Easy Street and something not so easy

My progress this week on Bonnie Hunter's current mystery quilt, Easy Street is not photo-worthy, so I'll spare you. I re-stitched some of those step one 4-patches, but I'm still not happy with them, sooooo, I'm going to get back to basics--cut again, stitch my twosies then 4-patches all over again, being as precise as I can. This is not Bonnie's fault or her pattern or instructions--it's all me. It's a simple, basic 4-patch for Pete's sake! All I can figure is my original cuts must have been skimpy and it's gone downhill from there.

In the meantime, have you seen the video Bonnie posted yesterday with the bed turning at the AQS Quilt Show? Beautiful antique quits there. When I saw Baby Baskets, I fell in love! (This is a screen shot from the video.)

I want to make this! Probably the baskets will not be as small as those on the original quilt, and I think I will do a more traditional on-point setting--maybe not--but I definitely want to make this. I think it should be a leader and ender project.

First for the pattern--I did a quick draft this afternoon and made the two blocks in the picture. Cute, but see how different they are? The larger basket is squatter and the smaller basket is taller. And I had to trim them down to odd sizes. The larger one is a skimpy 4.25" and the smaller one is 3.25". This is tougher than you might think at first glance. I'm going to work this out, and when I do I'll post a tutorial here on my blog. If you haven't ever drafted a quilt block, it will increase your appreciation for people like Bonnie who give us patterns for free...

I will be using Inklingo triangles for this little project, because it is really hard to get an accurate 1/4" seam on the little bitty triangles at the base of this basket. If I go down to a 3" block or less (not likely!), those triangles are less than 1"! What am I thinking? AND, and, and, and then I'll need to applique or embroider handles on every single little block. Really--WHAT am I thinking? But I really love that quilt!

Two steps forward, one step back

Step 3 of Bonnie's mystery will have to wait another day or two. I didn't like my Step 1 four patches--too many skimpy ones, too many wonky ones. So I saved a couple dozen of the best ones, and ripped seams on all the rest as well as the twosies I handn't sewn into four patches yet.

I've got them all pressed flat again in pairs. Re-sewing will commence AFTER a couple gifts are completed. I need these gifts for a get-together Thursday evening, but hopefully I can complete them tomorrow. Pictures will be forthcoming then...

Step by Step on Easy Street

Today is linky party day on Easy Street at Quilville's Quips and Snips!

We are on Part 2 of Easy Street! Bonnie included a very helpful video tutorial on using the EZ Angle ruler and Companion Angle ruler to help make our flying geese--192 of them!--for this step. Visualizing the hinge (check out the video--you'll understand) is such a simple thing, but such a HUGE help. Thanks to her son, Jeff, for helping Bonnie record this for us.

So here is where I am now. All parts cut and sub-cut. 42 gray 4-patch units complete with spiraled intersections on the wrong side, and 28 flying geese. Over the next few days I plan to finish these and to get the rest of my fabrics ready to just cut and go.

I am following Bonnie's suggestion that when a new step is released to stop where you are on the last step and do the next step, so even if you have to go back later to finish the right number of units in some (all) steps, you will have a chance to try each unit out so you can ask questions if need be or get the benefit of the conversation for that step at the Yahoo QuiltvilleChat group or any other group you are participating in.

On a side note, my "new" 404 stopped performing so beautifully after a short time on the strip sets for the 4-patches last week. I set the machine aside in the interest of getting stitching done, but I REALLY want to get a hold of her and get her in good working order soon. In the meantime, my little Featherweight, Dorie, is doing her usual beautiful job.

Hope you're enjoying our stroll down Easy Street!