Leafy Decisions

I'm in a pondering phase over here. I've laid out my autumn leaves three different ways, and now I must decide the direction I wish to go with these blocks.

A tidy stack of 72 leaf blocks can be made into a surprisingly diverse number of "looks." Here's the first one I auditioned.

I've left a bit of space between the blocks, as I am leaning toward using a white sashing strip around each leaf and a brown cornerstone at each intersection. Try to envision that, if you can.

Option two has all leaves pointing in the same direction, and still has room for sashing/cornerstones.

Option three creates a wildly different look, and a very interesting secondary design. I like the look, but I really lose the leaves, which all along has been my priority - a leafy quilt in fall colors. 

So, while I thought I wanted a quilt with leaves strewn about haphazardly, I do think I am going to go with the second option. I've got plenty of the background fabric from which I will cut the sashing strips. I am sure I've got a suitable brown for cornerstones. I am taking too much time considering all these options; I simply need to get back to stitching if I am to have a finish for this fall.

I had expected to do this sewing yesterday, but a certain darling granddaughter needed a sitter - and you know I didn't say no to that request! DH and I left here about 6:30am, (!) and had the most lovely day with Cate.

I love having the flexibility to drop everything and go on a moment's notice. I have to give a shout-out to Sharon. We'd planned to have a sewing day, but she knows all too well the tug of a grandbaby in need of a granny! I appreciate her flexibility, too!

Hope you are having a great Friday! It is simply gorgeous here today!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Border Auditions

I am making decisions about border fabrics for the 9-patch exchange quilt I finished up at retreat. Well, the center part was finished up. I left the question of borders to be considered, and after a week of such consideration, I have decided that borders will be added.

Now, how to choose? It's a totally scrappy quilt, so what colors? Here are two choices that I boiled it down to.

Choice 1 ~ This Buttermilk Print from Thimbleberries has aged long enough in the stash, so it gets some serious consideration. However, there is just one yard, and I would have to "math it out" to see if there would be enough. Just in case it would not work, I pulled a second option.

Choice 2 ~ Another Thimbleberries, and I have plenty. I like the first choice better, so let the figuring commence. OUCH!! My brain hurts when I do that!

Choice 1 wins out. I can do a 2.5" inner border, and a 4.5" outer border. I will use leftover 9-patches in the 4 corners, and that gets me to just under the limit on available inches of fabric. Whew!

I would like to get these borders on later today. We shall see. I also have to do some Easter dinner prepping - we are going to my sister's and my contributions are green bean casserole and broccoli-cauliflower salad. Plus there's laundry and a hair appointment to work into the day, as well.

Hope you all are having a blessed Good Friday! Easter is coming!
Happy Quilting, Friends!

Unplanned Quiltmaking

A week ago I was finishing up the 40 9-patch blocks I needed for the little block exchange my quilting group is doing in March. Well, in typical Jayne fashion, I didn't clean up the leftovers from those blocks - and there were considerable leftovers. I cut way more 2.5" strips than I needed, and I just knew that if I put them away, I wouldn't think about them again for possibly years.

My spur-of-the-moment decision, then, was to just make more 9-patches.

Hey, my goal for this year is to make lots of quilts using easy designs and big pieces. What is simpler and easier than a 6.5-inch 9-patch block? Not much. I love making them and (so far) have not grown tired of them. So I am feeling totally justified!

I sorta' had a notion that my setting blocks should be either from my brown bin or my red bin - largely this was because I could most easily access these two bins. I'd have had to do some really deep-stash-diving to get to some of the others.

These six became my frontrunners. In order to audition each one, I opened each fabric onto the bed and laid a few blocks out on top.

The two photos above are the darkest of the three browns - a closeup and a distance shot.

These two are the middle brown.

These two are the lightest brown (even though that one looks black). None of the browns excited me too much, so I moved on to auditioning the reds.

This deep burgundy was my initial favorite as I pulled the fabrics. But the look on the bed was less than thrilling.

This could easily have been stored in the brown bin, but because of the tiny red flowers, I suppose, it was in the red bin. I pretty much pulled it as an afterthought.

I had high hopes for this rosy pink, as well. Ehhh, I'm not so sure about it now.

A closer look at the three browns.

And a closer look at the three reds.

So, how does one decide? Well, here's my thought process. When I study my pictures of the two darkest browns and the one dark red, I only see the 4 light squares in the 9-patch blocks. Those lights "pop" to my eye, and I don't really want that. I want the 5 dark squares in each 9-patch to shine as they form that great chain-like look across the quilt. So I am eliminating the 3 dark fabrics.

That leaves the one light brown and two light reds for my consideration.

I believe I will select the lightest of all  - the beige background with red flowers. It is a Robyn Pandolph fabric from Moda. To my eye, it allows the chains to be most dominant. My second choice is the lightest of the browns.

My brain has worked pretty hard today making this decision. (What does that tell you about my brain??) I think I will go cut a bunch of 6.5" squares and get on with this!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Flag Day Farm Update

I have an entirely new appreciation for all those quilt pattern designers who crank out multiple patterns every year. My brain hurts from all the thinking I'm doing! I know for certain that I do not have a future as a pattern designer!

My dilemma: creating a medallion quilt for my very well-aged Minick and Simpson panel called Flag Day Farm, and I am having the hardest time coming up with possibilities that satisfy me. Here's a good laugh:  Click here for a 2010 post about this panel. I've had this in the incubator for a long, long time!!

I am limited, in part, to using just the Minick and Simpson fabrics I have on hand, which is mostly precuts - jelly rolls and charm packs, to be exact. As far as actual yardage goes, I have a neutral, a navy floral, a red and cream floral and a couple of fat quarters of another navy.

To this point, I have attached the flying geese around the center panel as well as a 2.5" strip of the neutral. I like what I've got. The next unit I will add is this navy triangle with star. The trouble is that it doesn't fit the sides of the center section, so I need to add some element to make it fit correctly. I've spent this whole last week thinking about what that element should be.

The star/triangle units just after cutting; these are sewn and trimmed now.

The units I've made are stacked here.
(I removed the setting triangles from the 4-patches; too white for this quilt.)

I auditioned four possibilities yesterday. I am not totally enamored with any of them, so I am still pondering other options. You might give me some feedback or ideas after seeing these.

Option 1: red pinwheels on point.

Option 2: 4-patches, darks horizontal.

Option 3: 4-patches, darks vertical.

Option 4: 4-patches, only blues vertical.

I like the 4th option the best, but it seems too busy as the next element on this quilt. Like that neutral strip around the flying geese, I am now considering taking a strip of the red yardage to add to the triangle-star units. The red (hopefully) would serve to define that element before moving on out to the blue 4-patches on point. 

This idea will have to simmer awhile today. I have classes this afternoon/evening. Hopefully, the eureka moment will come, and after a very long time in the making, this quilt will at last be a reality. And I will rest my overworked brain. *grin* 

I've linked up with Sew Fresh Quilts and their Let's Bee Social linky party, as well as Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation. Have a look!

Happy Quilting, Friends!