Well, I've got my undies in a bunch...

...well, more accurately, I have my HUSBAND'S undies in a bunch.  If you read my last post, you know that my husband loves all quilts, but thinks the BEST and MOST AUTHENTIC quilts are made from old clothes and scraps.  So naturally, I decided that the new wall hanging he has been hinting about for his office area at work should be made from his old boxer shorts.  Ha!  We'll see how if he continues to hold this opinion after he is presented with the finished project!  I will call this effort "BOXER REBELLION."

This morning, after he left to report for federal jury duty in Detroit, I raided his underwear drawer (now, if they called him to serve, I'm going to feel really guilty...).  This action on my part should not alarm him or raise suspicion  because this was something I was going to do anyway...new underwear was bought and washed last week, and it is already in the drawer.  There is one red plaid pair in the laundry to add to this fairly boring pile of blue plaids and stripes. 

Some are pretty thin and most are a cotton/poly blend, but a frugal pioneering suburban woman collecting precious bits to make warm covers to get through the long winter can't be picky, can she?

So now I am trying to think of an appropriate block(s) to piece out of mens underwear.  Since I am making a wall hanging, I figure I'll make 6-inch pieced blocks.  I will sprinkle some funny applique blocks in the mix as well...more on those in a later post.

So, are there any blocks out there with funny names that YOU can think of?  Here's the list of possibilities so far...and yes, 1)  these are actual names of actual blocks, and 2)  my mind is in the gutter (I'm going straight to Hell...):

Jack in the Box
Devil's Claw
Gentleman's Fancy
Arrowhead
Odd Fellow's Chain
Darting Bird
Hands All Around (I kid you not...giggle)
Old Maid's Ramble
Hen and Chicks
Bachelor's Puzzle
Ball and Chain
Delectable Mountains
Buzzard's Roost

Barb of Fun With Barb suggested I also make an accompanying seat cushion...HILARIOUS!  GREAT idea!

These are the kinds of twisted things I ponder when I chain-piece.  I have been going around and around with the remaining 81 log cabin blocks I am working on to go with the 39 finished ones.  They are about 2/3's of the way done...woo hoo!  

It is slow work because I didn't cut all 120 pieces of each size log before I started...I was too eager to start chain piecing with my new machine.

I got a couple of emails asking me why I cut all my log pieces to the right length before I piece.  Why don't I just sew on random length strips, then square up after pressing each addition.  Basically because I'm lazy, I guess.  Also, the right length strip keeps me honest.  If my 1/4 inch seam allowance is correct, I don't have to square up...my blocks will be the right size.

Before I sew a strip, I quickly check the width of the block at both ends to see if I need to adjust the position of my strip before sewing.

This may seam slow, but I use the extension table that came with my machine to lay out several blocks at a time, I check them all with the ruler, then drive those puppies through...bingo, bongo...

I still have the positive/negative chains on the design wall...I need to sew those blocks together as well. 

Must - fill - another - dozen - bobbins...

Pretty soon I will have two scrappy tops finished!!!

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)