Project Quilting Challenge #4 2021

 The fourth Project Quilting Challenge is Snail's Trail.

My personal first rule of PQ2021 is to start with orphan blocks. This week's first orphan was part of a stripset that came from who knows  where, and gave me my center four-patch.

The last time I'd tried this  block, I think I was using four colors and it was not a fun process. This was much easier to keep track of, although I did wind up with squares that spiraled in different directions.

Backs were pieced as well, as crumb blocks. A few more orphans found their way into the backs as well.

One of these is now finished and done. The other is a UFO - I'll just add it to the list :) This will make a nice mat for bowls of gumbo. The final touch is a fun button, the second personal rule.

Project Quilting Challenge #3 2021

 The third Project Quilting Challenge is Virtual Vacation.

My usual constraints applied - start with orphan blocks and end with buttons.

These look like sand and sea - we're good to go! Adding lots of sand, a little more sea, sun, and sky, and we have a top.

Wavy line quilting across the entire top- sunset colors for the sky and top of the water, teal for the water, and sand for the sand.

And it's done. One big mother-of-pearl button to represent shells that wash up on the shore and it's done.

Not a *literal* representation, but the colors and feeling of my favorite part of favorite vacation- early morning walks on the beach. This, then, is FloraBama Sunrise. And the wonkiness isn't the photo- the top edge and first couple of inches down is square, but after that I just  trimmed along the edge and if it waved and curved, that's how I bound it. Size is about 12 x 20.

From snowy Gaithersburg, MD, wishing I was in Orange Beach.