Leftover Stack and Whack Blocks from Class -- Some of My Samples

These are blocks I made from leftover fabric with which I backed another  quilt!!  It was really pretty ugly material but worked up well into these posie blocks!  I have put together a bunch of dyed fabrics to border them which I will get to eventually.

This corona virus thing has caused the cancellation of about everything which includes the monthly quilt guild meeting.  As I am old and have asthma, I am being pretty cautious these days.  I am scheduled to have elective surgery in May and hope that will happen! If it doesn't, it doesn't, I guess!

This is the stack and whack I was demonstrating with in class.  I almost liked the fabric but am not thrilled with the blocks.  They are okay but not exciting.  The fabric had  a decent repeat but still not enough variety.  Sometimes the ugliest fabric make the best stack and whacks.  This might have worked better as a hexie!

I surrounded each of the blocks with black as nothing else seemed to work and I did audition a bunch of colors!

Here I auditioned some fabrics for the borders.  The basic fabric is on the side and I didn't go with the dark green as an inside border as it just didn't work.  I used a very pale pale yellow for the sashing as white was too stark.

The top is finished now and will post it in the next blog.  

I am currently machine quilting a top I made last summer which is pretty big.  Basting it was a disaster as the basting spray just wasn't sticking for some reason.  I think I should have washed the back first maybe.  There will be some tucks in the back but the front looks good and the back is such a dark blue, the tucks won't show too much thankfully and they weren't as bad as could be expected. It won't be in any quilt shows!! Standing and basting something this large is torture with my bad ankle and heel.  So I will be keeping to smaller items until i get this all taken care of!  I can do them on my tables with pool noodles sitting down!

I should also comment that I had a sewing machine melt down in February.  The top tension on my Juki fell off and then the Juki decided to stop functioning due to my attempt at repair!  So off to the  closest dealer who is two hours away! He cleaned it all up, greased it (didn't know you were supposed to have that done periodically) and it works l like new now!  Well, after my Juki failed, I went to use my Featherweight which had worked just fine just a few days before.  The belt was slipping terribly so onto Amazon to order a new belt.  Then I pulled out my old Bernina 830.  Of course the light decided to not work on that but at least the machine functioned!!  So onto Amazon again to get a light.  Well the new belt came and the FW worked for about a minute and then didn't again.  I then noticed that the motor was wobbling a bit (it is not easy to get a new belt on a machine) and found a screw that was loose.  I tightened that up and all is well.  New belt and new light on the Bernina!!