On the design wall

Winter has given us 5" of snow and a couple days of very cold temperatures, so quilting is getting done.
I'm nearly finished making blocks for grandson Drew's quilt.  The large blocks are constructed in quadrants, and 70 quadrants are done, 10 left to make.  This is a sideways layout on the design wall, and it's always awkward to photograph "down the hall."  I'm doing a 4 x 5 layout.

I don't think the design will look much different when the quadrants and rows are sewn together and the design is tightened up.  I'm undecided what I'll do for a border.  I don't want it to get much bigger. 

I added the white curves--not part of the fabric

I'm using +20 reds and +20 blues.  The more the merrier.  After it's finished and sent on its way, I'm sure I'll find other fabrics that would have worked in it.

In my stash I found an old red fabric (Thimbleberries, I believe) with "letters to Santa," and several pieces of it are included.  My son had been a helicopter pilot for the US Army, and one letter asks for a helicopter. I thought the connection was a fine reason to use this fabric.  The only thing that would have made it better is if the name at the end of "the letter" had been Andrew. 

A new book came in the mail a couple days ago.  I seldom buy just-published books, but I'd read about it here on the blog Wonkyworld.  One of this blogger's quilts in written about in the book, in the story about Andrea Balosky.   Amazon let me "look inside," I read several excerpts, and I was hooked. 
The book is Quilts in the Attic by Karen Musgrave.  She shares 30 stories of  "quilt discoveries," (auctions, gifts, happenstance, etc), and the stories are as varied as the 30 quilts pictured in the book.   The book is a hard cover, it is small (7-1/2 x 5-1/4 x 1"), and the print is small.  I'm thoroughly enjoying each and every story.