It's a Flimsy!

Whirlwind is my name for the quilt. 

 

Twirla is the name of the excellent quilt tutorial I found at Butterfly Threads.  (I changed the name of my quilt because Twirla is also the name of a contraceptive patch and a Umbra trash can). 

70 x 84

Hopefully I will get this finished in time for a Christmas gift. 

I was inspired by the colors in this fabric which I think I will piece with other fabrics for the backing. I always wanted to make a quilt in these colors. I didn't have enough purples, yellows (I wish my yellows were more on the goldish side) and grays to make the blocks so I also added in aqua fabrics. 

These 14 inch blocks were fun and easy to make. 

I may have to make another quilt in a different colorway.  

There were a few scraps left over and I already know how I'll use them. I'll share in a future post. 

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

June OMG (One Monthly Goal)

 Just popping in to declare my June OMG (One Monthly Goal). The goal?  - To finish hand quilting and binding Blind Man's Fancy Tea in the Rose Garden.  It's a big quilt (90 x 90) but I've finished the hand quilting on more than 3/4 of the quilt so I think I will be able to accomplish my goal. 

 The hand quilting shows up a little better when the photo is darker. 

OMG at Elm Street Quilts

Two Tops

 So far, after cleaning off my cutting mat and table last week, I have two tops to show for my efforts. 

Broken Dishes

60 x 78

 I've been making these six inch blocks off and on since about 2016.  I made them when I had 3.5 inch scraps in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month. If I didn't have any 3.5 inch scraps in the color then I didn't make any blocks.  That's why it sometimes takes me a long time to get to flimsy stage - I wait for scraps to happen. 

 Scraps happened last week when I cleaned off my cutting mat...

 ...and found scraps to make 44 more blocks. 

 And then, in between planting veggies and flowers in between the rains, I assembled this top.  I just sewed blocks together randomly...grab and sew...my grandma's method. 

Sometimes I see Stars or Pinwheels in between the Broken Dishes. 

 I don't know if these 10 inch blocks blocks have a traditional name.  For each block I cut four 4.5 inch squares and four 2.5 inch squares from scraps. From gray I cut two 2.5 inch squares and one 2.5 x 6.5 rectangle. 

Assembled top is 40 x 50 and when finished will go to Wrap-A-Smile. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

In The Pink

Pink Plus Postage blocks.

Pink is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for June.  (No, it's not June quite yet but it feels like it should be).   These blocks are made from 1.5 inch scraps except for the red plus sign and finish at 10 inches.  The blocks are inspired by a pattern and quilt designed by Susan Ache that appeared in American Patchwork and Quilting in April 2016. The pattern instructions call for strip piecing but I sew the squares together individually so I can make use of my 1.5 inch scraps. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

What's in the Hoop? What's in the Flower Garden?

 I've been hand quilting Blind Man's Fancy Tea in the Rose Garden all during the merry merry month of May. 

 I'll probably still be hand quilting it all during the merry merry month of June too. 

 It's been raining a lot lately but when it is not I enjoy looking for what is in bloom in the flower gardens. 

 I have both Tree Peonies and Herbaceous Peonies. The Tree Peonies bloom first. 

I have several different varieties of columbine (aquilegia) in bloom. I'm always glad to see some blooms. The day after I took these photos I went out and the deer had eaten every single flower. 

 I also have several different types of clematis but this one is the only one blooming right now. 

 I also have several different types of lilacs.  This white one I brought back from the farm in northern Iowa where my great grandfather homesteaded after he emigrated from Ireland.  The farm was in the family for over 100 years (a century farm) but was sold a few years ago by my dad and his siblings. I used to spend the summers there and was sad to see it go to another family but that's the way it goes.  This lilac reminds me of all the good times. 

I was glad to see this one in bloom. The parent bush was hit by lightning several years ago. I took cuttings from it right away and am glad I did because the lightning strike completely killed the lilac bush. . I wasn't sure my cutting was ever going to bloom. This must be my lucky year.  I liked this lilac because it is unusual with the petals rimmed in white. 

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Table Scraps Part III

 I've been cleaning off my cutting mat and table this week.

Part I - Good Grief!
Part II - Table Scraps 

This is Part III
I found that little pile of 2 inch width scraps on the table.  I have a few UFOs that use 2 inch scraps that I usually sew along with each month as Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. I've been working on one of those UFOs, Sixteen Patches that finish at six inches as you see on the right, off and on for a couple of years. I had 64 out of a total of 130 blocks.   I sorted through the scraps from my cutting mat as well as...

 ...the 2 inch scrap bin and...

...made 14 more Sixteen Patches. I now have 78 little Sixteen Patches.  I will continue to make these from scraps as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project until I have 130 of them.  Only 52 more to go! 

And I had a little pile of 2.5 inch width scraps on my cutting mat. 

