I’m still working on my Lollypop Trees.  Now that’s a Work in Progress.

I also have two Bee blocks to think about: Krista’s wonky houses.  I have an idea or two for those, but this is a very cool mosaic that she put together for us.  Now that’s another skill I need to learn.

And this one intrigues me.  It’s a Cloak and Dagger block by Judy Martin.  I found it in someone else’s book, and it’s dated 1983.  I have done major searches on this pattern and have turned up nothing.  That’s the blind spot of the internet.  We assume everything is on here.  It isn’t–just everything from about ten years ago, or maybe even fifteen.  But 1983?  That’s practically the Dark Ages in Web 2.0. But like I said in my last post, the internet did save me ultimately, and I found the book on Amazon.

Still no progress on any of my Cross-X blocks.  Those Lollypop Trees have taken all my time.

Lee, of Freshly Pieced fabrics is taking a long summer break.  Click *here* to return to see others’ works in progress, hosted by Amy from Sukie Don’t You Know Who I Am?

Many thanks to Lee for hosting us on WIP Wednesday.  Click here to return to her blog and see other projects begun this early summer day (even though Summer Solstice hasn’t arrive officially).

Summer’s starting and the air is hot, the birds chirp-chirping early in the morning, the days longer.  I just need my energy to last longer because I’m working on the Lollypop Trees again.  My goal is to get all the fabrics cut out and pinned down, as I hope to sew on them all Fall and have the quilt blocks finished by early next year.  This is a long-term quilt, not quick.  Duh. I’ve traced off the patterns onto freezer paper and cut them all out and am now starting in on Block Five.

Working also on Bee blocks–two a month throughout summer.  I just sent off my first two!

Binding for the Gingham Quilt, to be revealed on July 4th, along with a few others.  Check the tab above, Project Gingham, for whose block or four or mini-quilt or quilt we’ll see that day.

Took a class from Becky Goldsmith yesterday, and now I have the class sample from her class to finish up.  I had a great time with the ladies of the Orange Grove Quilters Guild.  Add one more WIP to the list.

Rolls?  Yes, one of my BIG Works in Progress is a luncheon for 70 on the last Monday in June.  I made up a batch of these Buttermilk rolls to try them out for the sandwiches in the box lunch: delicious.  Now to make four more batches.  A sandwich on a homemade roll instead of a croissant–I think that’s a fair trade.  It’s for the first day of  camp for the young women in our area, so they asked me to put together the box lunches and get them ready to go by 7:00 a.m. to go up the mountain to camp.

But all forward progress will probably stop on most sewing when my daughter Barbara and her children arrive for a couple of weeks.  It will be fun to see them!

Many thanks to Lee, of Freshly Pieced, for hosting us on WIP Wednesdays.  At least I HOPE she’s hosting us today, as I know she had plans to head to market.  Be sure to head back over there to enjoy our weekly quilts-in-progress.

It’s not a big surprise I’ve had gingham on my mind.  But today I actually wanted to dive into the fabrics and sew with them, so above is my work in progress (need the binding and the hanger) for today.  The quilting idea comes from Canoe Ridge Creations.

I didn’t find much difference in sewing with the all-cotton ginghams I’d ordered from Fabric.com versus the lighter-weight vintage ginghams (which are surely a blend of polyester and cotton).  The vintage (and what you’ll get at JoAnn’s) fabric content leads them to be less tightly woven so you’ll not want to do a binding with them, for instance, but I found them fine for general piecing.

The other night I went to a baby shower.  One of the guests — our friend Simone — wore gingham.  My friend Leisa nudged me and said, “Look!  Gingham!”  Simone says she has a blue gingham shirt, too.

One of the challenges is thinking about the kinds of quilts that would work well with this fabric.  I don’t want anything with too many seams, as the constant subdividing of the checks might drive me batty.  However, having said that, I don’t really fuss about it if they are slightly off-grain, as it gives the piece a bit more energy.  (Did you notice the slightly-off grain “geese” up top in my mini-quilt?  Didn’t think so.)

I’ve been collecting a few ideas on Pinterest, finding it a handy place to stash quilts I run across. I also know I want to make a quilt with lots of white in it, to give it a light, fresh summery feeling.

from Rubyru Quilts and Makes 

from Fussy Cut 

But I have to admit I have my heart set on a bowtie quilt (imagine this one in white background with cheerful ginghams everywhere).  Krista, my partner in crime over at KristaStitched already has her idea all picked out!  We’re both hoping we can entice Cindy of Live a Colorful Life to come and play with us too.  Stay tuned.

Watch for our giveaway of three packets of gingham fat quarters (plus half-yard of Kona white in each) coming soon.