Updated Stats

Completed:

• 69 full diamond blocks
• 0 short half-diamond blocks (top/bottom)
• 0 long half-diamond blocks (left/right)
• 48 corner stone diamonds
• 0 sashing parallelograms

Left to complete:

• 68 full diamond blocks
• 20 short half-diamond blocks (top/bottom)
• 12 long half-diamond blocks (left/right)
• 124 corner stone diamonds
• 308 sashing parallelograms

To date, I have pieced 1436 pieces of the large diamond blocks.  For my eXcel chart, I have counted 2969 pieces in the large diamonds, so I'm not quite half-way there, even though I am about mid-way done with the piecing of the full diamond blocks. One of the upcoming blocks (J11 in Collection 8) has over 100 pieces in it. I can't hardly wait -- can you say 'strip piecing'?

I skipped block F4 while waiting for a self-designed plaid that I made/ordered through Spoonflower to arrive.  I have long been lamenting the lack of a good large plaid in the reproduction various reproduction lines.  I have even toyed with the idea of piecing a plaid for the center of the block -- now, can you imagine how much that will skew my piece numbers?   However, I did find a reasonable plaid in the "Crossroads To Texas" line Designed by Betsy Chutchian (author of a quilting book by the same name), that if my Spoonflower design does not work, I may try before jumping off into the deep end and piecing the plaid. 

When I stopped sewing Thursday night, I was struggling with block G5.  I pieced and re-pieced the Seminole diamond(s) at least three times and it just was not going to lie flat.  Previous Seminole blocks had gone together like a charm, but not this one.  Sometimes you just have to set it aside, and let the fabric 'marinate.'  (Better that the fabric marinate than for you to sit and 'stew', right?) Hopefully, when I pick the diamond up again, I'll be in a better frame of mind, and the fabric will be prepared to behave -- or be scrapped!

Want some other statistics? 

There are 13 large diamond blocks with 13 pieces in them. 

There are 12 large diamond blocks with 15 pieces in them. 

There are 11 large diamond blocks with 11 pieces in them.

The statistical average for pieces is 21.36 (2969 pieces divided among 139 diamonds) pieces per diamond.

My current statistical average for pieces (1436 / 69 ) is 20.81 pieces per diamond. 

There are 4 large diamond blocks with 20 pieces in them. 

There are 6 large diamond blocks with 21 pieces in them.

G4

F3

F2

E2

N22

N21

M21

M20

M19

L19

L18

L17

K17

K16

See how it lines up to the written colors?

Happy Thanksgiving

I spent the majority of Thanksgiving with my sewing machine humming. The television was on, playing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a few shows from TiVo, and various holiday specials.

I have been itching to work on the Lancaster Diamond Quilt for quite some time -- ever since I got Set 6. This week I purchased sets 7 through 12. That was enough to spur me into action.



This is a sampling of some of my fabrics.




This is my view for most of the day. Well, I had moved the tub of fabrics off the table and stashed it to my far-left. I used the tv-tray directly in front of me as my cutting/assembling table. I had a Clover Mini Iron off to my immediate left, and my sewing machine slightly off to the right. [This set up works well for a left-handed person.]

This is a quick photo of my book of the patterns. Everything is organized.




This is a sample of one of the pages. I mark each block with colors, so that I have an easier time looking from photo, to my Flickr account to see pictures of the actual quilt, and the cover page of each set of Ann's designs so that I can keep the blocks as true as I want to (yes, I have changed some things).



I also over-mark each block with the position -- as defined by Ann. This helps me later when I am laying out the blocks. As I complete each block, I pin the paper pattern to the back of each diamond -- those that I didn't paper-piece, that is.

So, now that I'm organized, off we go!