I just won't be accepting any more tops/quilts.  It's just to much work.  I have taken tops completely apart and resewn.  But this is time consuming and then my projects get behind.  The Project Linus group has a couple of gals who will sometimes do the same. We take photo's of the top so we know how to sew them back together.  But it gets old redoing the failed work of someone who won't even try to improve. She's been at this for at least 20+ years I'm told.  That is long enough to learn better methods.  I think she is in her either late 50's or very early 60's.

I like it better when they arrived just as tops, as we can at least try to fix the seams.  A friend came to sew yesterday and we checked over two undersized Quilts of Valor (quilted) for errors.  Teresa said, in a very hesitant voice, they would make lovely dog beds.. or maybe pillow shams that aren't used much. So I have a couple of thoughts on this.  Time will tell.  I am currently redoing two pillowcases that also had open seams. But they are cute little Disney prints and I'll give them to the little girls down the block. 

One is my student and she's helping find the errors and learning how to correct mistakes. Good experience for her.  Sophia just turned 9 on June 28 and she's been sewing with me since she barely turned 7. She does beautiful 1/4" seams. After she had to unsew a bunch she became very diligent about making sure she was good.  I only wish I'd taken photo's of the various looks on her face when she'd find an open seam.  LOL

I pray that my work will never get this bad.  

The paper piecing was the longest stage for me because I had done very little of it and learned as I went.  Thank heavens they are fairly large pieces!

Sue in IL

You just made me giggle, Sue.

I wrote earlier this month that I was going to tackle making miniature quilts. Today my first pattern that I ordered from an online place called Sleepy Hollow arrived. It is my very serious opinion that this foundation piecing diagram should be called a micro-mini quilt pattern.  

The end of a triangle measures 0.25 inch and the side is 0.75 inch.

My afternoon plans already included going to Office Depot so I made a stop at their Copy Center and a pleasant young woman magically enlarged the micro-mini foundation pattern by 120%.   Hmmmmm.  "Could you please make that 150%?"   Whoops, too large for the piece of 11" x 17" paper.  Okay, how about 140%?   Perfect!

Go ahead, everyone, call me a coward. I can take it.   The largest piece of paper (on the right in the photo) is actually the size of the placemats I use on our kitchen table.  I could screw up my courage and make two of these, couldn't I?  Nyah! 

I plan to use 28 colors and run a long, strung out color wheel with this design ... probably use midnight blue as the background.

that's really going to be a beautiful piece when you get done.  Do you have a special black fabric for the background?

Is there such a thing as "special" black?  Do you have a recommendation?

I was thinking of ordering Moda's Bella Solid called "Peacoat" which is a very blackish-blue.

It will take me a while to go through all of my leftovers from my color wheel days and cull out 28 pieces suitable for this project so I have time to order something from Fabric Shack in Waynesville, Ohio.

It's going to be beautiful, Judy!

Cris in MT

I was thinking something with a shimmer.  Maybe a shot cotton?   Or, if you feel like working with the devil, you could try Dupioni silk.   :-)

That kind of special black.  :-)

Pirate, I thought you were my friend.

I will preserve my sanity by ignoring your suggestions. 

Oh, working with shot cotton isn't bad at all and provides a subtle sheen.

Now Dupioni?  Devil spawn's fabric.

hahahaha