Bits and Pieces

School has begun: quizzes are in; reading responses are piling up; class preparation is chewing up time as it always does.  Which means, only a little to show.  Still, having less time to sew just makes the time I do spend sewing all the more precious.  (I tell myself).  First, finally getting to week three of the Barbara Brackman Civil War Sampler.

Okay.  I admit.  This week was supposed to be Seven Sisters, as in seven appliqued five pointed stars.  I’ve probably admitted several dozen times here that I am not a hand sewer.  Fusible applique is a good buddy of mine, but I thought I would stick to traditional(ish) methods on this one (because if I paper-piece, it’s just our little secret).  Anyway, I did give the applique a wee start . . . a tentative “let’s see how bad this is gonna be” kind of start.  Yes.  Well.  It was awful.  I may do some applique for this quilt but starting out with a great heaping pile of sharp points?   

I woosed.  I caved.  I made a single sister (see above).  I’m thinking she’s the lazy sister; she’s the one hanging out on the fainting couch reading a romance novel.  The other six sisters, dutiful, hard-workers that they are, are in the kitchen.  That’s why you can’t see them.  Which is just fine.  It’s fun hanging out with the lazy sister in the living room – we’ve broken into the merlot. 

The fourth block was another challenge.  Not impossible but this required some careful sewing.  I love how it came out though.  I like how this quilt is such a great excuse to go rifling through my reproduction stash.  That purple print that forms the T’s goes way back.  It’s one of RJR’s Rising Sun Smithsonian fabrics.  Pretty pretty. 

And, last, a spider web block for a block swap.  We got the center butterfly fabrics and some of the strippies.  We were asked to fill in with some other bits of fabric from our own stash.

I’ve been having fun with the spider web block.  I’ve been playing in EQ designing a miniature paper-pieced variation.  Once I catch up on grading (that’s actually a joke – I won’t catch up on grading until it’s May and the end of the semester . . . ), I’ll have a mini to show, I think. 

I’ve also been maintaining my intention to keep working on the circles quilt.  I’ve got the center section pieced together.  Now I just need to get the borders added.  Pictures coming soon.