Those Little Nine Patches

Last week I mentioned making little 3" nine patches to swap with my Jo Morton club.
Last Tuesday was our meeting, so off I went with these safely tucked into my tote bag:



Here's a better look at my offering:



We had a wonderful meeting complete with show and tell, and lots of hints and tricks shared by one of our members who obviously isn't math challenged (yes, that would be me if we're disclosing all in truth and fairness!). We were given the last two projects from this club issue (Club #10) and were told we could choose either of these quilts to make this month (more on that in a minute). Then it came time to swap! Oh my!! How fun- it seemed lots of the gals were in a red mood that night because it was the majority color. But we are excited, and can't wait to see what turns up next meeting. Our challenge at the end will be to set these little blocks into a top. Should be fun. I have a few ideas floating in my brain already. These are living on the flannel board right now. Aren't they wonderful?




When I got home that evening, I was excited about the choice of projects we had to work with and chose to make this one first:



it is slightly larger than the first two Jo projects I was able to do this time around, and I love this block (and Jo Morton's way of getting 4 half square triangles from 2 cut squares of fabrics). I immediately set to pulling fabrics from my Jo stash, but not in the traditional red/green of a holiday scheme.




I did chose reds and greens, but am using browns, golds and blacks as well. All that because I chose this as my border- that one yard piece of Elizabethtown I HAD to have!



I also pulled this as a possible cornerstone fabric (going with green):



Wednesday afternoon I rewarded myself with stitching time. And here is the result:



Those blocks, by the way are small...the half square triangles are 1 3/4" unfinished!

Thursday, I took a look and just was NOT happy! The background I chose is definitely not an overall design, and the way these blocks are put together would be better served if I had chosen one. Result, I found my self discouraged and wondering if I should start again. Today I walked in the sewing room first thing, looked again and answered that question with a Heck No!
I'm letting one-way designs fall where they may- and that is that.

All that got me to thinking about passion versus perfectionism. But I'll leave that for another post and just go back to some hand stitching today. These blocks have been waiting for me since yesterday




and if I really start thinking about them, I will get into that discussion I am trying to avoid. We'll talk perfection another day.

I Made A Quilt!

I made a quilt! Yes, I did! I made a quilt. It isn't a big quilt. Actually, it is rather a little thing...quite small, but I love it. I do, really. It isn't a perfectly perfect little quilt. I still love it. You see, I haven't sat in front of my sewing machine (or any other machine for that matter) in over a month. This week is my Jo Morton Club meeting for February; I can't be there this month as I will be with my Mom, but I wanted to complete the project. Last month we received our first installment of Jo's new Little Women's Club for the year (#10). Lizzy's Quilt was a good way to start- something one could finish easily. For me that meant declaring this past free weekend "Me Time". I even considered spending all of Saturday in my PJs. Didn't quite do that- but I did manage to pull fabrics from my Jo Drawers and scrap basket. I even managed to rotary cut all the pieces I'd need for little Lizzy. Then I managed to (shhhhh....) turn on the sewing machine and set it to sewing. 1,2,3,4....little pinwheel blocks. 4 little 4 and 1/2" pinwheel blocks to be exact. Sew, press, square up. 1,2,3,4...
Set together into an 8 and 1/2" center block. Press. Square up. (How am I doing?). Top inner border. Bottom inner border. Four outside borders. Done! Well, almost....Actually I was done in. This was quite the accomplishment seeing as I had put a very full week behind me. Sunday afternoon I had more "Me Time". Time to revisit little Lizzy and see what I thought of her. Not so bad....now to finish this. Batting, backing, just the right thread, wind the bobbin, load the machine, sew away. Cross hatching never felt so good. Simple. Just right. Maybe not perfectly perfect, but I'm learning to embrace imperfection. She is lovely. Cut the binding strips- 2 to be exact. Remember, this is a little quilt. Sew the binding, making those self mitering corners. Nice! Sit and stitch it all down by hand. Not perfectly perfect, but nice non-the-less. I declare Lizzy finished. I show off my handiwork to Youngest Child. "NICE!" she declares. "It matches your rabbit." she adds. Indeed it does. It will now be known as Rabbit's Quilt. Rabbit is happy I made a quilt. I am happy I made a quilt. It is a small quilt, but it is good. Oh! Would you like to see? OK...behold!
My version of Lizzy's Quilt (for Rabbit).

And Now I Can Pack!

The last small load of laundry is in the dryer, the suitcase is down, a few necessaries are ready, and while all that was going on I finished a shop sample I said wouldn't be done for next week's shop hop. Part of me wanted to see it finished, part of me knew I should be packing for my trip! Now it is a win -win solution!! I'll drop the sample and directions for my version of Jo Morton's Rachel's Reels at the shop on my way out of town tomorrow. With all the fussy cutting of a gorgeous stripe fabric I fell in love with, I omitted the triangles that framed the reels and setting strips and squares. I didn't think they were needed. I like this more "elegant" version.


Here is a close up of some of the reels. I actually started these years ago, and when Jo released Rachel's Reels as a booklet of it's own, I remembered I had 8 of them done and in a basket with the 9th one half appliqued. I decided to dig them out and be able to say I did something with a set of orphan blocks. As I was chosing fabric for the border, one of my loyal customers came in and got very excited about my reels and the fabric I had chosen for setting them together. In fact ,she stated ,if you're going to teach this as a class, sign me up now! So I will do just that this summer. I hope Jeanette will be happy.



and now...I can think about packing- or as Scarlett once said--I'll think about that tomorrow.
I think tonight I'm just going to lay my head on my pillow and catch some zzzzzzzzzz's!
Good night
*smiles*