Wednesday, May 31, 2017

SewcialBeeSampler Catch Up

Yesterday, I was able to spend some of the day sewing with a friend so I used it as an opportunity to get caught up on my Sewcial Bee Sampler blocks.  I was a total of 5 weeks (blocks) behind!




While I chatted away with my friend, I chose and cut all of the pieces for my blocks.  It was nice to have some input on my fabric selections.  Then I came home and started sewing them into blocks.




I don't often use fabrics with animals, but these little bunnies were begging to be fussy cut in this block.



I also used this wide frame on this block to fussy cut some owls.  Not sure the bright orange works well in the block but it will make more sense when it is among its friends in the quilt . 
(Or at least I hope it will!)




It is always nice to have a block design that is just simple squares and rectangles. 
They go together so quickly!



This was the block that stalled out my progress over a month ago.  I never seem to have good luck making geese with the "no waste" method.  They are always just a tiny bit big so I knew the tolerances would add up.  But I was able to just get it done!
Definitely not perfect!



I was even able to finish the block that was released today so I am official all caught up.  Woo Hoo!
I think this is one of my favorite blocks - in both design and in fabrics.

Here are the six 12" blocks that I made over the last two days.



And here they are added to all the blocks finished to date.  Eighteen out of a total of twenty five are finished.  Only seven more weeks to go!

You can find patterns to all of the blocks here on Maureen Cracknell's or Sharon Holland's blogs.  They are hosting the Quilt Along.


Now back out to my gardens....





Linking Up:

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Sunday, May 28, 2017

Oh Scrap! : In Case You Missed It

Even though the weather has been a little on the hot side, I have been spending as much time as I can out in my gardens.  So once again, I have very little scrap quilting to share.  But I thought I would feature a few projects that have been linked up the last few weeks that caught my eye.



First up is  this stunning scrappy courthouse steps by Maryse (Maryse Makes Things).
You can pop over and see more lovely photos along with the story behind it.  This one makes me want to start one of my own!


There was also this lovely center medallion piece  linked up by Sandra (Quilting at the Cro's Nest).
I think this piece is part of a  Block of the Month.  I really love it so far!

These are of course just a few of the many wonderful projects that get linked up every week.  I am sure you will have even more to share this week!


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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!
Quilting is more fun than Housework

So if you love scrappy projects, feel free to grab my button for your sidebar or posts and get ready to share all your wonderful projects from scraps.  And if you have a great idea for using scraps and would like to be featured, feel free to contact me!








Memorial Day Sale

There is still some time to take advantage of the Memorial Day Sale at Connecting Threads!




(This post contains affiliate links.  Clicking through and making a purchase may result in me making a commission.  I appreciate the support!)
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Friday, May 26, 2017

Covered in Love First Finish

Thanks to so many generous people who have sent in donation blocks, I have already been able to finish up the first quilt for Covered in Love.  You can read more about this project here.



For this quilt, I laid the colors out in a diagonal layout.  All of the blocks were beautifully made and the quilt top went together really quickly!




I used a bright white thread and quilted this one with some swirls.
I love that the sashing is built right into the block!




Kat had sent some backing pieces that were also generously donated so I used this lovely purple piece for the backing on this one.




Here is where all the blocks have originated from so far - with many of the packages coming from states already colored in.



And I have already laid out the second quilt.  For this one, I chose a weave design. 
Now I just need to sew it up!

I still have more blocks so a third quilt is definitely going to happen.
This block design is one of my Scrap-A-Palooza quilts - if you are looking for some ideas for your own scrap or donation quilts, you will find lots of ideas in the gallery page.

Have a great weekend!







Linking Up:

My Quilt Infatuation (Needle & Thread)
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Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Tumbled

Have you seen the newest issue of Quiltmaker magazine yet?  It should be hitting newsstands soon so keep an eye out for it.

QM1708 COVER 500 New Issue: Quiltmaker July/August 17


I am pleased to announce that one of my quilts was published in it!




Remember back in August last year, I was using my AccuQuilt fabric cutter to turn a bunch of my black and white (and red) scraps into these fun tumbler shapes.  If you have a fabric cutter, I highly recommend this little 3" tumbler shape.

