Thursday, August 16, 2012

Keeping Busy

It is not enough to be busy....The question is:  what are we busy about?
Henry David Thoreau

I have been busy, and then at the end of the day I sometimes wonder where the day has gone and what do I have to show for my efforts.  Now that I am not so young anymore (notice I am NOT admitting to being old) it becomes more and more important to make each day count.  Sometimes not doing something can be important too.  The need for perspective is clear.  As an artist I learned how to draw with perspective, it is a concept that can be taught and applied.  Can I also apply a perspective vision of past, present and future to my daily tasks with equal clarity? OK, that's enough deep thinking for now, don't want to put you in a brain fog from too much navel gazing.


Balancing Act Alternate Blocks

I do have a few things that I have been working on to share.  The stack of rectangles above will be added to the Balancing Act Blocks on my design wall.  I haven't been in the mood to arrange and re-arrange them yet.  I have been in the mood to do some cutting, just what I need to do start more projects. HA!

Paired Squares of Christmas Prints

Here is a stack of starched and pressed Christmas Prints.  After a couple of seams and a couple of cuts they look like this:

Christmas Blocks Cut Apart

Then with a little more sewing and trimming they turn out like this:

Before and After Trimming

They are one of the projects in this book.  Since I have more Christmas fabric than will fit into not one but two 50 gallon totes I have been trying to piece at least one Christmas quilt a year.  I'm sure some of this fabric is from the 80's.  This block is called Anita's Arrowhead and is from this book:

Anita Solomon's Book

I'm not sure yet is I like her method for this block.  It has all bias edges but the first thing you do is starch the fabric so the stretch is minimal so far.  I'll be able to tell more when I sew them together.  Not all of the blocks in the book end up with bias edges.  The one on the cover doesn't.

Big and Little Triangles

As if that wasn't enough cutting going on I've also been hacking on these fabrics.  The large rose print was from a dress I made my oldest to wear to her eighth grade dance.  I have destroyed the dress now and have turned it and the remnants from making it into these and also some squares and rectangles for another project.  I found some pinks and other prints with roses to add to the mix.

Quite a Stack of Triangles

Yep, it'll be queen size.  I need to get over this bed size quilt thing I've had going for a while now.  Sure they use more fabric up but they take soooo long to make.   I'll share what the block looks like when I get a few together.  I'm thinking it needs some green too.  What do you think?

10 comments:

  1. I like the idea of adding some greens!

    I saw Anita on some quilting show (Maybe The Quilt Show with Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson). I thought her methods looked intriguing, and I was interested in her book. So, I appreciate your thoughts on this!

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  2. Those Christmas blocks are really pretty. I had when there is a bias edge but the starch will hopefully help with that. You keep your cut pieces so nice and neat! I'm trying to get a few things finished before I start anything new. It's so hard!! Not sure you need any green. I guess I'll have to see the block first! Keep sewing!!

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  3. The Christmas blocks are beautiful! I haven't seen that book before. Thanks for linking up!

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  4. I like those Christmas blocks! they look so fun! Sounds like you have the makings of a very warm Christmas, with all that fabric to be turned into quilts :)

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  5. I agree, they take soooo long! But, worth it in the end. Nice xmas fabrics!

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  6. Wonderful blocks and projects! The big blue rose print.....I made a quilt years ago with that grouping of fabrics! Thanks for sharing!
    Freemotion at the River Linky Party Tuesday

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  7. Loving your Christmas blocks, and that pattern is so quick and easy too.

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  8. Oh what a great project! Thanks for linking up.

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  9. Love the Christmas blocks! Very festive.

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  10. Love those Christmasy blocks. They look difficult to make.

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