Pushing Boundaries, Crossing Borders

I have safely landed in Switzerland and am settling in.  This time I flew economy class. It's certainly different than business class!  The biggest drawback was the luggage weight restriction.  One checked bag, maximum weight of 23 kgs, or 50 l and 1 carry on bag with a 8 kgs, 17.5 lbs. Thankfully, I also had my backpack for my work laptop and new tablet. 

Packing for 7 weeks, including quilt projects, definitely pushed the boundaries on creativity!  The Van Gogh project fabric was rolled into a shipping tube, that the DH cut down to the height of my big suitcase. My IKEA lunchbox served as a sewing equipment box to safely get scissors, thread, needles, etc., here but will be carrying my lunch to work during the weeks ahead. 

I knew 1 fabric project would not be enough to keep me busy in the evenings and whatever I brought had to be a handwork project, small enough to fit. I decided to bring the blue squares project.

 It's 1.5 inch finished size squares, of 1 white, 1 purple and 4 blue fabrics. It is a completely hand pieced project, started years ago when DH had several surgeries, with considerable hospital stays. 

The apartment I'm calling home for now is in Lucerne. As in, the heart of the city! 

It's quite a change from our suburban townhouse! I am embracing this adventure and doing my best to assimilate into this culture. The grocery store is a short two block walk, which means a few trips a week, given the tiny fridge. 

I also need to get used to using this tablet for typing blog posts. 
More later,
Cherry

Outward Bound Again

Yep - I'm hitting the road skies, again! 

Just last Thursday, word came down that I'm needed back in Switzerland.  The Project is big, global and needs all hands on deck.  Me, being here, seven hours behind the team is not optimal, not even good. 

So, the last 6 days have been a whirlwind. DH is up & running on all things house related. Bags are packed, except for a few last minute items. I'll be gone for seven weeks.

Sadly, it means no sewing machine for 7 weeks.  I can't work on the 182 Solstice Day challenge. The machine quilting on the MQ and the construction quilt will have to wait. BUT, and there's always a BUT, I have a project packed.

The Cherrywood Van Gogh challenge design I'm working on it a raw edge applique project. 

The full size cartoon drawing is done, fabrics are selected, safely rolled into a shipping tube and already packed in my suitcase. 

The DH & I went out on Saturday and got me a Kindle Fire 8 HD.  If everything works out, I should still be able to use it to post things to the blog. Fingers crossed. Catch you next week.

Almost Bound Around

The re-quilting on the mini went well.

It still could have been a little flatter but I'm happy with it overall. This nasty wrinkle it gone.

 I used the lime thread on orange - it appears more yellow and it totally works.

Love the look of a newly trimmed quilt! 

I have the binding attached, turned and pinned to the back. 

 Not sure when I'll get it sewn down because there's big news in this girl's life.

Detouring to Phoenix - Fabric Choices

It's a new year, so it's time for a new Quilt Challenge. Besides,  of course, the Cherrywood Challenge, the New Quilt from an Old Favorite Contest, the 182 Day Solstice Challenge...

I couldn't help myself!  

I was driving home from work, right past Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop, like I always do and suddenly, out of the blue, i remembered they had recently announced the details of the 2017 Challenge.  It was right there, on my way home,  I had to stop.

They are doing a "Phoenix Rising Challenge".  The idea is to take a old block (your 'Phoenix' that will rise from the ashes) to use as the medallion of your quilt.  Add in a background fabric, at least three other fabrics, follow the monthly directions for the subsequent borders and after four (4) months the finished quilt will be about 68 inches square. 

The lovely salesgal who was explaining the challenge to me was puzzled when I told her I didn't have any old blocks laying around.  

The conversation went like this...

'You know, like when you've taken a class, made a block & then didn't do anything with it afterward'.   

'Umm, no - don't have any of those.  I'll have to make a new block'

'Really, you don't have any old project blocks?  You must have one or two? You know from a class...'

She was very nice but just didn't grasp the way I work.  Not slamming anyone here! Just a different perspective.  So I need to draft a block. And I already have an idea...

Of course,  I did need fabric!  The shop specializes in Civil War repro and some 30s & 40s prints.  Again - not my norm.  But - they have solids!  I have discovered Riley Blake's Confetti Cottons.  

This pile already has been through the washer & dryer.  The Confetti Cottons have a LOVELY hand to them!!!  The color selection was great. The exception in the pile was the darkest red - 'Rich Red', that is a Kona Cotton.   This fabric selection should be appropriate for a 'Phoenix Rising' quilt. 

Next up - drafting the center block.  It needs to be 18 inches square, set on point and then squared up with the background (black) fabric setting triangles.

Solstice Block # 6 - The Crosswalk

The Solstice Block progress has run aground. Temporarily, thankfully. 

I had caught up with the week's blocks from when I was gone.  I was happily awaiting the Week 6 block release last Wednesday.  

The Crosswalk. 

Oh, don't get me wrong - it's a fine block.  I've seen other quilters' versions on the link up.  I've seen the multi-block layout of it - looks great, very versatile, and easy to make.  Except when you need to shrink in down from 12 inches to 3 inches.

That's when things ground to a halt. The strips and blocks would finish out at a half inch wide and a quarter inch wide in my mini block.  I'm so not sure I can do this. I'm going to try.  

I do like a challenge. I do like a challenge. I do like a challenge.  I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

Worse case scenario, if it's an epic fail, I will need to redraft the block to make it less complicated.