Progress without Sewing?

I know I'm on a crazy deadline.  MC's quilt (at least the top) by 10/11.  Two other quilts (completely done) by beginning of November.  The raffle quilt somewhere in between there.  Sometimes it's hard to go step by step when I feel like I should be SPRINTING AHEAD.

Last night was Project Runway with my sister.  She's still nursing a broken foot so we both needed some chilling-with-my-sister time.  Roaring fire, tons of candles, and a couple sleepy cats - it was just the ticket.

But that whole deadline thing.....

I have most of the squares cut for the MC's carpenter's star but I'm seriously dithering over background, borders, and color placement.  Since every half square triangle is unique, I can't just sew then position.  I had to get it all sorted before I could stitch anything.

I loaded up all my scraps, a print out of the design (Thanks EQ7!) and some scissors.  For every 9" square, I created a 1" stand-in.  Armed with a glue stick, I cut all the little squares into tiny triangles and glued them on the pattern.

Mock-up of ManChild's Carpenter's Star

I have to say, this was loads of fun.  I may have to make some Christmas cards or something this way.  Very satisfying - all those little bits of color & the instant gratification of glue.

It was also a GREAT process for my quilt.  I discovered that

1. I was totally over-thinking the color placement.  I have to be precise (so the triangles merge into diamonds) but those diamonds looked pretty great in a random arrangement.  OK - not exactly random.  I can't actually do random.  But the evenly-distributed-non-symmetrical arrangement that passes for random in my brain.  And
2. The scrappy background I planned was too busy for the design.  It made the star just fade away.  Using one neutral made the star really pop.

I'm so glad, in the race to the finish line, that I took time to get that sorted.  Now I can charge ahead with piecing and assemble.  Best part - I figured it out without having to take (or rip out!) a single stitch!

- sash