How can days be so busy, and yet at the end of the week I can’t really remember or show what I did? I do know that it included appointments, errands, meetings, shopping, family visits, lunch out, dinner out, laundry (I call it the ultimate ball and chain), quilting and yard work/play. That’s it in a nutshell. Raise your hand if you did many of the same things! I see I’m sorely lacking in the travel and Fun Things departments. Maybe after next week (more of the same plus Independence Day!) I can do something fun. I’m thinking of the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale, a pedicure, and a trip to the beach. Oh wait, the beach is several states away. Well, two out of three…
In the studio, I reworked my blue scraps into a more cohesive hodgepodge (a cohesive hodgepodge?) of a scrappy light blue quilt top. This is the last project for Light Blue June for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, and just needs to be given a backing (more scrappy chunk piecing), and then sandwiched, quilted and bound. “Just”, ha!
Light Blue is my least favorite color to work with in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Not because I don’t like blue - I actually love it - but because it always seems so anemic compared to the other colors. Usually the other colors tend to appear more bold and saturated when I use them in blocks. Consequently, I felt the light blue scraps in the above quilt top needed a kick in the pants. I had a yellow-orange scrap that was willing to oblige. I also think it does a good job of accenting the colorful tidbits in the center waffle blocks.
But then it was time to change gears and dig out the red scraps. Red is one of the colors I planned to use to frame more jungle print Happy Blocks. These blocks will finish at 10”.
Now I have four colors done - red, blue, orange and green. Only 10 yellow ones left. The final 50 blocks will eventually make 2 quilts. Here’s what the four colors look like together so far.
It’s also time for me to begin focusing a bit more heavily on the Christmas Quilt I’m making for my son Ryan and DIL Kim. This week I sewed the first 5 (of 19 blocks) in this 12” finished size. Only lost one point in the process!
After this size is done, I have 40 blocks to do at 8” and 109 blocks to do at 4”. I’ll be using the four-at-a-time piecing method for the smaller sizes so it shouldn’t be as daunting as it sounds (she said with absolutely no confidence whatever).
The front flower pots are loving the summer heat that finally arrived this week.
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| The day lilies and goldenrod in the flower bed are about to explode! |
Have a wonderful week!
I know just what you mean about a "creative hodgepodge!"--your blues are looking good. The little "Animal" enclosed blocks are so darn cute!! You have some great projects on-the-go ...
ReplyDeleteHugs, Julierose
Your flower pots are gorgeous! The pale blue hodgepodge looks so much more “together “ with the yellow/orange narrow border to frame the centre section. I agree, the bright border draws attention to the colours in the waffle block. A great little quilt. Enjoy next week with whatever celebration you have for 4th July.
ReplyDeletelove the rose bush. Yes my days are like that too - errands, house work, canning, you name it the week is sometimes fully stuffed with activities but yet I find time to do some piecing and quilting - no time for the knitting though maybe I will take time to do that this weekend?
ReplyDeleteI agree about light blue when compared to other months' more vibrant/deeper colors. Your hodgepodge turned out nicely. The complementary accent is just right. Your flowers are always lovely!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about light blue. All of the pastels seem "weak" to me, but especially light blue. And it never photographs well. Another lovely kid quilt and your beautiful gardens. Wish I had your green thumb. Happy 4th!
ReplyDeleteThat little kick was just what the light blue quilt needed, I agree, anemic without it.
ReplyDeleteRaising my hand here, too! (Plus we snuck in our second Shingles shots this week. :) And I'm also with you on a trip to the beach - which we do have scheduled for September - yay! Meanwhile, I think your light blue quilt is beautiful - I love the bright yellow stop border. And the red happy blocks are fun as can be!
ReplyDeleteMy week felt exactly like yours, except I can't even list those things (or like Diann's shingles shot) for my excuse! Well, except the laundry part!! Love your light blue hodgepodge quilt. And the accent border works! Happy Weekend and holiday. We may see a parade and will definitely see and hear a B-1B Bomber from nearby Ellsworth AFB, do a fly-over. I know Mr Busy and the littles are looking forward to that. Probably not the pets though!! Love that Jungle print. Did I tell you that already? One of my very first quilts was using that fabric!
ReplyDeleteHave my hands raised... and keeping them raised. Its always a trip to the store. Found some plants that needed a good home. Its such a good feeling. Right now it's incredibly hot and humid. Its 4pm here now. Ill wait a couple of hours, then plant. Then sit and sew. Its not been about me for a few days. So it's 'bout time it IS about me.
ReplyDeleteYour jungle blocks are very pretty, they are going to make joyful quilts!
ReplyDeleteThat lovely jungle print has so many great colours to use in the frames. So far I've only made happy blocks with individual prints, but using a single one is a great idea too. I think you did have some fun times this last week with lunch and dinner out! Strange as it seems, I rather like doing the laundry, its house cleaning I dont much care for.
ReplyDeleteSEW smart to perk up those pale blues, Cathy! Looks like you have your work cut out for you in the RED block department. Christmas in July should help with that, too!
ReplyDeleteYour Happy Blocks are just that -- HAPPY! That's a great print in the centers and a great way to NOT cut them up into tiny pieces. The flowers are indeed looking good. Love when they start blooming.
ReplyDeleteHah - my sewing room is pretty much always in a state of creative hodgepodge. Oh wait - some would call it a mess. Hmmm.
ReplyDelete