Jane Stickle Quilt: J-11

Block number/name: J-11 “Twin Sister”

Date completed: February 15, 2010

Number of pieces: 7

Notes on block: This block looks a whole lot better in person. In real life, there really is contrast between the fabric and background. Really! This was a quick, simple block to stitch, taking less than an hour. Having all of the melons prepped and ready (with freezer paper on the bottom) was a big help too. It made positioning them much easier and more accurate.

Greenpiece: Applique blocks 9 & 10

These are the last of the Moda Greenpiece applique blocks for the month.

Applique block 9:


This little apple is definitely my favorite block so far. I'm so pleased with how it turned out!

Applique block 10:


This block, on the other hand, is not a favorite. My placement of the leaves wasn't great, resulting in one leaf kind of shooting off into the distance compared to the others. And then just the overall look of the flower seems odd to me. But it's done, and I'm definitely happy about that. :)

Hopefully, I'll be able to get to this month's pieced block before the Thursday club meeting!

Jane Stickle Quilt: L-9

Block number/name: L-9 “Walter’s Place”

Date completed: February 13, 2010

Number of pieces: 29

Notes on block: I stitched up this happy little block while watching the movie Couple’s Retreat. It was a fun movie to go with a fun block.

On cupcakes and pinwheels

On cupcakes:

Today is my birthday, so (with a little help from my boy) I made myself some cupcakes!!!


Yum!!! We used the Vanilla Cupcake Recipe from the Magnolia bakery. Overall, I was very happy with the resulting cupcake. It was maybe a little on the dry side, but I loved the dense texture and the sweetness level and the vanilla flavor (though we had a little vanilla incident in the making of these cupcakes... so I don't know exactly how much ended up in there-- but I know it was a at least a little over the top!). I even got a little fancy and whipped out the piping bags for some decorative frosting. So pretty!

On pinwheels:

How can I resist?


It just looks like way too much fun!

Jane Stickle Quilt: BR-12

Block number/name: BR-12 “Jessie’s Stained Glass”

Date completed: February 10, 2010

Number of pieces: 19

Notes on block: This is one of those blocks where finished is definitely better than perfect. I looked at the block in the original quilt vs. Brenda’s draft, and decided that I really liked the look of the original. I liked that there was more color and I thought the little diamond dipping into the bottom section was kind of cool. So I did a little drafting.

When I redrafted, I attempted to do it without changing the entire block (because I’m lazy). It resulted in a changed middle area (the areas outlined in the dark pen), but the top and bottom sections were left the same (the ones in pencil). Just from my draft, you can see that it wasn’t perfect, and that imperfection translated pretty perfectly into a finished wonky block. And that little dippy diamond gave me fits! It was mostly stitched and then that little point was appliquéd. I also had lots of fun trying to get the bottom section attached (it’s actually stitched on one side of the dippy diamond and then appliquéd on the other).

In the end, though it doesn’t look great now, I think it will work fine in the quilt. Phew!

Greenpiece: Applique blocks 7 & 8

I've made some more progress on my Moda Greenpiece quilt.

Applique block 7:


I really like the simplicity of this one. And my boy loves pears. So it also makes me think of him.

Applique block 8:


This one was a little more challenging, mostly because placement was difficult (there are no placement diagrams for any of these-- all that is included is a tiny little picture of the block and all of the separate pieces). It ended up kind of off to one side, but when I trim the block down, I should be able to get it a little more centered. I think this one is really pretty.

Nearly caught up on these now! Just two more applique and two pieced blocks to go before next week's meeting/block distribution.

Indecision...

One of the things on my before-baby to-do list is to make a new diaper bag for myself. A couple months after the Boy was born, I made Amy Butler's Nappy Bag, and I have been using it ever since.


You can't tell from the picture above (because it was taken when it was sparkly and new), but it is starting to look a little worn, and I'm pretty tired of it. After three years of use, it is definitely time for something new!

I searched about for a pattern, and came across the Mabel Messenger by Jenna Lou Designs on etsy. I like the size, the shape and the long adjustable strap. I don't like the dearth of pockets-- but that is something I think I can remedy pretty easily.

At this point, I've got everything cut and fused and I've stared sewing.


Here's where the indecision comes in. The pattern calls for Peltex (a super thick, heavy interfacing) on the outer pieces. I used it. I'm not thrilled with it. It is super stiff. I mean, I like a structured bag and all, but this verges on the ridiculous for me. At first, I wasn't even happy with how it looked, but with some vigorous ironing, I've tamed it to a shape I like. So now it's just back to the overall feel and crazy structure that I'm unsure about. I'm torn (and here is where the indecision comes in):

Should I scrap it (since I'm not thrilled at this point) and start anew (keeping in mind that this would require purchasing more fabric, because I don't have enough of the outer for a do-over)?

-or-

Should I keep plugging along and see how it goes? If there is one thing I've learned from my Jane Stickle blocks, it's that what seems hopeless at first can turn out just fine in the end. And this bag could be like that too.

At this point, I'm kind of leaning towards forging onward, but at the same time, I'm really worried about the waste of time if it's turns out to be a bust. It's just stressing me out. I think I'll sleep on it. Maybe even for a couple of days.