half-way there!

I've got 57 of my 114 paper plates finished! The triangles are currently sewn into half-hexagons; they won't be sewn completely together until the layout is finalized at the second class meeting. But you can get the idea of what they will look like eventually :) Here are a few of my favorites so far...

The book we are using is One-Block Wonders Encore! by Maxine Rosenthal and Joy Pelzmann. And the absolute must-have to make this pattern: the Super 60 Clearview Triangle ruler from aliciasattic.com.

I have found that five hexagons is the perfect number for me to work on at once. With five there are not so many pieces floating around to become confused, I can chain-piece 10 seams in one pass, and my cheap-o iron manages to stay hot between pressing sessions without timing out. I am still not convinced that an expensive iron will make me a better quilter or seamstress. One day I may cross over to that way of thinking, but until then, I am content with my Black & Decker that times-out after about 5 minutes of inactivity.

Some close-up shots of my favorites.... I love the little "seed-pods" in this one...

And all the peacock blue in this one...

Happy orange flowers...

and this is one of the few dark ones... love the forest green!

Here's hoping I can maintain this pace and get these ready to go waaaayyyy ahead of schedule... something that never happens for me. What would that be like?

If you are wondering what a finished one-block wonder might look like, there is a flickr group here with lots of photos :)

Enjoy the day!