Sewing up a storm

I spent a good part of last week making bow tie blocks for the swap and then playing with fabric for the class I took Tuesday online.  My pile of 8" bow tie blocks is quite high although I didn't count them yet.  I'll probably make a few more, but for now, I've set them aside.  I have piles for the swap, about 25 for myself, and ten for Debbie.   

The class, "Blocks Unlocked," with Jennifer Houlden was very interesting and fun.  There were only four participants so we had plenty of time to ask questions.   We were encouraged to play around with a very basic block, adding squares and rectangles, then half square triangles and rectangles, and more.  Each person had different ideas which we got to share.  

Our "homework" is to come up with a design that we want to pursue.  I tried a variety of designs, and I now have a collection of potential potholders!  The gray background seems too dull, yet the green border is too overwhelming.  I like the string fusible circle but can't see making a full quilt out of it.  And my trial stretched out flying geese were too much fussy work.  The best turned out to be the variety of half-square triangles with some solids thrown in.

Feeling like I should settle on a colorway, I rejected a batch of fat quarters I initially thought might work in favor of a turquoise and peach scrappy look.  A sampler of sorts is beginning to come together.  I have a nice white background with occasional small triangles in turquoise, orange, and other colors scattered throughout.  

I made six blocks using some of these little blocks and other scraps.  Getting a 9" square is difficult somehow, but at least all the blocks end up the same 8 x 8.5" size.  Will see what ideas today's class brings.  I might just turn these blocks into a few table runners!

Meanwhile, it's been lovely weather, and over the weekend, we took a long walk in the town forest and played croquet with the neighbors.  Then neighbor Gale and I did a drastic pruning of an overgrown lilac in hopes to encouraging more blossoms at a lower height.  Now the humidity is building, and we might just need to turn the heat pump's AC on for the first time this year.