Design wall & Work in Progess

I'm doing the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and this month the colour is pink. Having my pink blocks on the wall makes it easy to see what combinations I've used already.



I am about to start quilting a quilt for my 7-year old grandson, and the main element is the yellow strip-pieced star on a blue background. Before I start the FMQ I want to practise on the one surplus star so I decided to build it out to make it place-mat size and practise quilting on that. Then it will be something other than just a practice block. Hence the two wonky log cabins left and right, made from the triangular off-cuts from the pieced strips. Now I have to figure out what to add top and bottom to make it up to size, and I only have triangles! 
Incidentally, now I like the wonky log cabins (my first shot at improv) more than the star!




Finally there are some split 9 patches for Bonnie Hunter's Leader and Ender Challenge, again so I can see what I've got put together so far and if the colour/neutral contrast is sufficiently strong.. At first I had far too many light solid patches, and there are still some blocks where the neutral half has too many solids. I've been unpicking and substituting neutral prints for the solids. It took me some time to understand what Bonnie means by neutral. I think I've got it sussed, but I hope I haven't gone too far in the other direction. I don't think so, because there is a definite line between the coloured and the neutral.

So, instead of sewing this week I've been unpicking, and cutting. I know, most people will have done all the necessary cutting for the L&E challenge months ago. But I didn't have many scraps (still don't). We brought two refuse-bags and a 12 gal storage box of dressmaking scraps up from the basement on Saturday, and I've been sorting them over the weekend. Polyester etc, and jersey to the rubbish bin, a few pieces of cotton to the washing machine, and the rest to the ironing board. 

It's not on the design wall yet, but look what I found, lurking in the storage box ...

Very cold ducklings and bears?

I can't remember buying this but the edges have been zig-zagged, so probably washed, but it hasn't been cut into. Which doesn't surprise me. I can't imagine what came over me when I chose this. Migraine maybe. But, cut it small; still ugly?: cut it smaller. I shall be making some double 9-patch blocks in blue soon; you know, with the patches that finish at 1/2"!



I'm linking up with  at Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday, so just pop over there to see other people's design walls. 

Also with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday.