Stacks of 3 1/2 inch Squares

I grew up in farm country, North of Winnipeg, Manitoba.  The worst blizzard ever recorded was part of my early teen years...  The snow blew from Friday afternoon (of course) til Monday morning (wouldn't you know it!) 

I really dislike snow!

I now live where it doesn't snow so much and it certainly doesn't get the prolonged freezing temperatures that happens in Manitoba.

Oh, by the way, the background photo that you see on my blog here was taken by my sister-in-law, Karen and is a view from near their cottage at Winnipeg Beach, MB.   It looks so cold and yet it is somewhat compelling and you wish you could stand out there and watch the wisps of snow drift across the frozen lake.

So the last few days we have had snow -- and I have not been out, other than my back yard since the snow started...

From my sewing room window I can look out across the neighbours property and watch the snow pile up.  The Crows congregate in a tree with red berries for their lunch, while the chickadees and juncos take turns at the bird feeders in the backyard...

I have too many UFO's to count but I also have a shoebox full of squares cut at 3 1/2 inches from the scrappy bits from other projects.  I started cutting the leftover bits way back in Y2K...  I use some but mostly they stack up.  With no real intention I started to arrange and re arrange some of the squares...

So, what else to do except start to sew 3 1/2 inch squares together.  With a Plan, sort of...

I put togther 20 - 16 patch blocks.  I had been thinking perhaps a Trip Around the World, but when I got to 20 blocks, I realized that really wouldn't work there were not enough of some fabrics and the quilt would need to be square. To do it properly I would have to continue til I had 36 blocks and I didn't want to make such a big quilt, even though there are still alot of 3 1/2 inch squares in those shoe boxes!

So after a couple hours of playing with placement, this is what is on the design wall now...

Today it has started to rain and the snow is almost gone.  I should get out into the world...

I think I will wait a bit and perhaps go think up another project.  Ya Think?