Time Off

 I know some of you wonder about me when I step away from the blog for a bit so just thought I would let you know that my 17 year old granddaughter was found dead in her bed this morning. Cause of death is unknown at this point so we are awaiting an autopsy that will hopefully give us an explanation as to what happened to our beloved granddaughter. I am heartbroken, shocked, devastated and numb at this point. I cannot sew. I must grieve for awhile. 

Cathy

Red Scraps Part II

Red is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. I do have lots of red scraps. I usually start with the largest and longest scrap pieces and cut them into common sizes of strips and squares. Then I start making blocks that take the longest or most pieces in that size of scrap and then work toward smaller and smaller blocks. 

This is Part II of my red scrap adventure. Part I was last week if you are interested. 

New for me this year are ZIP blocks (above). The blocks use 2 inch scraps. Instructions may be found at Klein Meisje Quilts. 

While I had the solids out for the ZIP bocks I cut some 2 inch squares for WONKY SHOOFLY blocks. I have little baggies of waste triangles in all colors to use for the triangle corners and I use 2 inch squares for the centers. The blocks finish at 4.5 inches. I started them last year but I didn't keep up with making them every month so maybe I will this year. I'll probably make a baby quilt with these. 

I'm also making QST FOUR PATCH blocks that finish at six inches. I am going to use these as an alternate block for some six inch four patch blocks. I have about sixty FOUR PATCH blocks so I'm aiming for sixty QST FOUR PATCH blocks.   I cut the Companion Angle ruler to cut these from 2 inch scraps. Each QST then finishes at 3 inches. I was inspired to make the FOUR PATCH/QST FOUR PATCH quilt by a vintage quilt.

BOW TIE blocks also made from 2 inch scraps. They finish at 3 inches. I'm still going through scraps so may end up cutting up pieces for more blocks but not necessarily get them sewn together this month. 

I'm also working with brown scraps this month and I had some 2 inch pieces handy so I also made a few brown BOW TIES. A BIG quilt requires lots and lots of little blocks. 

These little INDIAN HATCHET blocks that finish at four inches were also inspired by a vintage quilt. I just love these. They are made from 2.5 inch pieces and 2 inch corners although instead of using 2 inch squares for "flippy corners" I cut triangles with my EZ Angle Ruler from 2 inch width scraps and line those up in the corners and sew them on. 

I made PUSS IN THE CORNER or UNEVEN NINE PATCH blocks last year. I only need to make a few more this year. With a 3.5 inch center and 2 inch sides they finish at six inches. 

Last year I started making BEAR PAW blocks whenever I had 2.5 and/or 4.5 inch scraps left over from making other blocks and quilts. I figured I would just build up a big pile of them in my Parts Department and at the end of the year make a few kid sized BEAR PAW quilts. These finish at 6 inches. 

Also when I have leftover 3 inch scraps I've been making HOLLOW NINE PATCHES.  I don't have 3 inch scraps left over very often so I don't expect to make many of these blocks. I may just end up with enough at year end for a kid sized quilt. 

Also if I run across any pieces that are at least 5 x 9.5 I make HORIZON bocks. The instructions for this simple block is also found at Klein Meisje Quilts.  Again I'll see how many I have at year end and make the blocks into kid sized quilts. 

I cut a lot of these from layer cake pieces. Every once in awhile people give me scraps with a few odds and ends of what I suspect are left over pieces from a layer cake- 10 inch squares pinked all around.

Got Scraps?

Make something or some things and join us each ScrapHappy Saturday to show us what you made.  

 

Happy Hearts

Happy Hearts

It's a flimsy!

56 x 72

All blocks have heart or valentine 4.5 inch centers and an assortment of 2.5 inch sides in pink, red and white.

Some of these were from an old swap. See yesterday's blog post for a further explanation of the blocks. 

I don't make many quilts more than once but Happy Blocks are an exception. They are quick and easy and most of the kids in my grandkids' generation have some form of Happy Block/I Spy type of quilt. 

 Incomplete "sets" have been in my Happy Place Box  for too long so as I blogged in December - time to make a few Happy Block quilts. 

I don't have a backing for it yet so who knows when it will get quilted but at least I've moved one more UFO forward.  

I haven't emptied out the Happy Place yet so stay tuned for more Happy Block quilts! 

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

 

Sweet!

Sweet!

(Sweet treats themed Happy Bocks)

56 x 72

It's a flimsy!

All blocks have candy coated 4.5 inch centers and a wild assortment of 2.5 inch sides.  

Happy Blocks are just framed squares. Well, the center square should actually be happy looking in order to morph from a plain old framed square to a Happy Block. 

I first heard of Happy Blocks back in the day when postage was cheaper, life was stressful and I had no stash. Back then I joined up with several online swap groups and one of the first things we swapped in one group were Happy Blocks in a variety of themes over the years - Bright and Wild, Patriotic, Batiks and so on.  Those blocks had 4 inch centers and 2.5 inch sides and ended up at an odd 7.5 inch finished size.   I liked those kinds of swaps because I could buy just a couple of fabrics, make a lot of blocks that were all the same, swap them and get back a variety of blocks. I loved getting a package full of blocks so I could go through them and look at all the different fabrics in the blocks. 

