Looking forward to work

I've think I rather like having regular classes. I found myself looking forward to going to work today, last night, and the class lived up to my expectations. In fact they have inspired me, along with Jenny who runs Patchwork Corner.
One of my students started a sampler quilt today, and started with tumbling blocks, which had me thinking about hexagons. Jenny suggested I should make a quilt with the fabric range I really liked and talked her into, and another student was telling me I would think of a clever way of joining quilt as you go sections. So I am thinking about these fabrics, sashing and hexagons, which lead me to my birthday quilt. For my birthday I was bought the fabrics to make me a new quilt for the bed. It is the Graceful Geishas range from Loni Rossi, and I wanted a plan to use the multi fabric panels she has done.

I bought eight panels, the largest part of each will become a block in it's own right. I will set nine blocks to make the main body of the quilt, so I have to create a center block. When we were in Sweden I saw some woven panels with come from a Japanese book and make hexagons (among other things). So above you can see the start I have made on the center piece. It will end up about 15" square and each bias strip is 18mm. Yes I know I shouldn't mix units, but the bias maker and it's strip cutter are metric and I make quilts in imperial. It will all work in the end, as the width of the strips really doesn't matter. Of course there will be sashing between the blocks and I will be able to use the little medallions off the panel in the intersections. I think it is going to be a fun project. It also means I have something new to show my class tomorrow night. So thanks guys, it wouldn't have happened without you.

Oh and I think I have a solution for machine sewing quilt as you go without the zigzag.