Pinwheel crazy

Tonight I completed the last of the 24 quilt blocks I need for my current project. I absolutely love this block pattern. It's from Nickel Quilts, one of the first quilting books I purchased when I started quilting four years ago. The pattern is called "Labor Day Madness" -- here's a photo from the author's web site of a finished version.


I chose dusty blues and a range of deep reds on cream background for these blocks, and hope to get them joined with vintage blue sashing strips and a gorgeous striped border this weekend.

I thought the block might be a little tricky with its partial-seam construction, but it really went together quite nicely. I did find, though, that even after doing 24 blocks, I still had to consult the instructions each and every time.




Something about this pattern just really grabbed me. It seemed to have a bit more motion and panache than traditional pinwheels where all the points meet in the middle.

This pattern comes with an added bonus -- leftover combination units that can be used in another project. I ended up with eight dozen of these little jewels that, once trimmed, will be great in yet another pinwheel project. I'm almost getting dizzy already!

Feel-good quilting!

OK, I didn't really need two weeks to prepare another post . . . but anyway, here I am again. I wanted to share a few photos from the United Way silent auction, which has been the focus of most of my crafting energies through late August and September.

The auction brought in a tidy sum for United Way, and I was really pleased with how my quilts and knitted scarves contributed to the overall effort. And I have to say, it was a real thrill to see people bidding and willing to fork over a little hard-earned cash in exchange for something I'd pulled together in my sewing room. Yes, it was all for charity, so people were perhaps a little more generous than they might have been if it'd been on the open market. But still, it was a lot of fun.

Believe it or not, my boss ended up with the Halloween table runner. Our CFO actually bid several times on the "Tumbling Leaves" table runner, only to be outbid in the end by another executive. (This totally turned me into the equivalent of a giddy high school sophomore - "Oooo! I made an execu-quilt!!!") And my friend Annette in accounting ended up with the scrap medallion quilt -- so I couldn't have been happier.

After a bit of a crafting breather, I'm back to sewing again - so hopefully I won't wait two weeks to post again....!