Some Bonnie and Camille Stars

I finished up the scrappy string block I was working on last week. It's less controlled than I would normally do, but I like the results. I'm trying hard to stretch my creativity into things I usually wouldn't do. This is a 12" finished block loosely based on a template I found at Coriander Quilts via Pinterest.

I bought a kit from McCall's a while back (a year, two years??). It's a lone star made with Bonnie & Camille's Miss Kate and a solid blue print--not really a solid because the it has a definite front and back. I had made it to the point of sewing and cutting all the strips and then put it away. This week I've been working on assembling all the strips, which is a lot of pinning, sewing, ripping, and resewing. Now I just have to join up the chunks and sew the corner triangles on. I do have a coordinating backing saved for this project, and I think I have an idea of how I want to quilt it.

Something I was thinking about while sewing this yesterday is how I pretty much never read all the way through the directions before starting. I glance at all the pictures, but that's about it. I had been sewing along, pressing the seams to one side. I got to the point of needing to flip the page to the next set of directions and noticed that there were actually directions on how to line up the angled strips. The VERY LAST direction given in the pattern is to press the seams open. Well, too late for that!

I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make here. I always put a little disclaimer at the beginning of my doll clothes patterns to read all the way through first. Many patterns give that direction. 99.9% of the time I do not follow that. I try to give all directions in a logical sewing order. If you need to know a special technique, I'm going to either direct you where to find that technique when you are at the step that is required or put it right at that step where it's needed.

Do you read all the way through before you start? Let me know!

I did send out two "Get your Quilty Wishes Granted" packages. One of the ladies was so gracious and thanked me publicly and privately and offered to send me something, which I declined. The other lady thanked me when she sent her address and then sent me a written thank you. I was trying to put out good karma and I guess it worked. Keep reading.

I'm planning to make a snapshots quilt that Fat Quarter Shop did a few years ago. It called for a FQ bundle, but I could only find fat eighths, so I bought two of those. And I found all the extra yardage except for the backing print. Then I read through the pattern and realized I needed some pieces bigger than a fat eighth could yield. Luckily I either have or was able to find the few prints I needed, which is outstanding since the fabric's been out of print a few years. Well, all except one. I couldn't find it anywhere. I decided to take to Instagram yesterday pleading for a 3 x 16.5" piece and within an hour, someone said they'd send it, at no cost to me. I feel so thankful! Karma in action.

I didn't have to make any Halloween costumes this year since my younger decided he didn't want to trick or treat this year. My older was quite disappointed, but she is really too old for it now. At the last minute they decided to go to two neighbors' houses, but only one was home. We actually had a fairly light turnout this year.

In other news, the drywall in the basement is mostly finished. I don't understand why they won't fix the bad spots without me begging. He tells me to put one coat of paint on and then they will come back and fix anything that shows. I find this incredibly frustrating. I'm paying them not just big, but HUGE bucks for this job. I have previously painted five houses. I know what will show and not show. Fix the darn stuff now so that I don't have to repaint. Why do people not take pride in a job well done, but just try to coast by with the minimum? Don't accept poor craftsmanship, people.

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