Saturday, December 12, 2015

Finals week!

Hi everyone!  Yes, it is finals week here at the Academic Quilter.  I even have a final to give today (Saturday)! This means tons of paper instead of tons of fabric!  Not to worry, though--it will all be over soon. And then there are many fun things in store towards the end of the month.

For a low-stress project for this week, I've been working on getting these blocks in order:


These are the 12-inch blocks I made as samples for the Classic Stitches tutorials. I didn't intend to make them when I started out, but they just kind of happened as a part of the tutorials.  So now I'm putting them together into a throw quilt, because who needs a dozen blocks just laying around?  They already look good together, so why not?

I got this fabric to use as a background for the blocks:


Yes, it's gray!  I never buy gray, but I have to tell you that the manufacturers are coming out with some pretty nice grays now.  This is a dark gray from the Good Neighbors line by Amanda Jean of crazy mom quilts.  Isn't it great?  This fabric feels so good.  I liked the print so much that I also got some in orange, plus I may have purchased a few other pieces too.  Hey, a girl's gotta have some pretty things!



I decided to frame the blocks with this light gray polka dot.  I was going to use white, but that was very stark.  The two grays also make the blocks really stand out.  The frames will finish at only 1 inch wide, but I think they add a nice touch.


After I took this picture I started second-guessing myself.  Is the gray frame too light?  I can't decide.

Since the RSC was only 11 months, I also had to add another block to make an even 12. (I like symmetry.)  I chose this orphan Wedding Ring block:



It's all solids, but they were scraps, and I figure that an orphan block is scrappy by definition, so into the quilt it goes.  Why not?

Lots more to come on this quilt, but for now I have some student papers to read. I'll keep working on this off and on between grading sessions, and maybe I'll have something fun by the end of the week.  Plus I have done no Christmas shopping yet!  Ahhh!

Wishing you some stress-free sewing!  When your college student gets home, give them a hug, because I know for sure some of those tests were hard!

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC15 and Oh Scrap! on Sunday. Happy sewing!

15 comments:

Sarah said...

Took my final (working on my Master's) on Wednesday, and have been stressing ever since waiting for the grades to be posted. Don't think I did so good on this one! Haven't had much time for sewing since I went back, but I sure enjoy seeing what you're working on!

Sally Trude said...

No finals here at Kitten U. I look forward to seeing how this quilt turns out. Your Classic Stitches row quilt is gorgeous.

scraphappy said...

Finals week are so busy, but they do mean a nice break is just around the corner. I've been on a grey and black buying streak too. I got a shades bundle from Connecting Threads on black Friday. I think it will offer a lot of possible ways to finish off all those rainbow blocks.

PaulaB quilts said...

In all that pressure and work you are still doing great!

JanineMarie said...

Mmmm, love that gray backing (and pretty much anything by Amanda Jean). Such a fun background for your blocks. I like the light gray frames, too. It gives a subtle border to the blocks so the colors shine. Have a wonderful time off once you get your papers graded!

Anonymous said...

The two greys look great together - good luck with the marking!

LA Paylor said...

sorry, I cannot make a good decision these days! I am fighting my own background and border fight with my kaleidoscope quilt on the wall... grrr. Red? no, green? no gold? no, maybe red? oy!

Dasha said...

I love the grey as a frame for those blocks. It will look so pretty. Bonus to be using up orphan blocks.

Katie Z. said...

Nicely done.

gayle said...

I grabbed that print in orange (because orange!!), and want to get a few more colors. It looks like a perfect backdrop for your blocks!

Deb A said...

I too have picked up a few greys lately. Good luck finding a few minutes to sew a seam or two.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

I'm going to try a gray background with my Good Neighbors fabric for a quilt I'm planning. Gray is growing on me! Love your blocks!

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Great choice for your sashing! And I am always pleased when an orphan block finds a home in a quilt :)
Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

Quiltdivajulie said...

Like you, I find myself looking at the newer gray fabrics. NOT a color that I have used much (read - at all) up until very recently.

Bernie Kringel said...

I love gray! It I'll make a perfect background for the 12" blocks.

No shopping at all yet? Yikes! I love on line shopping - I made one very miserable trip to the mall last week for a few things that I cannot get on line. I have a strong hatred for malls tho so I am hoping I won't have to go back.

Hope the finals and grading are over soon. Julia has been doing so much homework getting ready for her exams. She has them on Weds, Thurs, and Friday and then she is out. It will be great for her to have two whole weeks that are free of homework.