Progress

I've made a little progress on my Criss Cross quilt.

Two more blocks are now complete.
Only 3 left to go!
All those little brown and muslin squares are only 1" X 1"

It's been fun coming up with fabric combinations.

And it feels good to have this UFO a little closer to completion.

Criss Cross UFO

I've peeked into my big gray bin, and found another UFO that needs attention.
Maybe I should have titled this The Summer of My Repentance.
Seriously.
I am committed (or I should have myself committed?) to organizing and completing as many UnFinished quilt Objects this summer as possible.
Several years ago my girlfriend Judi Sears and I walked into a quilt store and saw Criss Cross by American Jane Patterns.
Right then we said "Let's make this quilt together!"
Such a good idea.

Judi worked away and completed her Criss Cross and it has been hanging beautifully in her office ever since.
I enjoy seeing her quilt every time I enter her home.

Meanwhile, my Criss Cross sat in pieces, all tucked away in that big gray bin.
Some of the blocks were completed.

Other blocks just had the fabrics cut in strips.

Lots of little piles of 1 1/2" pieces.

And this.

Have you ever come back to a quilt several years later and not had the slightest idea where you left off?

Criss Cross is a large and somewhat complicated quilt that will measure 96" X 96" when done.

It took a little brain work to figure out where to re-start.

The fabrics in one block need to match the fabrics in the block next door, so there is a little coordinating that needs to go on.

It was helpful to throw everything that had been finished so far up on my design wall.

This is one of those kind of quilt projects where I've discovered a design wall is absolutely essential.

You need to be able to step back and see the overall effect.

Especially because the blocks are quite large, with a final measurement of 22 1/2".

They take a little time to put together.

I finished the bottom 3 blocks in the last few days, and still have 5 more to go.

I really like the scrappyness of the fabrics and absolutely love everything that Sandy Klop designs for American Jane Patterns.

Fit To be Quarter Ruler

Look what I just won!
The Fit To be Quarter Ruler from Monique of Open Gate.

My thanks to my friend Sherri of A Quilting Life for offering this wonderful Give Away.
And many thanks to Monique.
I can think of so many ways to use this ruler. It came with a free pattern and helpful instructions.
Monique wrote "Made to trim quarter square triangles, combination units and square quilt blocks."

This is how Sherri has been using her Fit To be Quarter ruler.
Stay tuned.
I'm already contemplating how useful this ruler will be for my next few projects.

Three Six Nine

One of my goals for this summer is to make quilts to be donated to charitable organizations.

I have stacks of older fabrics that no longer match my taste, and yet would be appreciated by others.
Three Six Nine by The Quilt Company works up fast, and is fat quarter friendly.

Since this is July, I pulled from my red and blue piles.

The pattern says "This quick and easy project is made from simple three and six inch finished pieces that combine to make a nine inch block!"
Three Six Nine can be made in 4 different sizes ranging from a throw to a queen. The instructions list how many fat quarters are required for each size.
I made a twin (72" X 90") with 27 fat quarters.

The block is very simple. It kind of has a split nine patch look.

I purposly selected more masculine prints so the quilt would be suitable for men.

Because the pattern works up quickly and is easy to assemble, I think this would be fun activity for a charitable group/guild project. Each person could bring fat quarters in the selected colors, and all could work on sewing the blocks.

Now I want to know why my red and blue pile doesn't look any smaller.

The Power of Premonitions

I've had quite a few people e-mail me asking what kind of audio books Mr. Cactus and I listen to on the 6 hour drives we often make between Utah and Arizona.
I usually let my husband make the selection because I always find his choices very interesting, plus it gives us something to talk about.
Most have to do with business, and often address the psychology of business such as Blink (by Malcolm Gladwell) "The Power of Thinking without Thinking" as it relates to behavioral economics.

Our latest "listen" was The Power of Premonitions" by Larry Dossey, M.D.
Dr. Dossey is a former Internist and Chief of Staff of Medical City Dallas Hospital.
He is heavily involved in the role of the Mind in Health and role of spirituality in Healthcare.
He has also been on Oprah several times, and his book is on the Oprah Book Club list.
Dr. Dossey defines premonitions as "A glimpse of the future, a feeling or sense that something is going to happen."
The book starts with examples of some very thought provoking cases and then moves on to evidence collected through scientific studies.
Premonitions most often come through dreams, and are often unconscious feelings.
One example came from a small town in Nebraska where there was a church explosion. The curious part was that no one was in the building at the time. All 15 members of the church choir for one reason or another did not show up for choir practice that day.
Dr. Dossey writes that the ability to predict is real and that most of us possess it.
"Knowing the future can help you have a future.
Premonitions are often about survival. They warn us of future dangers — health problems, impending accidents, disasters, and so on.
For example, research shows that people often avoid riding on trains the day they crash, compared to normal days. On days of the crash, the vacancy rate on the train is unusually high.
This type of premonition is usually unconscious. People don’t say, “The train is going to crash. I’m cancelling my reservation.” They usually report a vague sense that something is wrong or doesn’t feel right, and they find some reason to change their plans."
I really enjoyed listening to this book. It made me think of the premonitions I have had in my life. Ask any mother and she will be able to tell you stories of "mothers intuition" with her children.
What do you think?