Floral Diamonds Progress Report

Since finishing that baby quilt a whole two weeks ago, I have been stitching diamonds together. Between running around doing vacation things, finding time to sew has been a very low priority, I regret to admit. However, I knew this would be the case, and I am not terribly distressed by this reality. We came to have fun and DO a lot of stuff, so any sewing I get to do would be gravy on top.

 I want all my fabrics and colors to be scattered pleasingly across the quilt, so I am laying the rows out on the bed and stitching row-by-row.

This method requires that I keep everything in the correct order, and in a makeshift sewing space, that proves somewhat challenging. I am doing okay so far, I think. I do find that I am adding more diamonds onto the ends of these rows, so I hope I am not shocked by odd globs of dark diamonds in an area. So far, so good.

I took several pictures of these rows laid out on the bed so as to be able to reference them should I lose my correct placement. I admit that I've had to consult these photos more than a few times.

I have begun stitching the rows, and this is making me very happy! I love how this is looking! I sure hope I can figure out how to square it up later. Not having my pattern with me has me all discombobulated when "envisioning" sides and top/bottom. Those 60-degree angles make "square" sorta' complicated in my head.

Some vacation highlight pictures will show you what we find ourselves doing most days. We have the most perfect walking trail nearby, and we've walked quite regularly, usually in 2- or 3-mile outings.

The first picture looks as if it could be our walking trail back in Ohio, but the second photo from a different spot on the trail assures us that we are indeed in Florida. With so many lakes and ponds in the area, I couldn't begin to accurately name them all.

Vacation continues and sporadic sewing continues, as well. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Sewing In Florida

I've never taken my sewing machine on vacation before. Since we have rented this house for most of a month, I figured it'll be just like home, so I am treating it as such. We spent five days on the road, taking a slow route south, traveling scenic byways, visiting historic sites, and entering states I'd not previously visited.

We arrived here at our rental, moved in and the next morning while hubby slept in, I arranged a space for sewing.

This table is in the screened back porch. The table needed just a short shove across the room to access an electrical outlet; I was ship-shape in no time. I only have a hedge to look at straight ahead, but over to the right is the backyard, and beyond that is the Withlacoochee River. We have access to a canoe, two kayaks, and a paddle boat, but more interesting to me is the business across the road - air boat rides on the river, and nearby Tsala Apopka Lake and Henderson Lake. 

But I digress! The sewing station is set up and ready for action, and as the first day was largely a settle in and get organized sort of day and I am definitely ready to stitch.

This view is from the other end of the table. The size is great for laying out blocks, or in this case, long rows of diamonds. *smile*

My baby quilt parts are nearby, too, and I will work on them first. My plan is to attach all the short rectangles to the center squares. Then I will switch gears and stitch a few of those diamonds.

These diamonds will be placed in total random fashion, and I will lay as much out here on the table as possible. I will need to consult the book to see how many need to be in the longest row. I'm a long way from that point for now, though.

Our vacation is off to a great start. The weather has been cool so far, but I see that the extended forecast includes some 80-degree days!

Happy Quilting, Friends!