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  • 9 patch
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October 2, 2026
2 days of gloom.............. from Exuberant Color

It's hard to get motivated when it is dark and rainy out, having to turn on lights during the day.  The last I checked we had 2.5" of rain for the 2 days but we got quite a bit more after I checked.

I needed to do a load of laundry so while I was in the basement I cut the batting and pieced the backing for the fall color 9 patch quilt.  The backing is an early batik, probably late 1990s and has always been a favorite.  I have used it for the backing on one African ...

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September 25, 2026
Second quilt top for September 2026............... from Exuberant Color

I'm showing the close up shot first for the true color.

The greens don't jump out at you like the blues, but there are several of them in the quilt top too.  I'm happy the two alternate fabrics worked well together.  The leafy one had dark areas and light areas so it changed dramatically with the 6.5" cuts.








This top is so beautiful and peaceful looking, much better in real life than in a photo.  It is 60" x 72", the smallest of the 3 tops made with the same selection of browns.  More blues and ...

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September 24, 2026
Top half sewn, bottom half designed................ from Exuberant Color


After I sewed the top half together, I folded it in half so only the bottom 3 rows are showing and pinned it back up on the wall.  Then I designed the bottom half, making sure I didn't get the same fabric near itself.  There are 3 blocks alike of each combination plus some strips were duplicated.  I started sewing the bottom section together last night.


The sixth pink Bear Paw block was sewn.










I put all six of the blocks up on the design wall while part of the wall wasn't covered with the 9 patch top ...

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September 23, 2026
Half way point................ from Exuberant Color


The top 6 rows (of 12) are ready to sew now.  Then I can move the blocks up and design the bottom half.






I cut two more Bear Paw blocks and sewed one of them.  This one has the least contrast between the 2 fabrics in it.  After I sew the other one I can take the pink thread off the machine and change back to brown.





Marcia Derse has flannel fabric now and the prints are from a couple of her previous lines.  I didn't buy all of them, but just my favorites.  I'll mix these in ...

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September 22, 2026
The chickens won............ from Exuberant Color


The chickens will be the backing on this 16 patch quilt.  It's unlikely that I would make another quilt in the future that could use this fabric.  Now I have 2 ready for my longarm quilter.



I realized as I got more blocks on the design wall that there needs to be a double row of the spotted fabric all around the perimeter.









This is so much prettier than the camera wants to show you.  I still need 2 more rows at the bottom and I will start filling in the 9 patches today.








Here is yesterday's pink ...

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September 21, 2026
Layout preview................ from Exuberant Color


I wanted to see how the layout was going to look, so I took one 9 patch block of each fabric combination and previewed them with the 2 alternate fabrics.  I figured out that I need to do 2 columns on each side with the spotted fabric plus one row top and bottom.  Then the floral fabric will fill in all of the center spaces.  I think it will be interesting close up.  I'm not sure about a distance view.



Downstairs I cut the batting for the 16 patch quilt and looked for backings.  From top to bottom they ...

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September 20, 2026
Rainy Saturday.................. from Exuberant Color


It rained most of the day yesterday.  I checked the rain gauge about 5 p.m. and it had 1.5" in it.  I didn't empty it so I'll have a 2 day total including today's rain.  We got 2.5" on Thursday after a month with less than an inch of rain.  Three miles west of us got 4.25" on Thursday.

I turned on the iron and pressed Friday's blocks and the last 3 stratas.  Then I made the 9 blocks from the stratas.  I have 63 six inch 9 patches made now.  If ...

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September 19, 2026
Trying the layout....................... from Exuberant Color


Trying out the 2 favorite choices together: I think they work pretty well.  I was able to get 36 squares from the spotted fabric. I haven't cut the other one yet, but if I don't make any mis-cuts I think I will get 24 squares.






The busy print has rust color in it with brown in the spotted fabric. Even though they don't match exactly they coordinate pretty well.








I looked back through the brown bin and found another piece and this one is brown.  The problem though is the light color leaves; they are so much ...

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September 18, 2026
9 patch progress.................. from Exuberant Color


I didn't get as much done yesterday as I hoped but I had some other things to take care of.

In the afternoon I stitched 18 more blocks.







Later in the day I got 5 more sets ready to be pressed and then cut into sections for 15 more 9 patches.





Three more sets were paired but not sewn yet.






I still need to find 5  more fabrics to pair with these.

Two of my little great-grands are going to visit this morning.  I made some Chex mix for their mom.  She is pregnant and is craving it.

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September 17, 2026
Sewing some 9 patches.................... from Exuberant Color


 24 nine patches are sewn so far, lots more to go.  I had pulled some fabrics to try as alternate blocks so here are three of them.  This one of cheetahs isn't too great. I think it is too light.





This is my favorite but I only have enough to cut 24 alternate blocks.  That would only make a quilt 36" x 48".







I have two pieces of this fabric so it is a strong contender if I do this layout.







I decided to turn the camera to simulate an on point setting.  That is nice too.









