First, Dottie came over on Saturday and taught her X-block class to three eager students (including me). I wasn't the most attentive student, and I did have to run out of the classroom a few times to help customers (my hubby bailed on me to go play wiffleball), but this is what I have to show for my efforts.
I am so excited about how it's turning out. The blue fabric is just perfect for the water. It was very exciting to watch the little turtles and fish take shape in front of my eyes. To think they all basically started out as nine-patch blocks.... And I splurged on a few new quilting pantographs, one of which looks kind of like waves, so I want to get the top done by the time my new pantos get here.
This is another thing I love about the x-block quilts. One of the students in the class had a whole bunch of this fabric that she wanted to use up. It had been purchased for a quilt backing, but didn't make the final cut. (Get it? Final cut! I know, I'm a goofball). So, what to do with 8+ yards of this fabric?
Well, combine it with two other fabrics (pulling the colors from this problem fabric), and viola!
An entirely respectable, dare I say cute, quilt top! I love how the geometry of the original "problem" fabric is sort of echoed with this pattern.
The other student in the class did a wall hanging from the Metro Blue fabrics by Marcus Brothers. She hasn't brought the finished product in to show me, but I know she will when she completes it. Right D.?! She had most of the blocks done before she left on Saturday, so we got to see them on the design wall. Definitely worth waiting for her to bring the quilt to show us. I think I speak for the other two when I say we truly enjoyed having Dottie as a teacher. She is wonderful resource, not only for x-block quilts, but for all things quilting. I can't wait to have her back.
Let's see, what else is going on around here? I finally quilted this Yellow Brick Road quilt that I made the blocks for back in January.
I just put the borders on the other day, and decides the quilting couldn't wait any longer. Those striped strips along the bottom are going to be the binding. I know, I know, I should have cut it on the bias. But I'm too lazy, plus this way the stripes will be going the same direction as they are in the quilt. So there. That's my design justification for being too lazy to make bias binding.And just when I was losing all hope of ever seeing her again, Cindy came back from vacation today! I tell ya, when they (whoever "they" are) say, "You don't know what you got tell it's gone," they're right. (Wait, is that a Bon Jovi song? Nope, I just googled it. It's Cinderella.) Cindy was sorely missed around here, and I'm soooo glad she's back. She jumped right back in and got to work on this:
This will be the center of a quilt from the Laps from Fats for Family & Friends book. The quilt in the picture is gold and blue, so Cindy's version will definitely demonstrate a different colorway.So that's most of what we've been doing around here. And just so you know, and to sort of commit myself to completing these things, here is my to-do list for the next, let's say, 2 - 4 weeks. In no particular order (because I like to have choices and forcing myself to do things in a particular order takes the fun out of it):
- Finish baby quilt for friend having baby shower on Sunday! And show you all when it's done
- Finish the x-block turtle quilt top
- Put the binding on my Freshcut quilt and the Yellow Brick Road quilt (pictured above)
- Make some headway, if not finish, this quilt top
- Quilt all the tops I have on hand - the customers' and mine (yeah, right)
- Walk the dog at least 4 times per week
Okay, now my goals are written in stone, per se, and you can help keep me accountable. Good luck.
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