Two Colour Challenge

I know I promised to decide on my pattern by yesterday but obviously that didn't happen. I am going to try a triple Irish chain.
Here are a few of the blocks. I wouldn't put these specific ones next to each other because I made them using strip piecing so are too similar but at opposite ends of the quilt I don't think it will be too noticeable.



So my cyber friends, do you think the chain will be obvious enough? Or are my blues blending too much into the neutrals? DH think so but I think it might be ok still. My neutrals are not horribly neutral and I wish I had a lot more of them, but I'm trying to stash bust/diet a little right now.

5th paper pieced block

Here is my fifth paper pieced block. The colours are off for some reason. It is the same black etc used in the other blocks but there is a definite blue hue to them in the picture. I am finding when sewing the patches together that the add bulk of the paper, even the really thin disolvable kind, really makes it difficult to put the patches together nicely. And pressing them becomes a nightmare trying not to stretch the fabrics.

I went to Walmart trying to find the papers I preferred and could not find them. I was really bummed about it, and I could not find an associate to help. Which is a constant problem there. Which, among a million other reasons, is why I don't buy fabrics/craft stuff there very often.

I went to the doctor yesterday because I have been coughing like mad since Sunday. Apparently I have bronchitis that is attempting to become pneumonia (which is the weirdest word, not even remotely close to how it sounds and not following any real rules of the English language). So I'm loaded up on antibiotics and was given two inhalers. Luckily, if you can call it that, Little Bit is going to see her biodad for the weekend so I will be able to rest some.

Well I've procrastinated enough, I have to finish my readings for class tonight.

Another PP'd block

I finished another of the paper pieced blocks. It is a beautiful pattern but I could not sew it properly to save my life. Nothing matched up properly and I ripped out more seams than I care to remember.
I use the disolvable papers, which normally are so much easier for me to work with, but they don't take having seams ripped out very well. They'll survive one or two oops but after that the paper tears and has so little bulk left to work with. Normally the lack of bulk makes it easier for me but not when I really shouldn't be sewing. I ran out of the papers a little while ago so really have to get to the store to find some more. LQS doesn't carry them and I really don't want to wait to order them online so I think I'll take a trip out to Walmart tomorrow. Shhh...don't sic the Walmart/Quilt police on me for shopping there. I know, I really do, and if I had a lot of money I wouldn't shop there but I don't, so I do, so :P

In other quilty news, I have narrowed down my choices for the two colour quilt challenge to Lady of the Lake or various sizes of stars, probably sawtooth, although the stars and chains still keeps popping up when I think about it. Ok I am the most indesive person. And I really do want to get on with the fun part, cutting and sewing. I'm not big on the actual quilting part, and I hate, HATE, doing bindings but piecing I love.
I'll think about it some more today. I promise I will decide by Friday.

Tomorrow I have my first meeting with the Palliative Care team at the long term care centre I am volunteering at. I'm really nervous. I'm so afraid I'll make an idiot of myself. I know my stuff but it is scary going into a new setting with people who have been together a long time, and I do not know how receptive they are to my field. Death, Dying and Bereavement are not exactly big topics, even in the health care field.
And next week I start agency visits for my practicum. Things seem to be happening really quickly, even though they have been over a year in the works.
Ok deep breathes...and remember to breathe and everything will be fine...right?

Little Bit in the Woods

Here is a picture I took yesterday of Little Bit. We have a really nice walk/forest/park across the street from our apartment buildingsThis picture shows no matter what Little Bit is always going in more at once than I can even think of.

And isn't this the most mischeivious look? Can you imagine the things she gets into?

I took 99 pictures, well I probably took about 85 and DH snapped the rest, including ones with me in them!! I was not amused, especially since I was wearing sweatpants and no makeup and he took them of me playing with Little Bit on the equipment! I'm honestly shocked my camera didn't cry.
DH is on this tangent about the fact that I am never in pictures because I'm always the one taking them. How this is a problem I don't know. He gets a few pre approved pics a year with me in them. Like Christmas, A birthday etc.

BOM Lillebet's Garden 2...well actually 3

Here is the third block in Lillebet's Garden. The colours aren't great. But in the overall design they look good.



