10 hours of sewing - goal not quite met

Yes folks... when Paul's alarm sounded at 5AM, I got out of bed... (I had already been awake since 4:30 anyway).  Some coffee was brewed up, dishes were done from yesterday's meals, and a bagel was eaten.  Once Paul was kissed goodbye at 5:45, I was done and ready for some serious sewing!!! 

:)

Despite have Celtic Solstice calling my name, I started the day by playing with my 2014 Rainbow Scrap Challenge plan...

I woke up thinking about how to make the block unit a bit larger (9" finished)... but I wasn't sold on Bonnie's idea of making a 4-patch of Maverick Stars.  I had some 9-patches resting on the shelf, so I tried 'em out.  Me thinks me finally has the 2014 plan ready to go!  And, did I read that Angela has chosen blue for the first month already?!??!  HA!  Lookie there----already done :)  LOL

Then it was time to get serious sewing time in to Celtic Solstice.

So many ladies have been talking up Clue #2 as "the killer step."  It DID take quite a long time to complete the additional chevrons to catch up to the King size quilt, but I wouldn't necessarily say that it killed me.  However...each of Bonnie's mysteries does seem to have one of those "killer steps."  Remember the 60 string blocks from Roll Roll Cotton boll???!?!?!?!?  LOL.

My fruit punch koolaid kept my hydrated during all of those chevrons!

I didn't pay attention to the clock much today, but I THINK it was around noonish before I was able to say...."It's time for step 5!"  I am 100% caught up with the additional units in steps 1-4 in order to Go King :)

And then.... cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut.....

piece, piece, piece, piece, piece.....

piece, piece, piece, piece, piece......

piece, piece, piece, piece, piece......

ummm........ are these little neutral triangles EVER going to run out?!?!?!?!?!

There CERTAINLY is a difference between only piecing the units for the smaller quilt versus the larger quilt!

I finally got all 244 triangles pieced onto one side of the pink/orange HST.  

And then, I ACTUALLY let go of some of my control, and.....

FINGER-PRESSED the units as I added the other triangle side.  

I'm a presser.  IRON-presser.

But, I trusted Bonnie that finger pressing would be sufficient for these units;  afterall, we all know how biased these lil' buggers can get!

I only pieced about half of the units before saying.....I NEED A DIFFERENT TASK!!!  My lower back was actually starting to ache from the sitting at the machine for all these triangle pieces!

No more finger piecing though.  Once both triangle wings were attached, it was time to give them a nice press.  

Note my water bottle.  We have extremely hard water, even with our water-softener doing its job.  I used to be a 100% steam presser; and have ruined a few too many blocks from a sputtery steam iron. :(

Therefore, that last two irons I've purchased, I have NOT added water at all.  I am completely a "dry-iron" presser convert...with a water bottle on the side.  I sometimes add a few drops of an essential oil I have handy, but not always.

With those pressed, and my afternoon yawns starting to take over, I knew my sewing time was nearing an end.  BUT, I wanted to have a couple of completed step 5s done before turning everything off.  I had Bonnie in my sewing room quilt-camming for the afternoon, but when she tuned off, I started playing some videos of my crochet buddy Mikey (Crochet Crowd).  Between Bonnie and him... they are typically my background noise of choice when there isn't a movie tickling my fancy.

 4:00PM -- and 50 completed step 5 units, with the other 196 all prepped in partial stages around my sewing room.

And now...dinner of Sweet-n-Sour Pork made and eaten, a movie playing on the TV, and my feet are up.  My crochet hook will be in my hand shortly ... I feel a Packer scarf is my project of choice this evening.

Happy Saturday everyone!