Singin' the Blues Again

Last week I was finally able to clear the decks and embark upon slog through some strippy stitching to get the remaining blocks for my Sing the Blues Mama Lou quilt started.  This pile represents part of the 108 additional quarter-block segments with on average 10 strips sewn to each, going from this

to this

to become these (still unstitched)

and these

After the comparative drudgery of stitching all those strips for nearly a week, I've been relishing the task of slowly trimming the excess off and laying each segment on one of four piles to see the effect of this chaotic grouping of vintage to modern 'blues' accented with occasional strips of predominantly green or purple strips.  And enjoying recalling some of the other quilts these fabrics have been a part of, not to mention a few sweet fellow bloggers who contributed pieces from their own stashes:  Janet, Cynthia and Lizzy, plus some of my quilting buddies from our quilt ministry group.  This is becoming a real memory quilt, for at least as long as my memory continues serving me, lol!

After stitching these new segments into blocks, they will be added to these blocks, completed late last spring, as part of Lori's String Challenge.  Better late than never, right?  Then to contemplate whether to add a border, knowing that every single edge of every single block is on bias - one of the pitfalls of assembling these spiderweb blocks.  I think it will look better with an added border aside from giving the top a bit more stability, but we will see what remains in the stash.

It's time for setting a One Monthly Goal for this new month, and getting these blocks stitched and assembled into a completed top is going to be my goal for February.  I'll be linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts for her February Goal Setting Linkup that you can find here if you'd like to join in.  The rules are easy and motivating: you don't have to complete a quilt, your goal can be as easy as making one or a couple blocks for an ongoing project.  Patty is a great motivator, and what's really fun for me is that we share both first and last names, plus I grew up on Elm Street those many years ago.  How's that for coincidence!

For those who left sweet comments on my last post, my friend was gifted her quilt yesterday when she and her husband were able to come for a simple supper of homemade cabbage and beef soup and  dill bread still warm from the oven - yum!  She loved her new quilt and remarked how her legs are always cold in winter and that she needed something to wrap around her.  Always good to know a simple donation quilt will be well loved and appreciated. 

Til next time, happy quilting!