Sewing Day!

I have had a wonderfully relaxing afternoon.  No grandson to watch so I've been catching up on laundry and bill paying and sewing!

I completed the last of the nine blocks for the Quiltmakers Swap Party,  I like them so much laid out like this I almost hate to give them away.... but I look forward to seeing what I get in return.

The pattern is Birthday Girl by Bonnie Hunter in Quiltmakers 100 Blocks Volume 2 #174

I have also been working on Orca Bay as a leader/ender project.  I decided not to make the queen size quilt that the pattern calls for. I'm aiming for a smaller lap size quilt requiring far fewer components to make.  I  plan to make approximately half the number required for the original quilt and see what it looks like.  I can go back and make more of whatever is needed to make a nice size quilt.

As you can see, I'm doing a different color-way... instead of black and white I'm doing purple and gold.  These are the colors of the local college TN Tech.  My girls were attending when I started this and I thought maybe one of them would like it.   They both have dropped out for now but both are saying they want to go back someday. I guess whomever graduates first gets it!

Step one requires 224 2.5in hourglass blocks... I made 21/112 so far.

Step two requires 72 3.5in string blocks... I have made 20/36 so far.

Step 3 calls for 350 2in HSTs... Today I whipped up 120/175 quickly and easily!

When I started this project I did not have the specialty rulers that Bonnie suggests using... the Easy Angle Ruler and the Companion Ruler.  I now have both rulers and am amazed at how much faster it is to make these components.  I'm anxious to see what this will look like so I'm not making all the necessary components right now... just some of each step until I have everything to assemble the blocks and see what this colorway looks like. 

Next up is Step 4 requiring 64 5.5in string blocks.. but only 32 for me!