Whipping through WIPs

After I wrote that long NaNoWriMo entry, I sat down to write. I wrote for a few days, setting up the story and realized that… I just didn’t have a story. I have a lot of world-building details and some character names, but no conflict or purpose to really drive the plot. I’ve jotted down a lot of these details and will keep noodling with it, but I’m not as focused on it any more. And my attention has shifted back to making things.

First and not pictured, the back of Fortunate Granny is done! All that’s left to do is quilt and bind!

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to hear Lizzy House speak at the joint Boston/Seacoast MQG meeting. I joined the BMQG last month, but this was the first meeting I had a chance to attend. Lizzy House was so inspiring, passionate, and tenacious about her work. Upon getting home, I did the only reasonable thing, which was to cut up my stack of Constellations into 7″ equilateral triangles. The finished quilt will be for my dear SIL, who is pregnant with her first child.

I was on such a roll that I got out my QAYG Christmas Stocking project, from the Falling Flakes Stocking tutorial by Imagine Gnats. I started these back in September but put them on hiatus while I thought about things. I decided that the first two seams weren’t as puckered as I remembered and carried on with my presser foot instead of the walking foot. This sped up the process considerably, and I’ve finished the top of one and half of the top of the second.

I’m having fun with a little bit of free-motion quilting I’m doing on these – circling the polar bears in stitches and stitching over the line motifs and whatnot. Good practice!

Lastly, I took out the leftover Llama blocks from my Llamas in Log Cabins quilt. I had four big blocks and a couple smaller blocks remaining from the quilt.

I think something like this will be the final layout.

I can’t decide if I want to sash with white or another neutral, or try to use up some of the scraps in sashing, or make a large, scrappy outer border. So this one is now resting while I think some more about it – any ideas?

In all, it was a productive past few days In addition to the above, I also rode a carousel in 20 degree weather, set up our home WiFi (only 8 months after I moved in!), and knit a bit of a mitt. I feel unprepared for Christmas gifting/knitting but I still have a month, right?

As this entry is ALL WIPs, and it is Wednesday, I’m linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced! Hooray!

Llamas in Log Cabins Quilt

Llamas in Log Cabins is finished, quilted, bound, wrapped, boxed, and sent!

Finally, I might add.

It is made up of 18 improv-ish 12.5″ on-point log cabin blocks. Each block has either a llama or another of Laurie Wisbrun’s fun prints in the center. The longest bit was figuring out how to make a bunch of on-point blocks end up on a rectangular quilt. I finally used Lauren + Jessi Jung’s Side & Corner Setting Triangles chart for figuring out the dimensions of the triangles I’d need.

A bit more sashing around the edges brought the final dimensions to 62″ x 78.5″ – a nice size for snuggling!

The back has one additional block off-centered in a field of some of the various red solids and one red print I had kicking around.

I hope the recipients enjoy this bright quilt and get a lot of use out of it!

Llama Binding

No, I’m not attempting to tie up actual llamas. I’m finally approaching completion on a long in-process quilt! OHmygoodness am I ever glad.

Tonight, I’ll sew on the last few yards of binding. I’m hoping to take a few pictures tomorrow, and then it will be DONEZO. I want to deliver this one before the big reveal, but hopefully that will be sometime next week! Hooray!

Llama Llogistics

Earlier last week, I was dithering over what to do with these Llama blocks. Recap: earlier I’d fussy-cut some llamas, and squared them on point with some scrappy fabric. And that was as far as I got.

Somewhere around on Thursday, my dithering started to get to me. I gave myself a little pep talk and made another block center with the llama straight on and bordered with some Echo. Then I finalized my stack of fabrics and boldly started to cut strips of between 1-2 inches. I figured that I could make a little mock-up and see which I preferred.

When I had a good-sized pile of strips, I laid out a log cabin block using the second (not on point) llama block:

That’s pretty nice, eh? I was all set to pick out the on-point llamas and go with that plan when I decided to try one in the mock-up, just for fun.

Ooh, that’s nice! Especially the big pop of color in the center!  I showed these pics to a sewing-friendly friend who concurred: on-point was better.

A bit of sewing and several episodes of 30 Rock and Community later, and I have several blocks in various states of completion. Finished blocks will be 12.5″ square and I’m getting to use up a lot of my bright scraps. Last night, I cut some center squares and strips out of the coordinating flapdoodle hats and Peruvian blanket prints. And seeing these blocks laid out on my floor makes me super excited to finish!

I think I’m going to need a total of 32 blocks and the finished quilt size will be ~64″ x 64″ – plenty big to be a couch/snuggle quilt!

Pattern: 12.5 inch on-point scrappy log cabin blocks
Fabrics: Laurie Wisbrun Llamas, Lizzy House Pearl Bracelets and Jewels, Michael Miller Ta Dots, Metro Living Circles, Lotta Jansdotter Echo, Kate Spain Terrain