Sunday, November 25, 2012

Design Wall Monday: Christmas projects and Easy Street

(Note to self: be sure to save blog posts while typing....I was just about finished when I pressed a key and the entire post disappeared.)

We had a pleasant and unevent-filled Thanksgiving.  I took Wednesday off and enjoyed the extra day.  We avoided shopping on Friday but I succumbed to the appeal of Joann's "25% off total purchase" on Saturday and got some good bargains.  DH joined me on a beach/woods walk on Thursday when temperatures were still mild.  I bundled up for walks on sunny but chilly Saturday and Sunday.

Each year I make ornaments for the library staff, trustees, and volunteers.  These "Texas Tears" blocks are 3-1/2".  They used  1-3/4 yards of Christmas stash and two skeins of perle cotton that I've had for a long, long time. (Thanks to blogger Kathy for the idea!)


On Friday Bonnie Hunter revealed step #1 in her new mystery, Easy Street:  192 3-1/2" four-patches in gray and black-on-white.  The units were simple to make, but that quantity is tedious!  If previous experience holds true, the subsequent steps in this mystery will be more complex.





Several years ago I assembled this pieced rail fence from fabric left over from a Christmas project.  It languished in the orphan blocks box.  I leafed through a quilting book at Joann's on Saturday and got an idea.  (I didn't buy the book, but I remembered the concept.)  I removed three rows, added borders, and added appliques.  This 24 x 48 table runner will be my contribution to the P.E.O. ornament exchange at the December holiday potluck.  ("Ornaments don't have to go on the tree.")   (The P.E.O. emblem is the star and there were 7 founders, hence the 7 appliques.)

And, finally, here's the quilt I totally did not intend to begin this weekend.  Sew Many Swaps had a recent  exchange for 9-patch blocks in brown, tan, and blue, as seeds for Disappearing 9-Patch.  I got to cutting and sewing (leaders-and-enders while I was making all those Texas Tears blocks).   The brown-and-tan setting/border fabric was a Joann's bargain at 60% markdown plus 25% off. 
I keep rearranging the blocks to better distribute the lights and darks, but this gives you an idea of the design I have in mind.

It's Easy Street Monday on Bonnie's blog , and as always, take a look at Design Wall Monday on Judy's blog. 

7 comments:

  1. You're so speedy on your Easy Street part one. My stash of Black on Whites is lacking. Gotta go shopping. I avoided the stores mostly on Friday too. Nice to see a D9P on-point.

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  2. My goodness you have been busy! Your Easy Streets look great and I cannot help but wonder if they will become part of a pieced border later on? We'll see. The Texas tears are so sweet! And what a great score on the bargain at Joann's! The D9P is really nice on point, good job!

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  3. Lots of eye candy. We can be sure that things will get more intense. I was a little fooled last year and then things got way more labor intensive.

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  4. Love all your projects. That blue and brown one is so nice. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. I like those little Christmas ornaments!

    --C.B.

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  6. I love the brown/blue combo. Your other projects are looking great too. Lovely 4-patches for the mystery. Looking forward to step 2.

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  7. I'm a PEO and I like what you did with the table runner. I might have to borrow your idea next year.

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