Summer Breeze - The Flimsy

The quilt top for Summer Breeze is sewn together.

39" x 39"

Inspired by Sujata Shah's Sunset design

in her Cultural Fusion Quilts book.

Now I need to consider how it will be quilted.

* * *

I'll be posting less often for the rest of July

while I invest some time in myself 

with a “build your own artist residency."

(phrase borrowed from Lynn Harris)

My weekly recap posts for Optic Strings

will continue and I'll pop in here and there

with any finishes that are ready to be shared;

but otherwise I plan to keep a low online profile

and focus instead on stitching and quilting.

Quiltdivajulie

Summer Breeze Revised

After making fourteen blocks, I stalled.

The 45" x 45" finished size of 

Sujata's Sunset design did not excite me. 

And I had grown tired of the process.

After playing with straight settings,

settings with alternate blocks (all of which failed),

and a few different table runner layouts,

I hit upon this one.

Inspired by Sujata's but not just like her version,

I am ready now to sew Summer Breeze together.

Quiltdivajulie

Summer Breeze - Making Progress

One or two seams at a time,

I've managed to make a few more blocks

for Summer Breeze.

(Sunset design from Cultural Fusion Quilts by Sujata Shah)

I added a few of the side setting triangles

just to see what it was going to look like.

I like it!

Now there are 13 completed blocks

with 11 more to be made.

I would rather that this become a rectangle

so it can be used as a lap quilt --

I have an idea but don't know if it will work.

Time will tell.

* * *

My outpatient procedure on Monday went smoothly.

The bladder biopsy came back "negative" which is good news.

The smaller of the two kidney stones has apparently passed

since the urologist could find no sign of it.

The second stone is embedded in the kidney wall

meaning he did not try to remove it.

Eleven more days of antibiotic therapy remain.

Things are slowly improving.

One day at a time.

Quiltdivajulie

Here and There and Back Again

This is the way my design wall looked last Saturday, 5/25.

Six blocks for Summer Breeze completed

with stacks prepared for seventeen more.

This was my view from Sunday the 26th

until late Friday the 31st.

Beige walls, beige floors, and beige furniture.

Thank goodness for my quilt from home

providing a burst of welcome color.

I'll spare you the details but it was a week

of tests and waiting for results.

By the time I was discharged late Friday

they had identified and started treatment

for a recurring UTI and C. Diff.

and I'll have an outpatient procedure 

later this month to deal with two small kidney stones.

Needless to say, this is a much more pleasing view.

Being home feels wonderful.

Quiltdivajulie

Summer Breeze Begins

I have long admired this quilt in

Sujata Shah's Cultural Fusion Quilts book.

I don't typically make quilts on point,

but this one really appeals to me.

After several false starts these are my chosen fabrics.

Sujata's blues will be my solid blues.

Her yellows/oranges/reds will be my variety of greens.

Think blue skies and a variety of leafy green trees - 

inspiration for the name Summer Breeze.

These are my sets of squares - sorted and ready for piecing.

And these are my first three blocks.

I must be missing something because my blocks

don't look quite the same as those in the book.

Sujata's have more fabric showing in the small triangles.

I've tried re-sizing my starting block three times

and the third try (left side) seems to yield better results.

I will tinker a bit more and then cut more squares 

since I don't like the heavy clunky flow 

of the first two blocks (center top/bottom).

This little ruler makes quick work of the

trim and sub cut process.

Don't remember where I found it - but it's a keeper.

Setting triangles and potential binding . . .

both of which have been lurking in the stash

for a very very long time.

And I plan to use this slightly outrageous 

Tula Pink print from the stash

to back this 45" x 45" quilt.

* * *

One block at a time.

Quiltdivajulie

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Sujata's personal blog, The Root Connection, is HERE.