October OPAM and this and that

I'm back from my trip to Aruba where we enjoyed the sun, sand and beach and hot, hot weather.

I did bring along one hand piecing project with me, but it was too breezy sitting on the beach to be able to do much.  One day, the breeze was a tad too strong and it whipped open my box and 3 EPP pieces went waltzing towards the sea for a dip.  Guess they were a tad too hot and needed to cool down.  :o)

So, this is all that was accomplished on my trip.  That is better than nothing and I will be happy with this lot.

My DH came to me a few days before my trip to Aruba with bits of rags in his hands.  Could I make him a new bag to replace the one that got chewed up by one of his tools?  Yes, I could and did and that is my October OPAM (One Project A Month).

 Have a great day!

Border time

Even though the 3rd and 4th blocks have not been appliqued yet (the applique pieces have been pinned in place), the time has come to put my plan into motion with my version of Kim Diehl's Promise of Spring.

The layout is going to be like this:

I do like the look of the gold squares in the corners (to match up with the center portion) but I am thinking of removing the gold squares where the arrows are pointing below:

Yes, this will work so much better!

I'm off to Aruba tomorrow for a week's vacation and some of this project just might be coming along with me ....

Have a great week!

A scrappy trip

I just love Bonnie Hunter's method for making scrappy trip around the world blocks and right now I just want to make all kinds of these blocks.  For my quilt (for the time being), I decided to do a controlled scrappy block. 

Should I do a bargello layout?

Or, this layout?

 

I'm thinking the second layout will win.  We'll see.

 

Have a great day!

A new block

Before even finishing my 3rd block from the Kim Diehl's Promise of Spring pattern, the last block has already been auditioned and a few adjustments still to be made before everything gets sewn down.

Below is the 4th block as per the pattern:

Again, my version so far.....

Soon, it will be time to start thinking about borders; but I have a plan ...

Have a great day!

Promise of Spring again

It was time to get back to my version of Promise of Spring project.

The time has come to start working on the third block.

Once I start, there is a need to put the block on the design wall and then stand back to see how it looks.  Are the proportions right?  Hmmm, perhaps that circle vine should be smaller?

Below, the circle vine is now smaller and it looks better.  The leaves just below the big red flowers are not so crowded.  For the big flower stems, what fabric to use?  That green plaid (on the left side) definitely doesn't work.  It blends in too much with the plaid background and gets lost in the overall look.

So, the stems will all be a tone on tone green.

This looks much better.  What about those circles in the center?  Should the gold circles stay there?

Or should the gold circles look better placed towards the center?  Yes, they do look better there and I am now very happy with the overall look.   The sewing down of all those pieces can now begin and that job will keep me busy in the evenings.

 

This is the third block in Kim Diehl's version.  Quite different, eh?

Look at the difference between Kim Diehl's final version  ..... 

... and my version .... so far.   I can't help myself, I just have to make it my way!  Oh well .....

Have a great day!

Hand quilting

Over at Celebrate Hand Quilting (updated Jan. 20, 2022 ... this site no longer exists), there is a fall blog hop going on and here is my quilt to show off!  Enjoy and please visit the other links to see what is going on around the world with hand quilting and be inspired.

This quilt is on our bed right now and when I enter the room during the day, this is what greets me every time.   The light coming in through the window during the day sure picks up the quilting design  and it just stops me in my tracks.  I stop to admire the quilt, run my fingers over the quilting and then forget why I was in the bedroom in the first place.  :o)  This is what hand quilting does to me.

 

Have a great day!