Sunday, January 5, 2014

Decicions, Decisions

A little champagne and a whole pile of 4" red squares that I won several years ago brought a new year of sewing to a great start.


A lot of trimming left some nice scraps for the birds.



The neat pile left me with a lot of decisions.



I've always loved the look of a simple HST quilt, but then again......


how about a great zig zag....or



a star (oops...a misplaced one, but you get the picture).

Then again, there is this option....


and Flying Geese too.


Maybe a bigger zig zag would be nice.


There is always the classic pinwheels.  I have close to 400 of these HSTs so I hope to make a decision soon as I would like to complete it this month and participate in A Lovely Year of Finishes.  Which is your favorite?




Another insane project that has been a few years in the works is my cross stitch nativity scene.  Between the eye strain and the intense concentration required on this project, I am sure it will take me a few more years to complete.


This is what I hope it will eventually look like.


I welcome January with the new-ness that it brings.  There is so much to look forward to and dream about.

To all of you in the path of this latest artic blast, stay safe.  I vote that you just stay inside and sew instead of venturing out.

43 comments:

  1. They are all lovely. So many choices Mary. My favorite is always the half square triangles

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes i agree with Betsy , all are lovely and I can't decide on a favorite..
    The Nativity is gorgeous. I can see it will take ages to stitch.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think you should make all of them! That's how a series gets started. The larger zig zag is my favorite though.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love the triangles!

    The cross stitch will be so worth it when it is complete, which reminds me I have at least 4 big cross stitch projects to finish!

    ReplyDelete
  5. So many fabulous possibilities! I'm a sucker for pin wheels myself :D
    Your x stitch Nativity is going to be a real treasure when it's complete.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The cross stitch is going to be beautiful Mary...you have me stumped with the HSTs though; I like all of them!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The red hst's lend to so many dreams. I could not pick a favorite, really! I do love your cross stitch project, that will be a real heirloom when you complete it. Keep warm and safe ~
    :-}pokey

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your cross stitch so far is just beautiful. It would take me years too. As for your HST 'S. I love them all. You can never go wrong with the traditional as in picture one. I like the flowers but you would have to cut more. Zig zag, is pretty, but my heart goes to the good old pinwheel. I cannot wait to see what you choose. What' ever you pick it will be beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think the beginning verse should be reversed.. More champagne.. LOL.. I know more eye strain..... I like the Star version, I hate HST's.. I love the look, just not the making.. I love love the cross stitching. thats my fav of all hobbies and I would not even try a piece this detailed.. I am learning a new stitching technique for stitching with RA, you might like it and if your left handed, stitch with your light on the right.. I cant do it yet.. all your work is great. I loved strenght..

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like them all, but I'm really drawn to the first one! Or the zigzag. You can't go wrong with any of them. I wish I had a design wall.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love them all but I'm always a wee bit partial to pinwheels! What a fun way to start the new year.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love the classic look to picture ones HST. They look wonderful anyway you arrange them though

    ReplyDelete
  13. I vote Flying Geese! I'm a sucker for that type of pattern.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Check out this post...the quilt is a sampler of half-square blocks and there is little video of 25 block ideas.

    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh my, I love all those HSTs!! I vote for the pinwheels or the simple HST quilt ... but whatever you decide will be smashing, I'm sure.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh be still my heart - 400 HSTs ready to play with! All great settings, but I found the pinwheels a show stopper in the red/white. I love the cross stitch - I use a small Ott light - clips anywhere and has a bendable kneck - really helps. Just work in small time allotments to reduce strain.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Have you considered doing it sampler style? A little of everything...? Well, I probably wouldn't either.

    They're all wonderful, but I'm drawn to the classic pinwheel

    ReplyDelete
  18. Love the red/white combo. I like the pinwheels too. And your cross stitching is gorgeous! I have tried, but it just drives my eyes wild to cross stitch anymore. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Aren't half square triangles so fun to play with?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wow!! Isn't it fun to have options??! Unless you can decide which one you like best!! I sure couldn't narrow it to one . . . I liked the chevrons, the stars and the pinwheels!! Someone had a look with their HSTs that was really cool ... it was Kathy's Quilts: http://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-scrappy-saturday.html I thought that was a cool way to use HSTs! Your Holy Night piece is gorgeous!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. It's hard to choose just one! I love the zigzag and I love the flying geese and I love that bigger zigzag too! Can't wait to see what you choose. Enjoy Nat

    ReplyDelete
  22. Red and white is so classic. Gorgeous no matter how you set it : )

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thank you for visiting my blog. I anxious to get started again!

    My favorite combination of colors is red and white... even though white is "the absence of color'. Each room in my little cottage is a combination of red and another color. Your patterns are lovely! Which will you choose? ~Joni

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh, wow, that cross stitch is a very ambitious project! My favourite, today, is the diamond design but who know how I'd feel tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  25. My favourite is the stars, but any of the layouts you showed will look great in that colourway.

    ReplyDelete
  26. That is a lot of HSTs. I hope you figure out which one sings to you.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I really like all your HST idea, but the first one is probably my favorite because I am wanting to make a similar block :)
    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  28. What fun, Mary! I recently bought a bunch of Edyta Sitar's triangle papers to try out and hopefully have as much fun as you have with your red and whites! Here's to a great year of sewing!
    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Aren't those red & white HST's fun to play with? My favorite is the star that had an "oops" in it, but the pinwheels are pretty, too.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Wow once you get started with a project you don't stop!! lol Lovely work.
    Cheers, Anita.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Oh, so many ways to make a pattern!!! I love the cross stitch nativity !!!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I just found your blog site and I was wondering where you got the pattern for California Snowball quilt I saw on Quilting Gallery site? Super cute.........

    I have signed up for your blog posts and looking forward to reading your blog in 2014.....

    ReplyDelete
  33. It is amazing what a HST can do, each one is just as wonderful as the next design.

    ReplyDelete
  34. All beautiful, I'm saving done if your photos for the ideas :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. This post is so fun!!! Amazing that hsts can make all sorts of designs!

    My favorite is flying geese. I haven't looked to see what others said, but I'm going to look as soon as I post this. I am guessing zig zags might be popular.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hmm, maybe pinwheels or zig zags were the most popular? What did you decide? Personally I like the idea of a sampler. I've never seen anything like that before!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Oh dear I love every one of the options - you could make a block of every one of them - what a great quilt that would be. :) blessings, marlene

    ReplyDelete
  38. Wow - there's no way to choose! I just downloaded a block sheet for ways to use HST's - the variety is endless. I have a Lord's Supper cross-stitch that I probably started back in the 80's. No telling whether it will ever get finished now that I quilt all the time :*)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi
    I stumbles across your blog today and, oh I love what you have done with these half square triangles. I too have just been playing with half square triangles but I much prefer your fabulous blocks.
    Well best wishes from a quilting enthuiast across the pond.
    sophie

    ReplyDelete
  40. I like the small zigzag and red and white are just my favorites ...it looks so crisp and bright...love it :0)

    Happy Sewing

    ReplyDelete
  41. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I have a red/white quilt design spinning in my head.... seeing yours kind of brings the design back to the front burner. :) Thanks for inspiring me. Hugs to you!

    ReplyDelete
  43. I love your cross stitch. Why is it that it takes us years to finish them though - if we eventually do!!
    I still have some needing finishing.

    ReplyDelete