Quilt Update

I've made quite a bit of progress on the Blue and Cream Quilt since the last post. I've finished all of the small and large star blocks in both color combinations. Shown here and below are the 12 inch blocks. If you remember, the six inch blocks are just the inside portion.

I cropped the photos so much that you can't see the little pieces that need to be cut off from where the triangles are sewn onto the squares. To help with this and make sure all the blocks are the same size I've ordered the Omnigrid Ruler Value Pack, available at Joann, Walmart, Amazon, and many other places. The pack contains four square rulers two of which are 6.5 inches and 12.5 inches, perfect for squaring up the blocks in this quilt.

I mentioned last time that this quilt will be too small for my bed, so I was trying to decide whether to make it a square quilt or add a border. After measuring the bed again, I will definitely need the extra rows to make it square. Here I've added the total number of blocks that I need. I've finished all the stars on the left, now to start on the remaining five of Block X that I'll need.

This is a closeup of the quilt assembly, it looks pretty challenging, but I'll just have to take it very slowly and pin like crazy! I think I'll still need a bit of a border, so will have to think about that for a while. I may just get lazy and put alternating cream and blue triangles around the outside. I'll lay out the blocks and figure something out.

Ruth asked about starching the fabrics. I arrange the triangles on the ironing pad and spray with the starch, then iron until dry.  This particular brand is clear and has a lovely fragrance, but I ran out some time ago and have been refilling the bottle with starch made from concentrate. See this post for details on how I make up the starch. If you do this sort of thing, it is much, much better to starch the fabric before cutting out, especially when working with triangles. Even if you are very careful, the triangles can stretch a bit, which can distort the shape of the block. Notice the iron shoe on the iron. I bought it when making my son's shirt to keep the fusible web from sticking, and it is very useful for that purpose. I finally took it off so I can get more heat onto the fabrics. I am keeping an old towel with iron cleaner on it and just use it every once in a while to keep the soleplate clean. The iron has a steel soleplate, not non-stick, so the starch does accumulate.

Update on the floor: everything is completely dry and most of the floor is removed. There are several holes in the walls, even the ceiling, that will need to be repaired and painted. This was so the plumber could isolate the offending pipe and blow epoxy through it. Luckily, it worked with only one application. They couldn't go into the concrete slab because it is a tension slab, which basically means that if it is disturbed, the structural integrity is compromised and the house could fall down. Scary!! The insurance is covering everything, thank goodness. The repair estimate goes to the insurance adjuster on Monday, they will cut us a check, then we can get on with the walls and floor. Right now all of the living room furniture is in the dining room, and everything is covered with a film of dust, which will only get worse. But at least the leak is fixed.