Friday, April 02, 2010

Happy Easter

Here is my new start - Dresser Drawer Hearts by Shepherd's Bush. I was able to do part of one drawer on the way home from work yesterday. I decided to take the day off work today and I've spent it cutting and piecing my current projects. I'm actually cutting out three quilts at the same time. I've been saving reproduction fabrics since 2004 and I'm finally doing something with them.
This is a test blocks for my Small Things quilt. This is a Courthouse Steps block and it's paper pieced. The steps finish at 1/4" wide! That's small. I'm glad I did a test block because I found that I discovered a couple things right off. I don't like it this scrappy so I think I will repeat the fabrics around the block rather than make them totally random like I did here. Also I don't like as many medium value fabrics mixed in with the lights so on my real blocks I'll pick out more lights. Also I was able to perfect my piecing technique. I found right off that I wasn't stitching my pieces down into the corners far enough and after a few rounds the corners were curving. So it's a good think I did a test. These blocks will take a while - at least an hour and a half per block and I have a total of 36! So I had better get them right. :-) So this 5 inch test block is destined to become a pin cushion.

Here is a photo of the three quilts that I'm working on. The log cabin and Small Things quilt are using all 1 inch strips that I have been cutting out for weeks. The Sawtooth quilt uses many of the fabrics that I used for strips and I had to cut it out as I was cutting the strips.

I finally finished cutting out all the strips! Here are the medium and darks - all 20 yards or so. Glad that job is over and I could finally get down to some piecing.

Everyone have a great weekend and a nice Easter no matter how you celebrate it. For me it's all about the pugs this year as we will be at an agility trial all weekend.

7 comments:

Suburban Stitcher said...

I did a very similar design with 3/4" strips recently and turned it into a pincushion.

Cathy B said...

Oh how I wish I could quilt! I will have to settle for watching yours come togther. It's always a treat coming to your blog.

Have a Happy Easter!

Rugs and Pugs said...

Margie ~
Happy Easter to you and the pugsters!
20+ yards of fabric cut ~ ~ ~ that is a lot of fabric. Your quilts will be wonderful. Such ambition.
Good luck at the agility trials. I hope you got your pug agility mojo back!!!
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Jan said...

Can't wait to see your quilts, Margie and I love your start of Dresser Drawer Hearts!

Julie M said...

This is why I quit quilting!! You have to be so stinking precise. I love fabric and colors and all that good stuff but hate the actual sewing part of it. I'll just live vicariously through you okay?

Happy Easter Margie!

Deb said...

Wow, that's a lot of cutting. I recognized that log cabin quilt right off because I've had my eyes on it since I bought the book a little while ago. There are some nice quilts in it! I like your Courthouse Steps block too. Can I ask where you got the paper piecing sheets for it? I have wanted to make some tuffets out of those and I don't trust mine to come out straight unless I paper piece.

Siobhán said...

I can't wait to see what you do wth those strips, Margie!