I also ...

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September 15, 2026
A little more clean up.................... from Exuberant Color


It was a busy day yesterday.  My van needed servicing so my grandson and wife took me out for brunch after dropping it off and then we went back to my house.  Five sections were broken off the huge green Coral Bell and 4 planted in the center section and one in the section behind it.  Then they finished cleaning up the paver area and cleaned off the porch and sidewalk.  Also bottom dead branches of the hydrangea were cut off.  It is looking so nice now.  We went back to get the van afterwards.


This is the area where ...

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September 14, 2026
Two hours................. from Exuberant Color


Yesterday morning my helpers came to clean out all of the dead Black-eyed Susan plants plus weeds and volunteer trees.  I was hoping we could save some of the plants.  In two hours it went from this......




to this.  Now I need to find something that will grow in that center section.  The big green Coral Bell at the right front is overgrown and we could split 3 plants off of it and still leave a large plant where it is.  Since it has tolerated the heat it might be my best bet for that spot.  I have room to ...

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September 1, 2026
Second quilt top finished in august 2026........... from Exuberant Color


This last quilt top for August was pressed and photographed yesterday morning.  It is 39.5" x 61.5".  When I started making the three inch 9 patches I had no quilt in mind.  I had been thinking about another quilt with the Economy block with more of the 90s florals and I wanted to add white and black to a quilt.  All of the ideas came together to make these 40 blocks.  I was happy to find another white with black print in my stash to use for sashing.  




I ended up cutting 15 floral fabrics for the large ...

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August 31, 2026
Almost done....................... from Exuberant Color


All that is left to do on this quilt top is a final pressing and staystitching around the edges.  I decided to go with the 5 x 8 layout and use all 40 blocks.





This quilt started when I rediscovered 2 trays of 1.5" squares that I previously used for colorwash blocks.  I made the decision to make 9 patches with them and it snowballed from there into Economy blocks with sashing for this new quilt top.


 

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August 15, 2026
Decision................ from Exuberant Color


All of the blocks were finished and pressed yesterday morning so I had to make a decision on the layout.  I needed to clean off my work table.  I decided it will be sashing, but wider than I originally tried.  I was thinking 1" finished when I first showed the fabrics, but I decided yesterday that the blocks need a little more space between them.  Now I'm planning on 1.5" finished sashing.  I haven't decided if there will be cornerstones yet.  I'm putting this aside now and will work on something else, plus I'm still ...

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August 14, 2026
Not much................... from Exuberant Color


Some cutting was done in the morning to prepare for evening sewing.  Then at night it started thundering as another storm rolled through so I unplugged  my machine.  I did get the stripe triangles sewn on the last 4 nine patches.  At the left are the 2 new colors of floral triangles to surround all of the rest of the blocks.  Once they are all done I need to made the decision of the layout and size of quilt.


It was dark and dreary for much of the day with one rainstorm earlier in the afternoon.

Even my choice of ...

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August 13, 2026
Still thinking................... from Exuberant Color


 As I navigated the day's adventures, I was continually thinking about the project.  I have mentioned more than once that I have a short attention span, which means I get bored if I work too long on something.  So here is where I am now: top left is 20 finished 6" blocks, all pressed, top right 12 more finished blocks not pressed, bottom left 4 more waiting for floral corners (need to cut more) and 4 nine patches that I may or may not use in this project.

Here are my options.  If I used sashing with the 36 ...

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August 12, 2026
That was fun!......................... from Exuberant Color


Thanks to everyone who chimed in with an opinion on the auditioning yesterday  I especially enjoyed reading the explanations why the commenter liked the fabric.  Every fabric got some votes with the random line fabric getting the most.  I think it was pretty evenly divided between sashing and alternate blocks.  I didn't make any decision yet and just finished sewing round one on 8 more blocks last night.  One of the biggest surprises to me in my choices was the first one, the dotted ombre fabric.  Even if I don't use that in this quilt, I can see ...

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August 10, 2026
Sunday's progress............... from Exuberant Color


The first thing I did was assemble some more little 3" nine patches.  This is going to be a small project so I wanted to have at least 36 blocks to work with.







Nest I pressed the 9 patches that had the quarter square triangles sewn on and then I added 3" corners to 12 of the blocks.  As I work on this I'm realizing one block close up is really cute.  Several blocks at a distance look like gray instead of black (charcoal) and white stripe.  Seeing the blocks edge to edge is not great.


They are much ...

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August 9, 2026
Florals and stripes........... from Exuberant Color


The more I looked at the 9 patches with the stripes, the better I liked it so I went ahead and started sewing the quarter square triangles on.








Then I went down to the basement and looked for candidates for the 3" half square triangles.  I am checking here to see if they will all work.  I think the lightest ones on the top row may not have enough contrast.



I cut lots of the quarter square triangles and some of the floral half square triangles.  I finished the first 3 blocks and have 17 more blocks started.  After I ...

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  • 9 patch
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