I love a simple 9-patch

When I was left with a pile of strips after cutting for a project, I just had to whip up a few 9-patch blocks. I have plenty of strips to make a bunch more, but these are what I stitched up during the news. In this photo I was auditioning a fabric for setting squares. I had first thought I would use a black print, but decided I wanted a sweeter look.

 

Did I forget to mention that the strips were under 1" wide and these blocks will finish at 3/4"?

I have made many 9-patch blocks this size before, but it has been a while and it took me a couple of attempts to remember the techniques.

During the Olympics I spent a lot of time doing the stitching on this.

I'm not sure I want to border it the way the pattern shows, but I haven't yet come up with something that clicks for me. Currently it has a place on my design wall, reminding me that Spring is coming.

Wendy (theconstantquilter blog) invited us to join her in making a mini a month. Since I am inclined to do that anyway, I figured it would be fun to join in. My feathered star swap quilt ended up being my January finish, though I had intended this to be finished in January. 

Instead, it is my February finish--almost. It looks all wonky because I haven't stitched the binding down on the back yet. The pins holding the folded binding down are distorting the quilt. Hopefully it will be completed very soon.
I have started my March mini, but it is a swap quilt that I won't show until the swap is completed.

It is time to get the sashing on Sasquatch. The last time I posted this quilt I said I still had something else I might do with the trees. 
















The photo on the left shows the trees as they were then. See how the trunks are all uniform in height? On the right I have shortened some of the trunks (I have just folded them under on the bottom while I decide if I like it or not). It adds one more factor of individuality to the trees, but I can't decide if it makes it look disjointed. Can a forest look disjointed? I know you have an opinion, so let me have it. :)

Until next time, 
Janet O.

We are finally getting winter, and this was the scene one morning just before the sun came up over the mountains earlier this week. 

They just keep comin'!

Three more finishes! I can hardly believe it! (Yes, the sewing has been a bit frenetic around here lately.)
Summer Stars is bound, and I realized I had never shared a good photo of the log cabin mini when it was bound. (It had been in a group "finished" shot earlier, but it was pretty covered by other little quilts.) Plus, the 9-patch leader/ender demanded completion.

Finish #15:  I have wanted to have this one finished for a long time now, but had been at a loss as to how to quilt it. I think my best solution for situations like that is to start the ditch stitching and let the inspiration flow as I handle the quilt.

Finish #14: (I know, it is out of order) Love the little log cabins. This is now at home on the mini ladder in my living room.

Finish #16: This little 9-patch was made from the leftover logs, chopped into squares. The photo on the right gives you a size perspective.

Of the quilts in my recently basted batch, I have only ditch stitched this quilt and marked most of it for FMQing.

I didn't plan to get this bunch done as quickly as the previous ones--too much else going on. Besides, I'm getting tired of figuring out how to quilt everything. There is only one more I'm sure of, and then I may stall a while.

After all of this "dark & dirty" stuff, I had an urge to do something Spring-ish, so I grabbed a bag I keep stuffed with some of the more pastel repros, and I went to work with the scraps, making 2" baskets. This was the result.  Oh, I just realized that this makes Finish #17!! (I'm a little slow on the uptake.)

Didn't turn out quite how I had hoped--I think I should have used narrower sashing. This sashing finishes at 1/2" and the quilt is just over 8" square. That is too much sashing for such a small quilt. Those are pretty small feathers, too, but not the smallest I have ever stitched.

Love those grandkids!

But even if I am not enamored with it, I think it still looks sweet in its new home for Spring. I am calling it "Easter Baskets". Real original, huh? : )

And while the pastel scraps were handy, I made a few more ornaments to hang on my Shaker peg rack for the season. All of the pastel ones I have made before have been gifted away. These still need their stuffing and fluffing, but that won't take long.

With all of the finishes I've had this year I've been hanging little quilts in new places and tucking them in previously empty corners. Maybe one of these days I will do a post of where all of these quilts are ending up.
But first I need to convince my friend Gayle to share her little quilts and rugs all over her home--it is so much cooler than mine! (Are you getting the message, Gayle?)
And now I think it is time I woke up "the beast"! : )
Until next time,
Janet O.

P.S. Thanks, Mary, for this lovely batik that surprised me in the mail! One of these days you will learn to love batiks and you will be sorry you sent them to me. *LOL*