Blogger's Quilt Festival - A Hand Quilted Rainbow

Let me tell you about my entry in the Blogger's Quilt Festival going on at Amy's Creative Side.    I couldn't decide whether if I should enter my Rainbow of Favorite Things quilt into the RYOGBV category or the Hand Quilted Category.  I finally decided upon the Hand Quilted. 

43x60

6 inch hexagons

It is completely hand pieced and quilted. No machines were involved.

It was paper pieced and then hand quilted with perle #8 in a rainbow of different colors. 

And the quilt is a rainbow of my favorite things. I started in the middle with black - the absence of color and some crayons, then a mix of colors in some of my favorite things - buttons, ice cream, cupcakes, butterflies, candy...

Red is for valentines, strawberries, zinnias, roses, cherries, tulips, tomatoes, candy canes...

Orange is for pumpkins, peaches, oranges, carrots, daffodils...

Yellow is for bananas, daffodils, lemonade, sweet corn, roses, sunflowers...

Green is for Christmas cookies, kiwi, broccoli, peas, shamrocks,  Irish, basil, pears...

Blue is for blueberries, butterflies, merry-go-rounds, unicorns, iris, fairies, aprons, hoarfrost...

Purple is for pansies, plums, clematis, fairies, grapes, hydrangeas...

 The back is a multi-colored batik I picked up on sale.  I sometimes don't have very even stitches so I didn't want them to stand out too much on the backing.

Blogger's Quilt Festival - A Humble Scrappy Quilt

Let me tell you about my entry in the Blogger's Quilt Festival going on at Amy's Creative Side.   I've entered my Depression block quilt in the Scrappy category because that is just what it is.

896 HSTs sewn into 56 -12 inch Depression blocks. Finished quilt 84x96. 

This quilt is for the bed in the guest room. It gets pretty darned cold in this old farm house in the winter so I will use it to keep the grandkids warm when they sleep over every other weekend. 

I worked on this off and on for several years. I love Depression blocks and thought frequently of Grandma when I worked on it. She taught me to quilt and she told me many stories of how she survived during the Depression years on a farm in rural Iowa with Grandpa and 5 kids. I've used some of her tips myself during hard times.

I think quilts are meant to be used. I think quilts are meant to keep you warm when you hear the winter winds blowing and whistling outside your bedroom window.  I think quilts are meant to make you smile. 

You never know what things you will see in a scrappy quilt if you look at it up close.  And if you look at it from far away you will see something completely different. 

It is backed in a nice soft flannel blanket I found at the thrift store and simply but adequately quilted on my plain Jane DSM. 

In Summary

Alycia of Alycia Quilts held a Big Block Blowout for QOV. 

I made 35 blue and yellow blocks...

...and 5 red,white and blue blocks. 

I also sent along in the box to her 3 quilts...Patriotic Stars...

...Patriotic Happies...

...and a brown and blue Heartstring quilt.  I sent along a pillowcase too but I must not have taken a picture. 

Alycia received it all okay and blogged about my blocks and my quilts. 

Alycia has lined up some fabulous prizes for a drawing. And so has Judy of Patchwork Times. What a couple of awesome ladies! 

Hopefully by the end of November I will have 3 more quilts ready for Alycia.  Judy is also sponsoring a QOV Challenge and for every three quilts sent to Alycia your name goes into a drawing.  Hopefully my name will go in twice! 

Monthly Miscellany

I've made a mishmash of blocks this month for various lottos and swaps.  Above are 4-12 inch blocks I made for Sunshine Online Quilt Guild's block lotto.  Each month has a theme and this month was red and black.  We send in as many pairs of blocks as we want. One goes to the drawing and the other goes to the lady who runs the block lotto to make into quilts for Wrap-a-Smile or Quilts Beyond Borders. 

Speaking of lottos...I joined up with Block Lotto last month. The oh-so-creative Sophie designed this oak leaf block in batiks for this month so I made nine blocks for the drawing from batiks I had in my stash. I don't normally like leaf blocks but I do love this one.  

For a scrappy 30s reproduction 12 inch block swap with ladies of the 30sFabricQuilting Yahoo Group I made 6 Bear Track blocks....

 ...6 Broken Sugar Bowl blocks...

...6 Dutchman 's Puzzle blocks....

...and 6 Kansas Dugout blocks. 

Can't wait to see what I get back.  Why not participate in some of the fun and join up with any or all of the groups I've mentioned in this post.   We'd love to meet you and sew along with you. 

