In for a pound

This is the last week of classes at my university, so it is generally a happy week around these parts.  There's plenty of work coming up this month, but most of it can be done on my own schedule and from home -- so the worst most intense part of my work year is just about over! Hallelujah!

I am in the middle of grading writing from my fourth-year undergrad seminar, which has been great fun (I'm happy to report!), but I started my Monday morning by assembling four new Farmer's Wife blocks, the pieces for which I cut (from the templates) last night.

block 59, Noon [oops!] Night & Day

block 60 Noon & Light

block 76, Sawtooth

block83, Spider Web

These new blocks bring my FW total to 84...which means that it is time to face the fact that I am indeed going to keep on going with this project. My name is Jennifer, I am addicted to this sampler quilt, and I can't stop at 83.

111 blocks is looking like a pretty realistic goal. I have been learning so much from making these traditional blocks -- many of which I never would have made (they wouldn't have appealed to me, at first glance)...if not for the challenge of this project. So on I go.

I am almost embarrassed to admit that I also finished my second little "whole cloth" project for my Saturday hand quilting class at the workroom. Once I start, I just can't stop!

This one is also destined to be a pillow, and this time I worked with some of the perle cotton (one rich tangerine, and one variegated tangerine) acquired last year.

...please excuse the slapdash thread basting.

My first go at this design included some contrast colours -- some green in the leaves, some brown in the acorns -- but it looked awful, too strangely colourful and also lacking in definition.  I ended up using the solid tangerine and a backstitch for the acorns and the leaf-spines, simply to make them "read" in the overall design.  I'm not sure if there was an alternative, but I'll ask Carolanne's opinion next Saturday.  For now, I am happy with this -- it was fun to do, but I discovered that I find the 30 wt hand quilting thread more pleasurable to work with than perle cotton. Huh!

Good thing my order arrived today from Tristan threads!!!!

I am giddy over these beauties: grab bags of Aurifil cotton in 28 wt (close in feel to the Valdani thread I worked with last week) and 12 wt.  I can hardly wait to start something new. But wait I must.

Have a wonderful day!