Afternoon Cutting

I am spending this afternoon cutting, when maybe I should be doing something else! Don't know what, but...

 I have had this grouping of fabrics that should have evolved into something for the guild challenge in 2014, but didn't.

Yesterday was the "Schoolhouse Shop Hop" bus trip and at the Red Barn Sewing and Quilting Center in Merrimac, Massachusetts, I found this book by Barbara Becker, "Quilts for Children of All Ages".

While leafing through the pages, I found this quilt.

Called "Take Me Along", which reminded me of those fabrics again!

I decided to use them to make one of these quilts, and I began to cut.

But after the required one 5 1/2 inch strip and two 3 inch strips, there is quite a bit left over from the one yard of fabric.

I was not willing to put the rest back into the "I will use this someday" pile; so off to search for a pattern to use up the rest.

And I found it.

"Trail's End" is becoming a go-to pattern for me. It is a 48" x 60" quilt that uses eight half yards. 

Cathy's patterns are written around that amount of yardage and yield a nice lap quilt.  They can also be enlarged quite easily by adding a border or more blocks, if you have extra fabric.

As a result, today, I am happily cutting for two new quilts.  Not complicated ones, mind you, but rather quilts that are allowing me to use yardage that has been languishing.  (I love that word, languishing, not what it means but how it rolls off the tongue!)

Two years for fabrics "languishing" in my stash is really not a long time. But today I am happy to see them being cut up into useable pieces.

Let's see how long it takes before they become a quilt top!

Louise, in the studio cutting up fabrics on a windy Sunday afternoon.

Fun on The Island

And a new temperature report!

It dropped a degree while I was trying to take the picture!

Well the season is progressing and the quilt projects are also progressing.

I just finished two pillows for P & B Textiles for the up coming Spring Market.  Don't know if I can show you, so I won't until I hear it is ok to do so.  But it has been fun working on these projects the last month or so.

In between, I have been sewing bindings on "Grand Illusion", this year's Bonnie Hunter Mystery, 

and this little blue number from almost ten years ago! 

 I am finally getting into the deep UFO Stash and beginning to clear out some things.

Of course I continue to add new projects.

Here is a picture of the newest scrappy block.  It is called "Idaho Square Dance" and is from Bonnie Hunter's Addicted to Scraps column in the May/June issue of Quiltmaker.  I want to make 49 blocks at least.  I haven't decided how to set them, but that is still a long way off since I only have 5 blocks done.

Also waiting for a few hours of sewing time are the following projects that need just a little more attention before they are complete.

Surf and Sand, a pattern from McCall's Quilting.

My project from Sue Pelland's which I took in April.

I am also waiting for a few continuous hours so I can sew some finished blocks together.

This group of blocks used 3 inch squares and is also being done in the 2 inch size. The three inch blocks are completed but I am still working on the two inch ones.

My blocks from a Ninigret workshop in April are waiting to be assembled into a quilt.

"Strip Twist" Blocks made from 2.5 inch strips.  This is a free pattern from Bonnie Hunter and is found on her website under the free patterns tab.

Above are some lime green and black blocks made from "Trail's End", a pattern by Kathy from Candlelite Quilts.  They are waiting to be assembled into a quilt top.  Since they are already pinned into rows, what am I waiting for???

Well the temperature outside has now dropped to 76 degrees. But it is still a sunny day. Hopefully the allergies stay under control or I might not be doing any sewing, just sneezing and blowing my nose!

Until next time...

Happy Sewing and Creating

Louise who is looking the window watching spring unfold on the Island