Had a marathon sewing session last night and got all the blocks pieced. Now I just have to square them up and get them put together. I think I will use this setting--I messed around with the other typical setting for snails trail blocks but I really sort of like the swirly nature of this one. The other one felt like it would compete too much with the applique.
Tonight I've got the first meeting of my quilt design study group--we're going to figure out our methods and meetings, to be very alliterative about the whole thing. I'm looking forward to it! I'll be talking more about that group in my podcast this week so stay posted.
Sandy's blog on quilting, life, and sundry.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Whenever I need a smile...
Golden Retriever Puppies, a group on Flickr.
All quilting aside, here's one of my fave groups on Flickr. Always makes me chuckle.
Friday, September 9, 2011
And the answer is...Snail's Trail!
I probably threw some of y'all off since I didn't exactly have things laid out where they'd eventually end up. Hard to do that when you only have half the pieces.
I've always wanted to make one of these blocks. Not quite sure what the allure is for me. It's just so charming. Or a little yiccky, if you allow yourself to imagine what it's actually named after. But I used to keep little snail "farms" in bowls over the summer when I was little, so maybe there's a nostalgia factor at work.
Not sure I'll end up with any time to start sewing tomorrow--packed day. Sunday looks a little better for progress on this front. I guess you could say I'm working at a (wait for it...) snail's pace, guffaw.
I can't get the lighting quite right--this is taupe and black, not taupe and green as it sort of looks in this pic. "But I thought it was a warm color challenge, Sandy?" Hold your horses, sister. It's coming!
This is actually a little higher contrast than I'd been picturing when I did the original design in EQ but it should still work. Could also turn out to be a hot mess. This is the stage at which I always start doubting myself. But I've learned that's just part of the process. I'll get over myself soon enough.
DD made her first solo trip home today from college for a weekend visit--something around 4 hours by herself involving expressways and thruways and tollbooths. I tried to busy myself with other things so I wouldn't keep imagining the burning heap of rubble at the side of the road. She made it safely as I really knew she would when my Catastrophic Thinker Brain wasn't taking over, and we saw her all of about two hours before she was back out the door again to hang with her local buds. Yep, she's a college girl for sure now!
I've always wanted to make one of these blocks. Not quite sure what the allure is for me. It's just so charming. Or a little yiccky, if you allow yourself to imagine what it's actually named after. But I used to keep little snail "farms" in bowls over the summer when I was little, so maybe there's a nostalgia factor at work.
Not sure I'll end up with any time to start sewing tomorrow--packed day. Sunday looks a little better for progress on this front. I guess you could say I'm working at a (wait for it...) snail's pace, guffaw.
I can't get the lighting quite right--this is taupe and black, not taupe and green as it sort of looks in this pic. "But I thought it was a warm color challenge, Sandy?" Hold your horses, sister. It's coming!
This is actually a little higher contrast than I'd been picturing when I did the original design in EQ but it should still work. Could also turn out to be a hot mess. This is the stage at which I always start doubting myself. But I've learned that's just part of the process. I'll get over myself soon enough.
DD made her first solo trip home today from college for a weekend visit--something around 4 hours by herself involving expressways and thruways and tollbooths. I tried to busy myself with other things so I wouldn't keep imagining the burning heap of rubble at the side of the road. She made it safely as I really knew she would when my Catastrophic Thinker Brain wasn't taking over, and we saw her all of about two hours before she was back out the door again to hang with her local buds. Yep, she's a college girl for sure now!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Finally--a little progress on the stash challenge
Shall we play "Name That Block?" "I can name that block in seven pieces, Bob." "I can name it in six..."
I got half the pieces cut tonight for the pieced blocks in my stash mystery challenge wallhanging before my back started whining at me. Some day I'll get one of those nice comfy pads they sell for you to use at the kitchen sink--I'd love one at my cutting table. I've got good carpet but I'm past the age where I can comfortably stand barefoot a couple of hours at a time, dang it. I really should've taken the time to put on a pair of shoes but I got involved and lost track of time until I realized I was starting to shift my weight back and forth repeatedly. Aging. Bah.
In any case, so far EQ7 hasn't steered me wrong. I had a brief moment of math panic when I couldn't figure out how I was going to get the requisite number of pieces out of the yardage I had, even though EQ assured me I could. Then I realized where it was saying "two patches," it really meant "cut that one piece and then slice it in half to get two patches." So I only had to cut half the pieces I originally thought I did. If that makes sense to you. It does to me, so we'll move on now.
I should be able to get the other half of these block pieces cut tomorrow night. It'd be nice if I came out of this weekend with the center pieced--we'll see. I know I won't have much time Saturday and Sunday is still a bit murky to me. And I suspect the piecing will be a bit pokey, for all I'll be doing it whiz-bang-chain-style.
B.T.Dubs, I'm glad to finally be using this fabric. I've had it for a couple of years, I think, and really love it, but hadn't yet found the right application. I think this is it. At least, I hope this all turns out as nifty-keen as it looks in my head!
I got half the pieces cut tonight for the pieced blocks in my stash mystery challenge wallhanging before my back started whining at me. Some day I'll get one of those nice comfy pads they sell for you to use at the kitchen sink--I'd love one at my cutting table. I've got good carpet but I'm past the age where I can comfortably stand barefoot a couple of hours at a time, dang it. I really should've taken the time to put on a pair of shoes but I got involved and lost track of time until I realized I was starting to shift my weight back and forth repeatedly. Aging. Bah.
In any case, so far EQ7 hasn't steered me wrong. I had a brief moment of math panic when I couldn't figure out how I was going to get the requisite number of pieces out of the yardage I had, even though EQ assured me I could. Then I realized where it was saying "two patches," it really meant "cut that one piece and then slice it in half to get two patches." So I only had to cut half the pieces I originally thought I did. If that makes sense to you. It does to me, so we'll move on now.
I should be able to get the other half of these block pieces cut tomorrow night. It'd be nice if I came out of this weekend with the center pieced--we'll see. I know I won't have much time Saturday and Sunday is still a bit murky to me. And I suspect the piecing will be a bit pokey, for all I'll be doing it whiz-bang-chain-style.
B.T.Dubs, I'm glad to finally be using this fabric. I've had it for a couple of years, I think, and really love it, but hadn't yet found the right application. I think this is it. At least, I hope this all turns out as nifty-keen as it looks in my head!
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