How it all gets started by Cici

Today I thought I might show you how it all gets started in the sewing room.  First, she picks a pattern and then brings over tubs of fabrics and makes piles on the cutting table.  I sniff through the piles and push the things I like to the top.  Here we were focusing on blue and brown scraps.

Then she gets out the rulers and cutter and I start keeping track of my tail while she works.

Sometimes, she'll go to the sewing machine to try out a block and sometimes she just cuts everything before sewing.  I watch the machine to make sure the needle is going up and down correctly.

This was a recent quilt-along called Quilty Stars with Sew Sweet Quilt Shop.  She wasn't really following the pattern, so made a few more blocks before deciding on a plan.

 She decided on this layout because it would be the right size for a lap quilt for the guild charity project.  It's all quilted and finished now, but I didn't find a photo on the computer.  It's probably still on her phone and I can't plug it in to transfer it over..........Thumbs, if only!

That's not how it works every time, but it's close.  Sometimes she cuts a whole bunch of stuff and then decides she doesn't like it.  Like this mess.  We were doing Bonnie Hunter's Grassy Creek mystery, and when she saw the reveal, she didn't like it.  I had been enjoying this one because of all the purretty fabrics that matched my golden fur.  

She took those parts and pieces and made these 2 tops also for the charity project.  They aren't quilted yet.  I really like the golden zig zag in the border of the top one.  

And, she brought home a Tuit from the last guild meeting, so had the challenge of getting around TO IT.  She picked her Arkansas Crossroads quilt which had the center mostly done, but still needed a little work and borders.  She's working on the binding now, hoping to have it completely finished by the meeting on Tuesday.

Woops!  Let me find a better picture.........

Much better.......a straight on shot without that big lump of lint sitting on it.  For those who are into numbers, there are 1,280 2.5" squares in this.  And it yielded just over 300 bonus half square triangles.  (yes, I serve as the sewing room abacus) There might have been a few more, but after she pried some out of the Canine Catastrophe's mouth, she put them in the trash can.

Hope you have enjoyed these Tails from the Sewing Room.

Cici