the trouble with spring

jill here... I'm running behind.  Supermoon, the equinox and even daylight savings time do not add any more energy to my day.  And now that its spring, there is the "outside and inside".  I love spring but sometimes its just too much.  Then the IRS had to wreck a really good season and add TAXES!  Here comes the rain.  Better let the dogs in.

I'm longing to be creative, mostly because there are other urgencies.  I've been wanting to make a gift so I will give a "tried and true" little quilt a new version. Remember the fabric bookmarks that were cut and recut?  The following exercise is similar with a new combination of elements.

I started with 6 Asian and batik fabrics in a variety of color, scale, value. 

I cut large squares of each and stacked them one on top of the other.
Large sweeping curves were cut through all the layers.

One more counter curve was established.

The pieces were rearranged.
I made a plan as to the piecing order .
Using a scant 1/8" seam allowance and a tight stitch,
the deepest curves were sewn first, pressed to one side.

When sewing large curves together, repress intersections
(if necessary) so the seam allowances are opposing.
Pin the intersection and sew from the center to the outside.

Because of the sewn curve may be uneven, it will need to be trimmed.

These are four of the sewn blocks.  They look a little rough.

It seems rather disjointed - guess I'll have to pull it together.

I made a strip set alternating dark green and red.  I was going to create a "check"
but I lost my mind and made the strips uneven so....

The strip was cut into squares, alternating vertical with horizontal,
sewn together then cut at an angle.

Using a technique from Sandi Cummings' Thinking Outside the Block,
a stip will be added.
 This is a slice through the block in preparation for the strip.

One wacky strip was enough.  The second strip addition
was a combination of the cream with the dark green. I thought
it needed more light value.
The strips were pressed toward the strip to raise it up.

Another block with strip set cut 1', sewn end to end and then
the teal added as the second.

Block trimmed to 6.5"x10.5".

Second block trimmed.

So stay tuned (next Tuesday) to see how to finish the blocks into little quilts.  In the mean time, I'll try sorting out important from urgent.  Unfortunately, sometimes they're BOTH.  Have a good week and enjoy the coming of Spring.