WIP Wednesday: Halloween Dresden Plate

I already posted about this project here, but this is a very looooong term work in progress.  I don't think I'll be finishing this one for a year or more (hopefully not too much more).  Like the rainbow houndstooth quilt, this too is a mental health quilt that I work on from time to time when I need something mindless to do. I intend on hand appliqueing them down (we'll see how long I actually commit to that), so yeah...this is going to be a slow moving quilt.  That's just fine by me.

So I'm working away on my Halloween Dresden plate quilt.  I finally got all of the blades done.  All 400 of them.  Each 16.5" block requires 20 blades, and right now I'm sitting on a 4x5 block quilt.  I think I might be crazy.  I'm thinking of adding another 5 blocks to make it a 5x5 block quilt.  Someone save me from myself.

But right now I'm only working on the assembly of the outside of the plate. It's amazing how much they shrink down as you sew.  Ooh. Aah.

I haven't picked out what I want for the background, (though, for this I have a couple ideas) or the circle in the middle of each plate (for which I am totally and completely undecided) yet.  It'll come to me.  But in the mean time, I'll just sewing plates as I get the time.  Besides, I don't want all that bias on the blades hanging out all nakie for too long.

Here's one finished one.  Only 19.5 more to go.

Linking up with Freshy Pieced's WIP Wednesday....see the right side bar for a link to the blog.

Store Sample: Rain, Rain Go Away

Today when I walked outside, it felt just like home.  I may have been born in California, and I may have lived here for the past 8 years, but in between I lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Every now and then I get a ration of crap when I say I'm from there ("But you weren't BORN there, so you can't be FROM there!"...yeah, I've heard that a bunch), but to me where you're from isn't always where you were born, it's the place you loved the most and the one that realize you miss the most once you've gone.  For me, that's good ol' Spotsyltuckey County (Spotsylvania, but that's what we all called it).

But today, in Salem, it felt like home.  When I walked outside, it felt like I walked into a luke warm bowl of soup...It's ALWAYS humid in Virginia this time of year, but for Oregon...this is some regionally uncommon humidity!  When I listened to the weather, the guy said it was supposed to rain all around us, but not hit us.  Whelp, weather dude, you miscalculated because the sky opened up on my way home from Panera (that Greek Salad...).  It's no secret that from October to May here it rains, rains rains, and I hate it, hate it, hate it.  But this muggy rain I don't mind as much, so long as it goes away after a bit.

In a nice little coincidence in timing, yesterday I started a sample for the shop using some really adorable rain boot and umbrella fabric that people haven't quite fallen in love with yet.  Seriously, it's so cute...awful rainy weather doesn't need to be dreary on fabric!  Plus, the new Generation Q magazine came in, and there was a perfect pattern for it. 

Hi there, "perfect pattern for rainy fabric"

So today, I'm working on rainy day fabric and it's getting drippy outside to match. On a weird side note...most quilter I notice get inspired to get cracking on a project by listening to music or being outside, or by being around like minded people/other quilters.  Me?  Yeah, those things are great but uh, I get inspired to work by watching documentaries about nerdy/weird stuff.  What's on tap for today?

 Say hello to Albertosaurus.  He's Tyrannosaurus Rex's older brother and once someone gets moving on a time machine and a way to clone mini versions of things, my future pet. Yeah, some girls wanted ponies as a kid.  Not this girl...Also, he will eat your face.

Annnnnyhoo...it took me a while to lay out the color placement.  The pattern calls for scraps, but I used 4 prints and a background, so I had to be a little more choosy.

Cute.

So I'm moving right along, and there are supposed to be fused/appliqued circles in between the diamonds, but I got really wild and crazy and decided to hand applique mine.  I'm not a stellar hand applique-er, so I may regret this after circle one.  Someone save me from myself. 

The circles are a little pretty wobbly,

FIIIINE. Very wobbly.  And this was with a template too.  Yeah, yeah, I know..."stick to what you're good at."

...but I figure once it's up on the wall no one will be totally focused in on my misadventures in hand applique. and instead will be looking at how adorable the fabric and pattern is.  Because seriously....it's really cute. 

Now it's time to get back to work getting this sucker put together and appliqued...and time to watch my dinos face off...Jurassic Fight Club...love that show!