The Wall: WIPs

I believe I mentioned earlier that for the first time in a good many years, I am taking a quilt class. It is a four-part series on New York Beauty, a design I have long admired. My teacher is superb. My classmates, for the most part, are talented, precise people who learn quickly. There are a one or two others who are like me. It has been fun to see the different fabrics that they choose.

There have been three classes and after each one I have completed the block taught that night and made one (or two) more using what I learned in that most recent class. There is one technique that has me flummoxed. I have not photographed those miserable attempts. Tonight is the last class and I hope I can persuade the teacher to go over that one thing just one more time. Tonight we will be learning about borders and settings.

I'm not overly ambitious. If I can make a total of twelve blocks, I'll have enough for a nap-size quilt (though whether one could actually sleep under such points, such vibrancy, such gloriosity would remain to be seen). I am glad that I have taken the class. I do not find the blocks to be easy, but that is okay. I like things that take time, that require thinking and attention to detail. I think I will enjoy making five more blocks and setting them.

It has also been a good many years since I last participated in a block swap that I didn't organize. Recently I saw one for 12" finished blocks using only Kaffe Collective fabrics. I thought I would give it a try.

There was a place to sign up and to specify what colors we wanted in our blocks. I made a little spreadsheet and consulted each participant's color preferences, made 20 nice Louisiana blocks and mailed them out. While the final due date isn't for a couple of months yet, nearly half of the incoming blocks have been received.

The blocks are all pretty. A handful of people paid attention to my request for "blues, greens, and purples" in my blocks. Two of the blocks are real disappointments: one has selvedges visible, not just in the seam allowance, but in the interior part of the block. One has some fabric that I do not believe is from the Collective.  Fortunately, I have odds and ends of nice cool-color fabric on hand and will be able to make replacement blocks for those that turn out to be unusable for my project.