Another group kind of did a Happy Block round robin. We were in groups of 4 to 6 people. We would send six 4.5 inch centers of our choice to each member in our group. In return we would receive 4.5 inch centers from each member. So, we could keep one of the six centers from each member but then we were to add 2.5 inch frames to the rest of the blocks and send them back to original senders. Half of the blocks in this quilt were from that type of swap. I made one candy centered Happy Block quilt in the past and gave it as a gift to someone sweet but some of these blocks and other incomplete "sets" have been in my Happy Place for too long so as I blogged in December - time to make a few Happy Block quilts. 

I don't make many quilts more than once but Happy Blocks are an exception. They are quick and easy and most of the kids in my grandkids' generation have some form of Happy Block/I Spy type of quilt. 

I don't have a backing for it yet so who knows when it will get quilted but at least I've moved one more UFO forward.  

I haven't emptied out the Happy Place yet so stay tuned for more Happy Block quilt tops coming soon!

 

It's a Flimsy! Mountain Taupes

It's a flimsy!

Mountain Taupes

(Delectable Mountains)

80 x 90

Within the last few months I have found that a monthly theme has enabled me to move UFOs forward as well as bust stash and scraps.   Back in December I declared January's theme to be "Making Brownies"  - move forward brown UFOs and scraps. 

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I acquired this UFO back in 2018. It came with a few blocks made, some big HSTs sewn together ready to be cut apart and sewn together again, some extra fabric pieces and backing fabric. It all came in a white plastic bag and II put it into my UFO bin where it made it's way to the bottom and was ignored for all these years. I was looking through my little stack of backing fabric and noticed the backing that went with this UFO. That prompted me to dig in my UFO bin and pull out that white plastic bag with pieces and parts and move it forward for Making Brownies this month. 

I added in some fabric of my own in order to have enough blocks.

When finished this will make a nice large donation quilt. I like to have a few larger ones on hand for special donations. Normally my donation quilts are around 40 x 60 for kids or 60 x 80 for adults and those get donated as soon as possible. 

Another UFO moved forward!  

 

Stay At Home Round Robin (SAHRR): Center Block

I've had this block around ever since I finished MoROSE Garden back in 2017.  It's an odd size measuring 19.5 x 23.5 at this point. I've had it in with my rose print scraps and for years I've been thinking about using it as the center of a medallion quilt. I usually don't make medallion quilts because I can never think of what to add for each round. 

Well, I guess I don't have to think. Several someone else's are going to do the thinking for me with a prompt each week.  It's called Stay At Home Round Robin or SAHRR 2022 and this week we are supposed to declare our center block. And so, here it is. 

You know I love rose prints and although I used quite a few scraps and yardage with my Roses in December series of quilts I have to say I still have lots of rose print scraps left to use. I've separated out the reds, grays, blacks and whites to use for the SAHRR.  These are the little scraps...

And here's a few larger scrap chunks. 

Not sure what size of quilt I will end up with but I do like BIG quilts. 

 

It's a Finish! Kawandi of Roses

Kawandi of Roses

50 x 68

It's a finish!

Yesterday the temperature finally made it above zero for awhile so I ventured outside for a photo shoot. I was not out for long. It was pretty windy. I set my camera on continuous shoot and caught the quilt at rest a few times before it was gone with the wind. 

I started this in December as a way to use up some rose scraps in a variety of sizes. I blogged a little about the scraps I was going to use as well as Kawandi. 

I just LOVED the process and the end result. 

I started from the outside edges and worked my way in to the middle.

I just grabbed a scrap and turned the edges under and used running stitches in white perle cotton #12 to sew the scrap patches down to the damask tablecloth foundation. 

I did plan for one scrap to be in the center but the rest, like I said, was grab and stitch. 

I did not use a hoop and I didn't worry if my stitching lines were straight. 

I did try to keep the stitching "lines" about a finger's width apart as I stitched round and round from the outside in to the middle. I also tried to keep stitches an even width but I found that more difficult to do without a hoop. But no worries. 

The damask tablecloth I used for the foundation had rolled hems on two edges but not on the other two sides. I just kept the rolled hem in place and butted my scrap patches up against them.   I did do a blanket stitch all around the edges. I was originally thinking I would crochet a trim all around but when all was said and done decided against it. 

The white perle cotton stitches kind of melted into the damask tablecloth backing and all in all this quilt has such a lovely drape and is so soft. 

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to use it as a lap quilt or a tablecloth. I've had it on my lap while I've been stitching and think it may remain a lap quilt. I love looking at my rose garden. 

I have more thrift store tablecloths and when the mix of scraps is right I will probably make another kawandi style quilt. 

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework