Tropical Rainbow Layout time...

So all the baggies are done. Cable Co. no call no show..but this is what the living room floor looked like about noon yesterday:

I have a corner unit and one other done

The part of this I dislike the most--pulling the papers:

I'd really hate it if I didn't have my "purple thing" -if you don't have one, you should buy several-I but mine when the sets of 3 go on sale. I have cats that love to steal them and I am pretty sure I have accidentally tossed a couple :-(  It happens.

Well off to sew I  go - to see if I can get this together, photographed and submitted by tomorrow night at 9pm  my time (PST).

Happy Sewing!

Bag #4 done...

Well, I got Bag #4 done Thursday night.

and sorted the strips for the borders into the correct order

 Got the Borders – Bags 5 & 6 done Friday, but our “wonderful” service provider’s lack of consistent service has made it difficult to get a blog post up.  

Tech here Sat morning—AGAIN- maybe this time will be the charm ... wish I could say it was third time charm, but alas, we have surpassed that.

So tomorrow after the tech leaves (I need the living room floor for this – I can’t get the piece to stick to my design wall with the paper on the back-suggestions besides pinning welcome) I will lay out the pieces on the floor, tag ‘em and hope I can get all these crazy curved seams done by Monday. 

So off to study the layout diagrams some more.

And then there was Bag #4...

The first misstep? Perhaps, or maybe the cats got one over one me..suffice it to say Bag#3 is done:

So....then I went to lay out Bag #4, except there are not enough pieces. I check the other bags, the scrap bag (I keep the scrap from the project I am working on separate until I am ready to bind), I review the cutting directions (no-I am not a fan of the cutting process)..check-mark there..hmmm. 

Being pressed for time, I decide not to hunt the 12 missing pieces. I either didn't cut them or they grew legs. I do not have time to search for them. So I dig into the Batik stash...

I only had to get to the 2nd container (and no this is not all of it-just what I am using on some other projects I put aside for this and another project.) 12 new pieces cut.

First 4 units (of 16) for bag #4

And, I had to start a new scrap bag.

The next bag will start the border blocks-yippee!

Bag #2 Spikes Done

And here they are:

4 stacks of 13  :-)

I have decided that doing TRopical Rainbows without having done it before is kind like doing a mystery quilt. Yes, I read all the directions first, studied the layouts; but until you've actually put one together, sometimes you are unsure if what you saw in your head is what is going to come out on the quilt...

Nevertheless, it will be stunning, because all these batiks are gorgeous. There are not very many batiks I haven't liked; if any.

I didn't get ll of bag #3 which are BA-R and BA-L units (8 of each), but here is the first BA-R:

All 8 BA-R

And the first BA-L

So Bag #3 will get done today, and hopefully Bag #4 as well..wish me luck and I'll need to shovel on a little more coal (yes I hear Johnny Cash singing the "Wreck of the Old 97") ...chugga chugga choo choo!

My Pop-Pop (My Mom's Dad) was a coal miner in Reading , PA

Bag # 2-Spikes!

On this blustery day of wind and rain -snow on the mountains - we can hear the skiers whoopin it up...

https://www.facebook.com/kolotv/photos_stream

Bag #2-spikes- are almost 3/4 of the way done -17 left to do (that means 35 are done):

The first 13

Three piles now

My Granddaughter Abi learning about paper piecing














I should get to bag three tomorrow, it doesn't require as many units so maybe even finish it  (Bag #3) tomorrow.

As for getting it done, yes I still think I can :-)

TrueMove Giving 日本語

Not exactly quilt related but well worth the watch! you might need a kleenex...

52 "A" Units done, BAg #2 of "S" Units started!

This is the last "A" unit"

Pretty pile of 52 "A" Units- Bag #1 of 7 complete!

The first 2 "S" Units of Bag #2 

And some very pretty stuffing scraps

Now there is a sink full of dishes calling to me..yeah-still gotta do chores-gah

Tropical Rainbow--7 unit "A"'s left to go

These two are a couple of my favorites from today:

The one below ins #39--officially 3/4 done with Bag #1, 52 "A" units:

I can't wait to get to bag #2 (no I haven't looked ahead)- it might be the smaller spikes--or not :-) I will find out tomorrow.

27, 28, 29 and 30!

I am over half-way with the A units. 30 down, 22 to go, then on to Bag #2 of 7.

So to answer the questions of those to shy to post:

• Yes I have made a paper pieced quilt before
• No, I have never made the Tropical Rainbow pattern before
• Won't you feel bad if you don't make it on time for the competition-No, competition is about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. I had planned more time for this project, but sometimes life gets is the way. It will get finished and sold either way, but it is always a feather in the bonnet to win a competition :-)
• My quilts will never be good enough to enter a competition (not really a question, but needs a response)- Remember you are you own worst critic. Competitions need not be scary. So what if someone doesn't like your quilt-It yours. You put your heart and time into it's making.  You have the right to be proud of your accomplishment no matter. Give it a try. Some competitions even provide constructive criticism, you know, the kind that is helpful. 

Now back to the chores and some sewing before an afternoon appointment :-) 

Hope you all have a nice weekend of sewing!

Sierra 2 Sage Shop Hop

So this weekend I was busy doing a telestration of the Quiltsmart Bitty Broken Lone Star at my Local Quilt Shop Sew-n-Such while the Sierra 2 Sage  hoppers came through:

The background will be the black swirls  :-)

I did this while playing with the newest member of my sewing menagere-a take to class machine--My Baby Lock Audrey! For me she is just the ticket for class and most retreats! For other sewers she'll do all they need to to.

Even though the Shop Hop is over, it is not too late to hop on over to Sew-n-Such and check her and her sisters out.

I was also stamping the hoppers passports and talking to them about their fun hopping adventures. I enjoyed meeting and talking with all of you!

I even got one more "A" unit done for my Tropical Rainbow top by Judy Niemeyer/Quiltworx done last night, maybe a few more tonight, almost to half way with the "A" units!

Tropical Rainbow Progress...

1/4 of the "A" units from Bag #1 (of 7), I think Oct 1st is very close.... i see some midnight oil and lots of coffee. :-)

Catching up and starting a new project..

The blocks of the month that I was behind are done:

And the first unit of the tropical rainbows is done, there are 51 more of these and then on to bag #2 of cut pieces. There are LOTS of pieces :-)

So off I go to sew, sew, sew...