My DL2Q Blog Books - Vol. 15,16

I had been behind in publishing my blog books and made it a 2022 goal to catch up. I did so January 18th-19th when https://www.blog2print.com/ had a 40% off sale.  My books arrived already a few days ago and they look snazzy. Below I show the covers and table of contents for two volumes of blog books. My "catch up on blog books" goal for 2022 is completed; but I will try to get out one more book this year as my posts accumulate so I do not get behind again. For a broader overview check out my blog book summary at Volume 12 published 2/23/20.

DianeLoves2Quilt - Volume 15: Jul 13, 2020 - Dec 30, 2020
Volume 15 contains 275 pages and 30 posts. I picked the cover that was pink on the front for a baby girl's quilt and brown on the back for twin boy quilts. I chose the orange cover since it offset the border orange hexagons. The Table of Contents follows the dedication which reads

Masquerade quilt intended for Robin's wedding ten years ago is completed along with several smaller fall themed quilts. A Christmas Cars quilt made from a panel is completed. Also shown is a knit blanket and burp cloths meant for a baby girl due in January 2021.

DianeLoves2Quilt - Volume 16: Jan 13, 2021 - Sep 23, 2021
Volume 16 contains 299 pages and 32 posts. I picked the cover that was pink on the front for a baby girl's quilt and brown on the back for twin boy quilts. The Table of Contents follows the dedication which reads

Front cover features quilt for sixth grandchild Irene, born 1/11/21 with three older siblings. Her quilt is titled It's a Party! Back cover features pair of Paddington Bear quilts for twin boys, nephews of my daughter and son-in-law in Oklahoma. Other contents include small items for grandkids and project bags.

– Diane Chambers

These are links to previous volumes and reminders to what covers I selected. Volume 12 has the best, most complete selection of hints.

• DL2Q Volume 16 posted 02/29/2022 cover choice Strawberry Chocolate
• DL2Q Volume 15 posted 02/29/2022 cover choice Orange Swirls
• DL2Q Volume 14 posted 12/28/2020 cover choice Red Hearts
• DL2Q Volume 13 posted 04/24/2020 cover choice Solid Green
• DL2Q Volume 12 posted 02/23/2020 cover choice Waves-N-Whirls
• DL2Q Volume 11 posted 03/04/2019 cover choice Tree
• DL2Q Volume 10 posted 07/05/2018 cover choice Brown Swirls
• DL2Q Volume 9 posted  06/22/2018 cover choice Polka Dots - green
• DL2Q Volume 8 posted  06/27/2017 cover choice Polka Dots - blue
• DL2Q Volume 7 posted  06/27/2017 cover choice Polka Dots - pink
• DL2Q Volume 6 posted  06/27/2017 cover choice Red Swirls
• DL2Q Volume 5 posted  12/16/2015 cover choice Green Swirls
• DL2Q Volume 4 posted  03/18/2015 cover choice Plum Flowers
• DL2Q Volume 3 posted  03/18/2015 cover choice Flowers - yellow
• DL2Q Volume 2 posted   04/14/2014 cover choice Flowers - pink
• DL2Q Volume 1 posted   04/17/2013 cover choice Blue Swirls

I publish these books about twice a year at uneven intervals. I tend to break at logical points between post topics or else I group posts to assure multi-post topics are not disrupted between books. This chart reminds me I have been publishing these books for about ten years now. 

The Kit I Never Made

In organizing for the New Year I have a never-ending goal of reducing the number of kits I have  waiting to start or possibly complete. I came across a very old, untouched kit from Keepsake Quilting that I think was sent as a promotional sale or bonus item with my order. The fabrics were in rich muted browns and greens of autumn foliage without any bright golds or oranges – a typical Thimbleberries palette – and was named Autumn Floral Wall Hanging. The selvage dates the fabric back to 2006 by Thimbleberries for RJR fabrics. 

I’d been thinking  – for about fifteen years or so –  “Some day I will make that up when I want something quick between other projects. It is only18½" square so how long can it take?” Piecing? Not long. Batting, backing, and quilting? Hmm... I smell another UFO on the horizon. "This kit is not my preferred color palette so maybe it will stretch me." I finally opened up the package to get a good look at the fabrics and read the instructions. It has seven fat quarters, all stacked flat and layered, then folded in half, for an 18½" square wall hanging. That size wall hanging is less than the area of one fat quarter. This kit will generate a lot of scraps, even when making a scrappy backing per the instructions. While I am considering, why don’t I refold this seven layer flat stack into my configuration for fat quarters? This storage method shows off the seven prints much better.

Per the pattern, one of the pieces is cut from a trapezoidal template… certainly doable but sort of a pain. Maybe I do not want to make up this pattern after all. Where would I use the completed quilt? Would I give it away? It is kind of small for a community quilt. Who would I give it to? Since I prefer brights and pastel colors and tend to buy what I am drawn to, my stash could use an infusion of these fall tones. I could now file them with my other browns. Decision made. Punt. Do not make this kit. File away the fat quarters for use in another project instead. The advantages of this path forward are:

• Check one kit off my long to-do list
• Fill in weak color areas of my stash
• Avoid generating scraps less than a fat quarter

There is a Marvel TV series on Disney+ titled Hawkeye, featuring a super hero extremely skilled with a bow and arrow. When his protégé Kate Bishop queries him, “What is the best shot you ever took?”, he replies, “The one I never took”. Perhaps my best kit is the one I never made.