What the Heck is a NewFO ?

This is a NewFO .  These are some of the Dots and Dashes ShooFly 6 inch blocks I'm supposed to be making for a swap with the members of the Block Swappers Yahoo Group.  I think I like them too much so will keep them myself. and make up a bunch of different ones (all the same in a set)  for the swap which is not due until March.  

I blogged about this swap and several others with Block Swappers a few days ago. 

This NewFO is called Jack's Chain.  I actually started this one and one that will be a little different.  I think this one will be a wedding quilt for one of the grandkids. No rush...they are all under the age of 10. I also swap 3 inch 9 patches with Block Swappers Yahoo Group so there should be no duplicates in this quilt. 

This January NewFO is part of a Tea Towel Challenge. I blogged about that too if you are curious. 

And this NewFO is part of a Quilt Along.  I will be using up scraps and making blocks in complementary colors. 

This NewFO - an 18 inch Wonky Log Cabin block also uses scraps and is one of the ways I used my blue scraps in January for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  This month's color is pink. I'm not sure I will have enough pink for a log cabin but we shall see. 

So, if by now you don't know what a NewFO happens to be you better go read up on the subject. My NewFOs are UFOs in the making.  My list will never get shorter at this rate.

And there is a linky party too.  I'm going to go party. 

Tea Time Again

I'm participating in a Tea Towel Challenge. The challenge? Make a quilt starting with a tea towel. This is the tea towel I pulled out of a drawer to use. 

I have no idea what the finished quilt will look like. I don't usually put anything to paper. I don't use a design wall. Stuff just stays in my head. And my head is empty when it comes to this quilt.  I just started making some fruity things...

...that may or may not go into the quilt. 

Joining WOW (WIP on Wednesday) at Esther's Blog.  This is definitely a WIP. 

Getting Ready to Swap

I'm a member of the Block Swappers Yahoo Group and I joined up for several swaps due in March. 

One of the swaps is called Dots and Dashes and is a 6 inch (finished) Shoo Fly block. Use two different contrasting fabrics in the blocks - one a dash and one a dot.  

Aren't they fun? 

And we are swapping 3 inch 9 patch blocks again this year.  I turned all the 9Ps I swapped over the last couple of years into 5 inch Sister's Choice blocks and finished up a quilt last year that I just love. 

This year I will be using my leftover blocks plus the new swapped blocks to make two different Jack's Chain  quilts. The top one will use white/cream/tan fabrics for the hexagons and triangles and the bottom one will have Kona Navy hexagons and different TOT triangles.   Whichever one I like best after all is said and done will be a wedding quilt for another grandchild's hope chest. 

We are also swapping 4 inch (finished) four patches. The last few years 4 different fabrics were required in the four patches (2 dark and 2 cream/white/tan) but this year they only need two different fabrics. 

With some of the blocks swapped in the past I joined them to make one of the blocks of an Arkansas Crossroads quilt. In the X blocks I'll use all blue corners. 

We also will be swapping 4.5 inch HSTs again. 

A few years ago I made a Buckeye Beauty quilt from the swapped HSTs and 4 Patches. 

This year I think I'm going to make them into 16 inch Depression Blocks.  I made a quilt out of 12 inch Depression Blocks and loved it so will try one with 16 inch blocks this time. 

Interested in swapping? Join the Block Swappers Yahoo Group. 

And since I've shown you several things on my batting covered cutting mat propped up against the wall Design Wall this cold Monday evening I will be linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times. 

By Hand

I've finished up 6 of the 7 days of the week and hope to finish the last tonight.  I'm somehow going to use them in my Tea Towel Challenge quilt. 

I've finished up 6 more butterflies for the quilt I'm making like the one I inherited from grandma.  I need to count how many more I need. I'll prep some more today to applique and stitch during the week after work. 

And if I get bored I can always work on embellishing some of the seams where blocks join on my Crazy Cravings lap quilt. 

And, also today I hope to pin baste a Double Wedding Ring quilt I'm making for my granddaughter's hope chest. I'm going to try my hand at some old fashioned quilting.  Maybe you will see something on that next Sunday. 

Join in with other hand stitchers for Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts. 

Singing the Blues, Stringing Along, Feeling Crumby and Reaching for the Stars !

Dark and bright blues are the colors to use up this month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  And, that's what I think I've accomplished except for a few bigger scraps. 

4 - 8.5 inch string blocks...

2 - 12 inch stars.  