Twinklers

I've finished the last of the Twinkler blocks I need for another quilt for Quilts of Valor - 50 red and 50 blue 6 inch blocks.   The inspiration came from a free quilt pattern from Claudia's Quilt Shoppe although mine won't have borders like the pattern. It will have a different border on top and bottom. Just wait and see. Assembly of rows has started.  

That's what's on my Design Wall (cutting board propped against wall with left over batting piece draped over it). What is on other Design Walls in blog land? You will have to visit Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times to find out. 

Progress on Grandma's Butterflies

I've been working on my applique butterflies.  I'm going to try to reproduce a quilt similar to the one I inherited from my grandma.   I oopsed  in marking antennae on that bottom center one so rubbed some Grandma's Spot Remover into the dark blue marking so it will come out when it eventually gets laundered. 

First I applique a butterfly to Kona Snow background using silk thread.  Then I blanket stitch around the butterfly in perle #8 and finally I add the antennae and butterfly markings. 

I'm no whiz at applique. In fact, I've shied away from it because the few attempts I made at it looked pretty crappy. I'm finding that this is getting a little easier with each block. 

Joining others at Kathy's Quilts for some Slow Sunday Stitching. 

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

The color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is black and/or gray.  I finished another top using my black and white strings. 

And Heartstrings Quilt Project was running a black and white challenge during September and October. 

So, I used up almost all of my black and white strings in 3 quilt tops for donation to either Wrap-a-Smile or Quilts Beyond Borders when I get them finished.  Now I will have to start on some wonky log cabin blocks to use up the smaller pieces of strings that are left over. 

How can you not feel happy when there are polka dots around? 

To check out what others are doing with their black scraps this week visit the Rainbow Scrap Challenge linky party going on at SoScrappy. 

Starry Eyed

My goal for Lovely Year of Finishes for October was to quilt and bind this quilt. Another goal has been accomplished! 

60x78

I quilted loops and stars on most of it on my plain Jane DSM.  Around the star I did echoed straight lines. 

It will go to Quilts of Valor. 

Quilt was inspired by a free quilt pattern called Star Bright from Swim, Bike, Quilt.

Backing is off center 4 patch in black and white. The white quilting of loops and stars on the black fabric looks like doodling on a chalkboard. 

Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict? 

And I'm linky partying at Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts. 

And, I'm also linking up to the Finishes Party for Lovely Year of Finishes at Fiber of All Sorts. 

I Have Another Crazy Craving

This is my third Crazy Cravings lap quilt block I've finished in October.  Only 6 more to go before assembly of the 12 inch blocks into a lap quilt 4x5.  This has been my Crazy Quilt Journal Project for the year.  

Cupcakes!

On the left I attached a piece of ribbon with laced running stitch.  On top the seam is embellished with a simple x and - the bottom seam is a piece of rick rack attached with herringbone stitches. And the hearts on the side are chain stitched with variegated silk thread and I kind of wove straight stitches inside. 

Here I did some free form chain stitching with some variegated thread that matched the cupcake frosting. I think I've mentioned in the past that I LOVE variegated threads!

And finally I stitched this seam with feather stitch and buttonhole stitches. 

I wish I had a design wall. I'd show all of the blocks so far up on the wall. Instead I pinned them together  in no particular order and hung them on the line outside for a picture.  I think the border will be pink gingham with chicken scratch stitched on it.  Crazy, huh? 

I made Halloween cutout cookies with the grand kids yesterday so my craving for sugar cookies with icing has been satisfied. 

My CQJP 2012 crazy lap quilt, was Crazy Basket Case.  Sign ups are going on now for CQJP 2014 and I already know what my lap quilt will be next year!! 

To see what others are slowly stitching this dreary October Sunday visit Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts.   

Butterflies and Spools

Black/Gray is the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  This week I added to my collection of 3 inch spools (on the right) and started on some 3  inch butterflies (on the left).  Same block. Different effect. And great use of scraps.

What are others out in blog land doing with their black scraps this week? I guess you will have to visit the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Saturday Scrap Happy linky party and find out for yourself.

Fall Happy

I can call another UFO finished. 

Fall Happy Blocks

56x72

Members of a Yahoo group sent centers to others for bordering and vice versa. Over several months last year I sent in fall centers and received them back with quite a variety of fabrics. 

Quilt is backed with plaid flannel in fall colors and bordered in red.  I just did straight line quilting on my DSM.  It needs to go into the washing machine before it gets a good cuddle. 

I haven't decided yet whether it will be mine, a Christmas gift or a donation quilt. 

Whoop, Whoop with me at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

And let's party at Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Up Friday.