Half a wish is better than nothing

In the process right now of sewing it together.

E5

Goal for today

To FINISH E5 and move on to E6.  Actually move on...as in pack up and board the plane to get well into E6 - and maybe completely finish that block and move on to E7.

Forgive me, I'm feeling a little feisty today - it's been a long, chaotic week where not a lot went right.

I just need to get back on track in oh, so many ways. Photos later.

That only took forever

Managed to finish E4 yesterday, and was getting a healthy start on pulling E5 together when one of the lights in the sewing area fizzled out.  So, at some point this morning I will move the table around to be able to replace the traitorous light, BUT (and this will sound stupid, I know)..........

I am having (of all things) a light bulb conundrum. Yes, I am truly flummoxed as to whether or not to replace the burned out bulb with one of like kind or a florescent sort.  The large backyard sort would give me the same mix of light I have been working with all this time, but the newer florescent style would be cheaper to 'burn' - and may last longer.

It's always the little things, isn't it?

Ugh

I allowed myself to become somewhat distracted yesterday while piecing together E4.

OK, in all honesty, I became COMPLETELY distracted, but for good reason, and I hope to be able to show you tomorrow - time will tell.

That said, I didn't get much more than 35 or 40 pieces into E4, and I so hoped to keep up the trend of a square every two to three days (it's helping to power through creating the rows).  But, there's a lot of cutting I need to do to saturate my palette again.  Over the course of the last several blocks I have drained what I have at the ready, and it is seriously slowing me down.  So, if I can give myself permission to use a day simply to cut and stock and stack, I should have an easier - AND QUICKER - time of it when I piece my way through the next four to five blocks.

Beth, I happily give you permission to do nothing but cut and clean and build that palette.

Great....but that will have to wait until I get back, though.  Today is a lost day.

Later, fellow quilters.

E4

Here I come.

E3

Under construction (the piecing portion) later today!

Taking a little break

In the process of piecing together E1; I am taking a little break.

Just from simply pulling together the oranges for this block, I am now ever more keenly aware of how many more pieces I will need to cut for the remainder of the row.

Holy mother of pearl...what have I gotten myself into?

Just so you know

I did finish the last of RowD,
and I DID join together C & D,
and then AB to CD....
so I guess you know it's now ABCD, and it looks pretty darn good.

For the last couple of days I have been cleaning up, straightening the palette, finding (and RE-finding) loads of things I knew I had (and needed) but couldn't because they were buried under small mountains all around me.  There is a tremendous need to cut a lot of more 'orangier' pieces now; burnt oranges, 'dirty' and smudgy orange, deep and dark orange, brown-with-strong-hints-of-orange, umber, and so on.  Not so much on the school bus yellow-to-orange side any longer - although, that may return from time to time.  But the bent now is decidedly orange(r) and dark.  Will also need orange stuff with a green cast to it, too.  On the hunt again!

Took the time to press the life out of the entire configuration and lightly starch it to help keep the fraying in check.  Although, I am contemplating the addition of lining the backside with a very lightweight fusible interfacing to completely keep the reverse intact.  I also think this may be the way to thread paint the bulk of the quilt before adding batting and a backing.  Once the thread painting is complete, I would then 'quilt' it in a more laid-back and pictorial way.  I just feel that I don't want the thread painting to show on the reverse.

Vanity?

At any rate, I do know I will be compromising the seam allowances throughout the manhandling process of thread painting, so I am curious and eager to make it happen - but at the same time terrified and trepidatious with thoughts of ruining all of my beautiful piecing by not having a traditional sandwich in place during any quilting process/work.  Does that make sense?

Any thoughts or sage words of advice to a newbie thread painter from those who know?

Very exciting prospects

Tonight - not too long from now - I will begin to assemble the last block of RowD and then join the final five blocks to the already completed row (blocks 1-6), and with any luck (and if I can keep my eyes open), I will attempt pinning together rows C & D and stitching those into one complete unit, too!

I realize this is not something I should attempt while tired, as perfection in matching the seams is a huge goal - not to mention integral to the look of the quilt - so if I am sleepy I will certainly back off until tomorrow.  Simply finishing the row itself is enough!

Besides, I see that RowD went together in only one month and one day....so there is nothing to really be beating myself up over - especially if I end up only having to wait one more day to see the two larger units side-by-side.

Even with a late start

Yeah, it was a late start and lots of breaks today, but I've still managed to situate sixty-six of 130 pieces for D11 and 11.3.  Literally just of half the way 'there', and even when we take a grand break to celebrate Karl's birthday (at some point today), I could possibly get this last bit of RowD done and pinned and stitched to RowC.

Okay, so that's some grand thinking on my part....but it could happen.

Last strokes of Row D

Began working on the final block of the current row not long ago, and I am relieved.  However, there are 130 pieces to put in place, and I have only managed to sort out somewhere between 25-30, then pangs of familial neglect (and hunger) crept into my psyche.

So, dinner for now, and maybe a little more color placement before I turn in for the night.

dot dot dot

Simply want to finish this row, but there are roughly one-hundred and forty-four little things standing in my way.

Finished up yesterday with 14 (12 if I don't replace two pieces I am not happy with) spots to fill in before I can assemble D10.  All I want to do is get to the final square and one-third. Ugh.  Perhaps today's daylight will help in the task.

So close and yet . . . so far.
_________________________

UPDATE: As of 1:00 PM
Two weensy pieces away from assembling.

Who'd-a thunk it?

Working on and off all day today, and somehow I managed to piece together all but four pieces of D9.  If I hadn't run out of 'steam' and light, and wanted to stare at Jim Caviezel, I could have sewn it together, too.

Ah well, tomorrow is another day.

Whoops

Looks like I forgot to say I've been working on D9 already.

I'M WORKING ON D9!

Soon, D10....
...then D11....
....and 11.3

I've got a big ol' smile going on - wish you could see it.

I hope you're wearing a smile, too, whatever you're doing.