Yes, I did the time-honored tradition of quilters everywhere, that when you can’t finish what you’ve got going (Summer Treat, Lollypop Trees) make the leap and add to your stash.  Here’s my latest additions, along with their plans:

Does this give you a hint?  And I in my usual decisiveness, I couldn’t decide between the . . .

. . . pink, or. . .

. . . blue.  It was that farm truck that made me do it.  I owe a couple of Polaroid blocks, and I’m thinking that barn with the quilt would be a perfect candidate for a Polaroid block.  No firm idea for this one, but I am drawn to some of the blocks in my vintage Judy Martin book.

This was purchased to go with the other ocean-themed pieces my friend Rhonda sent me last year.  I have in mind a tote bag, but can’t seem to get to it, so I thought maybe I needed another piece to go with it?  You can see the problem with this way of thinking, can’t you?  

So how could I not get these tone-on-tone Riley Blake Chevrons?  Unlike Rita of Red Pepper, who shows you some stash and then snaps her fingers and the next day the quilt is done, I won’t be showing you anything soon.  I keep having little horrid thoughts cross my mind that interfere with envisioning this in its own quilt, thoughts like the fact that the handout on rhetorical thinking is over there on the computer waiting to be written for class tomorrow.

I fell in love with this Reina and her cherubs, so I ended up getting the whole bundle from Fabricworm:

I added a couple of pieces to this, and so totally want to start slicing through it. New fabrics have a way of dislodging some stuck places, getting you going again on a project.

I was stuck on Summer Treat quilt, because I only cut out enough for a fairly small quilt.  I’m used to lap-sized quilts and there this tiny thing was, plastered to my pin wall for nearly a month, because I had determined it was too tiny and needed to be larger.  Finally I said to my Dave, “Can quilts be small?”  “Yes,” he said in all his wisdom and experience (of living with a quilter for lo, these many years).  That was all I needed to start rummaging through the stash to find the right backing.

All the colors in the quilt are here.  I may even bind it with this for a touch of whimsy on the front against all those solids.

And while this is primarily a quilting blog, and today’s post is primarily about Quilts in Progress, I realized that my tiny universe of quilts is nothing compared to bigger Works in Progress.

Like the elections in America, getting off to their post-Labor Day horserace to the finish line in November.  I assigned my students the task of watching either the keynote or the nominee’s speech for either party, so last week was the Republican’s turn and this week it’s the Democrat’s turn.  I have to say I am enjoying the speech-i-fying, but more importantly, I am enjoying the fact that we have elections at all.

And how about this for a work in progress?

Cue the Karen Carpenter songs.  The reception was done on a shoestring because they are both students (that’s why I was the photographer), and frankly they both look like a couple of teenagers, but their lovely smiles and obvious tenderness for each other reminded me of why weddings make us cry.  Talk about a work in progress.  Theirs has just begun.

So, like a bride tossing her bouquet, bequeathing to another this task of beginning, I wish you all the best in your Works in Progress, whether they be candidate speeches, or packing school lunches, or starting a quilt, or yes, even finishing one.

Happy Post-Labor Day.  Happy Quilting!

This is really my work in progress: my class on Critical Thinking, and here’s a stack of books I’d assembled to cull through, glean from.  But in the end I found as much help from the textbook I used when I went to this class as an undergrad, and so dragged that out (now where’d I put all those notes?) and feel quite a bit less panicky. But doesn’t the desk where I quilt look smart with all those book on argument stacked up?

This was the work in progress over the weekend.  A measly bitty border block for the Lollypop Tree quilt.  Actually I sewed three of these baby blocks, feeling quite impressed with myself.  (A side effect of spending too much time thinking about my class is the desire to climb into my jammies as I arrive home and curl up with a book).  Didn’t Mary Poppins sing that a job well-begun is half-done?  I kept thinking about that as I pulled these out.  At least I’m starting on the appliquéing part.  At the very least.

I assigned my class the task of listening to any one of the four following political speeches: the keynote from the Dem or GOP convention or the nominee’s speech from the same two circuses parties conventions.  So I watched Ann Romney’s speech last night, which led into the keynote of the GOP, Gov. Christie, and sewed on this new EPP block, while my husband and his friend provided the local color and play-by-play commentary.

Then today in class we had a lively discussion on whether or not the students voted, and did they think it important?  A few offered up that they didn’t think it was important, but many felt confused by the propositions on the ballot (we live in California) and what the candidates stood for.  I offered to take some office hours time to help them sort it out so they could decide, but that they had to help do the research.  I purposely keep my preferences under wraps so as not to prejudice them, but really often I feel the same as they.  I’ve decided that voting is a little like the block above, all the pieces coming together to make a democratic whole.  A few other students encouraged the bystanders to take their vote seriously.  I was really happy about that. And as I look at this block, I can see I’ve got some rearranging to do up there.

The last thing for this work in progress post (posted soooo late in the day) is this wonderful birthday card my nephew made for his daughter Charlie on her 7th birthday.  I love all the stylish dogs and puppies.  Very fun to look at it.  And yes, he got his masters in art, and works for a fashion design firm in New York City.

His wife is equally talented (that’s one of her photos, above), and her blog, Found While Walking, always has the most beautiful bouquets of flowers, gathered up mostly from her garden.

Okay, this post is a little off of quilt topics, and yes, it’s a stretch for my brain to even work tonight (I’m already in the jammies), but this weekend is Labor Day and I plan to labor all day at the sewing machine, stowing away the books and distractions to really enjoy my Labor Day holiday.

Happy Labor Day to you too.  Now head back over to the Freshly Pieced blog — guest hosted by Michelle of City House Studio — to see other Works In Progress.

Yep, the mess is back in my sewing studio.  This is block number six.  After this one, I’m halfway.  Putting down the big petals and leaves is fun and goes quickly, and then it’s the small circles which take up the time.  I’m currently debating the ones dangling from the tips of the magenta leaves: do they work?  Should I go to a different fabric?  What WILL work there?  I’m getting quite a collection of “no, not quite right” pieces in a ziploc bag.  Sometimes I think it’s best to just lay it down and move on, as these trees will be seen in a collection — a riot of colors and shapes and no one item will stand out.  I hope.

Finished my comittment to the Polaroid Blocks and sent them off, but just cut out a bunch more centers (you can see them in the Lolly photo, on the windowsill).  At our group’s quilt day, Lisa had brought out an old project I’d abandoned (anyone remember “I Spy” quilts?) and she let me sneak back a few of those centers.  It was like strolling through a historical section of the quilting timeline, to see some of those fabrics.  So I cut a few more Polaroid centers.

I received an Amazon gift card.  You know what I need to do with these.  READ THEM.

I worked on these when the quilters met, and at the end of the day, took a good look at a couple of the blocks.  Like the blue/green one above.  See the problem (the correct layout is the yellow/lavender block)?  I did unpick the blue/green block, found its companion of green/blue, and swapped out the corner pieces.

Here they are, all arrayed and correct.  This is another Work in Progress.

To see more, head back over to Lee’s Freshly Pieced Blog, where Taryn of from Pixels to Patchwork is the guest host, for another WIP Wednesday.