New projects--Mostly in my head

Over the weekend I started cutting strips for another Log Cabin Fan quilt for my country school friend.  In the process of choosing fabrics I found a stack of 9 x 12 inch pieces left over from the snail trail quilts what could I do with those?  I set them aside and cut some more strips. I'm going to need a lot of strips and a lot of different fabrics because with a scrap quilt its more more more.  If I didn't have a lot of yardage of any particular fabric I cut it into 2 1/2, 1 1/2, 3, 3 1/2 or 4 inch strips whatever worked to cut it all.  The 4 inch strips go in the bag for another bow tie quilt.  The others who knows but they are ready for something.  I see the stack of blue fabrics and the stack of yellow fabrics and think I should make that quick curve quilt from those should I use the blue in the middle and the yellow for the arcs or the blue and yellow in the middle and a dark blue for the arcs or the light blue for the arcs????  I don't need to decide today.  Cut more strips.  Pull out some bags of scraps from previous quilts to see if there are any strips the right width.  Find another bunch of fabrics that would be perfect for Aunt Sukey's Choice.  That was a block I fell in love with a few decades ago before I started quilting and still haven't made it but I still love it. I flip through the book there's the  quilt with the equilateral triangle pinwheels, I want to make it again with the pastel plaids. Slap my hand so I don't start cutting the pastel plaids.  Rearrange stacks of fabrics in the closet. Pull out some more and cut more strips.  Look at the 9 patches on the design wall.  A fellow blogger sent a photo of a 9 patch with an appliqué block in the center.  Do I want a basket of flowers or a wreath of flowers?  Look through books with appliqué,  think maybe I should do a pieced block instead.  Look at books with star block variations.  Think about the math to make it fit right. Think about appliqué again the flowers should be stylized like the red fabric. Back to cutting strips. Find a Buggy Barn star pattern to fit my scraps, trace, iron, cut, begin sewing Buggy barn stars. Just another day of wandering in my sewing room. --Ann--

On the needles

The last snow storm completely missed us.  I thought I would come out of the basketball game last night to snow but no snow.  Then I thought I would wake up to snow but again no snow.  I wore my cap to the game as the temps have dropped from the balmy 50's to the 20's and there was a cold wind from the north.  My cap was very cozy walking across the parking lot, the lady Jacks won if you were  wondering,  the scarf not so much as there has been no progress since last week.  I did order another skein of yarn because I like scarves long enough to wrap around my neck.
I'm ready to start the sleeves of my sweater.  That color looks like spring to me.
Linking to Judy's OTN  --Ann--

Its been one of those weeks...........

Its been one of weeks when I don't feel like I have accomplished anything, just a little of this and a little of that.  I did get these blocks sewn together and pressed then folded neat and added to the short stack of quilts to be basted.  Up until today the weather has been so nice that I have gone for a walk for at least an hour everyday and one day I even sat down on a bench in the park because it was warm from the sun.  Basking in the sun in February! What a delight. And now today is 25 degrees cooler and grey and windy and so far no snow.  What have I done this week........finished a book for book club we read Poldark by Winston Graham now I want to watch the PBS series again.  Bought groceries twice because I forgot some things the first time and we might get snowed in so we need to be prepared just in case.  Just life...........--Ann--

Visiting quilts

 Hubby and I had a wonderful trip to San Diego to visit a niece and her hubby and little boy.  It was so fun to see their new old house with so much character and a thrill so see the quilts I have given her have been used and loved the way a quilt should be used.  Another quilt for her is in the thought process.  Thank you L, D and B for the wonderful hospitality and the private tour guide service.  --Ann--

On the needles

Yesterday felt like a Monday and today feels like Tuesday after being gone for a week but it really is Friday.  HD gave me 3 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Train Case yarn for Christmas.  It is hand dyed yarn and to my eye one skein was lighter but there were no dye lots on the label.  Maybe its the way it was wound, maybe its the light, maybe its my eyes, maybe its the flash,  I wound the skeins into balls and one was still lighter.  I started with the lighter ball because it is always more flattering on a small chested woman to have the lighter color on top.  I knit to the bottom of the sleeve then did the neck ribbing with the light skein.  Then I started alternating the light yarn with the darker ball to blend them together.  I saved some of the light to do the same with the sleeves.  I guess thats part of the charm of hand dyed yarns unless you hand pick them from the store they might not be a perfect match.  The pattern is Vida Dulce by Vera Sanon.  I made this sweater last fall with the same yarn and love the way it fits and wears.

Progress on the scarf, not much left of the first skein so I started a stocking cap from the second.  I'll see how far that ball goes before I send for another skein to finish the scarf.   There was a heat wave here on the plains while we were in sunny San Diego  The only snow left is on the north side of buildings and evergreens and piles that were over 3 feet high.  I may not need the cap or scarf until next winter but I'm going to knit until the yarn is gone before I call for another skein.  Maybe the scarf will be long enough.  Linking to Judy's OTN  --Ann--

Design Wall Nine Patches

 First I thought I wanted diagonal row of 9 patches.  Then I glanced at it without turning the lights on in my sewing room and I saw a partial ring of dark around some light fabrics so I made more rings.

I grouped 9 patches by color and value and the alternating blocks also by color and value.

 
 The blues gravitated to the outside of the quilt.

 A few more fabric changes and the outside border of blue 9 patches moved to the odd double 9 patch blocks making the blues zig zag around the quilt.

I will look at this for a couple days before I sew it together and probably move a few more blocks.  Linking to Patchworktimes Design Wall Monday  
Another great day to quilt here on the prairie. --Ann--

On the needles

Road trip last weekend so I finished my gloves in the car the stripes even match!  Then I finished the socks for son.  I knit yet another pair of duffers from leftover balls of yarn because I helped darling niece finish a pair that she started last year when we were there and didn't take the camera along for a picture of her duffers.  I'm sending these to DD for her to felt to fit her feet.  I also bought some alpaca yarn for a scarf for my new coat the pattern is a reversible cable so there are 5 cables on this side and 4 on the other with garter stitch on the edges.

Forecast has changed here to NO snow just cold and sunny but then it is supposed to warm up and all the rest of snow is going to melt.  The poor little snowman next door lost his nose then his whole head fell off in the wind.  So sad.  Linking to Judy's OTN  --Ann--

playing with 9 patches

No groundhogs here but I did see a fox as I was drinking my coffee this morning.  Hubby saw it first, the fox was walking at a pretty good clip right through our backyard and there was no way I could get the camera in time and then to focus through the screen I might have gotten the tip of his tail.  We both saw a fox today what could that possibly mean?  a. The fox was hungry and he came to town to scavenge for food too bad for him its recycle pick up day.  b. We both still have pretty good eyesight.  c. He came to town to buy new boots. d. Only the fox knows (that's kinda like none of the above.)  Its still cold here with the possibility of more snow in the coming days.  Fox or groundhogs its another good day to quilt.
I still have 200 and some 9 patches leftover from the last quilt to play with and strips that I could make more.  Nine patch fever instead of cabin fever.   There are so many possibilities.  Hope you are staying warm and happy ground hogs day to you .  --Ann--