Oh Scrap! : More Two Bit Blocks

 Most of this week was spent quilting and sewing the bindings on Compassion Quilts.

But I did get out my purple scrap bin and make four more Two Bit blocks.  I think I just need nine more blocks to have enough for the quilt size I want.

I was hoping to have all the blocks completed by the end of the year but I am still happy to have made as many as I have.  I HAVE been a bit busy lately...

As I was pulling scraps out of my purple bin, I also pulled appropriate scraps to start making another block that I hope to start making in January.  Hopefully by next Sunday I will have some to share.

Wishing all of you a Happy New Year!

  I hope 2024 brings all of you much happiness.

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

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

A Whole Lot of Happy

 I knew I received a HUGE number of Happy Blocks but I was shocked when I added them up today.

I will still write up a round-up post but there were over 3K blocks donated!  No wonder there are still so many stacks of blocks on every surface in my house.

Happy Quilt #48 is filled with all sorts of fruits and veggie blocks.

Any gardener will love this quilt.  Look at the backing with all those lovely garden beds.  I have been hoarding these prints for at least a decade and decided it was finally time they go!

This quilt measures 48" x 56".

This next little quilt started with a cute flannel turtle backing.

I had enough turtle blocks that I was able to pick through and pull just green, blue and yellow blocks.  I love how this little quilt turned out.

Quilt #49 measures only 32 x 40". 

I received a bunch of blocks that I guess are best described as kitschy.  

I put them all together in Happy Quilt #50. 

I received this soft blue flannel backing from Kat (I think). I was able to set the blocks so that I used almost the whole piece I had.

This quilt measures 48 x 64".

And finally, Happy Quilt #51 is another ocean themed quilt. I think this might be the third or fourth one I have made so far.  I love how colorful all these fish blocks are.

Karen sent in this turquoise flannel fabric I used on the back. I decided to use a red binding on this quilt because it has such strong colors.

This quilt is also 48 x 64".

Hard to believe that there are already 51 quilts completed from this block drive.  I hope you aren't bored of seeing them because I still have many more to share.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly

Scrappy String Finishes

 I haven't been that busy with client quilts lately, so I have been working really hard quilting up the tops that were previously sent in by some generous followers.

Check out this lovely string quilt top Pamela sent in.  I love string quilts and this one does not disappoint.  This quilt measures 60 x 72".

String quilts can get really heavy so I used some of the lighter weight batting that was donated by the hospital.

Pamela not only sent in the quilt top, but she included this lovely red backing and the blue prepared binding.

A scrappy string quilt with a red backing - does it get any better?!

It gets better if there are TWO string quilts!

Pamela sent this one in too.  I love quilting these scrappy quilts because you get to explore each and every print.

Another fun red backing and blue binding were included in the kit.

This quilt also measures 60 x 72".

Log cabin blocks for the next Compassion Quilt block drive are slowly starting to arrive.  It may be a while before I have enough blocks to start making some quilt tops.  Until then, I will continue to put together Happy Quilts and quilt up other quilt tops in the queue.

If you are interested in making some blocks, you can read about the current block drive here.

I hope all of you are enjoying the holiday season!

Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly

Linking Up:

  

My Quilt Infatuation (Needle & Thread)

Confessions of a Fabric Addict (Can I get a Whoop! Whoop!)

From Bolt to Beauty (Brag about your Beauties)

Alycia Quilts (Finished or not Friday)

Oh Scrap! : Red Two Bits

I did a small bit of scrap sewing this week.  The red scrap bin was calling my name, so I decided to make a few Two Bit blocks.

 I pulled the 9 patches out of my spare parts box so all I had to do was pull some strings out of my scraps to complete the blocks.  I will add these to my already completed stack.  I still need 15 blocks - maybe next week i will sew up some purple ones!

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

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

Happy Fall?

 The fall season has long since passed but I still have a fall themed happy quilt to share.  

I had some great fall colored backing pieces so I decided to gather up some fall themed blocks to go with it.  There are apples, pumpkins, fall leaves, mushrooms - all sorts of things you might see in the fall.  It was fun to see what I could find to include.

This Happy Quilt #47 measures 48" x 64".

Beth sent in these autumn-colored backings.  The scarecrows looked great with these fall leaves.  I also had a rust colored binding ready to go.  It is so enjoyable to see these quilts come together.

I wrote this post Thursday night.  I thought I had a lot of quilts to share and realized I didn't get everything photographed.  Darn - guess you will just have to enjoy this one quilt and see the others next week.  My head cold is still lingering and turning my brain into mush.  Sorry about that!

I hope all of you enjoy your weekend!

Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly

A Few More Finishes

I am still working diligently to get all the Happy Blocks I received into quilts.  But I am also working on a number of other quilts to ensure a nice mix of quilts when I make a delivery.

All deliveries for 2023 are completed and the first delivery of 2024 is the first week of the new year.  This delivery is to the hospital so a nice mix of all types of quilts needs to be finished.

I am still working on completing any quilt that I can that either is made of flannel or has flannel/fleece on the back. I sewed up this sweet little flannel patchwork quilt using more of the squares sent in by Wendy and her quilt guild.

This soft and snuggly quilt measures 44 x 56".

A local friend cleaned out her stash and gave me a bunch of yardage she knew she would never use.  One was this dotty flannel piece.  It worked perfectly for the backing on this quilt.

I am also working on finishing up all the tops and kits that were sent to me in 2023.  This kit was sent in by Pamela. I really love how this quilt turned out.

She also sent in this lovely leaf print for the back and a prepared green grunge binding.  Then Terry quilted this one up on her new longarm.  She did such a great job on it!

This quilt is a nice big size - about 60" x 72".

