Life After CCCQ

 And here she is!!! Well, almost. I still want to attach a narrow border around the outside from the same fabric as the background before quilting. Somehow I ended up with more red blocks than green blocks.

Completed CCCQ Top

 I have this 72 inch by 18 inch ironing board thingy that I lay on top of my table. It makes it easier to lay out a quilt top to press. I so carefully pinned all the seams to go alternating directions and only missed one. Oh well.

The last CCCQ block was not yet cool after pressing, when my hands were itching to do some more applique. Well, maybe I was avoiding doing something that I should have been doing like completing the re-write on my book before submitting it back to the editor tomorrow.

This is block #1 of Di Ford's Antique Wedding Sample. I joined the block of the month group with homestead hearth last winter. Because I live outside the USA, I get 2 months of blocks (4 instead of 2) mailed out every other month. Not the best plan for continuity. I started the first block before I left for my trip to Australia back in April. My goodness! That was nearly 5 months ago.

 I have had very little experience with hand piecing. In the past, my hands did not like it, but this time it was okay. The patterns and directions given for these blocks are in Di Ford's book Primarily Patchwork. It is not for the faint of heart or a total newbie because there is so much here that I have to figure out for myself. 
 Like, where is the pattern for the center circle? There is none. I reversed appliqued the center and did not get it very round.

It looks less bad on point, which is how all the blocks will be when set together. I will have to remember this when I fussy cut some of the center motifs. There will be a center broderie perse applique there when I eventually decide which chintz fabric I will use. They sent 2 different ones neither of which matches so far.

Those brown star points stick out past the circle.

After I cut out all the pieces and had them half stitched together, I wondered if I could have cut that circle out as one whole piece, but was not going to start over. I got 2 out of 3 points stitched down pointy. Now to get the others done pointy.

 Appliqueing that down was tricky. I had to turn under the seam without catching the seam from the brown star point. I took this next picture with the light shining through it. Perhaps next time I should pay closer attention the pressing the seams to get them out of the way on both sides.

There is still lots more to do on this block. In the meantime, a couple of months ago, I had cut out the first motif for block # 5 because they were big and easy. One of those leaf tips is right on the selvage. Oops.

 Problem here is, there were 2 different pictures of this block in the book. One had the leaves all going in the same direction and the other had 2 reversed. Looks like I cut 2 reversed. They will be on point when set into the quilt.

 My oldest granddaughter Ava, who is nearly 8, was visiting and her daddy insisted that Gramma help her make some needle craft thing for the local fall fair coming in 2 weeks.

 So, we started to make a pillow case. Gramma cut, she pinned and sewed and we both pressed. Well, she pressed and I had my hand over hers on the iron since it was her first time and that thing is hot. She knows now. She touched it by accident. Ouch!

Blessings,
Gramma Chris