Max Quilt Using Rotary Cutting Rulers

I'm thrilled to call this a pieced top! What a juggle it was to put together! While the block arrangement seemed simple enough, and truthfully, it came together more quickly than I would have though, cobbling it was a challenge.

pieced quilt, 70" X 86'

How did I make it difficult for myself?

Well, though all the units are based on 4" squares... 

• 29 - 4" X 4" Drunkard's Path blocks, cut using a Classic Curves Ruler
• 91 - 4" X 4" triangle-in-a-square blocks, cut using a Bloc-Loc Ruler
• 84 - 4" X 8" and.
• 138 - 2" X 4" half-rectangle triangles, cut using a HuRTy rule

(Yes, this quilt was made with three different rotary cutter rulers!) 

... I multiplied several of the 2" X 4" square half-rectangle triangle into 6" triplet units instead - see units circled in red. Three 2"-wide half-rectangle triangles equal 6". Though mixing up the design like this looks good - more random - arranging and piecing the resulting misaligned units gave me angst.

Below is the photo of the quilt top before I pieced blocks together. I kept referring to this picture, again and again, because I chain pieced units together and kept forgetting which way and where the units belonged after piecing! Still, the sewn top has many changes compared to the original layout. 

Original layout on design wall

But gosh, I'm happy with it. And it's big, just the way I like my quilts: 70" X 86". 

I guess I've pretty-much come to the conclusion that this is a maximalist quilt design, though it could also be designated scrappy.. But to follow-through on the maximalism definition that states "more is more" I'm auditioning a couple of appliqué ideas to add to the surface. Maybe some hand-appliquéd circles in negative (blank) spaces, or narrow bias tape machine-appliquéd across the top in some yet-to-be-determined pattern. Or both! 

Hubs has several times come into the sewing room, seen this on the design wall, and commented: "The Des Moines Art Center would pay big bucks for a design like that" and "I sure wouldn't want to be drunk and see a quilt that looks like this! I'd be... <insert rolling eyes>."

Ha, ha! 😀

The 1,000 of us who are participating in the "Summer Camp Modern Mystery Quiltalong" with Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr, received Installment 6 last Friday. This is the last set of instructions we'll receive which include layout options for our quilts. I've chosen to make a "nap time" sized quilt that's 50" X 78".

For that quilt size, I need 125 blocks that are 5½" X 5½" (unfinished). These blocks, in Installment 6 should get me to that total. 

Now I'll begin cutting background fabric for the layout I've chosen. But no more picture-sharing! Weeks and Bill have asked campers not to share on social media until September 1. That's so late-comers to the along have a chance to catch-up, and not have their experience spoiled by knowing in advance what their quilt might look like. So, I'm aiming for a finish by September 1. 

Book Recommendations

The Three of Us by Ore Agbage-Williams is a relatively short story (4+ hours) about the dynamics of a threesome: two almost lifelong girlfriends, and one's spouse. None of the characters have names, and are referred to as "my best friend," and "my wife's friend," and "her husband."

The whole book takes place on one long afternoon when the best friend has returned from several weeks away, and shows up at her friend's house, ready to drink away the rest of the day as they catch up on each other's lives. When the husband comes home early on a bad day at work, and tries to work in his office, he begins having his usual resentments toward his wife's best friend. 

While the write-ups of this book are about its insightfulness - that it's funny, serious, and entertaining - i can't quite agree. In spite of a strong friendship, would any best friend ever manipulate and impose herself in the relationship of a married couple?

Linda's score: 3.3/5.0

In the book, Never Lie by Freida McFadden, the reader follows a newlywed couple, Trish and Ethan as they're on a winter-time drive to a remotely-located house that's for sale. Formerly, the house was the residence and office of renown author and psychologist, Dr. Adrienne Hale. She's been missing for several years. Intending to meet-up with the real estate agent, Trish and Ethan arrive during the height of a snowstorm. There's a light on in an upstairs window, but no real estate agent. 

Quickly deciding they need shelter, they get into the home. Ethan loves it, and is impressed with its size and bargain price. It gives Trish an ominous feeling. Dust and cobwebs cover everything, and there are no signs of life. But who put food in the frig? Who used the sleeping bag in the attic? 

They locate Dr. Hale's office, and later Trish comes upon a secret room containing thousands of tape recordings that she realizes are Dr. Hale's patient notes. Trish begins listening...  This is when the story begins going backward and forward between Dr. Hale and her patients, and Trish and Ethan. It seems everyone has a secret to keep.

I was swallowed-up by the intrigue, and didn't see the end coming. 

Linda's score: 4.3/5.0

Zero Days by Ruth Ware is her newest book that had me on a library waiting list for several weeks. 

Husband and wife, Gabe and Jacinta (Jack) are involved in an interesting aspect of technology. They're pen testers - people who intentionally try to "penetrate" companies to assess security, ease of access, and give suggestions for improvements. 

The story opens with a harrowing nighttime pen test that ends with Jack being questioned at the police station, facing a nemesis police officer. Returning home to Gabe after such a grueling night, Jack finds that home isn't as she left it. 

Now Jack is on the run, staying one step ahead of the police, while determinedly trying to figure out what really happened. Who can she trust? After she's injured, her situation is even more critical. Time is running out for her to work out the truth.

Though I'm glad to have read this book, as Ms. Ware's stories are entertaining, I was very disappointed that the story was a bit slow-going (repeating Jack's angst), and a somewhat predictable. (With so few characters in the story, who else could it be?).

But most disappointing was the excessive amount of swearing. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the "worst four-letter word" was used at least 100 times. Such profanity is not integral to the story, and made it all very disappointing. 

Linda's score: 3.9/5.0

Linda