Progress . . . great and small!

Still fooling around with the stuff in my studio. I pick up a few things and put them away, and then my attention is drawn to the stacks of projects. I'm making tremendous in-roads in those! On my lunch hour Wednesday, I laid out the Kansas Troubles blocks, to prepare them in setting order, using the "iron elbow" technique . . . ready to sew at our Miss Mary's retreat. After dinner, I thought I could just sew them in one direction, so the blocks would be linked and in position for the final assembly. Since they were in that position, I just kept going, and have a full top, ready for pressing, measuring and border application.

Earlier in the week, I finished an applique project begun in a Lori Smith class on making your own folk art quilts. I'm delighted with the way it turned out. So, to apply my friend, Laura's analysis . . . if you like it, it's folk art; if you don't, it's primitive . . . it must be folk art!

Currently under the presser foot, a Snail's Trail, in orange, bright yellow, and black. I cut more blocks, and will have enough for a finished piece approximately 48 X 54. I have all the pieces cut, so it's fun to see the colors gradually spiral into a block as I add triangles to the four patch center. I need to cut more black triangles, but decided to keep sewing until I ran out, so I can determine how many more EXACTLY will be needed. The border fabric I have is black with tiny yellow and orange flowers all over. When I drew it up in EQ, I found that exact fabric in the fabric library, so I'm sure I'm right on target as to how it will actually look.

Test drove the Contrary Wife blocks set with a blue and white half-square triangle. It was interesting, but didn't really set the blocks up with any "punch". Second choice was blue and white quarter square triangles, and it is perfect. Each contrary wife block appears to be framed by either blue or white, and the use of the quarter square block makes it appear that the blocks were framed as an on-point square in a square set. The fabrics are washed, and if I ever get my studio more tidy, I can cut the triangles to make the setting blocks!