Oh Scrap! : New Block Drive

 I don't often release the new block instructions for a Many Hands and Many Hearts block drive on a Sunday.  But this is such a fun scrappy block, I thought this week it was appropriate.

We are going to make a variation of the Potato Chip Block.  The true Potato Chip Block is a 12.5" square.  We decided to do a truncated version that is only 8.5" square.

The block is super easy.  We will be using the color wheel and making blocks using complimentary colors.  You need six 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles in one color and one 4.5" square in it's complimentary color.

Lay them out in the above configuration.  Then sew the top pieces, the center pieces and then the bottom pieces together.  You can press however you desire.

Now simply sew together the rows to complete the block.  

Your block should now measure 8.5" square.

The colors for your blocks are going to be yellow with a purple center or purple with a yellow center.

Another option is green with a red center or red with a green center.

And finally, you can make blocks that are blue with an orange center or orange with a blue center.

Notice the orange block has a slightly different center.  If you do not have bigger scraps for the centers, you can swap the larger square for two 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles.  

I am not sure yet how we are going to assemble these blocks together.  Once they start arriving I am sure inspiration will strike!

This block drive will continue until the end of August.

If you have any questions or need an address for where you can send your blocks, just email me at cynthiabddesigns at gmail dot com or manyhandsandmanyhearts at gmail dot com.

Thanks so much for your support!

Now you can link up your scrappy projects!

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It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

• This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
• You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
• If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
• If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
• This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
• Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Fridays are for Finishes

 Happy Friday!

I am celebrating a bit because I actually put out a few posts this week.  It is getting harder and harder to accomplish this with all the other things I have been doing for MHMH.  If you are planning on retiring soon, don't start a non-profit!

(I am joking of course - but you do work a lot!)

A few months back, Sharon sent us a big stack of small quilt tops.  We have been slowly working through them.  This little Winnie the Pooh quilt is a favorite of mine.  I had an older Winnie the Pooh print in my stash I was ready to move on.  I think we also have some of this print in the MHMH stash but I couldn't locate it.  We will just use it on the next one!

Silly cats anyone!?  I think this one came in as a kit and Pam sewed it up into a quilt top for us.  I had received this bright blue minky from an estate sale.  It has a really long pile. I decided to use it on this quilt.  I have to be honest - I am not a fan.  I know people love how soft it is, but I just don't care for how it takes the "crispness" out of a quilt.  I am pretty sure some young child will love it though!

Elizabeth sent in this tumbler quilt top made from 30's prints.  She also donated the backing fabric.  I really need to get out my Accuquilt and cut up some big six-inch tumbler blocks from scraps.  They made such cute quilts and they are so easy to sew together.

The tag was misplaced on this one but I think Jocelyn made the quilt top.  It is filled with fun novelty scraps and I love how she made scrappy blocks for the outer border.  Very clever!

And finally, this little one block wonder quilt top was donated by Carol.  We had a scrap floral leftover from a larger quilt that we were able to use for the backing.  I might have sewn the label in the wrong corner - from afar, the backing looks like it might have a direction but you sure can't tell up close.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

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Parade of Finishes

I hope those of you in the US had a nice holiday weekend.  I spent some time getting the "MHMH warehouse" organized. It is really just a 10' square room that holds most of our fabric and quilts.  Needless to say, it can become quite chaotic in there!

Mari sent in this lovely floral quilt top.  If I remember correctly, she also sent in a larger quilt using some of the same fabrics.  This one may have been made from the leftovers.  Mari also sent in this backing fabric and the binding.  

Here is a fun scrappy quilt.  Elizabeth sent in this quilt top and backing.  I have always been a fan of purple and red combinations.

Does this quilt look familiar?  It came out of my quilt stash.  I have been gleaning out quilts that I used to use for teaching.  This one was made from my Wiggle Time pattern.  I just made a scrappier version.

The tag on this fun scrappy quilt got misplaced.  It has been on the shelf for a long time.  I think Dusty may have sent it in.  It is a super easy block and looks like it would burn through a bunch of solid scraps.  

A fun bright striped fabric went on the back.

This one has been hanging around for quite some time too.  I think Jean made the top and the backing.  The low volumes don't photograph that well, but up close it is a sweet, peaceful quilt.

