Let's roll.

If there is such thing as a good roll of fat, I have found it.



144 partially sashed log cabin blocks, sewn into 1x4 strips. Soon to become a total of 9 4x4 grids. Putting the top together will be like piecing a giant 9-patch.

I'm not sure I've ever been so excited about math.

M-T-W

Is this the housewife's equivalent of dressing for the job you want? My initial goal was to press one of these and hang it each day, but they're cuter as a trio, I think.

I wish the photo light in the kitchen weren't so fug. It's really the cutest room in the whole apartment, when it's clean.

And while I'm griping, why did Martha ever stop making days of the week tea towels? I would embellish a set for everyone I know, if I could.

Hear that, Martha?

4x5! 4x5!

I'm so excited to finally be finished with my blocks for the 4x5 quilting bee! They were a challenge, but I REALLY enjoyed them.

In fact, I may or may not be planning a cute unisex baby quilt made up of nine of these stars. Because, you know, what's another unfinished project or two [dozen]?

3x6 Blocks So Far

It's August now, which means summer will be over soon (NOOOOOOOOOO!) and that the 3x6 quilting bee is starting up again (YESSSSSSSSSSS!)

I lined up my blocks received so far, so that everyone can match accordingly.



And I'm glad I did, because nothing is getting me ramped up for another round like seeing these all together! I barely spent any time on the layout; they are just so varied and so lovely.

So, sometime in October, I should have six more of these, enough for a twin-sized quilt.

It's almost enough to get me excited for fall!

Cabins on the couch

And so begins the sashing.

So... much... SASHING.

Does it make sense to say that I love and hate this process?

Templated!

Not too long ago, I was trying to decide whether or not to make myself templates for the bee blocks I've been developing. I waffled instead of working - quelle suprise - for a few days, and, suddenly, one night, I wondered, "How long would it take to make templates for these blocks?"

Curiosity is a strange motivator, because about 5 minutes later, I'd used one of my bordered hexagons as a guide for drafting some pattern pieces on freezer paper.



It was all very high tech, as you can see.



Freezer paper templates are nice, because you can just iron them to the right side of the fabric and use a ruler to add a seam allowance before cutting.

(At least, that's the only way I can make them work!)

Here is the finished block:



SO much easier with templates.

I should have blogged this sooner, but the heat wave basically fried my brain, making me forget I'd made any progress. It also kept me out of the hot, hot sewing room, so this week I'll need to buckle down and make some real progress on these bee blocks, since 3x6 starts on August 1st!