Project Update November

I have been working on several different crafty projects, and really enjoying myself, but I haven't taken the time to blog about it.  Surprised?  Yeah, I didn't think so.

The  piecing on the small half square triangle quilt is finished.  The fabric for the border and backing has arrived.  As soon as I remember to order a quilting foot for my machine I will get the final assembly done. Yes, I am machine quilting this one.

For my new fabric I decided to go with the Disappearing Hourglass pattern after all.  I really like the stars in the blocks, and I could make them with 10 inch precuts, which is handy because that is what I have.  I decided to not use a solid paired with a print to make each block like the directions suggest, but then when have I ever followed directions the way they are written?  I decided to use only "batik" printed fabric. Whoever decided to call this stuff batik has never served at a post in Indonesia or Africa.  It's pretty, but it is NOT batik.

I wasn't sure it would work, but I am pretty happy with how it is turning out so far. I like the way the marbly colors swirl and flow into each other. Trying to match up the colors took some time, for a few days my living room floor looked like this, with me periodically switching fabrics around until I was happy with all the pairings.  

Some day I am going to have a dedicated craft room where I can set things up and leave them and not have to hurry up and clear everything away in time to serve dinner.

The piecing process has not been without mistakes.  I guess that is to be expected when you are trying to teach yourself a new skill from youtube videos.  I have ruined one square beyond help so I threw that piece into my scrap bag, maybe someday I can find a use for it. Other squares I have been able to rescue by picking out my mistakes and trying again. I'm getting a lot of practice at picking out my mistakes.  I usually spot them before I am finished with a square, but sometimes I don't see them until I am laying things out to take a picture.  Like this mistake.  Three of these things belong together, three of these things are kinda the same….can you spot the one that is different?

Hint: bottom left.  My mistake actually makes a pretty cool quilt square on its own, but it doesn't match the other squares. Of course it is the middle section that I messed up on.  Lots of picking out on that one, but it is all back together and looking the way it should.

The kids want to get in on the sewing machine action.  I'm not about to let them touch the quilt blocks, but I have a bunch of Christmas fabric I ordered the day after Christmas to make gift bags for this Christmas.  Wrapping paper can be hard to find overseas, and my little tree huggers aren't too happy about trees being murdered for pretty holiday paper.  So we are slowly moving to reusable cloth bags to wrap presents in.  The gift bag idea was just the ticket. Colin got the privilege of sewing the first bag.  Very basic straight-line stitching but I am sure we will be using it for years to come.