Most of these have been done for some time and have already delivered.  I am trying to catch up a bit and I keep finding quilts I haven't shared with you.  

Thanks for stopping by!

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Oh Scrap! : Holiday Weekend

 I can't believe how fast this week zoomed by.  I think I am going to spend the long weekend organizing a bunch of fabric.  There is a big shipment of quilts going out next week and already loaded into my car, so there is some space to move around right now.

I also think I might get a bunch of Kaffe Fassett scraps out to cut.  This quilt top was sent in by Kathy and I fell in love.  I think it is a great way to showcase all those lovely prints.  The pretty backing fabric was donated by Stephanie, and it was quilted by Laura.

Are you often inspired by the quilts we get?  

My self-control is tested every day!

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It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

• This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
• You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
• If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
• If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
• This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
• Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly

Oh Scrap! : Playing with Blocks

 I have had a stack of RWB blocks sitting next to my sewing machine for weeks.  I finally had a chance this week to turn them into a quilt top.

We made some simple rail fence blocks out of RWB strips at our Spring Sew Day.  We made enough blocks to make about 13 quilts.  

For this first quilt, I simply laid them out in an alternate direction.  The blocks are 10" so this quilt will finish at about 50" x 60".

I have some other layout plans for these blocks that I hope to share soon.  In fact, maybe I will write an article for the newsletter.  If you are not on the distribution list, send me an email and I will get you signed up before the next issue goes out.

cynthiabdesigns at gmail dot com

It sure felt good to play with some scraps!

*********************************************

It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

• This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
• You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
• If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
• If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
• This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
• Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly

Oh Scrap! : From the Scrap Bin

*** I just realized today is not Saturday! Oh Scrap!***

 Recently, we finished some quilts made from scraps and orphan blocks we received.

A lot of our scraps get sent to Marci in Idaho and she turns them into scrappy blocks.  We used the 10" string blocks to make this scrappy quilt.  I think Marcia sewed up these blocks into a quilt top at or last sew day.  It is nice because you really don't need a design wall to put these together.

Over a year ago, someone sent us a bunch of HSTs along with some cut squares and some leftover fabric.  It might have been someone's UFO but there was no pattern.  Jeanne took it all home and designed this medallion pattern. There are SO many tiny pieces in this one.  Elizabeth sent us the lovely green backing and local longarm quilter Wanda finished it up for us.  Saved from the trash bin!

I made this little flannel quilt from some flannel squares that were donated to us almost two years ago.  I think it is almost the last of the thousands of squares we received.  We used a flannel print sent in by Kristin for the back and Cindy quilted it up.

I love seeing these odds and ends and orphans being turned into lovely quilts!

*********************************************

It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

• This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
• You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
• If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
• If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
• This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
• Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly

Mid Week Finishes

 I have a few minutes so I thought I would share a handful more quilts that crossed the finish line.  All of these quilts were made from donated quilt tops.

Carol donated this fun wildlife quilt top.  I love how she used the strips of the little animals that sometime come with panels. I also like how she staggered her animal placements.  We decided to back this quilt with some flannel.  The dark green was sent in by Stephanie and we had a bit of flannel with deer on it that was the perfect size for making the backing wide enough.

This circus themed quilt top was made locally.  Thanks, Chris, for also sending in a matching pieced backing. Chris has been working on using a bunch of fabric that was gifted to her, and we are pleased to be the recipient of her creative quilts.

Fun quilts for older kids are always in demand.  Thanks to Kristin, we have this fun sport themed one ready to donate.  She also sent in this nice flannel backing.  I love these big buffalo prints, but they are usually impossible to line up straight with the quilt top.  But who is going to know when they are cuddled up under it!

We get a lot of quilts made from panels.  This one from Cheryl is super cute.  Again, I really like the staggered placement of the squares around the outer border.  One of the local fabric pickers, Deana, found this cute flannel backing.  We have just been waiting to use it on a dog themed top.

I think Kristin sent in this quilt top and backing.  Or it could have been Deb.  I log in everything with a description and two descriptions match this quilt.  I do know I love the simple layout.  This would be a great pattern for a batik jelly roll.

That is it for now.  I need to get the May newsletter finished so I can send it out Friday. If you don't receive our monthly newsletter and want a copy, just email me and I will get you on the distribution list.

Hope you are having a great week!

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