Which looks like this.

BOM Lillbet's Garden

I finished another of the blocks for Lillbet's Garden BOM. I'm not a huge fan of the instructions or the fabrics sent with this BOM. The fabrics are not as shown on the website, and they never said anything about different colours. The insructions are mostly good but every once in a while...
Oh well. I've committed to buying it so I'll make it and hope things look good in the end.


Speaking of committing, I agreed to be a Palliative care volunteer at a local long term care/nursing home. Basically I get called when people are dying and need someone to sit with them. The point is that no one has die alone, unless that is what they want. I also get called in to talk to families if they need bereavement support. My placement will be at another long term care facility but I think I will learn a lot at this place too.
I'll be going in once a week for an hour or two even if there isn't anyone specifically palliative. This way I will be familar to residents before they need me.
DH is worried but I think it will be a very enriching and rewarding experience.

Two colour challenge

I was wrong about the book. It hasn't come yet. The rest of my book order got here but not the quilt book. So pooh.
I'm going to set up all the other girls' links on a sidebar. Otherwise I'd be listing forever.
I think I've decided to go with blue and neautral for my colours. I have some nice older looking blues. But I only have about 6 of them.
I do however have 1-2 yards of each. I think I'll use about 8 neautrals.

I guess I'll just have to wait for the book to see how much I need. Or I could of course just do something totally differnt. These blue say Sawtooth to me so maybe I'll do a bunch of stars.

I seem to be in a star mood of late though so I kind of want to do something different.

Paper piecing and a New BOM

Here is yet another paper pieced block. I really like this one and may make some more another day. I had originally thought I could make all the blocks like stars using colour but I have decided I'll just go with the flow and make them as I'm inspired.

I started a new Block of the Month through the Fat Quarter Shop. This is one of my favorite online quilt shops.
The quilt is called Birds and Bees and is designed by Quilt soup. They really have some cute patterns.

This block is called Honey Bees. It was ok to make. I remembered while I was making it that I don't like applique and am not very good at it. It looks wonderful and beautiful but I'm really not very comfortable with it. I had to make two of these.

I'm still trying to decide on my fabrics for the Two Colour Challenge, (checkout Nicole for info) I can't decide. I did get the book The Simple Joys of Quilting. I haven't had a chance to check it out but hopefully it will give me some inspiration.

New Challenge Quilt

Nicole is hosting a Two Colour Quilt Challenge. She and Susan, Erika, Jane, Julia, and Patti are all going to do it.
I've been wanting to make a red and white quilt for a while and this seems like a great opportunity. The peer pressure should help.

I'm thinking of maybe doing a Lady of the Lake, or a 9p and snowball quilt. Something simple and classic.
I also have a bunch of blues and neautrals. Hmmm...I may have to think about this one.
If I do the blues and neautrals I could do a jewel box or Road to Oklahoma. There are so many patterns that look amazing in blue and white/neatral.

I'm not a huge fan of scrappy, at least not making them myself, but I think with two colour quilts it looks really nice.
Blues would be easier because I wouldn't have to worry about them not going together. Reds are a lot harder, you have to watch for the undertone, purple, yellow, brown, etc.
So do I go comfortable and blue or be adventurous and try red?

Really unfun week

First, I know unfun is not a word but it is about the nicest I'm going. My back is still giving me fits. The spasms have bruised my kidneys and now I'm just unhappy. Little Bit is away for the weekend with her biodad and she really didn't want to go.

Second I just noticed that my Wednesday post never published, so if you wish you can skip down and read it now.

Today I got another of my stars done. This one is ok, the problem I had is I ran out of the paper I normally use and just used computer paper, which if fine except that with smaller blocks it is very stiff.

I don't really like this block. I tried playing with it in EQ using all sorts of colour combinations and placements but I never really feel in like, let alone love, with any.
I'm sure after all the others have posted I'll see something that makes it pop.
Something I've noticed when I look at paper pieced blocks is a lot of them make the Maltese Cross when you put them together, either in the center or as a secondary pattern with multiple blocks. It's weird. Or maybe I'm just weird for noticing.
I really hope I get feeling better because I am not enjoying not being able to do anything.