Aviatrix Medallion

What do you do when you can't sleep? Head to the gym of course. The darn thing opens at 4 AM and while I wasn't there at 4, I was there earlier than usual. I'm feeling great these days and my energy level seems to be way up there. Of course at the end of the day when I'm done - I'm done!

I don't have time today to show you what I did yesterday, but it was a pretty productive day as well. It's funny how our brains work. I remember years ago when I couldn't work downstairs all day. I had to get out and go visit someone - anyone. Now, I break up the day with a walk and I'm happy as a clam. I like spending the entire day there doing stuff. It's so therapeutic and the space is awesome which helps. It's also extremely organized (although you wouldn't think that) so that makes working there even more enjoyable.

I know that many of you couldn't work with that huge mess on those work tables. I've tried to hide it all, but I need to see it. I've no idea why. I'll chalk it up to my Mom's hoarding tendencies. I like to see what I have! And I have three weeks from yesterday to get those tables cleared for the next UFO meeting at my house. I can get a lot done in three weeks!

Here's the rest of what I did on Saturday. One of the ongoing classes (Oh Look Fabric)  this year is Aviatrix Medallion by Elizabeth Hartman.

Aviatrix Medallion by Elizabeth Hartman

I really like the quilt and I like the bright colors, but there are some oddities in the quilt that I'm fixing as I go along with the class. And I'm keeping in mind that some of the students are fairly new to quilting. The center block - it's WAY too busy compared to the rest of the quilt. It's an 8-pointed star and each point is made up of 9 teeny tiny pieces.

I didn't have my center block together at our last class, as we were discussing various options. This is the block that I suggested the class use. They have the choice to do the original if they want or even make a simplified version. I made it really easy with this block.

My center block

And of course, all the seams are pressed FLAT. I didn't do any twirling of the seams as I wanted the consistency of pressing all the flying geese points towards the center pinwheel.

The back of the block

My center block is a wee bit smaller than the one in the pattern so it required some fiddling. I grabbed this fabric from my stash. OH - I've been saving this great fabric for a long time. Well, it's time to get it used up! I whacked off the strips that I needed and they are now in the quilt.

Coveted fabric is no longer coveted

That small border went on and then I added my border of the half-square triangles. I guess you can tell that I'm NOT following the color scheme of the original. I don't have an orange and cream quilt so now I'll have one.  I haven't picked the rest of the oranges to use, but I'll do that as I go along.

Placing the half-square triangles

As I was piecing that border, I was using the fourth border of Pieceful Year as my enders and leaders.
So that fourth border piece is now done and ready to be sewn on. It's not sewn on yet, but I've made huge leaps and bounds in getting that UFO completed. I have just under three weeks to get the two borders sewn to the quilt. I think I can manage that.

Chain piecing two projects at the same time

This is what it all looks like with the half-square triangle border actually sewn in place. And to me, that simple block in the center just seems to fit much better with the style of everything else. I know that I'll be making more changes as we go through each border. I can't help myself. It's a good lesson to learn that you do NOT have to make everything as it was designed. Think outside the box.

The half-square triangle border is sewn on

Then I whacked off more of that coveted Nancy Crow print and the next small border is sewn on. This section measures 20 ½" unfinished.

The front of the medallion quilt so far

The back of the quilt

I pressed all the major seams towards the small cream borders.

Detail of the pressing

Aviatrix Medallion with the pattern

Of course, one needs snacks to keep them going when doing a lot of sewing. My favorite thing? Chocolate. Be that in the form of hot chocolate or real chocolate. And one needs a coaster to that effect. Thanks to Katheleen for the coaster! Yep - it gets used all the time. I have several in the studio and use them a lot to keep my water glass from making a mess on the surfaces or preventing a hot drink from killing a cutting mat.

Chocolate to fuel the soul

 Next up was to tidy up some of the stuff on the table that I'm using, but I was done with for the moment. That included my Vintage Christmas quilt. I have the box with the fabric, the book and a small plastic container for the blocks. The homework assignment was last Friday so I won't need the box until this coming weekend. What to do with the stuff so it doesn't get lost and to get it out of the way?

Vintage Christmas quilt

I emptied a laundry basket and put the quilt in the laundry basket. Now to find a home for the laundry basket that is out of the way, but not so far out of the way that I forget where it is.

Project is now stored in a laundry basket

Oh - I'm also done with Aviatrix Medallion until it's time to work on the next assignment which will be in two weeks. So that went into this laundry basket as well.

Aviatrix Medallion is also added to the laundry basket

Hey - I might as well put the blocks for the Christmas Fig sew-along in the basket. There'll be two more projects to add to the laundry basket as we start two new projects at the Hobby Horse later this month. Those are on the work table and I need to get started on those quilts soon. The book and the fabric for Christmas Fig is not in the basket as I'm working on the blocks this week, prepping for the homework to be sent out this Friday.

Laundry basket of ongoing projects

I didn't know where to store this basket so it was handy, but not in the way. Yesterday I found a home for it. The perfect home. I'll share that with you tomorrow. Oh yes - I got a lot more work done yesterday and more tidying up.

Today is Monday sewing. My basket is ready with some hand stuff. What the heck would we do without containers to get ourselves organized? Things would be in bad shape, to say the least.

On that note, I'm out of here! My brain is going a million miles a minute and I need to learn to turn it off!

Have a super day and enjoy the warm weather - at least where I am. I have to say it was fabulous yesterday to get out for a walk and NOT have to wear a hat.

I'll leave you with this gem of an article about giving and receiving quilts. It's pretty neat and so true, although very few people have ever received a quilt from me. Simply because all my friends are quilters - they don't want or need another quilt!!!

Ciao!!!