Half the Job in Twice the Time

Good morning, my friends. Snow is falling as I'm writing this morning. We've had snow on the ground the past four days, but very little accumulation. I think we might see more today.

It's a good thing I filled the bird feeders yesterday. The Northern Flickers are especially appreciative of the suet.

It can snow all it wants now for all I care. I really just wanted to get to my doctor's appointment for my annual physical yesterday. That's done. I just need a bone density scan now and I think my routine healthcare needs will be fulfilled for the time being. There was a little time for slow-stitching before we left, and then I did some more when we were home again.

There's just this little bit left to stitch, and then this one can go into the finished pile with the rest of its brethren.

Since I hadn't slept well the night before, I got in a nice long nap after that. I was feeling a lot more energetic when I woke up. The goal for my sewing day was to piece these embroidered centers into quilt blocks.

As a reminder, these are the blurry pictures from the pattern cover. It will help you to see why I was able to complete half the job in twice the time if you understand the end goal.

So, I was to cut pieces for half square triangles for each block. I might have made them two at a time except that the colors were to be mixed. I don't know any other way except the old-fashioned way of stitching them from corner to corner and then cutting off the excess. So, I needed 12 half square triangles, which meant cutting 24 squares. Done.

About that time Sadie showed up. She thought I was organizing things all wrong.

To keep your pieces in propurr order, you must first lie down on them and roll around.

Purreferably one should do this facing in both directions.

And I really was just not getting it. Stern measures were needed.

Eventually, she gave up and left, which gave me a chance to take a picture of the additional 24 pieces I'd cut. It was almost as if I forgot what I'd already done and started back at the beginning.

And those were paired up with their half square triangle partners.

Then I sewed them, trimmed them, and pressed them into half square triangles. It was at this point that I realized I'd made twice as many as I needed. Oy.

I don't know where my head was at. Actually, I have an idea, but I'll keep that comment to myself. I'll save the extra ones for some future project...or maybe I'll find a way to use them in this one...and then I sewed the rest into finished quilt blocks. 

These ended up a little smaller than the pattern indicates. I've made a note that they might need a mercy strip added. 

Some of the other blocks are made with the mercy strip already included, and so it won't matter if I do the same thing with these. Here are all the sections I have for this quilt so far. There are still at least five pieced blocks to finish and at least one more embroidered section.

So that was a full day of sewing. Today I'll reach the last project on my WIP's list...the Shop Hop 4.0 blocks. Today I'll be making blocks from these two fabrics.

Also, I spent some time looking at the "Great Outdoors" quilt that I want to remake.

These blocks are about 12 inches. I'm planning to use my 9-1/2 inch square ruler. I'll center it, and then cut the edges of the blocks all around before sewing them together again. I'll also stitch from corner to corner in both directions. As the beginner I was when I made this, I quilted it by doing four straight lines in the solid blocks and stitching in the ditch for the four patches. The batting has bunched up in the corners over time. I believe I can rescue it once I've cut them and can straighten the batting inside. Then, stitching from corner to corner will take care of it. Now that I've decided how to do this, it'll be next on my list.

Before I turned off the lights, I noticed Sadie had rediscovered the little kitty bed I gave her next to my ironing board. She thanked me for turning off the light and leaving the room so she could get some shut-eye. The cat works hard for her kibbles.

There's one housekeeping chore on today's list, and I need to make up a grocery shopping list. We're planning on doing some grocery shopping tomorrow, but we'll have to see how much snow accumulates between now and then. We're expecting warmer weather and sunshine starting tomorrow. Here, in the highlands, it might not matter. Our snow melts long after the roads in the valley are clear. Only time will tell.

Okay...breakfast is next, and then I'm looking forward to finishing off the block for Grandpa's Bridges. What's on your to-do list for today?