BlockLotto - October 2010 - Variable Stars

My five October stars!

Directions are here:
http://blocklotto.blogspot.com/2010/10/octobers-block-is-variable-star.html

Examples are here:
http://blocklotto.blogspot.com/search/label/oct%202010%20photos

Wonderful that I don't need to buy new fabric this month! I have plenty of solid white, solid creme, and solid light grey so I can vary my backgrounds too!

10-4 Monday - I made a block but it's smaller than 9.5 square. I added two borders so it's right now. I guess I was in too much of a rush as I was trying to get done before I left for my mom's... I'll do the next one in s-l-o-w mode. I'm going to use 3.75 squares perhaps for my next block, then I can cut down to be 9.5 inches square. Sophie said I couldn't use this block for the Lotto. Oh well.

Oct 20th - Made two more stars.  At first I liked the open center, but now I really like the pieces in the center!

The top block has some purple with orange swirl fabric that used to make A shorts for kindergarten.

Oct 24th -Finished two more stars.  I've discovered a little trick that I want to remember for next time I make these kinds of stars.  Pick the fabrics.  Cut different strips.  Then cut different sized rectangles and cut in half.  Then just place on the full sized background.  Arrange so it will cover the background when flipped.  Makes it easier for me than working with the same sized triangle to get variety in points.

The top star has a little bit of rocket material from a pair of pants I made for A!

Later Oct 24th - I made this star - it may be my last for this month's BlockLotto. This time I experimented with having very skinny points that do not touch when in the same square.

Expenses

I went to JoAnn's today after the Technology Conference meeting.  I had intended on getting the stuff needed to make potholders. But they were so crowded; the helpers really couldn't do more than point in the direction of where something was.  I couldn't figure out if it was what I supposed to get.... so didn't get anything as I didn't want to stand in that long line.

So instead I got:

• a 3.5 square ruler  7.49-3.75
• 2 for price of 1 queen cotton batting 24.99
• 6 fat quarters (4 shades of purple for the November Block Lotto), 1 WOW (also for the November Block Lotto and I could use for October too), and 1 yellow (just because it was pretty). 6.00

total 34.67 + tax = 38.05

I only got to use my coupon for the ruler as the other things were on sale.  There were lots of people there as it was 50% off.  I was going to get some Kona cotton - but I already have so much that it didn't seem like a good idea.  But mainly, I just wasn't in the mood to stand in line.

They did have a copy of Liberated Quilting II.  I was able to sit down and look thru the pages.  Some of the quilts were in the first book.  Right now I'm thinking it's okay to not get this book - and I can check out the first book from the library so I'm sort of set there.

A Fat Quarter???

I had planned to go to North Dakota with my husband last week, but wasn't able to join him after all. So he got to go to Host Fest in Minot - and go out in the country side to take photos of comets and stars. He had a nice time  I hope he will be invited back so I can come along sometime1

As I left him at the airport, I invited him to get me a few fat quarters if he saw a quilting store.... he was intrigued with the name. 

So when he saw the fabric for sale at Host Fest, he stopped to find out what they were and to get me a few...

He sent me some iPhone pictures of different fabric while he was at the booth and asked me what I'd like.  I picked the bundle of greys that were in the last photo he sent me.... (I can't find his photos now.) If I had been at computer instead of on phone I would have asked him to just pick up two for me...

But somehow that got lost in translation as he presented me with a tall stack fabric that were all pretty much the same color... and dark1

When I looked at the group of fabric more closely I could see that instead of a dozen different fabrics there were just five!  He said he got more as he figured there wouldn't be enough to do anything with if he just got one of the little pieces of fabric...!

I think the shop keeper must have had a hand in selecting the fabrics - the one with the lines may be cotton but the lines are raised so the fabric isn't smooth.  He said didn't notice that fabric when he forked over the $40 for the lot, but he did notice it afterwards...

I didn't have the heart to explain that the whole purpose for getting fat quarters was to get variety and that if one wants more fabric it's cheaper to buy off the bolt.

Anyway, I now have a nice selection of fabric that I can use for black on black blocks - and they are a memory for my husband for the nice trip he went on too.

One of his first jobs was working in a fabric store.  He moved the fabric from storeroom to the front area and after a while was even tasked with cutting it for the clients!  He is so looking forward to my finishing a quilt that he gets to keep!  So far I have only made a square baby quilt for our son, and I shipped off two FMQ to Quilts for Kids...