Sugary goodness

Another 'be the goodness' organization with which I've connected is Sleep in Heavenly Peace, providing beds (usually twin-sized bunks) for children without beds. I talked with Steve, the organizer of the local branch, after he had emailed that he could use all the quilts "my group" could supply. Two takeaways from the discussion: 1) it's just me, quilting as fast as I can; 2) kiddie-themed fabric is preferred, as most of the recipients are children. Only occasionally are teens in need of a bed.

I've never been drawn to kiddie-themed fabric so there isn't much in my stash (whatever might be there was given to me). For the first time in years I'm finding myself in search of more fabric. Free, firstly. A couple of months ago I rootled through some bins of 'Take and use this up. PLEASE!' fabrics with an eye toward juvenile prints. Angry Birds (ugh), flannel llamas, bright dragonfly prints, and some musical instruments fabrics came home with me, as did coordinating and fun prints to flesh out the focus fabrics. These sugar skulls also caught my eye:

This is the pattern I want to use with these fabrics. It's a pattern I've wanted to use ever since I saw it on Mary's blog last month, and has become quite popular recently. It goes by either Picket Fence . . .

. . . or Home Awaits.

I prefer the crisp setting of the top one, especially with the triple white strips.

Two things were clear: 10" finished blocks were perfect for a 70"x90" top, and second: I couldn't get anything larger than 9" raw from my existing fabrics. I was going to have to frame out my focus fabrics. That's what you see in the top pictures--all the main squares with their framing strips waiting to be cut to size and sewn up.

It'll take four hundred ten 2.5" squares to make thirty-one rail and four 25-patch blocks. While I could cut four large squares from the black/pink swirly fabric (the only piece large enough from which to cut 10.5" squares), the 25-patches are more fun and interesting. Those 410 squares will come from this:

Plenty of pieces from my existing stash are fleshing out this pile. I'll use that black/pink swirly fabric for binding too.

I need to eyeball my white stash and see what's there for those rails. The maths indicate I'll be needing 3/4 of a yard (assuming 41" WOF). I'm hoping I can cut them all from the same fabric.