Friday, October 30, 2020

From Trash To Treasure

Every once in a while I dig through my orphan block and spare parts suitcase and see if I can put together a quilt from some of the items.  

Not too long ago I pulled a bunch of green and gray items to play with.




I started in the center with a 12" leftover RSC block I had.  Then I just added some strip piecing and HSTs and flying geese to build out the center.  I used a gray solid where I needed to make some blocks fit or to add some separation.



I then used some green improve blocks I was gifted to add a bit of drama.  I didn't have quite enough blocks so I had to recreate a few from scraps.  Thankfully I had some of the green solid I could use to make this section the correct size.

Then I went back to some gray blocks - 9 patches and flying geese.




I kept all the pieced blocks in each round toward the center of the quilt.  I like that the final gray round creates a nice framing border to the quilt.




I found a nice gray for the backing and used a solid gray for the binding.  I quilted swirls over the entire quilt in a gray thread.



I came across some gray 2.5" x 8" strips that I used as a border on the top and bottom - Just to make the quilt a bit longer.  I think the size of this quilt is about 60 x 64.

I enjoy these type of projects that require me to design as I go.  It challenges me to be creative.  When I make myself use only the bits I have, I take more chances - which results in me learning new skills.

Not bad for a bunch of leftovers headed to the trash and about a yard of solids!
(And if you are curious, I think 6 different quilters donated blocks that ended up in this quilt.)


Sunday, October 25, 2020

Oh Scrap! : Some New Projects

 I am always kind of sad when the end of October gets here.  That means that there are no more Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors until January.  I know many use the last two months of the year to finish their quilts, but I rarely follow that schedule and never seem to have enough blocks to finish up into quilts.  What else can I do except start some new projects!




 I decided to dig through my scraps and see what inspires me.  

Often, when I am looking for inspiration, I rarely choose fabrics I love.  I am usually trying to focus on those fabrics I know I will most likely not use in my regular scrap quilts.

Like these dinosaur prints above - I rarely use novelty scraps.  They find their way to me in scrap bags from others and they are not something I put in my regular scrap quilts.  

So I decided to use them as the "seeds" for a small scrap quilt.




The same is true for these butterfly prints.  

I think I will start cutting and see what evolves.  Once I get going, I will probably pull some more scraps in coordinating colors.

I like to have a few small quilts for kids on hand.  They are nice for gifts or to hand out to organizations that need them.  And I love that I get the entertainment of making them!

What inspires you to use your scraps?


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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! 

Friday, October 23, 2020

Orphan Block Inspiration

 Remember these orphan blocks I decided to build a quilt around?



I had a total of 15 blocks that measured abut 6" square.  I modified the blocks a bit and then pulled scraps in these muted shades to make a quilt.



Here is the quilt I ended up making.  I wasn't sure I would have enough scraps in these colors but I ended up having plenty.  I also had to make one more "orphan" so I could go with a 16 block layout.



These are not colors I use very often so it was nice to clean these odd colors out of my scrap bins.  I really like the soft colors though.

I kept the quilting simple and round to soften the squares a bit.



The quilt measures 48: square.  So a single width of fabric wasn't wide enough for a backing.  I did struggle a bit to come up with a backing but I finally settled on this green fabric with a beige inset to make it wide enough.  



Hard to believe that this quilt started with some leftover blocks saved from the trash bin!


This quilt was created using the second module from my Scrap Mixology pattern series.  You can find these patterns in my Etsy shop or my Payhip pattern store.




Linking up:


Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Pattern Listing Dilemma Solved

 First, I appreciate all of the support I have received on my Well Suited scrap pattern release.  I have been busy working on finishing up the second module - which uses scrappy strips.  

So stay tuned!



When I originally listed my pattern, I only did so in my Payhip pattern shop.  The fees are minimal on this platform so I could keep the price of the modules down. 

Unfortunately, to purchase and download, you need to have a PayPal account.  I did have requests from a few readers to list my patterns somewhere where this is not necessary.
 



So I am also listing my Scrap Mixology patterns in my Etsy shop at a slightly higher price (to cover the additional costs they charge).  Now there is another option for those of you that don't have a PayPal account and just want to pay with a credit card.



If you want to read more about my newest pattern, you can follow this link.  Thanks!

Enjoy your week!





Connecting Threads is celebrating their anniversary with some sitewide savings and $15 off purchases of $50 or more.  Just use the promocode 15OFF50 when you checkout. 

