Keeping Busy

I have a lot to do in this six week period without travel so I am keeping hard at it to get things done.

First, is the quilt I will be teaching on a cruise April 18-25, 2021 through Stitchin Heaven. The theme of the cruise is "Scrap Happy" and two of us will be teaching scrappy projects to 90 students. Much more information and registration information is coming in the next couple weeks--stay tuned.

SCRAPPY PLUS is the quilt I have been asked to teach so first I am making the sample from fabrics the shop sent to me:

As I always do when testing a pattern, I take lots of notes and think how I can improve the instructions and what tools students may find helpful with the projects.

For this one, the first thing I needed was ziploc bags and sticky notes--to keep everything organized.

The block is 15" square and you can't make a block until you have made some of all the parts so that meant there was much cutting of fabric before I could begin sewing. The "Sail and Sew" kit students can choose to buy if they want to will have all the pieces pre-cut for them, so they will be able to sew blocks from the start. Students who prefer to use their own fabric are told to come with everything cut to maximize their class time.

The Scrappy Plus block:

There were no pressing directions--I love good pressing directions so I am preparing those instructions for students. How seams "nest" with one another is important to me so it makes sense to provide my suggestions for that step.

Once all the parts were cut and half square triangles made of the four colors, I found it took me an hour to assemble a block. Twenty blocks so twenty hours.

Since I like to use leader/enders when piecing blocks, I started a new one from the big bucket of four-patches I have on hand. That adds just a bit to the time making the Scrappy Plus block but it creates a  "free" quilt.

See the Double Four-Patch from Civil War reproductions growing in the lower right:

I still have 5 blocks to go to complete the top then I can move on to a few other "must dos", like tax returns, and handouts for an upcoming big project.

This weekend we have our adorable and energetic grandkids spending the night so no more sewing for me. We love seeing them come and we love seeing them leave... Not really, but there's a reason to have little kids when you're young.

Stella is 4.5 and very smart, always eager to get into everything I'm doing or play with my IPad. Sam is not quite 18 months and so cute, funny, and happy. Both kids are terrific, a tribute to the excellent job our son and daughter-in-law are doing with their "raisin''. Isn't it a joy to see your kids as parents? The future is in good hands.

Let's quilt!

Barbara