Sidetracked on a snow day

We knew about this snow day in advance – the predictions for first snow and then ice were so strong that the districts all around us called it the night before, despite the then dry and clear roads.

So I had it all planned.  Movies and games for the kids, and an all day marathon of sewing Christmas gifts for me.

Except when I went on Pinterest to look at the placemats that I’d saved so I could choose my next scrappy layout, I saw this:  Four Corners Quilt.  And the next thing I knew, I was madly sewing strips from a jelly roll.

My strips were actual a half jelly roll, with just 20 strips.  They were also really busy, so I added in some solids as well, to bring it up to 30 strips.  It meant adjustments to make the center square much bigger as I was still 10 short. (11 really – I found one under the sewing table after I finished.)

It was so fun and so fast zooming through the strips, jelly race style.  There were occasional oops moments: twice I’d apparently not gotten the right sides together, but those were quickly fixed in the first round of sewing.  I also learned at the end of that first go that I’d better start untwisting the lengths before I sewed the sides together.

When it was 16 strips wide, I cut it in half and then in half again. I didn’t have enough of any of the solids left to make the center square, so I tried a nine-patch.  

Not good.  So much busy did not need more added in the center.  So out came the seam ripper. I dug through my stash and found a fat quarter almost the same color chartreuse, and the second attempt was much more successful.

There are actually three possible little ones this quilt could be given to.  Maybe I need more jelly rolls?

And we have our first snow ball of the season!