It's a Finish! Pumpkin Peels

Pumpkin Peels

78 x 78

hand quilted

templates and quilt instructions from:

Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts  - Patterns Inspired by Antique Quilts 

by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms

 

 The title of the book is true - lots of small pieces were used in this quilt.  

I used what I thought were autumn colored scraps and neutrals. 

The arcs were foundation pieced on phone book pages and appliqued to the background fabric. 

For quilting on the background fabric  I used a variety of cardboard templates that looked kind of pumpkin-peelish.  These were in a box of miscellaneous items my daughter found at a garage sale. I used indigo thread I had on hand.  On the arcs I did big stitching with ecru perle #8. 

I wasn't sure I really liked the indigo thread at first but it grew on me so I carried on. 

When it came time for the binding I found some indigo fabric with aqua "flowers" that appeared to me Jacobean like the background flowers.  I guess it was meant to be. 

 I'm really short on backings so pieced one together from some butterfly fabrics. 

And so it goes. 

I can mark another UFO off the list!

This was my goal #18 

for  

Q1 Finish Along

and

18 in 2018

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

At the Borderline

Right now this quilt-to-be is 42 x 54. 

That's way too small, in my opinion, for even a nice sized lap quilt. 

But it has been laying around in pieces since May 2013 so this top is an improvement. I'm moving forward. 

The "pieces" were these six inch Prairie Flower quilt blocks made of pansy fabrics and a few butterfly fabrics. I liked them when there were a few of them but never did like them by themselves. They were too busy for me even after I started adding solids to some blocks.  So they have lingered.

And then Kaja and Ann issued a new AdHoc Improv Challenge to play with scale. 

I don't have a design wall. I don't normally need one; however, my idea for moving the pansy blocks forward needed one. So I used the double bed in the guest room two flights of stairs up from the sewing room.  There is little room to maneuver on three sides of the bed but I managed to get things laid out. And then I had to pick up some pieces, remember how they went together, go down two flights of stairs and then sew them together. In the process I slipped on the stairs and bruised myself on one side but thank goodness I didn't hurt my back or break anything. 

And I pretty much got things sewn together properly. 

Ok. I did mention playing with scale.  Instead of using all the six inch blocks together in a quilt I added larger pieces of large scale fabric here and there  - pansy fabrics I have not wanted to cut into until now.  I added a couple of 12.5 inch square pieces of fabric of pansies in vases...

 ...and  I added some 6.5 inch pieces of fabric and tried to add them near blocks that used the same fabrics if I could.

   I also added a few pieces of 6.5 x 12.5 pieces of fabric oriented sometimes vertically and sometimes horizontally. 

 I have to admit I used some of the tips found in 9 Patch Pizzazz.  I think I bought this book at a book sale a long time ago. I stashed it away in a box of books and forgot about it. Recently when I was trying to organize the sewing space to get ready to share the space with garden seed starting I browsed through the books in the box and had an aha moment as to how to proceed on my pansy quilt when I opened up 9 Patch Pizzazz.

 I don't usually add borders to quilts but as I mentioned...I think it's too small for even a nice lap quilt. So I'll try to add some borders to challenge myself a bit more.  I was thinking of a purple/yellow solid border with some broderie perse (another challenge) pansies cut from some scraps.  I might even add a few butterflies. 

I took the quilt top pictures outdoors last Friday when the weather was beautiful and the crocus were blooming all throughout the lawn (thanks to the squirrels who continue to move them from my original flower bed and into the lawn). 

And then Saturday we were hit with 10 inches of snow and ice that clung to the trees and bushes and sparkled like little jewels. 

AdHoc Improv with Kaja and Ann. 

I'm Not Usually a Play-Arounder

I don't usually play around much with bits and pieces but since I don't have anything better to do I thought I would try my hand at guessing a mystery. 

Libby's Magical Mystery. 

All the clues have been revealed.  

We are supposed to end up with two each of  two different eight inch blocks from each set of fat quarters. 

So here's my guess at the two blocks. 

Not very imaginative, I know. 

And some other guesses??

You will have to see Libby's post today. 

Ready for Sashing! Foothills Blocks 16-25

Mary Elizabeth Kinch Foothills QAL

Inspired by a Vintage Bar and Chain quilt

I might have to call mine Bars and Stars.

All 25 blocks are finished. 

I'm ready for sashing. 

Green 1.5 Inch Scrap Edition

 I don't know what these 6 x 14 inch blocks are called so I call them Whatchamacallits. 

I dig into the 1.5 inch scraps, cut pieces 1.5 x 2.5, cut a neutral pieces the same size chain piece them and then sew 21 of those little units together into a block.  

This is a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project carried over from last year. At the end of this year I'm hoping to have enough to sew together into a BIG quilt. 

These little 3 inch rail blocks are another Rainbow Scrap Challenge project carried over from last year. They also use 1.5 inch scraps.  I'm not sure yet if I'll combine them with another small block, sew them together into 9 or 16 patch blocks by color or just throw them all in a bag, shake them up and sew them together as I pull them out. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

It's a Flimsy!

