What I did on my summer vacation...2014 version

Well...I was lucky enough to teach this summer, so summer was not the same as it has been in the past...I was busy with school until the last few weeks before classes started on August 18th.

I was still able to make a quilt-top or two...here we go...

I had some 12-ish inch blocks with absolutely nothing in common and they were not really pretty...I really didn't like them much, but now they are a bit better:

so...that was 16 pieces and it became a "disappearing 4-patch" it started as 4 2x2 blocks and those were cut apart and re-sewn.  I am still not 100% with it, but it is better...I will probably add some kind of border and then quilt it and send it to the kitties or out to some other place...someone will love it. (message me if you want it after it is done) it is likely to be about 48 inches-square when finished - like a baby-quilt.

Anyway, I was not really happy with that, but I wanted the fabric to stop being in pieces sitting in the closet.

Then, Fonda and I went to the local quilt show in Wilmington in May, it was a combined show with the NC Symposium...of course, we could not afford to go to the symposium/classes, but we went to the show and venders - our friend Lori was there with fabrics and other things from her store in Washington, NC - about 3 hours from here (we really miss her and her store!!!)...But I also bought a "Jelly roll" (40-2.5 inch by width-of-fabric [about 42 inches]) of aqua/blue/green fabrics from a store in VA...I have been looking at this for quite some time and I got it. 

Then I had to figure out what to do with it...so.  I decided to cut the strips in half and sew the halves together randomly...so each strip got a different partner.  From each paired strip, I got 8 2.5x4.5 rectangles - I paired them so I could get a 4-patch.  So, I ended up with four 4-patches of each color-combo.  Then I put them up randomly on my "design wall" (read: mint-green flannel pinned to the wall - don't laugh too hard, it works [ha, ha!] - you can see it in the background of the photo, above).  I had thought to make it more value-oriented, but really just couldn't do it (it is a lack of patience/understanding of value) and there were more than 600 blocks and it was very intimidating. Anyway, I ended up getting them all put up there and edited a few times to get balance and random.  It is amazing how a photograph can help with placement/rearrangement, of even 1-2 blocks. Of course, I guess I deleted the photos I was using for placemen and sewing.

I was happy with the placement, but it was too AQUA...I had just posted a color-wheel up on the design wall...orange...orange is the complement of aqua...orange.  So...I found some oranges, and I was lucky enough that the orange I had the most of was a great match for this!  I am a lucky girl.  I didn't want this to become an orange-quilt, so I used only 1 inch strips (1/2 inch finished) of orange between the blocks on two sides...progress below:

I added the 1" to the right side (you can see it on the left-side of the photo above) and then added the same orange to the bottom and then sewed them together as I finished each strip...it is 11 blocks by 14.

Progress... you can see both the mint-green design wall and the color chart (thank you, Mom!)

Ok, so now it was done, but it wasn't done...I was happy with the addition of the orange - it helped to diffuse the aqua a bit.  I decided to add a small, same as between the blocks, orange strip.  I also found the absolutely perfect aqua border...alas, there was not enough of it...I tried the original store and people who might have bought some of it and then the store where the jelly roll came from...alas, it is really a pretty fabric and no one had anymore...Sigh. 

So...we ended up going to Ohio to visit Cathy.  

While there, we found some fabric that works...I decided that I would put some of the left-over blocks (there were 5 that did not fit in the original) on the corners...

that works, but it is not quite right...I am not happy with it yet...I lived with it for a while and then had an epiphany!

And this morning I added the small (1/2 inch finished) orange around the blocks at the corners!  Yay - I am 100% happy with it now.  The binding will be the orange just to tie it all together, but I have no clue what will be on the back yet.  This has been a long-time in happening and this has been the main thing I have been working on this summer.  I am happy with the outcome of this.  I hope you enjoy it, too. 

And to finish off, I will end with a photo of Fonda's brother Aaron's dog Toaster/Toby...he is very cute and sweet! Even Fonda liked him (sort of).

Peace.