OMG May: Library Quilt Project (update)

Yay!  Not only did I get 5 blocks done for the month, so far I've made 16!  Once I got going, it was hard to stop.  I have certainly learned a few things along the way, and am happy enough with the methods I've come up with to construct the blocks.  I bought some vellum that would fit in my printer, and copied the blocks onto that.  I also bought some Scotch brand double-sided adhesive on a roll (basically micro glue dots in a dispenser that you roll on).  Yes, I know I could just use a glue stick, but I like this better--no mess.  One roll got me through 10 blocks.  I have since purchased about a half dozen more to hopefully get me through the rest of the quilt.  I also made a test of two letters from the book Quilt Talk.  I now have the book on order (shipped today) so that I can return the library's copy, and cut up the pattern sheet of my own copy.  Here are five of my blocks and the letter sample.  (The letters will not be in these fabrics; I just grabbed what was laying around closest to me when I decided to sew.)

Each "book binding" fabric will be shared by two blocks, one the dots background, one the swirls.  Yesterday and today I scanned all of my completed blocks and uploaded them to EQ7 as fabric.  This way I can virtually layout the blocks as I finish them, alternately dots and swirls, and keeping matching bindings far enough apart, I hope.  The finished size is going to be about 93"W x 41"H, so I don't really have design wall space big enough to lay them out for real.  I'm planning a solid black for the sashing, and using leftover fabric from the bindings for the corner blocks.  I haven't decided if the background and letters will be solid or print, yet.  Depends what I find when I get to the fabric store.  Here's what I have so far.  (Again, ignore the letters.  Just my quick block drawing for them.)

If you want to see all of my blocks, checkout the hashtag #hclbookquilt on Instagram.  I've been posting them as I complete them, tagging folks if they sent me the book fabric as part of #getyourquiltywishesgranted.  The rest of the fabrics I've purchased.

OMG May: Library Quilt Project (again)

Well, April seems to have gotten away from me, and I didn't get any UFO projects finished, and didn't meet my OMG goal of getting 4 blocks towards my library quilt completed.  In fact, I got 0 blocks done towards it.  However, last week I met with the library director to give her a heads up about what I was planning, and to allow her to pick the fabrics she liked from what I had collected.  And it's a good thing, because she didn't pick some of the ones I would have.  But she did pick 30 different fabrics.  Which is 5 more books than I was planning.  We also talked about where the quilt would hang in the library.  I basically have about 44" of height to work with, and as much length as I need.  So I went back to EQ7 to work out a new layout for 30 blocks, no taller than 44".  I came up with a 3 x 10 arrangement, which is somewhere about 90" long.  But I think I can handle it since it won't be too big in the other direction.  I also decided to add the library's name to fill space at the top (making it better fit the space).  Something like this...

I hacked together those letters just to get an idea.  I have since checked out from my library the book Quilt Talk by Sam Hunter, because it has paper piecing patterns for upper- and lowercase letters.  And instructions on how to resize things, so I think that will work for what I want to do.  Just have to sit down and get a rough idea of letter size.  And then find fabric to do sashing, letters, and background. I played around in EQ7 with a few ideas, and I like the basic one above best.  Blue and gold are the school district colors, so I'd like to use those.  I may change the sashing blocks to a rainbow of colors or some other novelty fabric, yet to be discovered by me.

I did make another test block, this time at the correct size.  Only had to add one piece because I miss cut something, and only had to rip out one seam (the last one).  I wanted to see if the background pieces would work being cut from jelly roll strips, and they will.  I also matched up all 30 book fabrics with background and accent fabrics (below).  Happy enough with how the block turned out, that I think I'm ready to move forward.  After I finish up some other family-related activities over the next week or so.  So for May, I will try again to get some blocks done for this quilt.  I'm shooting for 5 (since the project has grown in size).