Clue One Done

Well, it took me a little bit less than an entire month, but I finished off trimming the last hourglass block units for the Weekly clue one of the Lupine Mystery Quilt. Yes, the power is still out. Supposedly going back on by 11pm tonight, but I am Not Counting on it at all. I am sick unto death of the roar of the generator.

I have some rather strange pink fabrics in here, but I like how they look together (24 sets of 4 matching hourglasses) and now I'm quite happy to move on and go make a Whole Bunch of Flying Geese for clue two.

Trimming Hourglasses

 

Feeling like I'm being extra pok-y slow on this first clue for the Lupine Mystery quilt. But I'm plugging away a few at a time. Here's the most recent batch, now that they are all trimmed up to size. That's about all I was up for as our power is out thanks to last night's big windstorm. Christmas Eve by candlelight maybe? But not on our tree, I promise! If you're celebrating, hope you're having a good one.

My total of sets of four matching hourglass units is up to a whopping fifteen out of twenty-four. Some of those lighter pinks are reading as quite yellow, if it's a problem I'll use some ink on them.

Four More Sets

 

Well, I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention, can you see the mistake that I made on these parts of the hourglass blocks for the Lupine Mystery quilt, clue one.

Yes, that polka dot is sewn with the wrong side showing.

But I think it looks better sewn wrong, as these are "supposed" to be neutrals, and the right side is much brighter, too bright.

There's a big big difference between the two "pinks". And that one batik is reading as too purple instead of "ice blue".

But from farther away, they're interesting and different enough from each other to have that variation I"m going for. That makes fourteen sets done (once these are trimmed to size), and thus ten more sets to go for Clue 1.

Flying & Long Geese Varieties

Well look at this, I actually got all of those sashing units sewn together. And I only messed up repeating a blue fabric once.

Because I took the time to trim the smaller units to size, everything went together very easily.

I got really excited with this once I started pressing the most recent seams. The combination of the hourglass block with the two smaller flying geese and then the two longest geese is great. Especially when I managed to keep the points pointy.

They're all so pretty together and I'm really looking forward to making the blocks that will be surrounded by these sashing pieces.

I went a little crazy taking all these pictures, so here they all are.

So many distinctive fabrics when you see them up close.

And then from farther away, they blend into a nicely varied wash of somewhat matching colors.

Onto the actual block making next...
 

Hourglass+Flying Geese

 

Before beginning the first joining-together of units for the Old Town mystery quilt, I decided to do some trimming. This is the result of trimming all of those hourglass units. Doesn't really add up to much! That means I did a pretty good and accurate job of making those hourglass blocks. (pats self on back and is thankful for good directions) 

So...was the time I took to do the trimming worth it? I think so, as you can see, some of these trimmed-off bits are a lot more than mere slivers. That means in the next steps of block making, I would have started out well on the way to inaccurate and wonky. After all the work of making the block ingredients, to me, that means it is worth it to trim before proceeding.

On to the next step, adding coral/melon and white/neutral Flying Geese units to two of the sides of the hourglass. They went together pretty easily.

I tried my hardest to not have any repeating fabrics in these units, and only messed up twice.

And there they all are together! And, that's one more of the clues completed.

Muddy Hours

 It's done, my entry for the 15.4 Project Quilting prompt: Hourglass. This is called Muddy Hours.

Details, so many details.

I used machine embroidery and also normal echo stitching.

I like this corner the most. This on its own would make a cool quilt.

I like the muddiness of the printed image and the muddiness of the over dyed check linen/hemp. vs. the very clear and vibrant color hand dyed cottons.

Up close and personal, in the lower right hadn't corner, you can see my family's standing order at our favorite sushi restaurant. I was testing out the printer before I printed the fabric by printing the sushi order. There was a little hiccup and for unknown printer reasons it reprinted itself on the fabric. I then over printed with the image. Adds a little visual texture, especially because it's upside down and mostly illegilble.

Hourglass Finish

 

The ingredients are all ready to make this into a quilt top in time to submit tomorrow for Project Quilting 15.4 - Hourglass.

Stitching 1" wide strips in-between two 1.5" wide strips for the border pieces.

Plenty of the precious dyed fabric is left after making the border strips.

I think it's going to all fit together.

A little rearranging and now the top is ready to be quilted and finished today.

I keep thinking of the Days of Our Lives soap opera opening theme while working with this hourglass idea.  "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." True true true.