Happy Friday, friends! I hope you’ve had a good week. Ours has been busy, but productive. I think we are closing in on a house to buy!

This weekend I expect to spend some time in a sunny spot stitching a new Ice Cream Soda quilt block. My sewing space in our temporary rental feels jumbled and uninspiring, but all I need is a comfortable spot and good light to settle in happily with hand sewing. English paper piecing has been a good fit lately!

I’ve been working on Ice Cream Soda blocks, using paper pieces and acrylic cutting templates from Tales of Cloth. I can’t decide between glue basting and thread basting, so these blocks have a little of both.

When I made hexagon flowers last summer, I much preferred the speed of glue basting. With the hexagon shape you can keep the glue completely off of the paper, but still secure the fabric well. It seems that glue basting doesn’t work as well with the Ice Cream Soda shapes. I find the papers get loose if I don’t join the shapes quickly. Maybe thread basting is better for this time in my life?

Check out these adorable raccoons by Kim Kight. I’m not usually a fussy-cutter, but EPP and acrylic templates make it so easy that I can’t resist. And the results are usually worth it!

Here are my first two completed Ice Cream Soda blocks. With a little tape, they add a little cheer that feels like home in our space. At least, feels like home to me! I do miss my sunny sewing room and organized spaces. Slowly but surely, we will rebuild those things and appreciate them all the more.

Happy weekend!