Stripping the Night Away

I feel like I've been so out of the loop lately.  We went to visit family over the 4th of July holiday weekend, and so I wasn't able to blog as fully as I would like.  I managed to schedule a couple of posts, write a few comments, and send a few emails, but typing on an iPad just gets tedious after awhile.

The biggest thing I missed though, was quilting.  Tonight, I sat down to my sewing machine for the first time in over a week.  And oh yeah- it was awesome.  I had Common Core Standards training today, and it will continue through Thursday, which is about as fun as getting poked in the eye.

Given the circumstances, a few hours at my machine was just what I needed while Mr. MQI and wild thing were off at baseball practice.  So, I took a gazillion 2.5 inch strips and started stripping the night away (no, that's not naughty).  Turning this-

into this-

Strip and string quilts are some of my favorite quilts to look at, and to sew.  They're great when you want to make something fairly quickly too.  I used the same method I used in my giant log cabin tutorial HERE.  Using this method means I kept all of my strips long (width of fabric) and trimmed them as I constructed my blocks- it's so simple!  Instead of one giant log cabin, I made blocks that will finish at 15 inches, to be laid out 4 x 4, for a quilt that will measure 60 x 60 in.

I consider these blocks to be "controlled scrappy."  I definitely wanted the scrappy look, but to keep the colors balanced, I actually had to cut into some of my FQ stash, and even purchased several fabrics.  So, I don't know if it can be considered truly scrappy.

After a couple of hours, I got all of my blocks finished!

They aren't pressed yet, but that's a job for another evening (I'm thinking tomorrow!).  

I have to thank Kim at Windsor and Main for the inspiration for this quilt.  Here's a picture of her Summer Picnic Quilt, and you can check out her post about it HERE.  I am in totally in love with the colors of this quilt paired with the black and white polkadot backing.  It is just so happy!

And if there's anything I need in the midst of a three day training on Common Core Standards, it's sewing something happy!