Playing Around

I really should be working on cutting the sashing for our two quilts - for the third month running... but truth be told, I've kind of fallen out of love with those quilts. Sad, because I've already cut all the Reunion prints I will use on them. Sadder still because I like the idea of us having matching quilts again (since using one has never worked for us) and I cannot justify tossing the project and starting over with different plans/fabrics. At least not until we've got a new bedroom - which is still looking to be years down the road.

So, I really should be working on those quilts. But instead, I keep digging through my scraps looking for something easy and fun to play with instead. It's a problem - but it isn't costing me money, since I'm using only scraps and a few spare change minutes throughout the week, so I'm hard pressed to complain too loudly.

Tonight, inspired by some scrappy X and + pins, I took some of my scraps and a pin that was almost a tutorial, and tried my hand at it.

Sometimes trying to figure out the best way to make quilt blocks from photos turns out to be fun, or at least a good workout for my brain. Other times, I really wish I had searched hard enough to find a real tutorial. I'll let you guess which kind of time this one was, though I will say that my lack of precision on this one was more than a little frustrating. I think I should have wound up with something nearing 12" square. Once mine is trimmed to square, it's going to have no choice but to be 11.5 or smaller.

I'm a little torn about my fabric choices on this one. Some moments I like the overall look, other times I'm not certain the plus really works with the x. But, I'm hard pressed not to love it - and not only because I finally cut into that dark blue floral I've been holding onto for nearly three years. I know nothing of it - other than that it was a fat quarter bundle purchase from JoAnn's - I have absolutely loved it and hesitated over and over again about using it in a project. I have a little more than half of the fabric left and now that I've seen it in something, I'm all the more eager to find another something I can make with what little I have left.

I have already quilted it to a scrappy piece of batting, but I think I might still be clever enough to turn it into a sofa pillow as I'd hoped. That might require adding a border of some kind since 11x11 seems a little small for a sofa pillow. I'll have to see what I've got on hand. If nothing jumps out at me, this could always become another mini quilt to brighten up the house during these cold and dark months.