joe'smom

All of the posted blocks are so beautiful and unique!

It's going really well, much quicker and more enjoyable for me, to work on the 11 remaining half blocks together after making the first one and learning the pitfalls.

joe'smom

There are some tops being posted not set on point, and they don't have the motion that the on point setting has, so for those wanting a quieter effect, that would be the way to go.

I realized while working on my half blocks tonight that back when we chose our pinwheel pairs, we didn't know what the block would look like. I chose only for contrast within the pinwheel, but as we now know, there are other contrast elements to consider. I really like some of the blocks I set aside as half blocks, so may end up switching some of my chosen blocks out for the half blocks.

Iceblossom

Having a bad sleep night, which isn't a bad thing... I've had chronic insomnia for decades now and just don't really worry so much if I feel like getting up for a few hours. The bad times are when you are awake but so desperately tired and not able to get up.

Have about half of my blocks ready for the first round of sewing them together. From those, about half of the light Parakeet greens next to the Yellow neutrals are giving me fits. I'm repeating to myself that it will be fine, things are not going to be the way I would do them. But some of the connections between the two are really bad, or more properly you can't tell they are two different color groups and and I think that is worse, although it might smooth out when I start putting the blocks together. Choosing the yellows for the rectangles will help some, but a different fabric choice for Parakeet would have done more for me -- lol especially using a solid darker tone to account from changing the neutrals to yellow.

Oh well, these things are going to happen anyway and especially with a scrappy mystery quilt. If I concentrate on the stars in the center, I'm pretty happy and love the marbled textured look the hand dyes give. I like touching and brushing my hand over the blocks, so even if my eyes flinch at some of those Parakeets, my hands are happy. Although I have some of those funky monkeys in my geese and not all my pinwheels are perfect, overall I'm pretty happy with my workmanship and the ease of these sub-units going together.

SusieQOH

I haven't seen a block yet that I don't love so kudos to all of you!!!!!!!!

Since it is a mystery we naturally didn't know the layout. I may have chosen different fabrics
but "it is what it is". I made another block yesterday after the one I photographed and I like
it. I have a feeling once it's assembled I'll be happy. The good news is that so far things are
matching up well. (sigh of relief!)

Iceblossom- have you investigated your insomnia? That must be awful!!!

Iceblossom

Yeah, I am well informed on the state of sleep medicine. I do not have sleep apnea which is a very serious but mostly easily dealt with condition. I do see a sleep specialist, she admits that there is still much they don't know about the actual mechanisms of sleep and there is a small number of us that just can't be helped right now. I've spent decades with the "sleep hygiene" of the 1970s, no caffeine at all/none after noon, maintaining a schedule, blah blah blah. I follow 99 rules and I am not willing to give up my pets. I've tried a lot of things over the last 30 years, my sleep regulator seems to have broken when I was on the 24 hour schedule of a mother with a new born. Recently however, they have taken the "hygiene" part out of the diagnostic manual. Another big change is they are finding specific genes, which is why I did get a 23&Me kit, restless leg syndrome has a definite genetic link (not my problem but runs in my family).

Basically, we all sleep in cycles (note the plural) that last roughly 90-120 minutes. I seem to be set to only sleep one cycle. In my brains defense I go into REM stage much faster than normal people, but I get basically none of the deep sleep cycle which is where your body rests and repairs. Sometimes after about 30 minutes to 2 hours of being awake I can sleep another cycle. Sometimes I can't. Sometimes I stay in bed and cry and other times I get up and get on with my day. Today has been a good day for quilting so far!

At my worst days, I get about 2 hours sleep in 24. Average is about 4 hours, which is the standard for "what is considered torture for prisoners". We are working to get me to 6 hours which I feel would be good or at least make a significant improvement in my quality of life. Different people have different requirements for sleep and some seem to be fine with 4... unfortunately 8 is probably best for me and is probably an non-reachable goal.

Edit: Currently I am prescribed Gabapentin, basically "off label", it helps me get to a deeper and more restful state of sleep but doesn't help me fall asleep or stay asleep. I also take (prescribed by my sleep specialist) L-theanine, a supplement just before bed. It seems to make me more contented/drowsy when I wake up and more likely to get another cycle. I got no immediate help from the magnesium I was prescribed and stopped taking it, but I'm finding research that suggests I need to build up my levels over time and am going to start taking it again and see if I can see a 6-month change.

my-ty

Everyone's blocks are great. Congratulations on all your hard work - that's a lot of cutting and sewing! I enjoy seeing the blocks as thumbprints and then looking at the enlarged picture. It's interesting that the thumbprints really show off how the whole quilt will look.

I really like this pattern, and will be making my own with batiks yardage and different colors.

Iceblossom

Ok, so the benefits of a bad night's sleep is I have something to show. Since I did all my sub-units, the blocks are going together very quickly now.

Just blocks, laid out with already-made sashing units but space for the last step's rectangles. The point on the one block on the bottom sort of disappears with the slightly too-dark backing but that's going to happen with some of my choices.

QuiltingLawyer

I feel like we have all been waiting with bated breath for your blocks and they did not disappoint!! beautiful!

Krisb

IceBlossom, I love your blocks! Just great fabrics! And the points on the bottom block show just fine if you don’t focus on it. Sleep disorders are a real PITA, not least because other people really don’t understand why you are awake at 3 but then want to be Yogi Bear. (Mine is obviously delayed onset). Keep up the magnesium; it really has helped prevent the ants from crawling up and down my legs.

And I finally have one block finished. Thank goodness I am only doing half. Will do those I have prepped, then do the pieced triangles and corners, then need to squeak out one more full block or find something creative for the very center.

Iceblossom

Thank you for the kind words, like I've been saying, I'm sure someone I know is just going to rave about this but right now I'm a bit too close to the project.

So I've been thinking and looking and messing, and here is my current thought. I pulled out the "parakeet" more mossy fabrics that I should have used had I thought through the yellow as neutral. I'm thinking if I use the lighter shades as the center piece of sashing and the darker shade for the blue corners it helps show the difference between the light yellows and the yellowish greens. It changes the movement some, maybe a little subduing isn't a bad thing? So the blocks touch a bit more at the rectangle and it isolates the yellows into their own circle and I'll have to see a few more repeats of that to decide.

But that means I better get back at that sewing machine!