There’s not much on my design wall — just the red, white and blue block that I need to take down and put with my other RWB blocks.  Between the heat and the yard, I simply couldn’t stay focused.  I pulled out my Scrappy Irish Chain and pieced a few pieces.  I sewed strips together for a binding and I de-constructed my plaid shirts. ( I still have a stack of stripped shirts to go).  Finally I cut the batiks for my class on Wednesday.

To see what others worked on last week, check out the links over at Patchwork Times.

Given the heat, I think we should have been inside this past week.  At least if we had done this when it was cooler, I don’t think it would have taken as long.  I think we started working on the evening of July 3rd, as we spent the day July 4th working on the patio table.  It’s been painted.   I think we got a pretty good match to the original paint on the chairs.

Also done this week:

• the new lawnmower was put together
• the grass was cut
• the patio was pressured washed
• the bushes in the back were beat back
• new seat cushions were purchased for the chairs

And there’s been a break in the heat (not that we had anything to do with that).  Tonight, I’m grilling and we’ll sit outside for dinner.  It may be 84 degrees outside but that’s at least 21 degrees cooler than it has been (my husband saw a sign yesterday that said 116 !!, but the official # was 105).

Not much used this past week.  It’s simply been to hot to quilt.  It took me 2 or 3 days to trim the log cabin quilt and get it ready for binding.  I finally got the binding made — well it still needs pressing — last night.  Maybe I’ll get it attached today.

Fabric Added Last Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date:  71.685 yards

Fabric Used Last Week: .694 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 46.62 yards

Net Used for the year -25.065 yards

I’ll add the link to Judy’s blog later.

Here’s the LINK to the stash reports.

…that after a slow spell, all of a sudden there are hundreds of quilts that have to be made RIGHT NOW?

Generally, when I buy a book it has to have several patterns in it that I really want to make.  This particular book I bought because I saw a red, white & blue quilt top that really appealed to me.  I broke my rule and bought it just for the one quilt — then discovered there are at least 5 quilts I’d like to make.  I’m always finding something new.

Last night, while I was watching television (had to get my The Big Bang Theory fix), I flipped through this book and found a new quilt to make.

I’ve got the muslin — in fact I recently washed two lengths a few weeks ago for a now forgotten reason.  I’ve been collecting shirts for a couple of years, so all I’d need is the inner and outer border.  I even have the backing – the 60″ wide window pane backing that I used on the Double Wedding Ring.

It was all I could do to keep from leaping up and digging through my shirts to find a dozen which would go well together.

Then this morning, on Facebook, there was a picture in the Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting feed of Marianne and Mary working on blocks for Northport Crossing which reminds me of Mountain Top — which I would really like to make.

Never mind that I’m still cutting fabric for the Stained Glass Quilt I’m making on Wednesday evening, that I really need to get a move on Eeyore and I’ve got a great scrappy quilt in the making — Bonnie Hunter’s Happily Scrappily Irish which I’m doing as a leader/ender.

Could this by why my UFO/WIP list is long?

Well, it’s more a case of I only need 13 and I have 14.  I have to decide which one ‘does not belong’.

I can’t decide between pulling the red (5th from the left) or the green 2nd from the right.

The red leaps out as not belonging (although I suppose the same could be said about the gold.  But on the other hand those 3 green fabrics on the right nearly blend together.

I’m making a ‘stained glass’ quilt — bricks and blocks surrounded by black ‘leading’.

Well, I just pulled my cutting instructions.

It appears that the same # of pieces will be cut from 12 of the FQs, but only two smaller pieces will be cut from the 13th FQ.

So I think I’ll let the gold be my ‘unexpected pop of color’ and then pick one of the greens to cut the two smaller pieces.  This translates to I’m pulling the red.

It’s amazing how decisions are much easier to make when you sit down with all the information and work through it with a clear head.

Thanks for listening.

Now if I can just get the fabric cut between now and the class next Wednesday.

Sew We Quilt and Jane’s Fabrics and Quilts have joined forces to create a Red, White and Blue Blog Hop.  Each day 5 or 6 blogs will have a red, white & blue block to share.  There may be giveaways.  My day is July 11th.  The complete schedule can be found at Jane’s Fabrics and Quilts.

I started working on my block almost immediately when I signed up for the hop.  I use EQ7 to design blocks and quilts.  If you don’t have EQ, check out their website: http://www.electricquilt.com/.

EQ let me play with lots of different blocks and I ultimately came up with two blocks and this quilt:

It uses these two 10″ blocks set on point:

I would love to make this quilt.  But look at all those seams in the middle of the first block.  I couldn’t get them to match when I made my sample block.  So, I went back to the drawing board.

You’ll have to come back on July 11th to see what I came up with.  I think it’s as good, if not better than this quilt — and there’s no paper piecing involved!

While you are waiting, check out today’s blogs:

July 3rd

Tonight I worked on my blog post for the hop.  That’s when I discovered I’ve listed the wrong day everywhere.  My day is Wednesday, July 11th, not the 13th.  So, be sure to stop by on the 11th to see what I’ve come up with and a chance to win a give-away.

Sew We Quilt and Jane’s Fabrics and Quilts have joined forces to create a Red, White and Blue Blog Hop.  Each day 5 or 6 blogs will have a red, white & blue block to share.  There may be giveaways.  My day is July 11th.  The complete schedule can be found at Jane’s Fabrics and Quilts.

It’s more like tossed on the ironing board.  Saturday I quilted slightly wonky Free-Hand Baptist Fans on my Log Cabin quilt.  It’s been so hot and this quilt is so big, I haven’t wanted to even take the zippers off and trim it, let alone bind it.

Well, that and I’ve been playing in EQ trying decided on my Red, White & Blue block for the blog hop.

This was going to be my block:

I went as far as designing a secondary block and a quilt in EQ.  But when it came to execution, this block wasn’t very friendly.

First, I’m not fond of paper piecing (it’s #2 on my list of least favorite quilting techniques behind #1 – applique).  Second, my tester and I both had issues getting the seams to line up with all the bulk.  Finally, I decided that this block might be tough for some quilters and I want my block to be easy enough for everyone.

The good news, is I’ve come up with a new block, a more challenging setting block and a cool looking quilt.  But, you’ll have to wait until the 13th 11th to see it.

In the meantime, check out the design walls linked up to Patchwork Times.

Sew We Quilt and Jane’s Fabrics and Quilts have joined forces to create a Red, White and Blue Blog Hop.  Each day 5 or 6 blogs will have a red, white & blue block to share.  There may be giveaways.  My day is July 13th 11th.  The complete schedule can be found at Jane’s Fabrics and Quilts.