RRCB step #5

For step 5 of this mystery, I have 431 HSTs completed....only 169 to go. I'm using an Easy Angle ruler, as Bonnie suggested, and I think this is easier than my usual method of putting 2 squares together, sewing two lines on the diagonal, cutting, then squaring.
I've gotten all the blue from one shirt, but that will probably run out. A pair of PJ pants in the same shade of blue is waiting in the wings for the remaining units.



As I'm sewing these little units, I keep wondering how all these pieces will fit together. Below is one block which came to mind, which is similar to a Bears Paw.
Where do the other units fit into this puzzle, though? I'll just have to be patient to find that out!

I've really enjoyed this mystery so far. By pushing myself to get the clues done in time for the next clue, I'm getting lots of sewing done. Other things are being neglected, though....housework, finishing Christmas cards, blah, blah, blah.........!

RRCB....Still a mystery

Step #4 of Bonnie Hunter's mystery "Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll" was quick & easy, resulting in these little green and neutral units.



On the other hand, Step #3 (the neutral string-pieced blocks shown below) took hours & hours. The 60 blocks consumed lots of scraps, and I had fun making them all! Some of the fabrics make me smile...I've even got a treadle machine in there.

These are all the completed steps shown together, with the blue "constant" underneath it all. This mystery remains a mystery. I just can't imagine how all these blocks will go together!

Step #5 is expected on Friday.....I'm looking forward to the next clue.............

Louise

Time passes

This says it all..........

I thought of some variations that are relevant to my life.

Life is uncertain..........
Laugh with your friends first.
Read that novel first.
Take that drive in the country first.
Write that letter first.
Travel to [fill in the blank] first.
Cut into the Moda (fabric) first.
Say "I Love You" first.
Wear a dress first. (I always fall back on the easy outfits....jeans...)

I'm sure I can think of dozens more! As time passes & the years slip by, and I find that I am one of the "older" folks now (even though I'm not all that old!), I feel more of an urgency to do the things that really matter to me. This is harder than is sounds! It involves really examining my life and disengaging from activities that really don't matter to me, or that aren't worth the time & effort I put into them.
I yearn for a simpler life, but have a hard time pushing away all the "clutter"! It's a process to re-order my priorities and to act on them.

Louise

Thrifty little quilt blocks

I was sewing a 2.25 inch binding today, sewing the strips together at a 45 degree angle. These little "waste triangles" cut off the seam were so cute, I just had to do something with them!



I paired them up with muslin triangles and made 5 tiny Hourglass blocks, which are about 2 inches square. These went into the box that I throw my vintage-looking scraps in, to be used for a future project.



Feeling inspired, I found a few more forgotten indigo blue triangles, found a scrap to go with them, and made this tiny Broken Dishes block. The triangles were sewn together on the long side this time. The block is about 3 inches square and so adorable! The pink fabric is from a re-purposed cotton ladies shirt.

Being frugal about my fabric, I routinely save little "waste triangles" but rarely use them. I'll most likely be making more of these charming little blocks! It's fun....I love being frugal!

If anyone else saves this little gems of fabric, what do you use them for?

Louise

A new mystery

I probably have no business starting another project, but I couldn't resist joining in on Bonnie Hunter's new mystery "Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll".

My color choices are similar to Bonnie's: Pink, green, brown, lights, but for the constant I'll probably use the blue that is shown below. The blue is actually an XL pair of thrift shop men's PJs, barely worn, in a great antique shade of blue. It photographs a little brighter than it really is. The pink and green pieces are my completed "Step #1". So far, so fun!

I saw the movie "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows" this afternoon. DH has not read the books nor seen any of the movies, so I'm glad I explained the whole story and background to him before we went. Without some explanation, he would've been totally confused and bored. He thought the movie was very dark and dreary, but I think it had to be that way to convey the atmosphere of despair and fear that was experienced by wizards and muggles alike!

I haven't been keeping up with my ambitious Random Reads idea. There are simply too many books here at home just waiting to be read!

Louise

Two more UFOs finished!

I finished two more UFOs...yes...! This first one will be a donation quilt, but I'm not sure where I'm donating it yet. I sewed the binding down by machine. I'm finding that when I sew binding down by machine it caused the edges to be wavy, as if the binding is a tad bit longer than the quilt. Bindings that I sew down by hand don't do this.
The Quilt Police would not approve! That's okay, these quilts will never be in a quilt show.
Next time I machine sew the bindings, I'm going to try to very slightly scrunch, by hand, the quilt edge before I sew the binding onto it.
This is a close-up of the quilt. The yellow fabric is a strange pattern, probably from the 1970's. It was hard to find a use for it, but I think that in this quilt the cool colors of the blues and purples calms it down.



This is the 2nd UFO. I'll be donating this to the local chemo center, to be used as a comfort quilt for their patients. One of the members of my small quilt group is going through treatments and spends lots of time there. The quilts they have are looking worn and ratty, so we made more as a group project. The chemo center agreed to pay for the quilting on these quilts.
I already had the middle part done, languishing in my UFO closet, so I added the rows of purple & yellow on the top and the bottom to make it longer. In person, it looks very soft and serene.
It's turning cold here now! We've had 2 nights of below 40 degrees. I still have some healthy tomato plants, which I covered with sheets overnight. It'll be warmer for the next week or so, so I'm hoping to get some more tomatoes out of them! Last year, I picked a few dozen green tomatoes off my plants before the cold killed them. I let them ripen in a sunny part of the kitchen and they actually tasted decent - at least better than store-bought. I had heard that one could do this, but I didn't believe it!

Louise

Blocks for Sunshine

I made these nine-patch blocks for one of the ladies, Gail, on my Yahoo Sunshine group. She'll make donation quilts with them. This was an opportunity for me to use up some of my bright scraps, and they were fun to make as well. These 14 blocks depleted my stash by approximately 1 yard. A mere drop in the bucket! I guess I could make 1,400 blocks, instead of only 14!

These bright blocks were sent to another Sunshine lady, Tammy, to use in donation quilts. That's another yard depleted from my stash. I guess every yard counts! I like the cat block, which is in Block Magic, Too by Nancy Johnson-Srebro. It's a fun block to make, and I think it adds interest to a kid's quilt.




This is one of the bright blocks from above. I
"invented" it to use leftover half-square triangles,
though I'm sure it's been made before. It's too simple not to have been thought of before!
I can see this one in traditional fabric, maybe Civil War or 1900 reproductions, or made from shirts. I envision it in "controlled scrappy", using a light where the yellow is, maybe a dark where the red is, and a medium for the rest. Basically, just to emphasize the diagonal lines that the yellow and the red create. It's a very simple block, yet has interesting possibilities.


I've decided to postpone my fabric acquisition/depletion records until January. (I've been bad...shhhh!) I'll just concentrate on finishing UFOs. I have 5 more that are very close to completion. Yeah!