Drunkard's Path

84 x 96

Otherwise known as:

Down the Beaten Path

Let the Chips Fall Where They May

224 six inch blocks...

 ...sewn together randomly...

...in a 14 x 16 layout. 

I haven't really looked but I don't think I have anything suitable for a backing. I'm hoping I will be able to piece one together from bits and pieces. What I would really like is a stripe and polka dot four patch backing.

I exceeded my March OMG (One Monthly Goal) which was to complete 36 six inch Drunkard Path blocks so I would have a total of 224+ for a quilt top.   I made goal and then assembled the top too!

March OMG  Finishes at Elm Street Quilts

Foothills Quilt Along Blocks 11 - 15

 

Blocks 11 - 15 of 25

Mary Elizabeth Kinch Foothills Quilt Along

Magical Mystery Quilt Along

Libby of Life on the Hill has been hosting a Magical Mystery Quilt Along

With 2 FQs we are supposed to end up with four 8 inch blocks - two each of two different blocks. 

I'm doing the mystery x 9, am using scraps and will make a donation quilt.

Clue #4  

 Clue #3 

Clue #2

Clue #1 was fabric requirements. 

And in other news...we had some beautiful large snowflakes on St. Patrick's Day followed by crocus popping up everywhere yesterday. 

It's a Flimsy! The Patriot

 The Patriot

It's a flimsy

62 x 80

 The Patriot was a mystery quilt designed by Alycia of Alycia Quilts. 

It's a mystery no longer! 

Thanks, Alycia! 

I wasn't going to participate when I first read the fabric requirements but found I had several dark blue chunks in my scrap bin as well as a few reds and lots of ends of muslin. I supplemented with fabrics from my patriotic box since my goal this year is to use holiday fabrics.   The only thing I was short of was light blue fabrics - scraps or patriotic. I found a few pieces in my stash and ended up using the yardage of some Kona Candy (light blue) I think I had set aside for one of my UFOs but since I'm not really sure it got cut up.   I'm pretty sure the color is Candy because when I bought it I wondered who would eat blue candy.  So I can buy more later if I come across a UFO that absolutely needs it.  I rarely buy anything over 1/2 yard unless it's a really good deal so that's why I think I bought it with a purpose in mind unlike most of the fabrics I buy. 

I'm not sure what to use for backing or how to quilt it but after that it will be gifted.   

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Those Crazy Ladies of the Lake Wearin' Green

Although I've done a lot of sewing this week not much of it was with green scraps except for these three 10 inch Lady of the Lake blocks. 

This is a Rainbow Scrap Challenge Project carried over from last year. 

Today I will celebrate my Irish ancestry.  No green beer or parties here- just the grand kids.  We will probably spend the late afternoon and early evening playing board games and I may read them a few Irish folk tales or fairy tales from some old books of mine (or have them read to me) and tell them a few stories about their Irish ancestors. My paternal ancestors emigrated during famine times from Counties Galway, Mayo and Kilkenny in Ireland and eventually all settled in Emmetsburg, Palo Alto County, Iowa.  When I first became interested in genealogy (way before the internet) I asked my paternal grandmother several times to tell me about her ancestors and each time she told me "the Irish? all they do is fight and drink. That's all I know."   I've done a lot of family research over the years and found that, yes, they did fight and drink quite a bit; however, they did do a LOT more than that in between.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Don't do too much fighting and drinking!

Some Assembly Required

Down the Beaten Path...

My March OMG (One Monthly Goal) was to make 36 - six inch Drunkard's Path blocks. 

I now have more than my total goal of 224 blocks. 

Now some assembly is required. 

Layout will be 14 x 16.

One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts

Foothills QAL Blocks 6-10

Foothills Quilt Along

with Mary Elizabeth Kinch

I'm using patriotic prints.

My blocks 6-10. 

I have 15 more to go. 

It's a Finish! Burgoyne Surrounded

 Burgoyne Surrounded

93 x 93

Quilted on my DSM

 The free pattern for this can be found at Quilted Twins

I started this as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project in 2017. I wanted to use up some miscellaneous scrap chunks of fabric so made blocks each month that primarily used the color of the month.  For instance this block used up some blue chunks. 

This block used up some pink scraps.  

You can kind of see how I very simply quilted it on my DSM - first I quilted diagonally along the chains Then I quilted horizontally and vertically along the sides of the sashing and through the middle of each block. 

 Then since batting (pellon nature's touch 80/20) instructions require quilting no farther than four inches apart I added more vertical and horizontal lines through each block. 

I did minimal quilting - it's difficult to wrestle a quilt this big through a DSM with a small harp. 

I used wide bleached muslin for the backing and neutral scraps for the binding. 

And I can mark another UFO off the list!

This was my goal #10 

for 

Q1 Finish-Along

and 

18 in 2018

Feathered Stars

Feathered Stars

They are easier to make than I thought so there will be more.