And this is my box of 2.5 inch scraps. The bags hold scraps sorted by color. 

So between the scraps on the cutting mat and the scraps in this box I cut and made...

....blocks for a quilt similar to one at Cluck Cluck Sew.   This has been a UFO since last year. The quilt consists of four different blocks and I want 20 each of those four blocks. (Instead of 8 inch squares like the one at Cluck Cluck Sew I am using four patches).   Anyway...with the 2.5 inch scraps I bordered the nine 4.5 inch squares I cut a few days ago (Table Scraps Part II) and made 10 more Rail Blocks.   I also sewed together the pieces I cut a few days ago from 4.5 inch scraps and made 11 more Four Patches.  I now have my 20 blocks of each of these three blocks. 

The fourth block for the quilt is a Sixteen Patch and I need 16 more of those. I didn't want to cut the squares for those yet so I'll make them later.  I was making some blocks with primary colors and some blocks with secondary colors. 

 In Part II of Table Scraps I  these 20 sets of four 4.5 inch squares for a new small donation quilt.  Now that I was working with the 2.5 inch scraps from the cutting mat I also cut...

...four 2.5 inch squares to match up with the 4.5 inch squares.  I need to cut some more pieces from some gray scrap chunks I found then I will make the blocks and flimsy. 

Finally that left me with a pile of crumbs on my cutting mat. 

I sorted those into baggies by color. I want to finish making some big crumby hourglass blocks to add to my collection and now it should be pretty easy since I've got my crumbs sorted. 

Now guess what!!!! 

Take a picture it will last longer!! 

 Oh, and I now have met my goal of 600   2 x 4 inch (finished) HRTs!!  I cut the pieces a few days ago from the 4.5 inch scraps on the cutting mat and 4.5 inch scrap bin.  I cut and sewed 152 HRTs in the last few days just because I found a bunch of 4.5 inch scraps on my cutting mat.   Now I can start sewing these together.  About time!

 I also now have 130 six inch Broken Dishes blocks and can start assembling a top. About time!  I cut these forty-four blocks from 3.5 inch scraps on my cutting mat and in my bins as I blogged a few days ago. 

 A few days ago I also cut pieces for Wishing Rings. I've sewn together some of those parts and made 26 more light corner blocks but not all are ironed yet.  This brings my total of light corner blocks to 190 toward a goal of 312. 

I've sewn the borders around the dark corner blocks but haven't added the flippy corners yet.  After these are finished I'll have 205 toward a goal of 312.  I'll continue to make these as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project. 

 Well, now that I have finished cleaning off my cutting mat I think I'll link up to

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts. 

Table Scraps Part II

 Yesterday I blogged about cleaning the scraps off of my cutting mat.  That was Part I and I cleaned up my 3.5 inch scraps as well as some 1.5 inch scraps.  Today I worked on the 4.5 inch scraps I found on my cutting mat as well as...

 ...a bin of 4.5 inch scraps. 

First I found a UFO that needs some 4.5 inch parts. This UFO will be 64 x 80 and consists of 20 each of four different 8 inch blocks as seen here - 16 Patches made with 2.5 inch scraps, rails made with 2.5 inch scraps, happy blocks with 4.5 inch center and 2.5 inch sides and four patches made with 4.5 inch squares.   I found I needed centers for nine more Happy Blocks and 11 more Four Patches...

 ...so I cut those. 

 Then I have a new donation quilt in mind that consists of 20 ten inch blocks that will be made of 4.5 and 2.5 inch scraps.   So I cut the four 4.5 inch squares I need for 20 blocks. 

Then I found a bunch of HRTs made from 4.5 inch scraps. I made these parts one year as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project.  As I made them I didn't know what I was going to do with them - I was just using scraps.   I decided I will make a quilt 60 x 80. I need 600 HRTs for that. I counted what I had and the total was 452 so I need only 148 more HRTs. 

Using 4.5 inch scraps I pair colored scraps and low volume scraps stacking them all face up then I use a Tri Rec ruler to cut the pieces. 

 I make two cuts. 

 I'm not sure how many HRTs I cut but I'll sew them together then count. I used most of the green, blue, orange scraps  (already called RSC colors) and all the scraps on the table for these HRTs. If I need more I will follow along with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors to make them until I have enough for my quilt. 

 Then I finished up by cutting 4.5 inch squares for a project to be determined later.  I'm trying to clean out all my scrap bins I keep by width by cutting all the scraps into squares this year. 

Any pieces less than a 4.5 inch square and wider than an inch will get sewn into strips and combined with other strips for a Chinese Coins quilt at year end. 

Now I think I will go sew for a few days before I move on to those piles of 2 inch scraps and 2.5 inch scraps that were on the table and cutting mat. 

Stay tuned for Parts III and IV 

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt