Solid frenzy!

Yes, it's a new work-in-progress!

What I was supposed to work on...

So I went down to the sewing room last night to get some progress on this quilt:

Don't get me wrong, I really like what I am doing here.  But again, there are muted colours, that are not all that exciting.  Like is not love...  I have a great idea for a not so traditional setting, and I think it will be a fun quilt.  This may become my first charity quilt.  But I digress...

What I meant to say was, I did not end up working on the above quilt at all.   Somewhere on the way between the kitchen and the sewing room, likely in the stairs leading to the basement, I had a flash of what I wanted to work on.  I had to set everything aside and start yet another project.  Had to.  Does that ever happen to you?

What I did work on...

What was it? Improv piecing with solids only.   Hardly original, I know, but this will be my fist and, man, the creative juices were flowing!  So I took out my solid scraps bin, and started piecing, and cutting and piecing and cutting and piecing.  Madly.  After an hour and a bit, this is what I had done:

 

The dark patches you see on there are forest green and a very dark blue.  Wondering if I should add black and/or white into the mix...  Yeah, probably... I think the more the merrier.  Oh and I already know the binding will be partially made with leftover solid binding bits of other projects...

Side note: Design wall

As you can see, my design wall is a door - specifically a closet door.  It has been covered with old ceiling tiles (works like a corkboard so I can use pins if need be), than white flannel.  It is not big enough for a full-size quilt, but for anything smaller, it works out wonderfully.  And that's my bolt of batting showing on the right.

More solid love to come...

Now, as exciting as the solid improve project is, I am going to have to set it aside for a little while (but probably not before another session).  Yes, I still have a bucket full of scraps, but I want to add more vibrant colours, and coincidentally, at the top of my want-to-make project list is a quilt made with these beautiful Konas:

These will be beautiful additions to the quilt.  I also have a few more pieces I have either not ironed (violet, teal, light pink) or washed ( lilac and royal blue) - don't check your Kona colour card, by the way, these are not actual names, nor all they all Konas...

I really don't want to cut too much into yardage for this - I want it to be a truly scrappy quilt.  I only allow myself to cut one or two narrow bands from any solid yardage if a colour is underrepresented.  And absolutely no purchase for that one. None!  well, as far as the top goes.  I am not promising anything for the backing.

The September 1st list

On another note, I always feel that September, not January, marks the beginning of the year.  Since today is September 1st, I thought I'd post a list of  my WIP to have as a reminder and hold myself accountable.

1. Wedding quilt - top completed.  Need to finish by mid-October (That's when the person who will deliver it for me all the way across the continent will be travelling out west).
2. Daughter's quilt - This is the one I was hand quilting at the cottage.  I have about 40 more hours of hand quilting to do, then binding.  Really want to finish by Christmas.
3. Stars quilt mentioned about - also would like to finish this Fall.
4. Bed quilt for our house - the top is done and I'll blog about it later.
5. Improv solids - in progress.

Not yet started:

1. Yellow-orange-pink quilt: Want to cut ASAP. 
2. Kaffe quilt: I am not much one for quilts made with one collection, but I think Kaffe Fassett is an exception.  I finally bought the Kona Putty that is going to bind all his luscious fabrics together.  It will be in the line of this quilt or that quilt.

Of course I have a gazillion more in my mind.  A low-volume quilt, a scrappy trip, a bag, a 1930s quilt... not to mention the 5-6 more UFOs that are a constant reminder of how much I get side tracked...

And it goes without saying that this list will change (and probably expand).  I am not setting high standards for finishes, but I want to see some serious progress.

So that's what's I've been up to lately.  What about you?