An Afternoon of Sewing

The windshield took less time than expected yesterday morning, and so I had the whole afternoon free for sewing. My first job was to finish off the Chinese Zodiac quilt. This turned out pretty cute, and it was a good use of that What-Was-I-Thinking fabric. I agree with several of you who noted that the kids would love it, and it's also a good quilt for boys, which are sometimes in short supply.

After that, I wanted to check off the "Ugly Blocks" category from my list of categories, and so I got to work on a 16-1/2 inch block for the Facebook Challenge called "Ugly Blocks Rock." The administrators of the group are making quilts from these so-called "ugly blocks" (none of which are ugly), to be sewn into quilts and then donated to different charities. The original stated goal of the group was to make 20 quilts, and I've seen 5 so far. It took me a while to decide on a block, but digging through the archives of PINS (Projects I Never Started), I found a tutorial for this block:

It was the right size, so what the heck? And it took me absolutely forEVER to cut all those scraps and then sew them all into this block:

I had all the cutting and the beginnings of the sewing done before it occurred to me that I'd reversed the white and the blue from the tutorial image. Oh well. It doesn't matter, but I had intended to do it the other way around.

It's kind of a cool block. I think originally I printed off the tutorial thinking I'd use it in a Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I still might, but it did take a long time. I've searched for the original tutorial to link to it, but the link I have goes nowhere now. Also, it's pictured on Pinterest, but that link likewise goes nowhere. The only other hint I had about its origin was a link to a BOM that is now for sale, and so I don't feel comfortable giving out the dimensions for cutting. If you really, really, really want it, email me, and I'll send it to you.

And I'd like to blame the cat for the length of time I spent on that block, but really, he just wanted some catnip, and he was set for life.

Excuuuuuuse me...I think we're expurriencing a dereliction of your duties.

This morning I got started on the latest of the Sundress blocks. It's going fairly quickly, but most of the stitching that's left to do is a tiny chain stitch, and that will make it slow-going.

We're finally seeing a break in the crummy weather. Today we have yet another truck drop-off for some repair...I've forgotten what...we're catching up on little annoyances we experienced while we were traveling. Then, we'll make a trip to the grocery store, and then...drum roll please...we'll be cleaning out the greenhouse to make way for this year's tomato crop.

Big Bertha is back from the shop now, and so if there's any time this afternoon, I'll be able to get the top stitching done for So Yelo...

and the Tuxedo Tales block I started seemingly forever ago.

Once those are finished, I'll be ready to sandwich about half a dozen small quilts for quilting. That will, no doubt, have to wait for another day.