Posted on by agilejack

Picking Up an Old Unfinished Project

It was up over 50 degrees today and we actually got some sun! It was so nice to get outside and have a walk in such nice weather. All the ice is melted off my lawn but there’s still a small patch of snow/ice on my patio. It will probably melt off tomorrow.

My lawn guys come on Wednesdays. They’re going to have a lot to clean up when they get here tomorrow. I didn’t lose any branches, but my back yard is covered with small boughs from the Doug fir trees.

I’m sure my rain gutters are full of this stuff as well. I’m happy that all the ice is gone so they can scramble up on the roof and blow out my gutters.

I had to toss out some groceries from my fridge after being without power for so long. I finally had the time to get to the grocery store tonight to restock. Once I got home I felt like I wanted to hit my sewing room but didn’t want to start a new project. Since I’m sort of at a stopping point on my new project that I cut fabrics for the other night, I decided to pull out my little storage box containing my scrappy Aboriginal trip quilt blocks.

There are fifteen finished blocks in that bin and a bunch of strip tubes that have been cut into pieces and are ready to sew together.

So I selected four sets and started getting them ready to assemble. You have to pick out the seams in various places in the strip tubes for each block to create the diagonal layout in the block.

All of this is laid out in Bonnie Hunter’s Scrappy Trip Tutorial. It’s a great tutorial that’s easy to follow. This is my third quilt I’ve made using this tutorial.

I did a lot of pinning and then sewed all those seams with chain piecing.

I got four of these blocks sewn together tonight.

Here’s a previous photo that shows a bunch of my completed blocks. It’s fun to see the diagonal diamond pattern emerge.

With the four blocks I made tonight I have a total of 19 blocks done. I’ll need 42 blocks for this top. That makes a generous throw size quilt.

The more blocks I add to this, the less chaotic it becomes. And it’s funny… I don’t think of this as a particularly colorful quilt, but there is A LOT of color in these blocks!

And you know that makes me very happy!

I played pickleball again last night and had an absolute blast! It was a really good group of players there. After going nearly two weeks without getting to play at all, I played three days in a row. I was on the schedule to play this morning but it was a little wet and I had a morning meeting that would have forced me to leave early. I sort of needed a break from pickleball!

It feels good to be back to a more normal life after so much disruption.

26 Replies to “Picking Up an Old Unfinished Project”

  2. Loving your blog. I always do a double check when you mention the temperature in Fahrenheit. Here in Sydney, Australia it is summer and we are having hot days 38C to 40C. That’s 104F.

    I also love seeing our Aboriginal designs adapted into your quilts. Thanks for the daily dose of dogs and inspiration.

    PS: pickleball has made its way to our local PCYC and sports centre. It’s taking over the world.

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    1. OMG! That’s way too hot!!! I hope, at least, it’s not humid.

      I’m so glad I was introduced to the Australian Aboriginal fabrics. They are really amazing! I love working with them.

      Look out… Pickleball will be EVERYWHERE!!!

      Anne

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  3. Pro tip for power outages: keep a gallon jug filled with ice in your freezer. When the power goes out put the jug in the fridge with perishables packed around it. It will keep your fridge cold for days. We have several big wind events every year. I learn something new with every storm that passes.

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  6. My first thought is… “I sort of needed a break from pickeball!” Really are you ok? I mean you are kind of obsessed with pickleball. Funny.
    The aboriginal quilt is pretty. You’re almost half way done with the blocks.
    Enjoy your warmer weather. We’ve still got snow cover in northern Illinois.

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    1. Maddie, all pickleballers talk that way! They must put something in the pickleballs…my husband is completely obsessed as well. If I didn’t know better I’d suspect he was having an affair…well in a way he is, with pickleball! They all say they have not had fun playing like this since they were kids. It’s very endearing.

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    1. A few months into the pandemic, Liza Lucy, who works with Kaffe Fassett, suggested that this was a good time to make a quilt you had always wanted to make. And this was it! And now I’m working on my third!

      Anne

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  8. Good Morning, Hoping your day is a good one.
    I love the Australian fabric squares, the colors, pattern are colorful.
    May I ask where you are purchasing your Australian fabric? Thank you for sharing , hugs Jody

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    1. I have a couple of local stores that have good selections of the Aboriginal fabrics. They both have online stores. You can find them with a google search.

      Pioneer quilts in Milwaukie, Oregon
      Boersma’s Sewing Center in McMinnville, Oregon

      Another store that I don’t use as often is Quilt Expressions in Boise, Idaho.

      you can also find a good selection on Etsy.

      Good luck!

      Anne

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  9. You have such clever and interesting quilts; thank you for continuing to share. Nice to see the dogs outside. It is still 34 degrees and snowy here on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Your 50 degrees sounds wonderful. Your blogs are packed with activity but your tone is peaceful and inviting. Thank you.

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    1. We’ve gone from freezing temps and ice everywhere to 50 degrees and rain!!! Standing water everywhere! We just got drenched in the last quarter mile of our evening walk. the first 1.75 miles was lovely!

      Anne

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  11. So glad to follow you, from Norway. In this house we get straight from Covid to flu, so we are totally set out.. I lay in bed and look at your beautiful Kaffe and Aboriginer stoff and wonder if i Can buy something from here. Thank you so much for blogging.

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    1. thanks for reading! I’m sorry you are suffering from sickness in the winter.

      I don’t sell much of what I make… an occasional bag but that’s really it. I don’t make things because I want to sell them. I make things because I like making things!

      Anne

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