New Year's Resolutions

For once, I am holding true to a resolution...my resolution this year was to not procrastinate. It's going to be a tough trait to break. In school, I was always the one working (or even beginning) a paper just before it was due. When I was a newspaper reporter in Edwardsville, I started my articles just a few hours before deadline. As a magazine editor, I'd wait to contact my freelancers until the last minute. See the pattern?

When it comes to sewing...and sewing difficult blocks, I could tell this procrastination thing couldn't continue. So, I am already working on the blocks for our February Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt class. We just finished our January blocks last weekend (thanks, ladies. Had a great time Friday and Saturday), and I've already got February on my mind. BASKETS. There are several basket blocks in this quilt of 111 blocks.

I've printed out my EQ rotary cutting directions for our February blocks and started working on them earlier this week. There are some funky angles on some of these pieces, like 112 degree angles!
I chose the most difficult (or what I hope is the most difficult) one of the bunch last night. Through a mixture of rotary cutting and templates, I pieced together the Flower Pot block. 

Flower Pot block in Miniatures.

And this is why I cannot PROCRASTINATE on these blocks. It's a good thing I can laugh at myself...because this block is just nuts! It measures at least 6 1/2", but in all the wrong places! If I cut this block to 6 1/2 " I will lose possibly all four flower tips.

Good lord!

So, it's back to the drawing board on this block tonight and this weekend. I am going to try paper piecing it to see if I have better results. I think part of the problem is the weird angles, plus there is a set in seam (gasp!) Ironically, my first attempt at the set in seam worked out beautifully. It was my second attempt that failed.

After I pulled this block out of my machine I decided to work on my four-patch, square-in-a-square blocks for the Prairie Women Sewing Circle project. Four-patches are more my speed after that basket disaster. We're working on the little cream, pink and blue mini quilt, and I'm really enjoying it!

Talk to you soon -

Sarah