Tiny triangles

Well, I didn't accomplish everything I hoped to this weekend but I didn't do too badly. I fixed the two triangles in the bunny garden quilt by opening the long seam of each and taking out the extra fullness. It didn't take me nearly as long as I thought it would - even stitching those two seams back up by hand went quickly. I also made the binding for the quilt so was really on a roll. However, today I decided I just didn't feel like putting it back on the machine and quilting, so I guess I'll take a fat quarter penalty to guild on Thursday after all. That's OK - I have lots of great fat quarters that aren't really to my taste any longer. I could have finished it - I just chose to do something else.

I prepped both "tutorials" for Thursday night - one of string blocks and one of crumb blocks. I illustrated the steps in each one at a time by making a bunch of partial blocks in various stages of completion and pinning them to a piece of batting I can hang on the wall. That way I can demonstrate each step without trying to get everyone crowded around the machine to watch. I hope it works well - I think it will. I'm going to take a couple machines plus lots of strips, strings and crumbs as I hope everyone will have time to make a couple of each block.

I finished the guild program visuals early this afternoon and was once more sucked into the fun of mile a minute blocks. So instead of quilting I took down the plastic shoebox of little bitty triangles I've been slowly adding to over the years. You know the ones - the little trimmings that those of us who are obsessed with fabrics can't bear to throw away. For years I thought I'd use them to piece some little paper pieced blocks - like tiny square in a square blocks. Lately I realized that I just can't be bothered to make something like that as I'm no real fan of paper piecing. So this afternoon I started chaining them through the machine to make tiny half square triangle squares. The smallest measures about 1" unfinished. I don't think I'll trim them for perfect accuracy because they'll be centers of mile-a-minute blocks. I'm happy to report that the box is about 40% less full than when I started. That's a lot of little triangle squares to press! It's a good thing I have a TV in that room - I can put in a good movie and get started.

I know - you don't have to tell me - I'm really obsessed if I'm saving scraps this tiny. But I keep telling myself that I paid just as much for them as for the rest of my fabric, and they'll make a nice warm quilt for a Hotel Hope resident one of these days. I love fabric, and it hurts me to throw even the smallest scraps away.

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Gratitudes:

1. Blooming hawthorns and dogwoods

2. Blue skies and a cool breeze

3. The chance to share with quilty friends

4. Fresh, clean sheets

5. Chocolate caramel coffee creamer

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