Thursday, June 15, 2006

I finally got to sew today. Took the day off to take care of some personal business - banking, car repairs, car tags, etc. Since that didn't take all day I set the rest of the time aside to sew. Well, okay I did a few loads of laundry too and purged a bunch of clothes out of the closet that I can't or don't wear any longer but mostly I sewed.

These aren't the most inspiring blocks but I got it in my head about a month ago to make a 4 rail Rail Fence. I bought the green/sunflower print while I was on retreat just because I liked it. When I got home and tossed it on my table with a bunch of other stuff that had been bought or pulled for other projects but didn't make the cut in those I realized they all looked great together. These blocks are 8" finished so set 7X9 (probably in a streak of lightning set) with maybe a 6" border of the sunflower fabric this will make about a twin quilt. It will probably go to my guild's charity program. Several times a year they get a call for twin sized quilts for a local home for troubled teens so I think this can be my contribution for that. I know I said I wasn't doing charity quilts until I did one for each member of my family but I feel I should help support the guild's program too. All they ask is 1 quilt from each member per year. Of course a lot of the members don't do any but that's not my problem. I'll contribute my two this year and that will have to be enough for them. I found the sunflower fabric again online last week on someone's clearance page so I've ordered enough of it for the backing. I'm hoping it will come in tomorrow so I can get this finished up this weekend. If not I have plenty of UFOs to choose from to keep me stitching all weekend long plus I learned a new technique at guild Tuesday night that I want to try.

Billie Lauder was the guest speaker at our guild meeting Tuesday night. Let me tell you if you get the opportunity to attend one of her presentations you really should try to make it. She is so funny and the things she can come up with just using variations of a simple pattern like the rail fence are just remarkable. One of the quilts she showed was a wonky 9-patch make out of 4-patch blocks that fascinated me. I have a bunch of black/white/red music prints that I'm going to use in a quilt for my nephew, Scott, and I think they would look really good done like this. I'll post pictures when I make the blocks so you can see how easy they are to do.

She also has a new pattern out that I HAVE to make. I'm addicted to the puzzle Sudoku. Well she's turned the puzzle into a pattern. In Sudoku you have 9 blocks with 9 squares in each block. You fill in the squares with the numbers 1-9. No number can repeat in any block, column or row. What Billie's done is take 9 pieces of fabric and numbered them 1 thru 9. Wherever the number 1 goes in the puzzle you use the fabric labeled 1. Same for numbers 2 thru 9. Basically it's a 9-patch with 9 blocks having 9 fabrics in each block and the same fabric doesn't repeat in the same spot in any of the 9 blocks. Our temp at work got us addicted to this stupid game and since she's leaving us soon I want to make this one for her. I'm thinking I'll do some of Tonya's wonky letters to write the word Sudoku in the top border and maybe the letters 1 thru 9 in the side borders making each number from the fabric that corresponds to it in the puzzle. And then maybe the name of our company in the bottom border so she'll always remember the time she spent in our office.

14 comments:

Shelina said...

I like the colors. They are so nice and bright. I like playing sudoku too.

Fiona said...

Great colours - the sudoku quilt sounds like fun.

Unknown said...

Love the greens and yellows - not the sort of colours I'd usually choose and looking at yours I can't for the life of me think why not. The Sudoku quilt idea sounds great - what a wonderful personalised idea for her gift - very clever

Vicky said...

Great blocks! Love those sunflowers!

((HUGS))

The Calico Cat said...

A. Nice "current" photo!
B. Nice rail fence started!
C. Love the Soduko gift idea.
D. I missed a local chance with Billie.. :o(
E. Soduko - I don't "get it." But then again, I don't need another time taker!

Pam said...

Nancy, Nancy, Nancy....oh my goodness....Sudoku...oh great, now I have another MUST DO to my list. That game has me addicted...boy does it ever! My friend Jane made one of these quilts but she had to borrow someone else's puzzle solution because she just couldn't figure it out! BTW...www.websudoku.com...my best time is 1:36....shameful!!!!

Linda C said...

Looking good and glad to know that you were able to schedule some sewing time. You have been working so hard at the job that pays lately.

I like to do sudoku puzzles too. I've got the software on the computer and just found out I can plug in the numbers from the one in the paper if I so choose. OH, OH!

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing the Sudoku quilt info! Love the game; I get the books at the Dollar Tree and do them on the way to and from work....FUN!!

Cher said...

sounds like a fun quilt to make-we just had Billie at our guild as well-what a fun time we all had with her! lovely new fabrics - hope you get to do lots of stitching this weekend! and I do sudoku as well-LOL- Anita already figured that quilt out and made it too. so much in common :-)

Jeanne said...

Oh, I like these colors! They remind me of a summer vegetable stand :)
Jeanne

Leah Spencer said...

Nice new picture of you!

And I really like the sunflower-green print too. :)

Evelyn aka Starfishy said...

Great beginning! I love that pattern and use it all the time when I want to do just a little "mind-less" sewing - it works up great scrappy too. Your colors are so bright and cheery!

Cheers!

Evelyn

Anonymous said...

the sudoku quilt sounds like fun!

ForestJane said...

I bet she'll really love the sudoku quilt.

And the colors for your rail fence are great - some teen will adore them!