(This is the same shape I used to sew up this colorwash quilt.)




The quilt is called 'Tumbled' and it was made by separating all the scrappy black and white prints by value and laying them out so they darken as they move toward the outer border.

Scraps are so much fun to play with!



Memorial Day Sale
 And before you go, I also thought I would let you know that Connecting Threads currently has a Memorial Day Sale going on right now.  I love to let you know how you can save some money!






Linking Up:


**This post contains affiliate links.  Clicking through and making a purchase may result in my making a commission.  I really appreciate the support!***
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Sunday, May 21, 2017

Oh Scrap! : Just 9 Patches

First, thanks to everyone who weighed in on my layout dilemma on my green blocks. 
So many great ideas! 

But the beautiful weather we have been having has lured me out to my gardens so I didn't make much progress on any of my projects.




I did realize that I still needed to sew up my 9 patch blocks for my RSC17 quilt so I popped into my sewing room and sewed them up before I forgot about them!

How about you?  Did you do any scrap quilting this week?


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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!
Quilting is more fun than Housework

So if you love scrappy projects, feel free to grab my button for your sidebar or posts and get ready to share all your wonderful projects from scraps.  And if you have a great idea for using scraps and would like to be featured, feel free to contact me!






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Thursday, May 18, 2017

It's TGIFF - Hop To It

That's Right - This week I am hosting TGIFF (Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday!)

I hope some of you are here to link up your lovely finishes below.
But before you link up, it is my turn to share...


 I have a pretty fun finish to write about this week.  I finally finished up my pixelated bunny quilt.  I started this one just before Easter - The little girl in me wanted a quilt with a big pink bunny.

Who was I to tell her no!




All of the fabrics were in my stash.  Almost all of the squares are 2.5" but I did use some 4.5" squares that I already had cut.  I like how they break up the pattern a bit.



I even had two larger cuts of some pink fabrics tucked away that worked perfectly for the backing.  I didn't want the two prints touching so I added in a navy print to break them up.



As you can see, the quilt is quite large. 

This photo shows off the quilting pretty well.  I quilted a horizontal serpentine stitch on the navy, swirls in the pink and added special detail for the bunny tail. 

It is silly and whimsical - Who wouldn't want a pink bunny quilt!


Quilting is more fun than Housework

If this is your first visit here, I invite you to stop in here on Sundays to link up your scrappy projects with Oh Scrap!  Even if you don't have a scrap project, you can check out all the wonderful projects other quilters are making with theirs!





Now it is time to share your Friday finish.  Please remember to visit some of the quilters that link up their finishes before you run off.  
It is a great way to be inspired and maybe make a new friend!  :)












Linking Up:

My Quilt Infatuation (Needle & Thread)

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Wednesday, May 17, 2017

A Layout Quandry

I have been using every snippet of time I have found so far this week sewing up my RSC17 quarter log blocks.  I think I am approaching enough blocks for a quilt top so I thought I would firm up the layout this afternoon.

There are quite a number of layout choices for these blocks.  I decided to throw the blocks up on my wall (in no particular order) to see what I liked.



My initial plan was to play off the 3D effect these blocks can create.  I started out with a square in the center of the quilt and let the blocks "echo" out to the edges. 
I wasn't that enthused by what I was seeing....



So I rotated the blocks around so the "fractured" blocks were created.  My opinion was about the same as the first layout.


So, I then just put the blocks all oriented in the same direct and stepped back.  Still didn't do a lot for me.  So I made myself a cup of tea and decided to ponder the blocks a bit more.

It finally donned on me that it really wasn't the layouts, it was more 1) Green is not a favorite color of mine, and 2) I really didn't like the different hues all together.  I was still struggling with the blue green and the yellow greens all in one quilt together.

Once I identified the issue, it was time to do a bit of problem solving...




I went to my stash and found this earthy striped fabric way at the bottom of a pile.  It has all the shades of green in it and adds some interest with the turquoise and orange.

I could sash every block like the photo above or use the fabric as sashing in the other layouts.  In the fractured squares, I could sash around each big square and in the 3D layout, I could sash around each round of blocks.

What do you think?  I need your opinion!

