Getting the ball rolling

okay!  I think this can work.  At first I thought not  'cause the ball seemed too small.  I shoulda got the bigger size.  but...  If one follows the directions- lol  First inflation seems small.  The next day deflate to 50% and fill again.  whoa!  magic.   It almost doubles in size.  Now to master sitting.  Not difficult to sit but positioning it at the desk and keyboard is a little tricky.  :)  But I like it!

I got my new fabrics which is a bit distracting as I like them but we haven't finished fall yet!  :O

I am thinking to do something in my square in a square series but the right choice is still being bounced around.  I think I just may start cutting and start putting things up on the wall.  How come it is hard to get improvisational balls in the air?  But I'm gonna roll with this palette.

Curtailing the Craziness

While I managed to curtail the start of a new quilt I did realize that I could scratch that particular itch with a little kitchen project.  The kitchen has a ways to go but I can get some accessories happening.

The colours for the kitchen are a medium/light taupe and aqua with a nod to the golds in the adjoining rooms. I need to decide what the final colour for the hutch will be.  A new island will definitely be aqua and I'm deciding if it will be the only aqua .  ???

Interestingly the fabric I am using for my kitchen valence, the taupe tone on tone, was bought for the Conway Album quilt which under went a couple of colour revisions. :O  So I have LOTS!

I want to order new roller blinds as this is a south window and then I can figure a simple valance for this window.  The Rooster has always pulled any kind of curtains up and out of the way so he can survey his farmdom and I now just do a valance.  lol

This room is still a work in progress.  I need to put a final coat on the window and door trim.  At some point I will add a molding to the top of the wood and probably paint the bottom a darker taupe but that will be after we take out the sink and move it into an island.

When I raised the wood part of the walls I changed the space available for pictures. I've had to reconfigure things.   The stove wall needs tiles and an overhead vent. That little birdhouse now seems wrong.  ???  I like a variety of wall art so perhaps a wall hanging is what the kitchen needs. oh! BTW  I'm 'relaxing' the sheer fabric for the sitting room window.  Ahem, I'm really gathering my nerve to tackle that slippery stuff!  :(

But I am making a runner for the table and a couple of curtains from the ToT fabric for under the sink.  The new overhead light is dismal so that will be replaced also. :(   I'm feeling good about the kitchen but now to complete it!

 I realize it is a new project but I got the size down to something a bit more manageable.  lol  This is my attempt at improvisational piecing!  I may skinny up the widths.  ???

The weather is warming and that means we are getting snow.  Hence the whiteout in the kitchen window.  Looks like a good evening to make curtains and scratch my patchwork itch.  The Rooster is on supper tonight!  Cock a doodle DO!

KISS

I thought I was kissing!  lol

But once again I was trying to do way too much and way too fast!

So divide and conquer!

Should I do trees? 

Closed trees?

Open trees?

What colours?

Trees will take some time to get to full leaf!  ;)  I must do more drawing and experimenting.

Should I do houses?

I am not sure I want cute.  So again I need to do some thinking about houses.

Or should I do some sorta quick improvisational blocks with this 'had to have' fabric that fell into my hand as I was searching through the stash and get them up while I decide which series to work in?

Conclusion:

It is okay to do laundry on 3Mt days as it gives small breaks to think away from all the options.  lol

The quick fix, the instant gratification will be to cut and sew improvisational blocks for a wall hanging for my naked front room wall.  Small size, big reward.

While I sew I will think about bright and bold and wonky.  It may need a place in another 'soon to be decorated' spot in the house.  Kitchen?  :O 

Trees have always been a big draw. My round robin quilt began with a tree of life block.  I think I will start sketching, photographing, playing with trees. This will not really feel like something I want to smack my lips about and savour the sweetness but it is a good and simple start to something I am going to be happy to blow kisses at when I finally get it up on my wall. 

There are sweet, soft, wet kisses from my wee grand kiddies.  Then there are the firm, 'so glad to see ya' from my Rooster!  Each have there place and I hope to blow a few from my own fingertips as I  do some "whoa, Nellie!" and settle down to smell the trees!  ???   mmmwaaa!

two steps forward...

at least one step back!

Four, three, four, three was too predictable so I used the 3 little chunks from the leftover pile to make a half block and that felt better. I had used some of the side border gold fabric to make one more pinwheel as well but I used the back of the fabric.




I now need to think about this top and see if I need a few borders and if it will need a binding or self facing.



Then I picked the 4 fabrics for a convergence wall hanging and two fabrics have collided in a less than graphic way so I am also considering my options for that. The 2 top fabrics do not have enough contrast and it didn't show up until I did the final slicing. Hmmm!

Sew far...

I think the white and black fabric is too stark for what I am doing so I had a Dye-na-flow colour, ochre, that I thought would work. First time for this and I was thinking a wash but it went on full strength. hmm! Oh well, it is a challenge. :0

I forgot to take a photo when it was done. I tried to get it lighter as I worked across but it is already cut up.

I cut the coloured fabric into 3 skinny strips and ...

Now this is totally improvisational as I have no, well, not too much, of an idea. I've had to toss the first fabric now that I'm thinking this may actually find a home in the upstairs hall.

I need to decide if it is okay to show my progress. I've already decided that despite the size restriction, 160 " perimeter, I will be making it whatever as I am quite tired of working to challenges and not to what I need, want and desire.

I guess I've decided to show progress. ;^)

Intentional Improvising.

I had hoped to do most of the piecing for these 12 inch improvisational blocks at our Common Threads meetings. I wanted something that I could easily work on away from home. The top and bottom strips in the corners need to be wide enough for seam allowances and unfortunately I need to focus on that and not on all the wonderful activity around me. I have them cut, pieced and ready for the next sewing bee and I'll try again with the little centre squares. I wish I had bought lots more of the theme fabric. I luv the colours and the circles. I can get 18 nine patch blocks from my metre of fabric. Then I'll see what I can do next.

The table is cleared for the journal quilt due tomorrow. Then I'll take down and baste the quilt on the design wall so I can get my blocks from the Process Pledge up for viewing. I am happy to report that five things a day seems to be working well so far.