Picking up where I left off

For my own well-being, I had to shelve that which kept me obsessed for the past 7 weeks. I have 224 on hand,

denim for 70, and enough elastic for at least 200 more.

If the demand suddenly surges (because TIFI has decided to start wearing one?) and there's a run on what I've got, I'll cut up that denim and get back to work.

But for now I need a break, mentally and physically. I keep trying to convince myself that these haven't become a political symbol/stance, but it's getting harder to do right now. And that's heartbreaking.

It's still bizarre to me how wonky this looks, knowing that it's a computer mock-up and all lines are perfect right angles.

So it's back to the Leader-Ender Shoo-Fly-Shoo blocks I had carefully set aside. This 10x13 layout was looming large in my imagination. Was it too big? Would two smaller tops better serve as a donation set? That would mean making up 10 more blocks, which would only be a small set-back of time. Heaven knows I have plenty of material (time too, come to think of it)!

I powered through a 7x10 layout so I could throw it on a bed and make my decision (and get back to getting a good night's sleep). The original plan was valid: a 7x10 top was too skimpy.

To the design wall for Part Two!

This is the layout for the rest of the blocks. There was one central fabric that was used more frequently than the rest--a light blue vine-y leafy print (in the block at the iron)--that I wanted to disperse fairly evenly over the top. Other than deliberate placement of those 10 blocks, I didn't worry too much about where things landed. Light block paired with a dark block, sew together, slap it on the wall.

7x10 section ready to be sewn to its "mate"

That's where things are at the moment: sewing the 2nd half of this top, picking out stitches and twirling seams as each row is sewn together. My Leader-Ender for now is my old stand-by: 2" squares, assembled into 9-patches. That's a stash that's growing nicely too--90 each so far of dark-in-corners and light-in-corners blocks. Time to take a tour of my virtual 9-patch Ideas folder!