Design Wall Monday - Stitch & B!tch Sampler progress

If you routinely follow this blog, you know I don't make a routine out of Design Wall Monday.

But that's because my design wall doesn't change on a frequent basis. I anticipate that will change when I retire...maybe. 

I am, again, hoping to work exclusively on this project until it is done (fat chance) and I promised I would post updates. I'm fairly certain this quilt will take me at least a year to complete.

I picked up the pattern at FedEx on February 21. In the last 3 weeks, I have sporadically been in the studio and spent the entire time tracing the pattern onto freezer paper, and marking up the freezer paper. Here's where I am now:

The Road Map

That was a lot of marking. I'm glad I'm to an age where I understand why I should do it now instead of later wondering why I didn't do what I was supposed to do earlier. I'm also grateful for a small collection of colored pencils and a larger stash of Ultra Fine Sharpies in many colors.

But, let's talk about a couple of issues, shall we? First, FedEx didn't get the pattern size exactly right. And shame on me for not checking it before I left the store, because I was so giddy to get it home and on the table. The pattern is bigger than I had requested, but I'm working with it. Also, the printer lopped off a chunk of the right edge of the pattern! I'm going to work with it, but they're going to get an unsatisfactory survey response from me.

For now, let's make lemonade out of lemons. The other mistake was using those pretty Ultra Fine Sharpies to label all of the template pieces on the dull side of the freezer paper. One sentence I didn't read in the instructions said to use a pencil...So I'll be using some parchment paper to protect the iron. And now it's time to pull fabrics. The great thing is I already had pulled a lot of black and white prints for the background, and I pulled some more from the stash. I hope I don't have to buy more, but it's possible. There's also a design element of my layout that will use fabric printed with tape measures. The hardest part will be picking out the fabrics that will be...well, I'm keeping that a secret for now.

We're headed back to the beach on Saturday, and I doubt I will get another opportunity to work on this until we return. I have a knitting project I'm taking along so I'll keep my hands busy while away. I'm in the office a couple of days this week, the 3rd session of the digitizing class is Wednesday and I have homework to do before it, getting a haircut, and hoping I have everything at work handled before we leave, because I'm not hauling my work laptop with me. If you follow me on Instagram, I hope to post some pretty sunrises.

I have some really great family news to share (which is an opportunity for another quilt!) and I'm hoping by my next post there will be more good news. And maybe more progress on this quilt!

Go make!