Wip Wednesday

I have been working on Square in a Square variation for the quilt that I call My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes. My kids had a much loved book by this name and its so true of cats. The fabric in the quilt features cats... its a panel and co-coordinating yardage. I'm sorry I can't tell you the name of the panel or line as I bought it a few years ago and don't have the selvedge here with me to read (I prepped it all at home before we left on our holiday.)

I had the panel cut up, the yardage cut up as well as all the pieces for the block, the sashing strips and corner stones all prepped and ready to go in little bags in a plastic clip top carry box. 

The panel had 8 different cat pictures about 10" square and I fussy cut the yardage which featured the same cats scattered about to be the centre square. I based it on a pattern from Quilters Cache called Square within Squares 2  but I varied it a bit.

I have the centre of the quilt complete. It consists of the panels cats cut up into individual pictures and 17 of the square within squares blocks done in a scrappy design. I sashed between the blocks in brown with corner stones of different colours used in the blocks. 

I got that together last night and today I have been making piano key borders from the same fabrics used in the blocks. I am not sure if I have made enough.... tempted to measure it tonight but it is getting pretty late so I have stopped. I didn't have the strips precut as I wasn't sure what I was going to do for a border. In fact I think I bought the left over yardage (well fat quarters and yardage) to go into the backing. Whatever I have been trimming strips as I got. I cut a whole heap and sewed them together (matching strips of similar length) and then pressed the sewn strips and cut them into 6.5" pieces which I sewed together. I couldn't work out why it wasn't going together faster ie the 4 strips for the sides wasn't growing as fast as they usually do ... then I realised. Usually I make 5" piano key borders and this time I opted for 6.5". Doh

I am continuing to enjoy sewing in the caravan. We have had some lovely days exploring the countryside we have driven through and I have a long blog post about our travels that I haven't finished off yet to post... still wanting to add some more photos but will try to get that up tomorrow.

Today we have been in Forbes, an historic goldrush town. We have done a little exploring but mostly we have been catching up with my lovely nephew who lives here and his wife and gorgeous daughters. Today (Great) Aunty Pip has bounced on the giant pillow thingy, 

climbed a play gym and gone down a slippery dip, 

played with Barbies, my Little Ponies, 

read a story to someone sitting on the toilet (!!!) and had lots of delightful conversations with a bright and bubbly four year old and had some snuggles with a little 8 month old bub.

Tomorrow we head for Orange and another house full of cute great nieces and nephews. Travelling is fun!!!