Saturday, February 24, 2007

Obsessed with hourglass blocks


I kept wondering why I feel so driven to work on this quilt. I'm enjoying every minute, but it feels like I MUST get all the blocks up on the design wall as soon as possible. I finally figured out why - it's because I still feel guilty about starting a new project. My postage stamp top is up on the longarm waiting to be quilted. My string blocks sitting on the corner of my cutting table are an ever present reminder of an interrupted project. I don't know why I ever thought making this top would be a quick process. After all, it takes a LOT of 3 1/2" units to make a quilt top! I have all the hour glasses sewn together - now I'm just pressing and trimming them. I still have no idea how many I've made. There are 110 up on the design wall, which finished would measure only 30" by 33". I still have a huge pile on my ironing board to press, and a tub full already pressed to trim. I'm guessing maybe something in the range of 500?

I'm still not sure how I want to set these together, so I'd love your opinions. I've got two choices. Either make the entire top just as you see the blocks set out on the design wall, or make it medallion style the way I did my Broken Dishes. When choosing remember that all these blocks are the same size -they won't be two different sizes like the half square triangle squares in Broken Dishes.

I've been lazy this morning in that I'm not dressed yet. I need to do that because we are heading to Jeremy's and Chelsea's for another visit. I can hardly wait to see that little girl again. I bet she's changed a bunch in just a week.

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Gratitudes:

1. Weekends

2. A new iron that steams and doesn't drip

3. Signs of spring

4. A new rotary blade

5. A hubby who fills my gas tank

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8 comments:

Anne Ida said...

Oh, I just love the setting of your broken dishes quilt (or should I be honest and just say I love the whole quilt?:-))! If it's up to me, I'll say go with a setting like that. Best of luck on making your desition:-)

Pam said...

First I would like to say - such a sweet little Sophie!

I love the layout of the Broken dishes quilt. I think the inner borders and the different sizes of the pieces really make that quilt look great.

How is the logging in and out going for you? It still seems to be working for me and now the Picasa seems to be all fixed as well.

Libby said...

Isn't it funny how sometimes a project will just grab all of your attention? I usually try to go with that flow so as not to break the momentum. Have fun playing.

Anonymous said...

Love, love, love your broken dishes quilt! I can see why you are enthralled with the broken dishes blocks - they look great on the design wall. I do like the idea of some inner borders to "break" up the dishes but it will look great any way you do it.

Fiona said...

I love those hour-glass blocks, so much so I can't even decide which setting I would prefer, though the medallion is beautiful.

Helen in the UK said...

Love the medallion setting on the broken dishes quilt. If that isn't an option for the hourglass blocks, what about a strippy? Strips of hourglass say 6 or 8 wide, plain strip the width of 1 hourglass, another block of hourglass, etc. Another possibility to consider? Whatever you decide I'm sure it will be great judging by the sample of blocks you have shown us :)

MARCIE said...

Your hourglass blocks are looking so neat! I LOVE the setting that you used for the broken dishes. Breaking up the design like you did really adds to the overall look. You will think of something wonderful!

Cher said...

I think some tot sashing/borders would be nice-give the eye a resting place...can't wait to see it in person