Dan's Ramblings

Dan here ~

Sunday evening. Beautiful day today. It looked it anyway, neither Carol or I seemed to have enough energy to even set foot outside. I just opened the window to cool off a bit, it’s always hot up here in the studio, but primarily to be able to hear the pond better. I wish I could share it. Some of the reverberations and the resulting cracking noises that follow a good rumble are quite impressive. There is always something different happening here on the pond.

Carol is only two behind on the quilting side of my 2023 quilts. She finished the binding on #4 for 2023. 

2023-4

It came out quite nice. All that is left in the process now is to wash the now completed quilt and see how badly the colors bleed. If it bleeds it means the whole soaking in Dawn dish detergent in the bathtub routine, until the bleeding stops. Don’t really like this step, but a necessary one.

I finished #11 for 2023. A lot of bright colors were available in the bag of leftover fabrics I found in my stash. I used some of them for the pinwheels I put in the centers and two of them I used for the stars in the sashing. 

The problem was that I ran out of the purple. Actually, I would have had enough except I cut the strip at 2-1/2” instead of the needed 3".  Fortunately, I found a more than acceptable fabric down at the storage facility where my bulk stash is stored. I wish less of it was batiks and more regular cotton blenders etc. but what it is. I used it for the border and will use it for the binding as well. 

2023-11

The sashing was made with the Corner Pop II. This tool works with the 2:1 ratio like the V-block. I popped at 2-1/2 to get the V-block look on one end in the purple. I did the yellow stars by popping 5". The 2:1 gave me 2-1/2” on the base or all the way across the sashing strip. Thought I would like this look and I do. Only one tool needed to achieve the look on this sashing strip.

#12 for 2023 has most of the blocks made and I’m still trying to decide on my sashing strip choice. I feel that I will be forced to begin duplicating ideas at some point. Ten of the 2023 quilts have been centered around getting the 3-1/2” bins under control. I don’t think the teens will eliminate all the squares there, but maybe. You guessed it time will tell. 

Next in the process of creating #12 will be to hit the half yard drawers and the drawer of large scraps and find something for stars and hopefully sashing as well. I like it when nothing for the top comes off the bolt, just the backing. 

The only part of #11 that came off the bolt was the purple, that came from storage. The pinwheels in the alternate block centers for #12 are all orphan blocks so none were needed to be created special. 

I think #13 may get the rest of those orphans. No idea where they came from, I’m long past trying to remember things like that. They are scraps I held on to for whatever reasons and are now headed out as quilts. When they’re gone, they’re gone. I don’t see that happening anytime soon though. 2023 will be scraps and scraps and more scraps. I almost miss the 3-4 fabric and 2 block quilts I used to make.

I think we are supposed to have a warm week ahead of us. Ok by me, I’m ready for spring. Enjoy, until next time.