Back to the Cutting Board

Following my standard accounting procedure, I waited until I thought I was ready to arrange blocks on the design wall to count blocks. I still had many unmatched strips, so I wasn't too surprised to learn I am short about ten checkerboard blocks. And all the strips that I had from before were single color fabrics. So I cut more strips to spice up the pile. 

I also started to figure out what blues to send for the fabric giveaway. And if you haven't figured out the method to this madness...look for the next giveaway to open on Dec 1. 

Feeling Blue

Today I worked on Gridlock connector blocks. I make 2 by 6 and 1 by 6 sets to give me flexibility in putting the checkerboard together. The Gridlock blocks have a horizontal layered effect and changing the rhythm of the checkerboard will enhance that feeling.

Meanwhile, I'm feeling blue because Gayle is the winner of the fabric giveaway and she requested blue for the three blue quilts she is making. And something must be drastically wrong with my computer because I went to Gayle's blog Mangofeet to see the quilts she is working on, and I fell into a time warp. Maybe I should stop watching the Loki series to avoid abrupt time shifts like that. Now I'm afraid to go to sleep in case something else happens to my timeline.

Squirrels

 Sometimes the term "squirrel" in quilting refers to the image of a dog (the quilter) being distracted by a squirrel (a new project). But for some of us, squirrel is a verb for what we do with fabric...such as I squirreled away the yukata cloth so I couldn't find it yesterday. while digging for other nuts (fabric) this morning, I found this stash (in my stash). And I now realize that the photo chopped off half of an indigo seagull. 

Quilt Progress Microdosing

 Although this is quite a small amount of sewing to accomplish in a day, these are the extra bits that I need to fill out the borders for the seahorses. I determined how I want the diamonds to fit in the border and the number I need for each side. Then the border between the seahorses and the diamonds will just be the amount I need to make the diamonds fit. So just an annoying task was holding up that quilt.

I've enjoyed seeing the fabric giveaway requests come in. I had forgotten that Bonnie Hunter announces the colors for her mystery around this time. So I went to see where the mystery is heading this year. Indigo! I have a couple of official pieces (lower left) but they are lighter than what is called for. Dark blue batiks may help out. The three prints in the upper right corner are prints that we'll call faux indigo. And then everything else on the right hand side are basically dark blue/navy flat folds. There are still the quarter to half yard cuts to investigate.. 

Fabric Giveaway Time!

Here is the state of my design wall. I've laid out the Gridlock blocks in the chaos format. And yes, that is part of the seahorse quilt border waiting for me to make a few more diamonds. So let's talk about this month's fabric giveaway instead.

To start, this month there will be one winner so we can avoid the sending the fabric bundles to the wrong person. The Fat Quarter Shop has a scrap bag with cuts of 4 to 7 inches that run the width of the fabric (currently out of stock) that is the inspiration for this giveaway. Except in this case you can tell me what color or type of cotton fabric you might like such as a particular color, batik, or cats/novelty. And I will fill a USPS envelope with that fabric.

For a chance to win, leave a comment specifying what color/theme of fabric you would like. If you are anonymous, I will need you to include your email address so I can contact you to let you know you won and to get your mailing address. The comment collection phase will last through Nov. 4, 2023 11:59 pm, west coast time.  The random drawing will be conducted by Molly Kitten Emeritus, which ensures that the drawing will be corrupt, but entirely mysterious.

Unfortunately, participates are limited to those who live in the U.S. (or have a U.S. mailing address to use) due to international postal rates.

I would also like to mention that despite a photo showing Molly in a decidedly grumpy mood, she can be unrelentingly affectionate, filled with purring and trills, and endless snuggling with kneading. I have no photos of this because it only happens at 3:00 AM when the photographer is trying to sleep.

Some Sewing

Three of these strips make a connector block for the Gridlock blocks. And I need roughly 30 connector blocks...so I just need to do this ten more times.

After putting the first group on the design wall, I realized that I was making pairs based on color (corresponding to the Gridlock blocks) instead of value. So I also cut more light value fabrics to add to the mix.

Demerits

 I spent most of the day out fighting blackberry bushes intent on taking over my yard and then the planet. You're welcome. I also took strip sets and cut them into two patches. So here is what I can for my effort...the last Gridlock Block and six 2X6 sets.

And here is the other accomplishment of the day...neglecting poor Molly Kitten (emeritus). And the only thing that annoys Molly more than not getting enough attention is getting attention from me when she doesn't want it.