We are still working through all the Veteran quilts we made from the March/May block drive.  I need one more for the January shipment so Charlene made this quilt top from some RWB fat quarters that Karen sent me.  

Terry also quilted up this one too.  She used a great stars and stripes quilting pattern.  This lovely quilt measures 54" x 63".

Karen also sent in this red starred fabric earlier in the year.  I was so happy I was finally able to find it a good home.  Over the next couple of months, there will be a few more Veteran Quilts completed.  We will be making more Veteran Blocks in March/May so the timing for that drive will be perfect.

I had a tan and blue striped binding that has been kicking around my sewing room for years.  I was worried it might be a bit dark but I love how it looks on this quilt.

It takes so many hands working together to get all these quilts across the finish line and into the arms of someone needing a quilty hug.  I appreciate each and every one of you!

If you haven't heard about my Compassion Quilt project, you can read more about it here.

If you have time to make a few blocks, we are currently making these offset log cabin blocks.  You can read how to make them here.

MORE Happy Quilts to share on Friday.  I am currently trying to put together all remaining blocks into possible quilt stacks so I can get a tally on the approximate number of quilts made by this drive.  There is no way I will be completing all of them any time soon. I will be putting these together for months into the future!

Hope you are all having a great week and aren't getting too stressed over the upcoming holidays.

I still have some small gifts I need to sew up - I am sure I will wait until the last minute!

Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly

Oh Scrap! : Time Savers

 Happy Sunday Everyone!

I really didn't do much with scraps this week.  But I did work a lot on some tasks that I have found to be time savers so I thought I would share them.

A lot of Compassion quilts are finished every week either by myself or one of the elves.  Once a week, I go through all of the trimmings from the backings and decide which ones would make nice bindings.  The rejected ones are dumped in its appropriate scrap bin and the good ones I cut into strips and start sewing them together and rolling them up for later use.

I have found that having a nice stock of these ready-made bindings allows me to get them sewn onto the quilt almost the same day they are quilted!

Many of you ask how I get so many quilts done each week.  Usually one evening a week, I spend time laying out quilt blocks on my living room floor.  I match up enough backing fabric to work with the size of quilt I want to make. (Above are just some flannel squares I have been turning into simple patchwork designs.)

Once I have a layout I like, I pick up all the blocks in a specific order - rotating the stack 45 degrees for each row.  I stack them on the backing piece and then I put them all next to my sewing machine.  When I have a few minutes to sew, I grab a stack and start chain-piecing.  Usually in a very short period of time, I have a completed quilt top.  I try to have about 5 quilts awaiting assembly.

A good practice is to take a photo of the layout before you pick up the blocks but I admit, I skip that step.  Lately I have been sewing together so many tops this way, I rarely get mixed up when I sew.

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

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

Another Happy Friday

Yesterday I delivered another 15 quilts to Bags of Love.  That means a total of 37 quilts were delivered to support kids in crisis in the last 45 days!

Thanks so much for your support - I couldn't do this without you!

I am now trying to focus on some larger quilts for adults.  Jean sent me a fabric panel with farm scenes.  I was instantly inspired to put together a farm themed quilt.  The panel had one large image (which I put in the center) and four small images (located around the outside border.  

Julie gave me this buffalo plaid flannel fabric.  I decided it would be perfect for this quilt.

Quilt #44 measures 48" x 64".

I received some fun monster blocks.  I had one more piece of burgundy fleece that was long and narrow and I had 24 of these blocks so it was kismet that these two work together.

I did still add some batting to this quilt even though it had a fleece back.  The hospital I donate two generously gifted me a roll of Pellon Grab and Go batting.  It is a little lighter weight than the batting I use but it is perfect for flannel, fleece and string quilts.

Quilt #45 measures 32" x 40".

Quilt #46 was made from the big stack of wildlife blocks I have.  I think this might be the third wildlife quilt I have made.

I still had a few more yards of this cute flannel wildlife print so I went with a staggered layout.

This quilt measures 48" x 56".

I have announced the next block drive if you are interested in making some blocks.  Our focus with the new drive is to make quilts for adults.  I still have lots of Happy Blocks to make quilts for kids.

The current block drive is a log cabin variation.  

You can read more about how to make the blocks here.

I have delivered all the compassion quilts for 2023.  My next delivery won't be until the first week of 2024.  That is a big delivery of 25 quilts to the hospital.  I think I already have enough made - I just need to sew up the binding on a few.  It feels good to be a bit ahead!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly

Another Happy Post

 I am still busy pumping out more Happy Block quilts.

I am still matching up the blocks to pieces of flannel or fleece that have been gifted.

I received a lot of frog blocks.  I think this is the third frog quilt I have made.  I decided to do a staggered layout for this 41st quilt.

I had another leftover piece of this heavy polar fleece so I just fit the block layout to the size of the fleece.  This quilt measures 40" x 52".

Bugs and butterflies were another popular block to send.  For quilt #42, I decided to add in all sorts of different types of bugs.

Again, I was limited on the size of the quilt because the flannel backing I wanted to use was not very big.  This quilt measures 36" x 40".

This little quilt was also inspired by the backing (both in size and theme). I knew I had a bunch of farm and John Deere tractor blocks so when this camouflage John Deere flannel showed up, I got right to work sewing up quilt #43.

I don't usually add borders, but I wanted to make this one as large as I could.  

It measures 38" square.

That is probably it for the smaller sizes for a bit.  I want to now focus on older kids and adults.  I have been quilting away on them lately so I hope to have more to share this week.  I just need to sew up the binding on them.

I have so many more blocks to sew up.  I have been working through some of the themes that had the most blocks.  Soon I will be getting to the more obscure blocks like pirates, princesses, and race cars.

So stay tuned!

Have a great weekend!

Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly