Mind-Tricks

I've been procrastinating on stay-stitching around the final outer edge of RRCB, which I have decided to call, "Cotton Candy." After that, it needs a final pressing and then can go to the longarmer for quilting. So I have not blogged because somehow I've felt that I'm being "bad" and don't want to admit it!
Yet I have done several more blocks on my Sister's Choice and I'm putting flying geese units together, too. But what pleases me the most and excites me recently is working on the Chain of Faith quilt designed by Jo Kramer and featured on Moda Bake Shop.
I'm using lots of the FQ's that I bought for 10 for $10 at Keepsake Quilting's main store in Center Harbor, NH. When that sale happened, I had already seen the recipe for the quilt and had mentally pledged to my self that I would make it.

These two pictures show what $70 worth of fat quarters look like in an antique market basket that I bought from an East Tennessee Ebay'er. I love how it looks just sitting out in my living room! It really tickles me to gaze at all the patterns and colors. So now you can see that I'm not using the pre-cut jelly roll from Moda. I wanted to have the fun of picking out the colors myself! That ensures that my quilt is an individual, if not entirely original. Here are a couple of pictures of the four large blocks that I have made so far:

I love the whimsical, shabby-chic cottage aura that they have. But, oh boy, are they ever tricky to make! They look deceivingly simple but are actually deviously complex. I love Jo Kramer's work and her blog, but even she warned us to watch out.
Each of the smaller blocks must be an identical match of the pattern but not the fabric. When Jo posted the pictures for her instructions, she kept showing the new picture in a different orientation from the previous one so it was hard to follow when I was doing it. It reminded me of one of those horrid visual problems on an IQ test where you are supposed to tell which two are pairs. Finally, after three rounds of frog stitching, I got one made that was RIGHT! Then I kept that one beside me at the machine to keep looking at as an example. That worked wonders for me. The pattern calls for 64 of the smaller blocks, putting four together with sashing to make 16 large blocks. For me, 64 sounds mind-bogglingly overwhelming. But 16 sounds do-able! Isn't it silly how my mind works? So I tell myself that I'll just do one of the big blocks in a day. Then I stay on track.
So now maybe I'll find the self-discipline to stay-stitch that RRCB Cotton Candy top! Whaddya think? Can I?