To Do List

So after finishing the Weekend Star Quilt on Sunday night, I was exhausted. So I actually haven't stepped more than two feet inside my craft room and then only to drop off some stuff and to dig through my pre-cuts for figure out where I might have misplaced my Charm Pack of Honey Honey, which I'm 99% certain I bought. Didn't find it, so ended up buying another pack, plus a charm pack of Solstice (like you do).

Then I also spent quite a bit of time on EQ7, mapping out how much backing fabric I'd need for my Verna Belle Waves quilt and ordered that plus binding. I actually found enough Verna fabric to do a backing and binding in the same line, woot! Then I designed the Kate Spain Christmas Quilt I want to make with charm packs of Joy, 12 Days, Flurry, and Solstice and ordered a yard from each line plus binding fabric from either Joy or Flurry (I forget), I have to wait for the Solstice one until they have yardage in stock.

Finally I bought several FQ and half yards for the backing of the quilt I'm making from Charm Packs of Terrain, Daydreams, Honey Honey, Cuzco, Good Fortune, and Serenade. I think I'm going to go with a very simple 5" square layout for that one. Between all six charm packs I have around 240 unique squares to play with, a little bit more with the five squares of Verna I'm thinking of throwing in as well, and even more if I decide to add in the charm pack of Sunshine. I'm going to be doing 10" squares on the back from the FQ and 1/2 yards I bought, so it will be my first seriously pieced backing.

The only things I haven't figured out or bought backing/binding fabric for is the Layer Cake of Sunshine and the FQ bundles of Central Park and Fandango. But enough about my grand Kate Spain dreams.

Here is my to do list for this weekend:
1) Make 12 Bitty Blocks with a winter theme (I've already decided on mittens, just need to execute)
2) Buy a zipper, and get the parts ready for my zippered pouch class during next weekend's quilting retreat
3) Figure out and put together my progressive quilt block. My theme is triangles and I'm stuck.
4) Start cutting fabric for the commission I'm supposed to have done by June (ahhhh, where did the time go?) I was really hoping to either take it to the retreat so I would have some floor space to baste it when it's done, or have it ready in time for the next library sewing day for the guild. So we'll see what happens, but I doubt that with everything else, I'll have the top and back done by Thursday.

So there you go. Then next week I have to pack myself and my husband, drop the dog with friends, and just generally get ready for a long weekend away. Luckily I made the smart decision to take Monday off as well, so I'll have a day to come back and decompress and do laundry when it's over.

Community Quilt and Kate Spain

So yesterday, I FINALLY got some work done on the Community Quilt. I gave up on waiting for additional blocks to trickle in. I currently have the perfect amount for a 5x6 layout, which will result in a roughly 60x72" lap quilt. I say roughly because... well just read my last post. I think I have the seam allowance figured out, but it's not 100% accurate, because I have nothing to really guide the edge of my fabric so it ends up slightly wonky no matter what I do.

I actually managed to finish squaring up the house blocks. They were all over the place from just barely under 12.5" square to about 8x8". I also finished one of the road blocks that incorporate the signature blocks, but I've got a few more to do. And then because I need motivation to keep going, I decided to sew another row together and attach it to the skyline blocks. So glad I did, it's coming together nicely.

In other news, I may have gone a bit crazy. I participated in the #thegreatfabricdestash on Instagram. My first time shopping on Instagram. Somehow partway through yesterday I got this notion that I absolutely needed every single print that Kate Spain has every designed. So part of my extremely busy work day was spent doing research, writing a list, and starting the search. I've found almost everything, but I'm still holding out for a 12 Days of Christmas or Verna Charm Pack/FQ Bundle/Layer Cake. Anything that includes the whole line without having to try and track down every single one of the 36/40 (respectively) fabrics in the lines. Everything else I've found, although I was a bit hasty on the Central Park FQ bundle I found on Etsy. I managed to find a much cheaper bundle on Instagram half a day later. You live, you learn.

Kate Spain is my favorite designer because there isn't a single line of hers that I dislike. I love Tula Pink and Lizzy House as well, but occasionally their lines leave me hanging. 

Goodies coming my way in the mail include:

FQ Bundle of Fandango


FQ Bundle of Central Park


Charm Pack of Flurry


Charm Pack of Terrain


Charm Pack of Good Fortune


Charm Pack of Serenade


Charm Pack of Joy


Charm Pack of Cuzco (although I realized after I got home that I already have one, *oh shucks, right* baby quilt time, I guess)


Charm Pack of Honey Honey


Layer Cake and Charm Pack of Sunnyside (because a girl's gotta play)


Charm Pack of Daydream

I already have a Charm Pack of In From the Cold sitting at home, and I just recently used my Layer Cake of the same line to make my Snowed In quilt.

I can't wait for little packages to start arriving! And sorry for the picture heavy post (as I said, I went a bit crazy).