When Leaders & Enders Get Real!

This was my #mediafreesunday activity!

And believe me - it took all day!

I tallied up the  Easy Breezy  blocks last week, affirming that I had enough for the size of quilt I want with this one.

For most intents and purposes - quilts that are around 70'' x 90'' mean they will fit a twin bed at Quiltville Inn, but also be large enough for naps on the couch.  

I've made some smaller projects recently, and though they are quicker to make, and bring great happiness and satisfaction, there are only so many spaces for wall quilts, or table toppers in my life.

Blocks and sashings - ready to get busy!

It all starts with the layout, and the spreading around of variety.

You can call it Quilter's Yoga - but yes I use the floor.  I prefer to use the floor - for as long as I can.

My spaces are open spaces and there is just not a wall space large enough for either a portable or a stationary design wall from floor to ceiling here.

This part took the longest -

The laying of the sashings and cornerstones between the blocks.

A bazillion pieces!

It was a podcast kind of day.  If you have an audible account, do you know they have great podcasts that are included WITH your subscription? I love crime dramas - and the 8 episodes of West Cork kept my ears happy while I was busy with the assembly process.

My goal was to simply build the rows across, while having all of the rows attached to each other in order by the chaining threads between the rows.  I call this "Webbing the top".  You may call it something else - but mostly I call it WONDERFUL!

In the morning sun off the ironing board.

The rows across are complete.

There are chaining threads holding seams together between the rows.

No popping of seams is the best thing about chain piecing.

Now I can simply sew row to row - 

And I know in which order they go.

I finger press seams during the assembly process so seams are easier to nest when the rows are joined to each other.

Today I hope to start the cross seaming of joining rows to rows.

If something like this feels too big and unwieldy for you,  You can cut between the rows into smaller sections - but don't cut between EVERY row.  Because you know - popping of seams!

Maybe work in segments of 4 rows together - or 6.

As each segment is completed, join it to the previous one.  

New from Irene at Cotton to Quilts!

For those anticipating the option of string piecing some of the future (Not saying when it will happen!) units for our Grassy Creek Mystery and wanting to enhance your grey string stash:

Introducing STRING TIME packs!  180 strips from 20 different 10 inch squares.  Strips vary in width from approximately 1'' to 1 3/4'' - PERFECT to add to your growing string collection!

This is not a kit.  It is a Stash Enhancer.  I do not know how many packages you would need to do ALL of the string pieced parts for Grassy Creek.  It is a delightful option of extreme scrap happiness!

Today is my first favorite day of December - and there are Four.  But today is the first one -

As anyone with seasonal disorder struggles knows - we celebrate the Winter Solstice because it starts getting lighter longer again from here. 

Tonight may be the longest night of the year - but it shows we've made it this far.  That things will get lighter, brighter and better as we move toward spring in this hemisphere.

The other three favorite days in December?  Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Eve - all pushing us through this year and into the next one - I am so hopeful with vaccinations starting out there, but we sill need to be cautious - there is a long road ahead.

You thought I was going to say the 4 Grassy Creek Release Days would be my favorites?  Oh, they fall right in there too!

My Monday will be picking up where I left off on Saturday.

The shipping department of the Quiltville Store will be closing at noon on Wednesday, December 23rd. The store itself remains open and you can place an order at any time, but shipping won't resume until January 4th.  We are giving the USPS a break as they work through this overwhelming backlog of packages.

I have been tracking many "feared to be lost" packages with texts that come to my phone letting me know that they have been scanned.  Two that I have been in conflict over with Paypal disputes imposed show that they will be delivered today.  Once they are delivered - cases will hopefully be dropped in my favor.

This has been such a crazy shipping season. Much more patience is still required on both sides.

One of the others - a "unauthorized transaction" is really a gust of hot air because records show that the buyer bought a digital pattern, and then accessed it through her email and downloaded it to her device.  My dashboard shows how many times a file has been accessed. How "unauthorized" can this be?  So hopefully that headache will be resolved in my favor as well.

Just morning thoughts as I throw myself into this Monday.

Anything wonderful happening for your day ahead?

Oh, and a huge congrats to my friend Mona, who welcomed her new baby grandson into the world yesterday about 3pm.  We are thrilled to watch her family grow.  Mama Caitlin and baby Brantley are doing just fine!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

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Have a wonderful Winter Solstice, everyone! ⁣