Clean Up is harder.....

than preparation, I'm learning this week. At my age, with nearly 30 years of quilts behind me, you'd think I'd know it all...or nearly, right? Well, that's definitely NOT the case. That statement has little or nothing to do with these Rainbow Challenge "almost" finishes for April. I chose to spend my time and effort on things already begun, instead of starting anything new with purple scraps. That worked out fine. This one will need borders, since its only 36 X 48. I wish I had enough to make it one row wider, but I don't. So borders will have to do.
  In early April I had about 8 or 9 blocks made for an all purple scrap Yellow Brick Road pattern. I've brought the count up to 30, which gives me a 45 X 54 top, not sure if I will add borders to it or not. The blocks are ready to be joined up, but haven't laid them out as yet. My back has been acting up more than usual, so bending over blocks on the floor just won't do.
 I did get the machine quilting finished on this one in April, but of course, now I've mislaid the binding strips!! Hope to find them soon and get them sewn on. This one can be a donation quilt if we find a place that needs it.
 
Most of April's quilt related work has taken place at the dining room table, good light there, iron all ready on my right hand, DVD in the machine giving me some company as I work, and lots that needs doing. I did finish making the needed blocks for this Bricks and Stepping Stone(ala Bonnie of Quiltville) top. I don't love it, but then I pretty much never did.Let's call that Lesson#1, it's hard to finish up those you HATE! And Lesson #2 these past weeks is a repeating lesson, soooo many of my blocks come out smaller than they should. I have the "extra expense" 1/4th inch foot for my older Pfaff. It just doesn't do the trick...or does it? What I also learned, or maybe just realized, but lets call it Lesson #3 is that I AM NOT an accurate cutter. For most of my years, cutting has been done standing up at a table or counter. Seldom did I have good light on what I am doing. Often I was cutting late at night, etc, etc, etc. Sound familiar??? Over time the lines on the rulers wear away from the oil in our fingers and they get hard to see. Then lets toss in the ongoing damage to my eyes from a series of eye disorders. That began in 1988, or at least that's when I really began to notice. Hmmmm? I began to wonder and when I pulled out older projects, especially my "bits and parts" I discovered that most of my 4.5" 4 patches were actually 4.25" 4 patches. No wonder my blocks and rows come out the wrong size. I do see an improvement in things I have cut while sitting at the table with good light...another lesson learned! But I have some agony ahead as I finish up the older projects. And I am going to finish them! I have managed to empty 4 rubbermaids over the past week and a half. Besides what I am showing today, I have another set of blocks nearly all joined together. And a finished up set of blocks that need lattice. I've picked my project for the Rainbow Challenge with it springy PINK/ROSE color and have been cutting for that. Onward!