my hst child

my early-morning, post-vacation sewing time after my pinwheels stalled out has been mostly joining up my hsts for this "gypsy child hst quilt," which is taking a bit of time. i laid out these pieces for the 4th row of 16-patch blocks (how i've chosen to join the bajillion little hsts i've made for this project) months ago. last week i got the urge to start piecing them. it makes for some pretty simple piecing, but it's not mindless in the least. i have to pay close attention to what i'm doing.

i went to the trouble of laying them out in an elaborate fabric sudoku session, so i'm trying hard to keep everything in place. this is all a bit overboard for such a scrappy quilt, but that's me all over.

i've been taking the photo on my phone with me to my machine and setting it up in front of me by the pieces. then i refer to it as i sew, always double checking myself. of course i've managed to flip one or two bits, but in general i've done quite well at following my placement.

 

i have pieces for "lemonade at sixes" just next to the machine, which i'm using as leaders-and-enders for the hst blocks. the hsts are sitting above the machine in their rows and my phone, open to the photo, is placed just to the left of them on the cutting mat, propped against the other machine. the last pieces for "groovy liberty" pinwheels are also nearby (waiting on one more fabric to arrive). so many pretty pieces around make me happy and brighten the sewing space for me.

i have all the 16-patch blocks put together now and need to join them to complete the row. thank goodness i detailed my process for how i was laying out the pieces in january because it's time to do the next row. this one puts me more than halfway there. i want this done!

although i must admit i'm second-guessing the project a little. it's based off a single 16-patch block i made for my gypsy wife quilt, which i thought would make a good whole quilt. but now i'm wondering if it's a bit boring, all the millions of hsts set in a basic patchwork layout? like, maybe i should have done a diamond pattern with them or something more dynamic? i don't know. i love all the pieces in here; they make me so happy together. but will i like the sea of them laid out this way in the end? only the finish will tell, i guess. and then i'll know one more thing about me as a quilter and about my tastes.

in the meantime, looking at the individual pieces is quite pleasurable as i go.