Second pink baby quilt top finished

Once the strips are cut, sewing them together takes really very little time. I now have to figure out how to do the same cutting strips from my fat quarters...

Baby Boom

My relatives and friends, here and in Israel, are dropping babies at a fast pace. And I'm trying to keep up with baby quilts. I have one baby boy who was born in Israel while I was there but I didn't get around to finishing anything then. And this past week, my aunt and uncle had a new great-grand-daughter as did Menachem's aunt and uncle, both babies in Israel. Also, a pupil of my father's is having a baby boy next month and a friend's daughter is having a baby girl in January.
I bought some pink and green fabrics for baby girl quilts while in Israel and with a little bit of fabric I purchased at Fabricland earlier this week, I had enough to do four quilt tops. I cut the fabric last night into eight 4.5" strips. I sewed the strips together this morning and then recut into nine 4.5" strips and sewed those together. All this between 6 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., including shower and breakfast, before I left for work.
I have one top finished with 4" finished squares which repeat in a diagonal pattern. Very pretty in pink. I will lather, rinse and repeat twice more and that will take care of my baby girl quilt tops.
I actually have two more tops ready from leftovers from other projects which could definitely be suitable for boys.
I need to buy backing, batting and then quilt. I will either free-motion in the one stitch I know, use my machine's serpentine embroidery stitch or stitch diagonally through the corners of the squares.
I had cut some 1.5" or 2" squares from previous quilting projects and had started sewing them into rows but found it too tedious. I ripped out the seams (not that many) and will make the squares into 9 patches which I will alternate with solids or softly patterned neutrals to make more baby quilts.
I am really trying to avoid purchasing what I don't need to. I have fabrics which don't really go with anything else so I may need to purchase stuff to be able to use them but I am trying not to buy anything just because it's lovely...
The original reason I went to Fabricland was to buy one spool of thread for one of my "Missed Deadlines" pieces. I will try to finish them off this weekend so I can concentrate on not missing the baby deadlines.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Actually, it flies no matter what. Another week has gone by. Did I do any stitching during the week? Not really. Can't recently motivate myself to jump out of bed first thing in the morning. Then I spend too much time at the computer or watching the old movie channel. And since I'm usually at my best first thing in the morning, things don't approve when I get home from work so I go back to the computer and TV.
Yesterday, Saturday, I did jump out of bed because November 1st library show deadline is looming. With my slice finished and out of the way, I got started on three smaller pieces. My starting point was three circles made using coffee filters as the template. This was for the "Grounds for Change" challenge which I had planned to enter but missed the deadline. Then I was going to answer the call for entries the "Bend, Fold, Manipulate" exhibit and made three circles, using folded and manipulated fabrics but again I missed the deadline. Not that I couldn't have been ready. I think my hesitancy was rooted in self-doubt rather than time constraints. I am well on my way to finishing "Missed Deadlines I,II, and III".
My day was, however, interrupted by errands. We started at the hazardous waste depot where we dropped off some paint and a dead TV set. Then to Costco for quick and thrifty visit (i.e. we weren't sucked in by all the "deals" and only bought what we needed and what we think is a great birthday gift for Alanna. Then to Chapters to get a gift certificate for Mindy who never forgets our birthdays like we forgot hers... And then to Dearborn to buy accoutrements for Amit's Tripp Trapp. We got last year's model plastic seat on sale. We were not, however, about to pay $90 for two small padded cushions. I don't think he really needs them but if he does, I'll sew them. Same goes for the harness, which he does need but which I can buy the straps and closures for at Fabricland and make it myself.
In the evening, we were invited to Devora's for dinner. It was lovely, relaxed and I didn't feel tired until someone said it was almost 10. Too much excitement for me.
This morning, Sunday, I started sewing at 8 a.m. and didn't stop until noon. Partly because I need some thread and partly because I'm hungry. So off to munch and then decide what to do -- buy thread and continue or call it a day.
Oh, I also finished hemming the 5 flannel receiving blankets that Carmit asked me to make her. Actually she only asked for 3 but I couldn't decide which colours so she'll take what she wants and I'll keep the rest for someone else.

Slice done

The slice if finished. I started by laying down the grass and then row after row of pieced shingles. After which, I didn't like the fabric I had chosen for grass. Replaced the grass with bright green solid fancy fabric (not sure what it is) then overlaid it with a melange of threads, ribbons, yarns in shades of green done with Solvy. I did a simple quilting stitch in the ditch by following the lines of the shingles. It's a little rough but looks great. I just finished squaring it and there's plenty of wiggle room to get it down to the 6.5" finished size.
Ta da!

So far what I've done this week

Monday after work, I went to Baycrest to meet up with Marilyn and Annabell and her husband. Saw the mezuzah exhibit. Very nicely displayed. Some of the pieces were outstanding, a wide variety of techniques and ideas. One was, surprisingly, "chalushes" but I will not elaborate. We also went up to see the "Pardes" banners. Wow.
Tuesday -- nada.
Wednesday, I stopped in at Fabricland and bought some fabrics for the slice.
Thursday -- nada.
But this morning, waking up at 5 and trying to stay in bed until at least 6, I had a few ideas. So I jumped up and began piecing. That old adage about the first cut being the hardest is so true. But once I get started, I'm usually on a roll.
I put down the grass, and did the bottom two rows of cedar shingles. So now I know where I'm going, I hope to get it finished this weekend, errands permitting.

Small steps

Slice quilt -- I made a template on freezer paper of the cedar shingles. I had thought of using recycled pant hems, courtesy of Zev, but the colours are too dark. Since the predominant colour appears to be light grey, I may just go into Fabricland and purchase something. The total size is 6.5 inches X 24 inches -- how much fabric would I need? A few 10 cm. strips should be fine. I am debating now whether to do raw edge or pieced. I guess it will depend which fabrics I use.

Circle collages -- On the design wall but not speaking to me yet.

I may or may not get together today with IJQ visitors from Australia. I won't be available until after work (3 p.m.) and am not sure what their schedule is.

New Year -- New Start

I did finish Jojo's chuppah in time (the night before...) in spite of "interruptions" i.e. surprise visits of Inbal with baby Amit and Rotem. Since I finished the chuppah (the wedding was September 6th), I have not been in my studio. A bad cold a slight depression when the kids left, yada yada.
But it is a new year and time to get cracking on new things. Granted commitments from last year but new nevertheless.
Two of those commitments are related to FibreArts Toronto. We're doing a slice quilt and the slices were to have been completed already. I haven't started. So I've got to get moving on that. I just have to figure out if the pant hem materials I have will work.
Also we each have to do new pieces for our November library show. Since inspiration hasn't really hit, I'm going to be doing a recycled fabric triptych collage. I will use the embroidered sheer fabric removed from Jojo's chuppah perimeter and the three circles I started on for grounds for change, fuse some fancy fabrics and trims, a little machine serpentine stitching over them, some beading and embroidery, and hopefully have something to make the pieces work together. I know, not terribly original but I can claim that I'm working in a series.
We are going to New York at the end of October and then Israel mid-November so I've got to get back to a routine of an hour before work and an hour after if I want to complete things on time.
And wouldn't it be nice if I could finish "Marty's Ties" so I can take it to Ruthie?
Off to stitch.