Changes

I didn't really like the black border so yesterday I dyed some mottled gray fabric and I like it much better. The first four strips are sewn into two double strips. I am using Elmer's School Glue instead of pins. So far, so good.

First Row

I got the first row sewn together this weekend but that's about all I got done. It was finally nice outside so I decided to enjoy the outdoors. I sewed the first full patterned row because I'm not entirely sure I like the black for the border. There are many, many more seams to sew before this one is done.

Open Boxes Again

Sorry this picture is a bit blurry but it's cold and wet outside and I don't feel like trekking back to the studio to take a better one. I thought I'd use this piece for a bag but it's getting huge. It covers the whole middle of my ironing board and it's not done yet. It will match a bit better when it's sewn together but I may go back and re-do a couple of the first pieces that didn't fit properly. There are also some light spots on the green fabric that need to be colored or changed. I'll see if I have any paintsticks or markers that match.

Values

Here I have arranged it with the lights in the upper left corner to match the light on the boxes. I can already see some red ones on the left that have to be moved up higher. Then when you move a couple of them, some more look out of place...



This is the black and white version so I can check on the values. It's very hard, with such a busy pattern, to tell which blocks are darker and which are lighter. I want to make some more boxes to spill out into the border.
This is the second of many versions.

More Boxes

This morning I made some more complex boxes. I'll make a few more and then try to figure out how to integrate them into the overall design. I'll probably take down all the hexagons, sort them into colors and then start with the boxes first. This is the part I like the best.

Hexagons are Done

I have done all the hexagons and made a couple of boxes. The next task will be to make some more boxes and then start re-arranging the hexagons. I have to decide if I want it light in the middle and dark at the edges or to shade from light to dark, side to side. Or I could go for something completely different. Now the fun begins.

Hexagons

I have been sewing hexagons. I have about thirty more to go and then I want to make some boxes to put among them.

WBW Encore

A couple of people asked what my original fabric was like for the One Block Wonder quilt. Here it is with a few more blocks made. It's hard to fail with such fabulous fabric to start with. The book I'm using is One Block Wonders Encore by Maxine Rosenthal. This is my third quilt using this method. I also have a few boxes that I didn't use on the other two quilts so I'll have a head start on this one if they match well enough.

One Block Wonder

I started a new kaleidoscope quilt a couple of days ago. I wanted some mindless sewing but I did some mindless cutting and cut one strip an inch too narrow. No worries. That strip will find its way into some other quilt and this one will be a bit smaller. The sewing on this type of quilt is mindless but the arranging is endless fun.
We are leaving for a bit of a road trip in a couple of days. We will be going to Santa Fe and then across to Oklahoma City. Once we do what we need to there we may decide to go to Paducah, depending on how tired of driving we are at that point. If our timing is right we could end up there during their big quilt show. We'll see what happens.
We are lucky that a friend was willing to house sit for us. It's a lot easier to get ready if you don't have to close up the house and find someone to check it regularly.