Planning Ahead

In October, I'll be teaching Sujata's Peppermint Pinwheels

from Cultural Fusion Quilts -- so I'm making step-out blocks

to show the students how things look at various stages.

I decided it was high time to use that deeply discounted 

Christmas fabric I gathered over the past two years,

so I started by cutting twelve pairs of fabrics 

for those step-out blocks.

Two blocks are sewn - only ten more to prepare for class.

I'll use this elegant panel as the back's focal area

and the other four fabrics will be used 

to create a scrappy surround.

The candy canes will become the binding, 

or at least I think they might.

And while the holiday fabrics 

were strewn about on the cutting table . . . 

. . . I decided to go ahead and cut pieces and parts

for three additional Christmas quilts.

One will be a 16-patch.

48 blocks require 48 pairs of fabrics.

At this point there are two sets on each plate.

I'll be able to use a strip-construction method

for those with WOF strips.

The others with shorter varying lengths

 will be cut and pieced square by square.

I'll use these reds for a giant four-patch back

and the green should work well as binding.

I also cut 28 pairs of 2.5" WOF strips 

to make another 2x4 top.

This one will clearly be much scrappier

with bolder and more varied designs

so I think I'll be okay with this version.

I also have a plan hatching to convert

the 7" x 8" blocks to 8" squares,

but I won't know if that works 

until I start stitching and can test my thought.

I'll use these greens for backing

and the red plaid for binding.

(all plans are subject to change as things progress)

I also cut loads of 1.5" strips 

(some WOF but most from leftovers and scraps)

for Dumpster Diving IV - The Christmas Edition.

I have a design in mind that will utilize 

two and maybe three of the lights shown on the right.

We'll see how that plan evolves.

I'll use a mixture of these reds for the scrappy back.

And that wavy chevron stripe 

should make awesome binding.

* * *

I figure whatever is left over after sewing these tops,

 piecing their backs and then trimming 

away the post-quilting excesses 

can be turned into a string quilt for December 2019.

It feels SO good to have these four ready to go

instead of seeing that stack of yardage on the shelf.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Go to your studio and make stuff."
Fred Babb