Not liking the color green, this quilt will probably never be a favorite of mine.  And a LOT of these fabrics have been kicking around for decades (probably because I don't like to work with the color) so I find them tired and worn out looking.

So I need your fresh eyes and to tell me what you think.

Thanks  :)





Linking Up:

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Sunday, May 14, 2017

Oh Scrap! : Covered In Love Blocks

Happy Mother's Day!

Lots of beautiful blocks are starting to arrive for me to make into quilts for Kat's Covered In Love quilt block drive for May/June.  It has been so fun to see the bright fabrics other quilters have in their scrap bin.

It takes 35 blocks to make a quilt top so when I reached receiving that many by Saturday, I quickly tossed them up on one of my design walls.




I love how the little white strips on the sides make instant sashing!
No rhyme or reason to placement here.  I just wanted to see what I had and count the blocks of each color.




A quick shuffle in placement and I had a diagonal color placement layout all ready to sew up into a quilt top.  I might make a yellow block to replace that bottom right orange block and use that orange one to start the next quilt.  I am sure I have some yellow scraps somewhere!




 Are you curious where these blocks came from?  I decided to test my US geography skills and color in the states I receive blocks from.... This exercise quickly identified I need to go back to grade school!  Thank goodness for Google  :)

 I know more blocks should be headed my way so there will be more block layouts to share.  If you want to contribute, you can read more about the organization and making the blocks here.

Thanks so much!

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


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!
Quilting is more fun than Housework

So if you love scrappy projects, feel free to grab my button for your sidebar or posts and get ready to share all your wonderful projects from scraps.  And if you have a great idea for using scraps and would like to be featured, feel free to contact me!






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Thursday, May 11, 2017

Scrap-A-Palooza! Quilt #22 Part Two

No finish to share this weekend...but I have been making some fun progress on my newest Scrap-A-Palooza quilt.  This quilt is going to be silly and bright!



I started out by fussy cutting these silly little veggies out of an older fabric.  Then it was just a matter of pulling scraps that complimented the colors and getting out my sewing machine.



Some of these veggies I simply started sewing on strings in a log cabin method.  I didn't worry about strip width - I just had fun!
 



 Here are a couple examples of some blocks I made using this design.  A couple things to point out, you can see one block has some very wonky cuts.  And I used the original veggie print for some of the logs in one of the blocks. (This is one more way to use more of that fabric up!)

Just letting my mood guide me!




I also used a few of these characters to build blocks using a courthouse steps design.



Here are a few more examples of some blocks made this way.  Once again, I did not worry about the width of the strips.  I really want to keep these blocks playful!




 I also made a few quarter log cabin blocks...



There is really no rules in how these can be sewn together.  On some of the above blocks, I added in more veggies in the blocks.  And I also added in some strips of color to add interest to a block I thought was a bit boring.

At this point in making these blocks, I am not worrying about their size or even their shape.  These blocks are not in their finished form - I will be sharing that process in the next part of this series. 

Right now I am just giving myself some inspiration to work with as I build these blocks into a quilt top.  I will be showing you my next steps hopefully next week!



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Sunday, May 7, 2017

Oh Scrap! : Green

A new month means a new Rainbow Scrap Challenge color.  For May, the color is green!

It wasn't until this weekend that I could pull some scraps and get to sewing.  I keep green and lime green in two separate color bins.  And wouldn't you know that both are overflowing!



My plan for 2017 was to make string blocks every month but in looking at the size and shape of my green scraps, I decided to mix it up a bit.  I still plan on using my strings but I am making quarter log cabin blocks.  These blocks measure 9.5" square - I start each one with a 2.5" square and just add strips until they are large enough to trim up to size.



Here is where I am at so far.  I am trying not to get too hung up on blue green versus yellow green or the fabric print.  I think I am going for a small lap quilt so I will need about 42 blocks total. 
I still have a long way to go!

How about you - What scrappy things have you been sewing?


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


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!
Quilting is more fun than Housework

So if you love scrappy projects, feel free to grab my button for your sidebar or posts and get ready to share all your wonderful projects from scraps.  And if you have a great idea for using scraps and would like to be featured, feel free to contact me!









Craftsy
Linking Up:

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