Done and Done

Got that box of cut pieces sewn up and the final count is:  81 Mary's blocks and 121 half square triangles.  I'm planning to store the Mary's triangles, but use the half squares and a drawer of other half squares to start making blocks.

Mary's Triangles

Half Square triangles finishing 2 in

A block from Lynn Roddy Brown's book to use these half square triangle

Also continuing to work on the Honeybee blocks.  Almost finished with 10 of 20.  The wings take the most time.  I am finding that fat quarters will yield 3 blocks with a bit left over. 

Honeybee blocks with a few wings missing

Last of all,  made it to knitting group yesterday, and found out the best way to finish off the headband.  So finished with a knitting project.  Doesn't sound like much, but a UFO is finished.

Doing the Simple stuff

Sometimes I think I am the Tortoise, the progress I make in the sewing room.  Or slow as molasses, that would do it., good Ms saying.  I have two swaps I need blocks for.  One is the current Apple Crisper's swap of black and white and the second is one for Happy Scrappers.  We have choices and the one I want to do is called the Honeybee block.

First block I did

My thinking was that I could use 2 fat quarters and the white I needed with my Go Cutter to get this done in short order.  That was fine until I got to the 
wings. We got a template and as you can see We need twelve of these wings.  each wing has soft fuse that has to be donut holed before applying to material. Takes a lot of soft fuse and a lot of fabric, plus a lot of time.  Now this isn't due until June, thank goodness.

4 out of 20 after working for two days

 I have a number of pieces that aren't fat quarters that I can use, but I'll be doing lots of cutting, then preparing wings to complete blocks.

My next simple quilt will be the Blue Ridge quilt which uses simple blocks of half square triangles and 4 patches.  I have to do 448 total of half square triangles to make the quilt, but I could use more and enlarge.  I'm working on two patches now.  I need 448 of those too.  I'm really anxious to put together some blocks.  My usual MO I'm not patient at all.  I want to see my quilt start growing instead of working on parts only.

Trimming more half square triangles

These turned out real close to true

Over two hundred done so far

Last top finished for the boys

I've put bits and pieces up , but finally I got the top finished for Andrew.  And I went ahead and got the back made for the quilt too.  Whoo hoo, that doesn't happen often.  My hubby John had neck surgery and I've been out of the sewing room close to a week.  But finally got a day in there to sew.  So delighted to be done with the quilts for the boys and Cassie.  I say done, still have bindings to do.  

Full shot of the quilt

Lollipop border

My helper Buddy

I decided to try taking pictures outside.  The colors are really more true to life.  I do like this way to take pictures.  

The other project I started was a 1930 Mystery shawl by Jae Kosdierzynski KAL and have gotten Clue A done. Clue C comes out tomorrow, but not to worry.  I'll go as fast as I go.  Very Challenging.

This is the gorgeous yarn, the picture doesn't do it justice.

I haven't worked with DK yarn before, but I really like it.

Clue A  8 rows of knitting on 497 stitches

I will be including the KAL as something new and my work with hexes as something old,  It's definitely crossed over to old since I been doing it most of a year.  Progress so far doesn't look like much, but it is a lot indeed.  Check out the site here  http://2hot2knit.blogspot.com.au for Something old something new.