GOING ROUND IN CIRCLES

I have been AWOL from blogging. I actually sat down several times to blog and then something interrupted/distracted me and before I knew it another day was gone and no blog entry. Good thing this "blog writing" is not a paying job, because I would be a lot leaner...
Actually the same thing has been happening with my walking routine. Routine? Who am I kidding, I don't seem to have one these days.
I have several projects I want to make before Christmas and have been spending a fair amount of time at that; also been reading a new book, which I seem to be enjoying more than I expected to...more later...
After finishing last month's Schnibbles, I made 3 sets of pillow cases for the grand kids.

I dug out a table topper I had pieced probably a year ago, and thought it was high time it got finished. I machine quilted it in no time and then sat and wondered why in the world I had not done it sooner.

Poor quality photos, because there was not enough natural light, and the overhead light seems to over expose things, but just try to picture colours something in between the two.
I have mentioned that our son and his wife have been building a new home, and I offered to make the girls quilts for their new bedrooms. I asked what they wanted and my aim was to please. We went to Google images and Emma picked this quilt...

She wanted it done in turquoise, fuschia, purple, bright green...oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I had no pattern but didn't expect that to be a problem. I found the link connected with the picture and email the lady who made the quilt. Apparently the pattern was from an older issue magazine. (Fons and Porter I think) she told me her blocks were about 9" and the circles were fused and stitched, and that it was a baby quilt.
OK, I took my grand daughter shopping at the local quilt shop and she picked out some fabrics she liked. Her favourite fabric and the jumping off point was a Malka Dubrawsky fabric. A Stitch in Color

These are some of the fabrics in the collection. She chose the one in the upper left corner for a border fabric. Now people I have to tell you these fabrics are very vibrant and pretty but so far away from what is hiding in my stash that I was already starting to spin. The shop we went to was limited in this collection so we bought what we liked and I left for home with an idea of how to build this quilt. This all took place in the spring. Every time I was at a shop I would buy a few more brights that "might" work. This was going to bigger than a baby quilt. It had to fit a double bed. Therefore I needed larger blocks and more of them. Ok! 12.5 inch blocks would work. I would need 30 blocks. Each block needed 5 different colours. I would not be working with a common back ground; I needed a sashing strip that would work with all the different backgrounds as well as all the colours of the circles, not to mention the border. I called Emma to see if she still wanted the same pattern; even tried suggesting something else. No Nanny I still like the circle one the best...sigh
I tortured myself with this quilt for several months until finally about a month or so ago I had the brilliant idea (humour me please) to do white and black sashing and the reverse image of black and white for the border, to calm things down a bit. I would just incorporate her favourite fabric in more of the blocks and circles and maybe bind with it.
A friend stopped by and because she uses these types of colours and fabrics much more than I, I picked her brain a bit and she suggested using the white with black for the background and sashing with the reverse and using the intended turquoise for the border. Sounds good to me! One problem though. The black and white fabrics were purchased at a shop five hours away and I had bought w/b fabric (small amount) for sashing and b/w fabric (large amount) for a border, so I phoned and yes she had more of what I needed and put in the mail the same day! Telephones, credit cards, and friendly shop owner and Canada Post to the rescue.
I had a plan!
I was still going in circles but they were planned circles this time. I found round objects for my templates. My plan was to do 3 stacked circles not 4 like the picture. ( too much fabric, work and bulk)
Trace the circles onto fabric, cutting them out with scissors was time consuming. Pinning and stitching to background...more time.
While picking up a couple things at Walmart last week, I happened across these

You simply fold your fabric. Put the straight dotted line on the fold and cut with the rotary cutter and voila! A perfect circle. Much faster and my circles are better sized to coordinate with each other. There are 6 rulers in a set for only $13.00. Gradient sizes from 9.5 down to 4.5. A good deal in my books and they sure saved me time.
If you are still with me, take a look at my progress...

All the blocks are cut, appliquéd and sashed along with cornerstones. All that's left do do is sew the outer black sashing border, and then the final border and this puppy is off to the long-arm quilter as soon as you can say Jack Flash!
I have a few more things to talk about, but it can wait til tomorrow. I have laundry and ironing and packing to do...another road trip.
Later gator!