Michael Squared

An awfully strange name for a block I think, but I finished Michael Squared last night.  MS is the block for next week in my Penny Haren Pieced Applique Sew-Along.  I also worked ahead and finished Kaleidoscope Star, the block that is "due" the week that we move.  I'm going to start doing two of these blocks a week so that when we travel and move later this Spring I won't fall behind the schedule.

When I first started putting Michael Squared together, I was horrified by my color choices and thought I would really hate the finished product.  But, I stuck to my color scheme and am pretty happy with how it turned out:

"Michael Squared"

I thought it was going to be an orange disaster, but everything seems to work together now.  My Kaleidoscope Star has a little bit more going on color-wise with the red.  Both blocks look nice along side the others I've already done.  I have to keep reminding myself that each of these little blocks is just a small part of the larger project and not a masterpiece unto itself!

Kaleidoscope Star

My next project will be to stitch down the applique pieces of Block #11 of the Baby Love quilt I'm working on in the Affairs of the Heart Sew-Along.  I've got them all cut out - I just need to finished ironing the edges under with starch and then stitch them down with my invisible thread.  I bought some smaller sized machine needles, which should make my stitching a little less obvious - smaller needle holes. I also want to make some significant progress on finishing my baby's dinosaur quilt.  My husband actually asked me about that one last night - and he never asks about any of my projects!