose fabrics with stars in them.

The outside light was fading fast and the rain (Hurricane Irene) has already started so I did not have a lot of opportunity for getting the photography just right.

Week 32 Carolina Lily

So, today I had a bonus afternoon and I was at last able to get this fearsome block finished.

You might note that I have edited the photo more so than usual. That is because it did not come out quite so perfect. But it is salvageable. Without the usual red background the color might look a little "off" but it is the usual grey background fabric that has appeared in every block.

I had a lot of difficulty with the dimensions and the templates for this block - and I take comfort that I was not alone in this.

And the reason for the bonus afternoon? We had a 5.9 (or was it 5.8) earthquake here mid afternoon. It happened as I was gathering my keys and purse to go out (on a drive to a lovely quilt shop!) and I was in the kitchen rooted to the floor by terror. I decided I could not leave the dog home alone for fear of an aftershock and I could not leave him alone in the car outside the quilt shop. So we stayed home. For a while we sat outside on the deck (I deemed us safer out there) but then I came in and decided that I might as well go and sit and sew and see if I could get a block finished.

And voila, I did just that.

Week 28 Next Door Neighbor

When I got out of bed this morning I decided I could not have breakfast until I had made this block. Sew I did. Then I had my bagel . The next ultimatum is that I cannot get ready and leave for church until this posting is done. Nothing like a few priorities to get some action.

I did want to include something feminine looking in this block because of the haunting image of that poor mother Bursheba Younger, a widow who could find no peace; it was her story that was posted along with this block.

There are some pieces cut out and waiting to be sewn for week 32's Lily block. I cut those while at a friend's home yesterday. As I was leaving her home what should I see draped over her Tin Lizzie frame but a quilt top featuring the Rosebud block which is the week 34 block posted yesterday. The co-incidences that keep happening to me boggle my mind.

Week 33 Indianna Puzzle

I think I was trying too hard on this block. Too much fussy cutting. But, it is done. It seemed to me that this was essentially a Southern block (after all it said that on the label line at the end of the posting) and so I should use grey. But I needed to have Lincoln get in there (since I did have the fabric!) and I let just a little blue creep in as well. Another block where my color scheme meant I had extra work to make the block work as I could not get that copper penny effect with grey and blue.

Technique wise I think it would have been done sooner if I had just gone ahead and hand appliqued but oh, no, I had to say it would be quicker to machine piece it. And that is why it is Wednesday before I am posting this.

Guess I am going to have to back up and do week 32 huh?

Week 30 Peterson's Stars and Stripes

As I continue to lurch along trying to get back in order, here is my block for week 30.

This one was going to be a challenge as a blue and grey color scheme was never going to work for a block that was meant to have red and white stripes in the background. So I compromised as you can see.