August OMG Finish - All the Blocks

I have accomplished my August goal.  Finally.  I have a whole set of blocks.

I enjoy paper pieced projects, but I'm learning that my usual approach of layout and color doesn't work well.  I have a much harder time envisioning the final product before I start.  This project changed directions twice since I started, and halfway through the second revision I thought of yet another (but I no longer had enough fabric to change directions - so I forged ahead).

I had anticipated my next step would be to assemble the blocks.  However, I first need to fix a couple of blocks (the ones sewed together as I was changing my mind how it should look).  Then I need to let this stew.  I generally don't like starting another project while one is in progress.  It's not how I work.  However, this needs to hang on the wall for a while and let me stare at it and tinker with some pieces before I put it all together.  I know it will look better when I fix the oddball blocks, then hopefully it will speak to me and tell me what to do next.

I Like Thursday: Harried, Henri and Hummingbirds

A stressful weekend being on call.  Plus I have too many things that are incomplete and needing input and I'm a bit overwhelmed.  Then there's this humidity - everything is going mildewy - it's giving me a headache.

And yet, on the happy side...

Hurricane Henri dumped two inches of rain, but no trees down or power outages.  I've got a happy garden.  Tons of tomatoes!  Haven't seen much of the bunny rabbits, but the hummingbirds have been out in force.  I love watching their antics.  Zoom!

My sister shared photos of her fosters.  Yay!  She says the bolder one is now wheeking for goodies when my sister is in the kitchen.

I Like Thursday: Growing Garden and Creepy Crawlies

 

I have lots of tomatoes!  Such a pretty shade of red.  They've been delicious.

Changing Colors

The light on the design wall is not great for photographs.  It looks better in person. Regardless, I am liking the movement in color from the very dark.

I am deviating from the pattern more and more.  I'm changing some of the colors on each block.  Moving the quilt to the wall was a great help, because I can see where each block is going when I make it.  The blocks will likely shift for the final layout, but this allows me to tinker with the color distribution as I sew each block.

As usual, each quilt takes on a life of its own.  This one is really starting to take shape.  Yay!

I Like Thursday: Walks and Waterfalls

Thursday again!  The summer is flying by, filled with good stuff.

I had this conch nightlight as a child.  My mom brought it by a few weeks ago; Rob replaced the broken wiring and the old bulb socket with pixie lights.  I love the little bright spots, like it's filled with stars.

I took Friday off last week.  Got my hair cut in the morning - and the new hairdresser was willing to braid pigtails!  I was so pleased.

Tacking Again

I'm getting closer with the Icy Waters project.  But it's like tacking into the wind - a zig there, a zag there.  I decided the heavy red in the upper left corner would be too much, so I'm replacing it with a handful of lighter colors.  That's really going to change the look of this quilt.  It's now leaning towards more blue than red and I'm trying to work in a bit more of the green and purple.

I love all the colors I have picked, but the quilt is bucking me, which in turn makes me anxious.  I keep telling myself to trust the process.  I went through the same thing with Golden Orrery, despairing at one point at the chaos and seeming clash of fabrics.  Obviously my anxiety was unfounded with that quilt!  I need to trust my vision (and my gut) and get a few more blocks on the wall.

From the beginning I knew the biggest challenge would be placing the colors.  I had hoped that using the pattern would help with that.  It has, to an extent, but at this point I'm straying further from the pattern into uncharted waters.  Still, there's progress and I'm hopeful at hitting my August goal of finishing the blocks.

I Like Thursday: Gardening, Greens, Buns and Birthdays

The likes are short and sweet this week.

My garden is doing great.  This batch of carrots seem to be doing well, and since they're indoors, no one but me should be eating them!  I need to harvest that kale soon.  And my volunteers have produced!  The squash is not nearly ripe, but I didn't want them to grow any larger (and was afraid the woodchuck would take notice).  I picked a cucumber earlier in the week and my tomatoes are starting to turn.  

August OMG

Once more, with feeling! 

I'm finally making progress on this quilt.  I finished my June goal by the end of July.  My August goal, which I am determined to hit in August, is to complete the blocks for the quilt.  I should be able to accomplish this if I can keep my traction.  Let's not be derailed again?