Busier Crazier

That's what I'm calling this quilt: "Busier Crazier". There's no doubt it was a bit busy and crazy before. But now it's just more. So, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. I finished it up last night.

I was commenting back and forth with Belinda on Flickr about how I used to say that I didn't like orange and within the last four or five months, I've decided that I love orange! I even chose it as one of my bee block colors. It's still definitely not a color I'd wear (it would not go with my skin tone!). And maybe that's where my erstwhile orange prejudice originated. But I'm definitely a convert.

Basically, I started with these 16 blocks, back when it was just "Busy Crazy" (um... you know way back earlier this week). I really like the layout like this. It's a bit cleaner and I like the no border thing. I also like having them strips horizontal, like a coin quilt. But I thought it was a bit on the small side (unfinished blocks were 14.75") and I wanted to make it bigger.

I didn't have enough of each fabric to make more blocks in the light or dark style, so I took a selection from each and made 8 more blocks in the quasi-mid-tone range. Then, due to an-oh-so-typical cutting SNAFU in this last stack of 8, I had to trim all the blocks down to 14".

I still really like this quilt top. And stack and slash is a fast and simple way to make unique quits. But I just like the other way a teensy bit more. Actually, I think what happened is that I sewed the blocks together and realized after the fact that I had rotated them so that the strips would now be vertical (because the quilt started out as a square, so there wasn't necessarily a "right side up" but now it's a rectangle, so there is). I'm not sure the orientation really mattered much after I added the smaller pieces, but... it is what it is! Moving on! Surprise October gifts in the making.

Oh and for those of you who don't know, that's my pink-striped, flannel-backed tablecloth-cum-design wall. I don't think too much about it, but then when I post a photo, I think people might wonder what's going on behind there! :)

I also took the afternoon yesterday to whip myself up a little fall purse:

This is Artsy Crafty Babe's free Pleated Tote pattern. I didn't have enough lightweight interfacing for the exterior, which would have made nicer pleats. But I used fusible fleece on the lining for a little structure and durability. I think I made the straps a little wider, too. I found the fabric in the remnant pile at Joann's.

I'll be taking my bag and myself off to the Wisconsin Quilt Expo! Have a great weekend!