#85, 86, 87

#85 Square Dance

I like the Chinese fabric in the center, and since it's such a large square of it, I think it looks nice. This is the only square with such dark colors and burgundy. But at this point, the squares are so random that it's hard to say that one doesn't match. None of them really match!

#86 Squash Blossom

Squash blossoms are orange, and I love that this one looks vaguely like it would fit into a Navajo rug. This makes me happy, since squash was an important staple for the early Americans. I tried growing zucchini squash on my balcony this year, and we've had a couple flowers so far. I'm glad it's not the staple of my diet, though, because I'd still be waiting for my first meal.

#87 Star Gardener

Okay, I'd sworn off all the blocks with a gazillion of the #13 triangles. They take forever, and since there are a million tiny pieces, if you're even a tiny bit inaccurate in your cutting or stitching, it will throw off the size of the whole block (ahem, darting birds!). But I've gotten a lot better at cutting and sewing more accurately. I know that I need to lean towards a scant 1/4" seam, and when I did so, this block turned out exactly the right size! I kind of love it, and it was worth all the cutting and sewing.

#82, 83, 84

#82 Spider Legs

This one is not my new favorite. I like the fabrics together, but I had thought they would turn out a little more 50/50, not so overpowered by the leaf print. And then there are about a gazillion pieces in this square, and it doesn't really look as cool as it should for the work that went into it. I give it a C+.

#83 Spider Web

This one gets an A, though. It's hard to go wrong with red and white, isn't it? They're matching fabrics-- the same design and same colors, just reversed. So I thought this was the perfect square for them. This one kind of makes me hungry for pizza, though.

#84 Spool

This one is simple and simply lovely. If I were going to make a whole quilt of spools, though, I'd definitely use this super cute pattern!

#79, 80, 81

#79 Silver Lane

I didn't much care for this pattern. The more I looked at it, the more I didn't like it, and I couldn't find colors to change my mind. But when I made it all ONE color, various shades of red, I liked it much better. It's still not my favorite; it's a bit too random and busy. But it will do well enough.

#80 Single Wedding Star

I REALLY like this one! I could make an entire quilt of this design. It really looks circular, but then when you break it down, it's just rectangles and square-within-a-square. I love it when things look really complicated but then are actually quite simple like this.

#81 Snowball

This one isn't a new favorite. A real "snowball" block is just a solid square with little corner triangles. This one has big ol' corner triangles and a "window" in the center, neither of which make me happy. Plus, I was determined to use this pastel floral print, and I'm not terribly thrilled with the combination. Oh well. It will be a busy quilt. I'm sure I won't spend all day looking at this one.

#76, 77, 78

#76 Sawtooth

When I had cats, I thought it was really hard to keep them away from my sewing. They liked to sit ON my fabric, bat at the thread, and meow pitifully through the closed door when I banished them from my sewing room. Now I have two little daughter helpers, and I realized I had NO IDEA. These girls can use scissors. They want their own threaded needle and some fabric. And forget banishing them outside-- these girls can open doors!

So I try to let them help whenever I can. And that's why Naomi is reaching into the picture to grab my quilt square. At least she doesn't have scissors in her hands!

#77 Seasons

This was-- hands down-- the simplest pattern to sew. Even though it's set on point, it's really just a 9-patch. So, two trips to the ironing board, and I was done!

#78 Shooting Star

This one took a few more than two trips to the ironing board. I keep the ironing board in a different  room than my sewing machine. Mostly it's to keep it out of sight, but it's also because, while I like sitting and sewing all day, I don't want to look like I sit around all day. So I take trips from the bedroom to the dining room, and it keeps me young. :)