I found four fabrics in their sale section that I purchased for backings.  
They should be arriving next week!

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Oh Scrap! : More Scrap Blocks

 Winterizing my gardens have taken most of my time this week, but I did get a few more scrappy blocks finished.  I am still working through my yellow scraps for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects.



I finished up my 14 yellow HRT blocks.  These measure 4 x  8".  I did decide to make all the blocks go the same direction so no diamond shapes on this quilt..


I added the yellow blocks to my design wall.  

I am running out of room!  I need to move some of them around so I can add in new colors in 2021.



I also used some bonus triangles left over from my flying geese in the blocks I completed last week to make these cute little pinwheel blocks.  Not sure what I will do with them, but I realized they were the same width as my HRTs and could work as a fun border around that quilt.  We will have to see next year as the quilt gets finished.




Today I will be spending the day filling out my ballot so I can deliver it to a drop box on Monday.  

Please vote early and make sure your ballot is counted!
  I will be following up online to watch my ballot proceed through the process - check with your state to see if you can check the status on your vote too.
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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

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Follow Me on Bloglovin'          Follow Me thru Email          Follow Me on Feedly




Friday, October 16, 2020

Secret Sewing Finish

 As I was preparing for my book submission, I was also secretly sewing a number of quilts.  I have over 30 (!) projects either finished or in the works.  Now I can finally start sharing them with you.




I had a huge amount of black and white scraps.  I decided to get out my AccuQuilt fabric cutter and cut them up into 2.5" squares.  I then turned them into scrappy nine patches.



After looking through my scrap bins, I chose to go with primary colored blocks placing them in a diagonal layout.  I thought the colors would be great for a small child.




This quilt is one of the examples I used in my Well Suited pattern sheets.  My goal for the Scrap Mixology pattern sheets is to invite quilters to be creative with color and layout.  I give cutting/sewing instructions for simple blocks and then encourage the quilter to mix components and design their own quilt - all from their scraps.

I hope to release the second module next month.  So stay tuned!

A big thanks to all of you who have already purchased the first one :)







Sunday, October 11, 2020

Oh Scrap! : More Yellow

 It is hard to believe that it is almost time to stat thinking about what Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks I am going to work on in 2021.  I have two designs that will carry over into the next year - but I always like to have 3-4 in the works.



As I was sewing up a few other yellow blocks, I decided to start some blocks using my Well-Suited Scrap Mixology pattern.  This time I went with the geese variation.  I am excited about this one - there are a ton of layouts I can play with by just rotating the blocks.

I will say my yellows are really sad right now.  So I was able to only complete four blocks.  Maybe it is time to buy some fabric!




But I was able to find another shade of a yellow solid to finish up my fourth postage stamp block.

Are you a fan of yellow?  I admit, I am not!


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

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

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


Linking Up:

Friday, October 9, 2020

Almost Everything but the Kitchen Sink

 While digging through some bags of scraps, I came across a bag of purple and turquoise leftovers.  I think a friend had started a vortex quilt but decided it wasn't a process she enjoyed.

So I adopted the project years ago.


I was drawn to the colors so I decided to open the bag and see what I could put together.  At the same time, I had my suitcase of orphan blocks out so I dug through there for anything that was in the same colorway.  It wasn't long before I had big pieces of the quilt finished.


There is a little bit of everything in here - blocks, HSTs, stripsets and HRTs from lots of previous projects.  It was nice to get them all sewn into this quilt.



The quilt measures about 40 x 50 so I was able to find a piece of Kaffe Fassett fabric that work perfectly for the backing.

(BTW - If you are a fan of Kaffe Fassett - Did you see you can now get his fabric at Connecting Threads?)


Here is the colorful finish.  Gone are the bag of scraps and a handful of orphan blocks.  Now I just have about 20 more bags to work through!

Have a great weekend!






If you are a fan of Aurifil thread, it might be a good time to head over to the Fat Quarter Shop and stock up.  This month they have their thread 30% off!

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Next Step : Blocks

 


Remember these little blocks I created by slicing up some old orphan blocks?

(You can read about them here.)



Well, I pulled a bunch of scrappy strings in soft blues and greens and browns.  I didn't think I had many colors in these shades but was surprised once I began sorting.  I added in some cream and got to work making some of these 12" quarter log blocks.

I think I will end up with 15 blocks so it won't be a big quilt.  

As I write this post, most of the blocks are almost finished - I am loving how soft and calming all the blocks are looking!

I am off to finish a few more...


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