I meant to make a different star pattern with HSTs in the corners (The Dandy Quilt Block) but I had the pieces of fabric already cut for above and that's all there is left of those two 4.5 inch strips of fabrics. 

And finally...12 - 6.5 inch crumb blocks. 

Last year with my blue crumbs I made a Sapphire Blue Fish quilt for donation to Quilts Beyond Borders.  I don't know what I'll do with all of this year's crumb blocks. 

Have Scraps? 

Join the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and show us what you do with the color of the month each Scrap Happy Saturday.  Wow, there are lots of great ideas for scraps out there! ( Warning...grab a cup of your favorite beverage before you go blog hopping through all those scrappy projects. It will take a while.) 

Now, I just have to wait to see what February's color will be. 

Izzy's Wedding Quilt - Ready for Quilting

I've finished the top for Izzy's Double Wedding Ring quilt. 

69 1/2  x  84 3/4

I used a vintage McCall's Pattern. 

For my granddaughter, Isabelle (aka Izzy or Belle)

 Last year when her paternal grandmother died my granddaughter told me I would live at least until her wedding. She's 9 so I hope she doesn't get married until she's 30 or so but that's out of my control.  I did decide then and there that  I would make a quilt for her wedding now while I'm healthy and have the means to buy fabric. And if I'm not physically in attendance at her wedding I will be there in the spirit of a quilt for her special day. 

I'm going to try my hand at hand quilting on her quilt since there is no hurry to get it completed. 

Now I'm heading over to Confessions of a Fabric Addict for a Whoop, Whoop! 

Mod Mod Quilt Along

My first installment - Chevrons for Mod Mod QAL

Honestly, I really don't like most of the Modern Quilts I see.  I'm not even sure why there is a separate category for Modern Quilts. Nor have I even seen the same definition  for Modern Quilt on blogs where an attempt to define is made.  But, I do like Unique Quilts and I do like using up scraps.  I have lots of less-than-one-fourth-yard pieces of fabric I need to use up and get out of here before I break a leg tripping over the piles. 

And so, I'm participating in a Unique Mod Mod Quilt Along that Sophie of Block Lotto is hosting.  I'm sure the quilt sampler using this year's Block Lotto Blocks will prove to be Unique. 

 My quilt will be Queen Sized and the blocks will all be made in primary colors and their complements. I'm not going to buy any fabrics to make the blocks. Well, I may need some help in the orange department since I don't like orange but do have a lot of blue, it's complement.  I'm color challenged so figure all those primary/complement blends will play nicely together for me in one big colorful unique quilt. 

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Anyone can play.Check it out. Make a Mod Mod quilt. We can all have fun together. 

That's what is on my "Design Wall" (aka cutting mat propped up against wall with piece of batting wrapped around it) today.  There's lots of inspiration on Design Walls all over the land. If you take a peek at Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times you will see what I mean. 

Slow Stitching Sunday

Today, and for a few minutes each evening this week after work, I'll be working on embellishing the seams where the blocks connect...

...on my Crazy Cravings lap quilt.  

I'll also be working on some of these butterflies. They are hand appliqued then blanket stitched and then finally the outlines and antennae are back-stitched.  I have finished 30 and thought I needed 48. But actually  a I need 54 of them in order to make... 

...a quilt like this one that I inherited from my grandmother which is falling apart. Somewhere along the line I think my aunt tried to repair by zigzag stitching around the butterflies. You can kind of see where the batting is falling apart also.   If I'm successful in completing my quilt I might attempt to do proper repairs to grandma's quilt. 

Are you doing some hand stitching today? If so link up to Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts. And, if not, then why not start a project after you view all the inspiration. 

Still Blue

My plan is to make 3 Kaleidoscope blocks each month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC 2014).  Using scraps, one will be completely made of the color of the month, one will be made of the color of the month and it's color complement and one will be made of the color of the month plus color of the previous month. 

This is the one with the color of the month blue plus the complement of blue - orange. I took this apart and put it together three times and still the middle looks a little wonky but I'm tired of fiddling with it so that's how it will stay.   These are scraps, for Pete's sake! 

These are the three January blocks.   The corners are all made of crumbs.   I think the border of the finished quilt will be made of crumbs also. I hope it will look like all those little kaleidoscope pieces before they turn into a design. 

I've also made four more 9.5 inch wonky log cabins and sewn them together.   It will finish at 18 inches. 12 of these will make a nice sized lap quilt.   So, since this is my second one for the month it looks like I'll have two wonky log cabin quilts at the end of the year.   I might even have 3 because it appears I still have enough small strings in my blue string bag. 

Even though they are wonky I still like to start out the blocks with the traditional red center. 

Some of these scraps have been around a long time. That's planet fabric in the upper right leftover from curtains I made for my youngest son's bedroom.  He's 29 now and left the planet curtains behind long ago. 

I added some 3 inch butterflies to my pile. I started these late last year and think I only have brown and black/white ones.  

And I added some 3 inch spools to my collection which now makes 99 blue spools.    

And, finally, I have two 6.5 inch crumb blocks left over from making the kaleidoscope block. 

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge  Scrappy Happy Saturday linky party is going on now if you are interested in how to use up your blue scraps.  And, it's never to late to join in and tell us about your blue scraps. 

Happy, Happy

I finished my January goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes. 

(Number 122)

Happy Butterflies

40 x 60

I will donate it to Wrap-a-Smile - quilts for kids undergoing cleft lip/palate surgery. 

(See the Sunshine Online Quilt Guild blog  for more information and pictures, ways to donate and then join the Sunshine Yahoo Group.  The Sunshine Yahoo Group makes quilts for Quilts Beyond Borders and Wrap-a-Smile and share emails, photos, challenges, advice, and fun. )

Back to the quilt...well, this is also a UFO finish. You might get tired of all the Happy Block quilts you see me finish up this year from the bottomless box of Happies. 

These blocks started with 6.5 inch centers and have 2.5 inch sides. 

I quilted with freemotion flowers on my Plain Jane sewing machine.  I don't really like machine binding but it is recommended for these quilts.  I'm getting a little better at it but it's far from perfect. The binding was a piece of fabric I picked up at the thrift store.  

My second finish is Happy Cats. It's also 40 x 60 and going to Wrap-a-Smile. 

These Happy Blocks started with 4.5 inch centers, 2.5 inch sides and finish at 8 inches. 

I picked up the gingham for the backing at the thrift store also. I think I have enough for two quilt backs.  The binding was fabric left over from the Happy Butterfly backing. 

I also freemotion quilted this one on my plain Jane sewing machine with some wonky concentric squares. 

Now I'm going to Whoop it up over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. 

Slow Sunday Stitching

In crazy quilt news...I've finished block 2 of Crazy Farm - my Crazy Quilt Journal Project for 2014. 

Every crazy farm needs a scarecrow.  (Note to self: doesn't look like I finished scarecrow pocket) And growing next to him is some crazy colored wheat (wheatear stitches). 

On the seam above the pigs I just did straight stitches thinking they might look like a fence.  You can see a poor lone strawberry. When I was thinking about seam treatments I was originally going to wind the strawberry runners up on the seam above it with some additional little strawberries but when I actually got around to the seam I forgot and instead added some bullion rosebuds because of the peach roses in that scrap of blue fabric.   One good thing about crazy quilting is there is no right or wrong way to do things, no pattern to follow...you can just go with the flow. 

Every crazy farm has tomatoes.  (On my real "farm" I grow Celebrity and a different heirloom each year and some cherry tomatoes.)  Seam above is fly stitch and lazy daisy and seam below is three rows of chain stitch. 

I crocheted some little flowers and gave them some french knot centers to imitate the daisies in the fabric.  I have lots of odds and ends of crochet cotton I've picked up from thrift stores so this is a good way to use those bits and pieces. 

This seam just has herringbone stitch that I did twice. First pass was in the lime green and second pass was in the darker green.  And I also added some french knots. 

Blocks 1 and 2 together. 

In other crazy quilt news I've got the rick rack stitched in the border on 2 sides. 

In embroidery news... I've got another fruit embroidered - Thursday pears.   Somehow I'm going to use all these embroidered days of the weeks fruits in my Tea Towel Challenge Quilt.  I think I have 3 fruits left to embroider. 

 Finally, in applique/embroidery news...Last week I had 10 butterflies appliqued. This week I've finished the blanket stitch around all 10 and now I need to ...

...finish up the other stitching.   After these I think I will have 32 butterflies and I think I need 48 in order to make a quilt like I inherited from grandma.  After I make my quilt I am going to try to repair hers. 

So that's it for my Slow Sunday Stitching projects.  Kathy's Quilts is host to the Slow Sunday Stitching linky party.  There's a lot of beautiful projects being worked on. You will miss out on them if you don't visit.