Design Wall Monday 3

I of course still have DJ on the wall so my design wall these days is wherever I can put it, lap, table, floor, cutting table..you name it.

I spent the last two days working on my Orca Bay mystery from Bonnie Hunter.  I was really hoping with the long weekend I had with no work I would be able to get it done.  No such luck.  I spent two days just doing the red string blocks, and for the past three weeks I have been doing the "wings" section (I think it is the outside border) as leaders and enders.  Good news is I can start putting some blocks together though.  I am hoping to get to that later today.

My red strings. I can say by the time I was done with these blocks. I had very little strings left.  I actually had to duplicate more than I wanted and also dig into the 1 1/2' bucket.

I do love the way they look but I can say I am strung out for the time being.

I had to stop working on Orca Bay anyway because I remembered I have another charm school sample due soon...I like to have it ready for display as soon as the previous months class is done.  I have had the project for awhile but I have had other things to do.

After cleaning up my mess, well straightening up a little bit anyway I set out to work on it.  I love the pattern and I love the way it looks when it is done, but I can honestly say it is a little time consuming and has a lot of wasted fabric.  I at least can but them in my bucket of crumbs and use them another day.

The easiest part...laying the blocks out in a pleasing way.

Sewing the borders on---still easy.

Lining up the template on the seams and then cutting out.  Time consuming and a little painful.  You have to be really careful how far out you cut since you have to use the second row for the next set and the next row..etc. etc.  I cut it close a couple of times.

How the blocks look as you cut them..You really have to pay attention to the order you cut them so the pinwheels come out correctly, rotate block to the right and then sew the rows together.

How it looks before everything is sewn together.  I did get the rows sewn together but that is it.  Hopefully I will have it finished before this evening.

Below is the piles of scraps left over.  I used a really small template and I know that their are larger ones.  I can't imagine the amount of waste that accumulates with those.  I thought this was a lot especially since you cant really cut them up into uniform pieces ...so to the crumb box they go.

I ended up getting it sewn, cut up, and almost re sewn together yesterday. I only have to sew the rows together but I had to stop because my left shoulder was killing me. I am hoping to get the rows sewn, basted and quilted today. I figure I will hand sew the binding on this week or finish it up while teaching class on Friday.

I only have today left to play on my things then it is back to "work". I have a wool class tomorrow, then I have to work for 6 days straight before another day off. I probably won't get much done during that time but I am hoping to finish some more DJ blocks.

To see more design walls headover to Patchwork Times.
Well off to enjoy the day off and get some more sewing done.

Sew a little bit and enjoy.
Michelle