Step 2 Orca Bay Mystery

I just love making string blocks! I like everything about it. I get to use something that might otherwise be thrown away and I find sewing them very relaxing. I normally don't like trimming, but on string blocks I do because that's when you get to see what the block really looks like. I even like pulling off the paper on the back. I use phone book pages to piece my string blocks on and the paper comes off easily, and I find it really fun to do while watching a movie or something. I don't watch a lot of TV so it is like a guilty pleasure to watch a movie or TV show while pulling off the paper on string blocks.


Here are some of my string blocks from step 2. They are all finished and in that pile to the right in the photo. I didn't have enough rust strings, so I ended up using all kinds of oranges except for the light peaches. I'm hoping they still read as a dark orange-rust.
You can see several other quilter's progress on the mystery quilt here
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2011/11/mystery-monday-link-up-part-2.html


I found some time to work on my string Christmas stockings. I started out just having everyone pick a color, but there are too many of us to be able to get away with that. These are the red, orange, and Kansas City Chiefs red and gold stockings. I am working on DH's stocking now, he picked a burgundy/gray combo which is his favorite color combination. After I get DH's done, I still have to make a purple stocking and mine which will be selvages. I am sewing the strings directly to Warm and Natural batting. When I have all the stockings done as far as the strings go, I will layer them with some muslin, use the "Magic Stocking" method and instead of adding a cuff on the top, I am just planning on using double fold bias tape along the top edges. I have several stockings I worked on last year ready to go, and I am hoping I can get the whole stack finished in a couple long sewing days. I'd like to make a few extra stockings, because the way our family keeps growing, I know I'll end up needing more ;-)