The Maine Event Round 2

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday was spent attending a meeting, running errands, doing laundry, etc. so not only did I not write a post, but I also didn't get any sewing done.  It rained all morning, too.  Today is bright and sunny and cold--we are finally starting to feel the effects of the polar vortex (what we used to call a cold front?)  We are only in the teens, but I know that many of you have been much, much colder.  I hope you are all keeping warm!!!

I did make some progress working on the new Schnibble over the weekend, though.  Usually I work on them "privately" and reveal them at the end of the month, but this time I'm sharing more of the process with you.  I previously shared how I came up with my plan and the new name for this one.  Today I'm showing some progress.

Remember that Carrie was inspired in her Jersey Girl by the maple leaf block, and that inspired me to make her blocks back into leaf blocks, so I have to make a few changes to the directions of the pattern.  I first made all of the half square triangles as the pattern directs but I have to proceed differently for the four-patch center of the leaf.

I did follow her directions to get the two-patch dark unit.  But instead of repeating that with the other dark strips and the light strips, I had to cut the light strips into squares and do the stems.  For them, I cut 1" x 3" rectangles from several charms squares.  I pressed the rectangles in half, and then opened it back up and pressed the edges into the center crease, and then pressed it all closed again--you know, like double-fold bias tape, only much narrower.  I top-stitched them diagonally across the light squares.  I did not make other two-patch units with them, though, I left them and a pile of the the dark squares so that I could be more flexible in my layout.

Usually I am fairly random in my placements with a scrappy look and hope that they all turn out alright.  This time, I did some random, and some planned, so I knew I would have a nice mix in all of my leaf blocks.

Here is one of the "exploded" leaf blocks.  The quilt pattern groups them together in sets of 4, and it just so happens that 4 fit on one of those portable design boards I was working on last month.

Here is a set of 4 all ready to take to my sewing machine.  In the finished quilt, they will be turned different directions, but for this piecing step, I wanted them going all the same direction.

Sometimes when using a charm pack, it is challenging to lay out the quilt without having too similar fabrics too close together.  (At least it is for me.)  But by using this Kansas Troubles line, I had plenty of darks to choose from.  I did need to supplement the background colors from my stash, though.

I had enough boards to lay out all 9 4-leaf groups!

The boards stack up nicely to carry to my machine.

Hopefully they will get sewn together today!

Have a great day and keep warm!

JoAnne