when we say .. what the heck am I thinking???

I've been at loose ends this holiday weekend, waiting for my thread order to arrive so that I can return to Lizzie and finish the quilt that's >thisclose< to being done.

Because I know I have quite a few tops that are ready to be quilted ... and I *really do* want to get them quilted ... I do NOT want to get sucked into a piecing project.  In the evenings, when we all tend to gravitate to my sewing room and the TV is going on, I really need to have a project to work on.  Simply watching TV as the single activity drives me nuts. :-)

So, that's why I did the real quick-to-put-together equilateral triangle quilt.  But that was over almost TOO quickly.  Next, I started going through the two small baskets that I toss my scraps into.  When the become overflowing, I reorganize them into other scrap baskets.   I rediscovered some circles that were from another project and I saved them, since they were too big to throw away and, gosh ... it seemed that I *could* do something with them!

Using a manila folder template, I made circle appliques with them and started Googling images for 'circles and quilts'.  It's amazing what you can see with Google images! 

I found an image of something that looked like an asterisk, embellished with circles.  It seemed to me that I could use that image somehow.

So, I drafted that 'something', fooled around with it some more and made an applique asterisk-thing.

I had thought about putting the design in the middle of a smaller square, all by itself.   But the idea was beginning to occur to me that perhaps I could step outside my comfort zone and try something different for me.  Which isn't to say that I would get all avant garde or anything ... but definitely something NOT as  I normally do.

So the design in a small block was out.  Therefore, let's use a BIGGER block.  I found some yardage of a mottled yellow & peach that I'm sure I had ideas for but those ideas have long since been forgotten. :-)  I pinned off a 44"x44" section to see if that would be a 'good' size.  It looked OK, so that section was cut off. 

Then, just as I decided not to center the design on a small block, it occurred to me that I could deliberately place it off-center on this big block.   Having it off-center allows me the option of doing "something else" in the blank areas. 

The brown asterisk-thing was stitched down with a teeny-tiny zig-zag stitch in polyester monofilament.  There's a small circle applique of gold Fairy Frost in the very middle; that was stitched down also.  There are medium sized applique circles in gold quilter's lamé that were stitched down on the short arms of the asterisk.  The big circles that originally started this project were placed at the ends of the longer arms, but not stitched down.

I'm not sure where this is leading but I'm thinking of having some sort of streamers emerge from the large circles, as I've drawn in on the picture to the right.  What I've drawn in doesn't please me right now and being unsure about what I'm going to be doing, leaves me with a great big question mark.

Maybe the streamers aren't such a good idea.  On the other hand, it very well could be that since I'm not any sort of artist, I'm simply not drawing whatever idea is half-baked in my head. :-)

And just to be more perverse than usual ... as I was rummaging around looking for the background fabric, I rediscovered 2  pre-printed cat panels and coordinating print fabric that, I think, was supposed to be used for a throw pillow.  Maybe.  I sure don't remember.

It's been in my stash since FOREVER and I pulled it out.  Why, I haven't a clue.  I knew that this applique asterisk thing was going to take a while to work on, so why in heaven's name was I even contemplating ANOTHER project??? 

Probably cuz I'm just a glutton for punishment. :-)

So, yep, I pulled out the cat panels and coordinating print and started working with EQ to come up with a layout. 

I put the 2 cat panels diagonally across from each other.  In the other 2 quadrants, eventually I decided to do a cat applique in an oval. 

On the cat panels, there is also a narrow ribbon stripe.  Not too much of it, certainly not enough for sashing all around, but I think I'll use it for some of the sashing and use the coordinating print for the other sashing.  

Top & bottom borders of the coordinating print will give me the length I need ... I'm trying to make this at least 34"x48", which is the minimum size "my" charity wants.

So that's a preliminary version that I think I could live with.  Nothing on the cat panel project has been cut yet, so it's still subject to change ... but since *this* one is well within my comfort zone, I'll probably stick with it. 

BUT if my thread arrives tomorrow, both of these projects will be put on hiatus for a while.  If the thread still isn't here, I think I'll work on the cat panel simply because I know EXACTLY how to put it together and it won't take that long to do. 

The asterisk project?  I haven't a clue.  And without some spark of inspiration to work with, I know I'm going to lose interest in it.  It could get folded up and put away for another time.  I just don't know. :-)