Back on Night & Day

Today I'm linking to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

I have to confess that I've gotten seriously waylaid lately making a gazillion small projects - oven hot pads, lots and lots of handbags, lots of pillows, lots of fabric flower brooches - but now Night & Day is back on my design wall.

The last time I did a paper piecing project was a few weeks ago when I was sewing together the label block for Southern Rhapsody, which was a small version of one of the quilt blocks and it was paper pieced. I made a startling discovery ... at least it was startling to me. Instead of sewing on a piece of fabric then jumping up to go to the ironing board to iron it, then going to the cutting table to cut it and add the next piece, then back to the sewing machine ... well, you get the picture - for a block with 96 pieces that 96 jump-up-&-down trips. When doing the label block, however, I discovered that it's just as fast to work on all the block sections at one time instead of each block section individually, so it's 12 jump-up-&-down trips instead of 96. I'm not explaining this well ... but believe me, it saved a lot of physical energy - didn't save any time, just physical energy.

Anyway, I have 11 more blocks to piece together on Night & Day. It will be a lap quilt and will be surrounded by a black border - I haven't decided yet whether or not to do the binding in black or white. I'm also toying with the idea of adding a thin strip of piping between the blocks and the border. I think it might make everything "pop" just a little more. I'm really digging the black & white though.

Scarf, Hat and Fingerless Gloves Set

Finished! I'm definitely keeping this set for moi and think it will look great with a jean jacket. The directions for the potato chip scarf are from an earlier blog. The directions for the cap came from the inside of the label on the Lion Brand "Amazing" yarn. The directions for the fingerless gloves came from the Lion Brand web site. All three pieces were very enjoyable knitting projects. I'm putting the set away, though, until the weather chills off a bit.

Am linking to Get Your Craft On Tuesday. Last week there were over 300 delightful projects links to this site. It's a great source for inspiration.

Update 8-4-10 - Linking to Night Owl Crafting for Hoo's Got Talent.

Update later 8-4-10 - Linking to Someday Crafts for her Wednesday link party

New Purse

Update 8-4-10 - Linking to Night Owl Crafting for Hoo's Got Talent and Someday Crafts.

Today I'm linking to: Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch and Patchworktimes.

I had so much fun making this little purse. It went together so well and is a good size - it's about 4" x 10" - large enough to carry my phone, debit card, drivers' license, keys, a pen - and tucks easily under my arm. Plus, I think it's darn cute! This is so going on my list of things I can make quickly and easily (less than an hour, start to finish) for gifts and Bunco prizes. I also made the fabric flower brooches - am sporting the black & white flower on my fedora today. The flowers are also fast to make - it's almost as easy to make 6 flower brooches as it is to make 1. And both projects are a fabulous reason to go digging through my fabric stash.

Knitted Potato Chip Scarf & Cap

Finished! I have been toying with the idea of giving away this set as a gift, but as I knitted it I kinda fell in love with it and can see it this autumn paired with a jean jacket. So, I'm going to keep it. This was a fun project - enjoyable. No frustrating aspects to it at all. The directions for the scarf are on an earlier post and the instructions for the cap are on the label for Lion Brand "Amazing" yarn. My Sweet Babboo has requested a cashmere scarf & cap. You know, I think I'll get started on that right away.

The Versatile Log Cabin Block

I wonder if there is a quilt block pattern more versatile than the log cabin? With just a simple quarter or half turn of the block, the whole design changes. You can design with color as well as shape using this block. Strips can be one size on one half of the block and larger on the other half for even another design element. Main design elements can be set off-center. Over and over again it happens that I'll see a quilt that is just so striking and upon closer inspection realize, "wow! that's just a simple log cabin block."

I made the quilt in this photo for my Sweet Babboo about 3 or 4 years ago. Just a simple log cabin block with a bit of sashing around 3 sides. Lilly Lucier (machine quilter, Vanceboro, NC) quilted it using a rolling heart design.

Little Projects

I love little projects - I love my big projects, too, but sometimes the little projects are a welcome break. Here is a simple clutch style purse - time to make, about 2 hours. Here is a pin cushion or sachet bird from Joe Dewberry's book "Sewn Spaces" - time to make, about an hour and a half. And finally, a fabric covered switch plate - time to make, about 5 minutes hands-on and several hours for drying. Another fun things about these projects is that they use remnants, which means that I got to go digging through my fabric stash to look for the perfect scraps.

Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times

Update: am also linking to www.todayscreativeblog.blogspot.com.

I'm linking to www.patchworktimes.com for Design Wall Monday. Since finishing Southern Rhapsody the quilt on my design wall has gone from a 96-piece/block quilt to an 8-piece/block quilt! I also have the cathedral window quilt I'm making for my son on my design wall in the event the mood strikes me to work on it - it's been months and months since the mood has hit me. Also on my design wall is a scarf I just finished knitting.




I also took a short break from quilting to sew together a couple of quickie projects from Joel Dewberry's book Sewn Spaces. The bird sachet (or pin cushion is what I'm going to use it for) was fun to put together and went together nicely. The Teddy Bear, though ... I'm hesitant to blame the instructions and think instead that the project just didn't click with me. The final product is okay but there is certainly lots of room for improvement. The belly pocket on the bear can hold small sewing supplies so it will sit on my sewing table, along with the bird pin cushion and be kind of a sewing assistant for me.