moonrise

Lovely fabrics! Here are mine. Hopefully I did them right. I've been in bed with the flu or really nasty "crud" for 3 days now, and am a little dopey on medicines. I haven't cut the 2-1/2" squares yet, but that's no biggie. I had a lot of brown scraps, so I used those.

Will my "Fabric A" be okay, or is it going to be too much brown?

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(The rectangles are stacked; can't see them all.)

happyjunker

I'm still cutting! I decided to make the bigger size, so 108 blocks...eek! I'm up to 83, all different fabrics. I have duplicates cut, but since I'm so close, I chose 25 more pieces last night, and I'll get them cut today so I won't have any repeats. What a chore...a fun chore, but a chore. I haven't made very many pieced quilts before, so I don't have a big stash of pre-cut squares.

My rotary cutter and/or mat is giving me a fit. I don't know which needs to be replaced. I put a fresh blade in, but it keeps skipping, and that is very annoying.

I think I may have enough extra squares cut to make the small top to quilt and donate to the local Senior Center for them to raffle off for a fund raiser.

I'm having fun...My first train ride. All I've got to offer up is a fresh pot of coffee. Grab a mug, your rotary cutter, and come help! You'll find me in the turquoise robe and black slippers!

kuntryquilter

I am thankful for my GO cutter for this project.

paintmejudy

Good morning, all.

IBQLTN - no rush, we'll be waiting for you.

Mom6 - no not behind, you'll catch up just fine.

shadowirish - pretty!

bibliostone - great fabrics, love the variety and the adorable prints.

moonrise - beautiful blocks. Not to offend but I feel you may want to rethink your A fabric. You'll see why on Saturday. Love your B and rectangles.

happy junker - amazing, isn't it, how many different fabrics accumulate, and we don't realize it until we start looking for different patterns. As to your cutting problems, if you put in a new, good blade, perhaps your mat needs cleaning. Soak in the tub laying flat, with slightly warm water with enough water to cover the mat and about 1/4 cup vinegar. Let soak a half hour then gently scrub with a very soft brush, something like a mushroom brush. Lint accumulates in the cuts in your mat. I'm cleaning mine soon, I noticed yesterday it was getting a bit funky.

SunlitenSmiles

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Giggle.......my rotary cutter is actually working well this morning...am using the other side of the cutting mat now.
that is me in the too long green velor robe and the purple slippers.

SunlitenSmiles

great idea Judy, I tried to clean the mat with masking tape and it really did not help much...going to 'give it a bath ' who knew ! probably everyone but me

Pam H

How long do you have to let the mat dry before you can use it?

paintmejudy

Pam - There was something on the old board before they made this new and improved quilting board, and for some reason it didn't seem to come over into my saved items. But after you rinse it, sort of dry it off, let it dry flat. I just wait until it feel dry, the mat doesn't absorb water.

Sunlite, will try the other side, never thought of that since the surface feels so different. You have been so quiet this train ride, hope you are feeling well.

paintmejudy

I was looking in the wrong place -- found it. This was posted by BellaBoo. She wrote:

I was reading quilt blogs this morning and kept clicking random links and found this info about mats.

If you have a self healing cutting mat it needs to be re hydrated to stay self healing. When the moisture is gone the mat dries out and will have cut marks and dull your blade. Soak the mat in room temp water for about and hour, let dry. That's all you have to. The mat will be soft and be like new again. I have one old mat soaking now. I'll post if it makes a difference. I don't think June Taylor mats are self healing. I have an Olfa one soaking.

The part I wrote about the brush came from another posting I had read.

francie yuhas

PamH: nice wall hanging! I do a lot of that type of thing( can't spell appli-- this am). I would sandwich it and as you machine sew around the patterns,you are quilting it at the same time! Saves time and keeps the stitching from piling up. francie