Needlework Tuesday: Babies, Blocks and Headaches

Tuesday came and went last week without so much as a thought of posting for Needlework Tuesday.  Don't know where my brain was, but it left me with a lot to share this week.  

1.  The baby blanket is done!  It's not perfect, but it's done - and done with love.

And just in time. My great-nephew, Ruger, arrived 7/18/2014 and I will get to see him for the first time tomorrow.  

2.  Grandma's Quilt Blocks - I have posted before about the jackpot of Kansas City Star quilt patterns I discovered in a trunk in my dad's basement.  My grandmother had clipped and saved during the 1930's-1950's.  She passed away in 1954, before I was born, so this small connection to her was special to me.  I set out to make a quilt using a variety of patterns from Grandma's collection - all cut to the original specs in the pattern, and all sewn by hand.  I gave up after 6 blocks.  Those six blocks of varying sizes have been in a drawer waiting for me to get inspired to do something with them.  I finally got sashes added to make them all finish the same size (17 1/2 inches), and put them together.  

I'm not sure what's next for this odd assortment.  Do I add more blocks?  Add borders?  Finish it the size it is (51x34)?  Do I quilt by hand or machine?  Hopefully it won't take another 15 years to figure it out.  

3.  I shared a couple weeks ago about my new obsession with "hexies".  I've made dozens and dozens of 1" hexagons and sewn some of them into flowers which are destined to become a table runner, but I hadn't found a layout that really struck me until I visited my favorite antique store the other day.  Two fun finds will combine to become a runner for the antique buffet in my living room.  Find #1 is a vintage white table runner - very simple, with lace edging.  Find #2 was a plastic bag of fabric scraps already cut to just the right size for 1" hexies.  I love the delicate colors so I have started a whole new batch of hexagons which will be made into flowers and appliqued to the vintage runner.

4.  While pondering the 1" hexies, I also made some 1 1/2" hexies out of leftover Christmas prints.  They, too, will be made into a table runner, and this one is already coming together.

There are rows one and two of eight.  Each flower contains the same six prints plus a black center.  They are joined by the dark green hexies to represent leaves.  This part is all done by hand, but will be machine sewn to a backing when complete.

5.  And finally - what do you do when you are awake at 4:30 a.m. with a killer headache?  Make a random quilt block, of course.  Dave had to be on the road by 5:00 Monday morning to help our daughter move out of her apartment, so I got up to make the coffee and see him off.  Like a total idiot, I forgot to take my medicine the night before, so I awoke with a throbbing head - not much chance of going back to sleep.  To distract myself while waiting for the after-headache medicine to kick in, I started perusing pattern books and was struck with brilliance - or what passes for brilliance at 5:00 a.m. when your head is pounding.  I will work myself through my pattern books making random "practice blocks" out of scraps as practice on cutting and assembling with precision.  

Ta-da---- Block #1 is called Attic Window and, as you can see, was made from scraps from Grandma's quilt blocks (above) which were still laying on the cutting table.  

What are you sewing, knitting, crocheting or otherwise stitching this week?  Visit our hostess, Heather, at Books and Quilts and link up to share all your projects.