Another block with its surrounding cream hexagons. Every time I look at this one I think of peppermints.

My hands/wrists are giving me a bit of a problem at the moment. I can’t use the rotary cutter or iron and am finding even using the computer mouse a bit challenging. My intake of Omega 3 capsules has increased so I’m hoping this won’t last too long as I’ve run out of the cream hexagons and need to print some more. In order to do that, I need to cut some of the cream fabric and press it.

Lester in his normal windowsill spot:

Smudge curled up on the couch.

The latest of the blocks to get its surrounding cream hexagons makes me think of orange marmalade. It’s not pressed yet as I plan to press these in groups of 10 or 12 but do finger press as I join each set of three of the cream hexagons to a block. For the next Patchwork of the Crosses quilt, I am going to sort out what fabric I want to use for the outer hexagons and attach those as I make each block.

This was Smudge Wednesday before he decided to use the little duck as a pillow.

And yet another Lester on the windowsill shot.

It seems I will be showing some of these blocks as I add the cream hexagons. My plan is to work on this pretty well exclusively, although I’m sure I will need a break here and there. I now have six of the blocks completed with their surrounding cream hexagons. I will have to print more of the cream hexagons this weekend as I only have enough printed for another 2 blocks. Perhaps adding the cream hexagons as I made each block would have been a good idea. That said, it’s nice mindless stitching with lots and lots of continuous stitching and does go rather quickly.

Lester — where else but the windowsill!

Smudge the great hunter with his prize — a toy stuffed duck. It was so funny to see him resting his head on the little thing and he stayed like that for a very long time!

Given the amount of purple I used in the blocks, I decided to use this purple batik for the 1″ connecting squares along the edges of the blocks. The intersection where four blocks meet will be composed of 8 of the 1″ squares, or a 1″ x 2″ rectangle, and something 2″ square in the centre of those. At the moment, I’m playing with the idea of a stripe of some sort for that 2″ square. The original Patchwork of the Crosses has some gorgeous fussy cutting done for that 2″ area, which I will do for the large quilt when I make it but for this one I think I want to do something with a stripe. That may change.

I need help! An online friend moved a couple of months ago. Her ISP seems to be rejecting e-mails from my ISP. I’ve tried e-mailing her from my gmail account but those don’t appear to be getting through either. She has been sending e-mails asking if everything is okay as she hasn’t heard from me and even reply e-mails from me don’t appear to get through. Of course, I never dreamt this could happen and don’t have her new address or phone number so am rather at a loss when it comes to a way to contact her. Lesson learned for me — I should not depend on electronic contact only! Any ideas out there?

Lester in his favourite spot — again!

Smudge, sound asleep. It’s one of the few times a photo has been taken of him that he hasn’t been partially watching us photographing him.

I’m not going to show each of the blocks again as I get the surrounding cream hexagons surrounding stitched on, but I couldn’t resist showing at least one! Still no picture of the blocks all laid out. It was way too windy today. I would have been chasing blocks all over the roof garden if we had tried.

This is the back of the block. Because I’ve now made sure that all the blocks are pressed identically, joining them will be a breeze as the seams will be lying just right.

Lester in his favourite spot. I love this picture of him!

Smudge — with a big paw stretched towards the camera.

The second-last block done. It’s a funny feeling being almost done with all but the surrounding cream hexagons. I know I’ll make at least two more quilts using this shape, probably more. There’s something about working with this long hexagon that is absolutely fascinating to me.

I’ll be digging out more stripes and directional prints for the big quilt. My goal is to make some blocks that are much more like the original Lucy Boston blocks with their amazing effects from fussy cutting. The back of block 32:

Wednesday was sunny but still rather cool. By now we should be having at least a few heatwaves, but not this year it seems. Tuesday night was so chilly I was half tempted to turn the heat on for a few minutes. I resisted that as we have the heat on for so many months of the year. I’d rather put on a sweater at this time of year than put on the heat.

Smudge found a cozy spot to sprawl out.

It was Lester’s turn to curl up in the kitty bed.

This one is, I think, close to my favourite — so far, that is. I realized Tuesday night that I have used purples in a lot of these blocks. I love how rich it makes a block feel. Once I’ve got the 30 blocks that will be used in this quilt top done and at least 3 or 4 of them surrounded by the cream hexagons I’ll start auditioning a fabric for the connecting squares. Given the predominance of purple in the blocks, I’m thinking a purple/mauve batik may be the right choice for that. But that’s a decision for after this weekend.

The back:

My linen arrived on Tuesday for the Mary Wigham sampler. As my eyes are somewhat tired from reading and reading and reading the 900 pages I referred to yesterday, I’ll wait until Friday or Saturday to get started. Following the chart would be, right now, a bit too much!

It has been quite cool here this week. Tuesday neither cat was the least bit interested in windowsill time. Instead they found cozy spots to curl up. Smudge in his kitty bed:

And Lester curled up in the chair. This photo makes me smile — his head resting on a hind paw while a front paw holds on to that rear leg.

This is one of the few blocks I’ve done with no directional prints at all. I quite like the look of it, although for the big quilt I won’t be using any blocks that haven’t involved some fussy cutting/printing.

The back:

Thirty blocks will be my finishing point for the lap quilt. I will probably have to make 33 blocks, though, as there are two that I know will not play nicely with the others and there’s a third that will be the beginning of my flower garden POTC quilt. Then comes the endless adding of the cream hexagons to each block. I probably should have done those as I went, but it’s nice mindless stitching that is perfect for a hot summer evening, which I think we’re supposed to be getting later this week.

A lot of windowsill activity this weekend. Lester, very intently watching something on the roof garden:

There were some children playing out on the roof garden Sunday afternoon. Smudge was quite interested. I love the reflection of him in the window.