Nearing the finish line for the 100 Days 100 Blocks project

The 100 Days 100 Blocks project for 2020 is coming to an end. The exact date for posting Block 100 is October 8.

Wrapping up the 100 Days 100 Blocks project for 2020.

With each fussy cut and color pull, I have enjoyed "getting to know" the prints from several fabric collections from Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. These fabrics have a beautifully soft finish and the Painter's Palette collection of solids offers a full color gamut with nuances and shades in all the color families. I have a new appreciation for solids after working through this project.

Block layout options
I have begun auditioning layouts on the design wall. 

Alternate blocks on point.

Alternate blocks with a straight set.

Block groupings...

This could go in several directions... or into several projects.

The Final Five

These are Blocks 96, 97, 98, 99 and 100. 

Blocks 96 - 100 of the "Make the Cut" sampler quilt.

Time will tell what these 100 six-inch blocks will grow into.

Batch piecing the 100 Days 100 Blocks

With the posting of Block #40 today, I had to schedule block-making time for the 100 Days 100 Blocks sew-along 2020.

In progress blocks for #100days100blocks sew-along.
Prints and solids from Paintbrush Studio Fabrics.

Cruising at a steady pace, I pieced six blocks yesterday, but I'd like to get further ahead. It's more productive to sew the blocks in batches. Cut-cut-cut then sew-sew-sew.

Blocks 41 - 53 prepped for piecing.

I was making headway until I came to Block #48... which took the wind out of my sails. 

48 is going to be a booger! This darn 6" block has 18 HSTs (half square triangles) that finish at 1". Geesh... talk about a patchwork nightmare.

Block #48 layout diagram.

The search for half-square triangles

Scrounging the scraps from this project, I found a few HSTs that could be trimmed to size. I found a few triangle-shaped fabric pieces that could be made into new HST units. Then I did the 8-out method and cranked out a few more. 

Using various methods for making HSTs.

The Bloc-Loc tool is great for squaring up HSTs... but 18 little HST units is still a lot to trim!

Squaring up HSTs with the Bloc-Loc tool.

The cutting prep for Block #48 is now ready for piecing. This will take quite the determination and precision to make the block come out the correct size.

Block #48 prep.

Looking ahead... Block #54 needs twelve 1.5" HSTs. 

*Oh, joy.*
(I guess our piecework skills are being tested with this project.)

31 days of stitching... 6" blocks by hand and machine

For 2020, I've been tracking daily stitching activities with this fabulous project management calendar for makers. I'm happy to report that July had a full month of stitching! 

Project management Success Tracker for Makers and Creatives.

What's been the projects in July?

Curiously enough, the month of July was filled with making 6-inch blocks—some by machine and others by hand.

• 100 Days 100 Blocks Challenge—This sew-along started July 1. I've kept up with the daily postings and have pieced 40 six-inch patchwork blocks to date.
• English paper piecing [EPP] hexagons—this is a UFO from 2016 called Glorious Hexagons that re-emerged during the pandemic lock down this Spring. It now includes block patterns from both of Katja Marek's The New Hexagon books... and a few I've designed myself with leftover EPP bits.

40 blocks from #100days100blocks project and 12 EPP Glorious Hexagons.

I was surprised to discover 12 EPP hexagons were completed this past month. It just proves that if you do a little stitching each day—even 5 or 10 minutes—it adds up! This project is also very portable. I have paper templates, fabric bits, pins, needles and threads parcelled into sandwich size baggies that can be taken outside, or thrown into a purse or suitcase.

July's success on 6" English paper pieced hexagons.

My hexie collection has amassed to over 100 hexagons so far! I embrace the accomplishment of each small composition and find it very satisfying to give purpose to an accumulation of fabric swatches. 

The need for blenders

I enjoy the challenge of pulling together prints from various fabric collections for each block, but occasionally I realize a "calm coordinate" is needed to complement them or unify the palette. A quick trip to a local quilt shop [YLQS], Chattanooga Sewing Machines, filled this blender gap with a few Canvas and Shimmer Radiance fat quarters. 

Blenders and prints for 100 Days and EPP Glorious Hexagons projects.

Yeah, I picked up two other prints because they were from Paintbrush Studio (Over the Rainbow—for my 100 Days blocks) and Lewis & Irene (the bunnies—that I thought would be fun for EPP fussy cutting). Diversity is good, right?

In the hunt for something in my studio, I also uncovered some fat quarter Suede blenders [P&B Textiles] from a previous project. Aha! Another welcome addition to my EPP blender stash.

Suede blenders from P&B Textiles. 

So now I'm stocked up and ready for a stitching-filled August! What's been satisfying your stitch cravings?

Remakes: sometimes there are better choices

I decided to remake a few blocks from my 100 Days 100 Blocks project because I thought the compositions could be stronger.

Block 11: original block (left). Remake on the right.

This year I'm working with fabrics from Paintbrush Studio Fabrics for my 100 Days 100 Blocks project. Early blocks were made with fabrics I had on hand, but the addition of Painter's Palette solids to the fabric mix has really helped with fabric selection, value choices and block compositions.

Block 6 remake

Some remakes made quite an impact.

Block 8 remake of 4-patch corner units. 

Some calmed the chaos or refocused on specific motifs.

Block 5 remake

I'm making better fabric choices on current blocks but I may still re-look at other previous blocks for a potential do-over. 

It's much easier to fix 6-in blocks at this stage of the project.

100 Days 100 Blocks 2020 with Paintbrush Studio Fabrics

For the third year, I'm participating in the 100 Days 100 Blocks 2020 sew-along. This year, the majority of my fabrics are from Paintbrush Studio Fabrics [PBS Fabrics]. The quilt pattern is called "Make the Cut." The blocks finish at 6 inches (yep, ya learn how to nail your 1/4 inch seam!).

100 Days 100 Blocks 2020 Sew-along. #100days100blocks

Working with solids and prints

I started the 100 Days with two fat quarter bundles from PBS Fabrics, but quickly added these lovely Painter's Palette solids (this is the Jacquie Gering bundle)...

Jacquie Gering's Favorites bundle from Painter's Palette solids collection by Paintbrush Studio Fabrics.

... and some neutrals (April from the Birthstone series). The April birthstone is the diamond. 

Painter's Palette solids: April Birthstone bundle. 

I'm taking this Sew-along opportunity to work with both solids and prints, which is not my norm. I will say that the solids from the Painter's Palette—and all the PBS fabrics—have an extremely soft feel to them! The solids, in particular, are much softer than some of the other solid fabrics I have in my stash. This is certainly going to be an enjoyable patchwork process!

Block progress

These are the first six blocks with prints from Flutter and Food Trucks. Both of these fabric lines have fun images—ice cream cones, donuts, burgers and butterflies—for fussy cutting, and they are size-appropriate for the 6 inch blocks.

Make the Cut Blocks 1 - 6.

My blocks are pieced in batches, however, I post daily photos on social media per the guidelines of the sew-along. Several blocks were pieced or cut out before I got the Painter's Palette solids. So when the solids arrived, I started incorporating them... in Blocks 9 and 12. 

Make the Cut Blocks 7 - 12.

Blocks 13 through 16 have incorporated more solids with the prints.

Make the Cut Blocks 13 - 16

Should the mood strike, I may re-make a few of the earlier blocks and incorporate solid fabrics. Time will tell.

Painter's Palette solids from Paintbrush Studio Fabrics.
April Birthstone, Diamond bundle.