Vintage Mess (and other stuff)

I finished something!  I really didn't think it would happen this week.  I'm babysitting my 7 week old grandson, and tired is not even the word at the end of the day.  But--I made a new checkbook cover!

I really needed one.  Plus it needed to be snazzy and red, with sewing machines on it.

Here's the outside.  Fun fabric.

And best of all, it fits my checkbook and check register.  So what if I only write 10 checks a year?

In other stuff news,  here's a vintage mess.

Lots of my quilts start out this way--once upon a time there was a bag of vintage scrap pieces.  In this case, they were "squares", meaning they were not really square, of vintage prints.

The big bag is where I store my solid color scraps.  I can't believe it's gotten so full.  I think these pieces are breeding in the basement when no one is looking.  (But if that's the case, why aren't the reds and blues making more purples?  I need more purple!)

It is so much fun matching up prints and solids.

I finally had to dump out the bag on the floor of the sewing room, so I could root around for more colors.  I need more orange, more pink, and dang it more purple!

The mess is everywhere.  I had to go find more vintage scraps to cut up to go with the squares.

I'm cutting these blocks about ten at a time, and laying them out on the treadle.  It kind of reminds me of the Elves and the Shoemaker, except there are no elves piecing the blocks.  (So far.  I haven't tried leaving out plates of cookies yet.)

Wouldn't you know I'd start a new project just when I have dramatically less time.  Good thing these blocks are easy and quick to sew, whenever I have a free minute.

Here are the stacks of finished 9 patches.  The closer stack is made of blocks with 5 print and 4 solid squares, and the stack near the window is made of blocks with 5 solid and 4 print squares.  I had to trim those vintage print squares to 2.25 in. to even them up, so the blocks finish at 5.25 in.

I'm planning to set them side by side in the finished quilt.  I need 99 total, and I have about 63 done.  Not bad for a busy week.

I've been catching up on my quilt show viewing while feeding and burping the little one.  We especially like Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting. I watched one the other day with the project shown here on the cover of their magazine.  It reminded me of a quilt block I'd always wanted to make.

The photo above is from Granny Quilts, by Darlene Zimmerman.  It's not really much like the Fons and Porter quilt, except for being sort of a pinwheel.

Here's the cover of the book, just in case you want to know.

And here's my test block, done in (of course) vintage fabrics.  The directions were excellent.  Ms. Zimmerman uses my favorite rulers, the Easy Angle and the Companion Angle.  It makes an 8 in. block.  So here's another new project!  I may put this one on the back burner for a while.  It's great just knowing I have good directions.
So what direction are you going in this week?  I hope your days, and your quilts, are joyful.
I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts today for Finish it up Friday.