Stepping up the pace now, my plan was to sew block a week for the next two weeks, sashing and borders in the third week, quilting during week four, and then binding in week five with a week to catch up if I don’t keep up.  But, after the last block was done, and the next one underway, I realized all the handwork I have planned is going to take it’s share of time and I have to add a hanging sleeve and a label to the back.  So, it was time to sew two blocks in a day to move the schedule forward at least a week. Block 15 was supposed to be in these colors, but after I laid out the green, it didn’t make sense anymore. It has such a strong leaf print, I didn’t want to use it.

But the good news is I found just enough of the orange tree print to barely get a top and three branches for the tree. The pattern calls for seven branches and a top, so I had to expand the trunk and the sky above. I liked that idea better than introducing another tree fabric.

Tree done, with the sky strip to add.

Laying out the rest of the bits, for some reason I cannot now explain, I picked up yellow as the house fabric in place of the green, without consulting my plan. This will come back to bite me in just a little bit.

I had cut the green piece according to the directions, but it wasn’t fitting as it should.

Measuring again, then looking at the pattern, there is a mistake in the pattern.  Adding up the widths of the pieces across the bottom, you get 21-1/2, not 15-1/2.  I wanted to have the 10-1/2 x 2-1/2 piece under the house stretch across the width of the block as a ground.

So, another piece cut and finished it up.

Adding this block to the other two on the row, and arghh!! The center of the ground floral strip is still not right, it is bowing up in the middle so I must have cut it wrong.

You guessed it, yep, had to rip it out and replace it.

Then I had to change that fabric too, as I no longer had enough of the original choice.  Finally, will call this one done.

The next day, on to the next block, the last one!! I pulled out my fabrics from my plan and set to work.

Cutting out the bits, and laying them out, I started sewing on some of the pieces. It was fun to realize that I was on the last of the piecing for the house blocks.

It looked so easy, so I dove in without reading the directions. Bad idea.

The house window floral is directional, so sewing the house needed to be done with care.

About here was when I realized that the upper cross on the corner was sewed too soon, and the bottom part needed to be separate to complete the house with straight seams.

Oh well, ripped out a bit more.

Now, this time I read carefully, as I have messed up on this kind of roof-chimney arrangement before.

Got it right, no ripping this time.

Laying out the block again, it is looking better. But even now, I still haven’t realized my mistake.

More sections sewn, and it is done, whooppeee!!!

Doing the happy dance, until I placed the last block next to block 15.

And there we are, two yellow houses side by side.  Nope, can’t leave it this way.  Now, I need to figure out what to do, what to change with the least amount of hassle.  Yes, there is likely going to be more frogging involved, but just how much is yet to be determined.

What are you working on?