Monday, July 23, 2018

This, That and The Other Thing- Machine Piecing

 I don't just work on one quilt at a time from start to finish. I like to work on a variety of quilts and things at one time in short bursts of time throughout the day.  That includes gardening tasks, household chores, reading, genealogy research, scrapbooking and internet surfing not just quilting.  Normally I make separate blog posts as I finish some blocks, a flimsy, a quilt and don't show everything from a week all in one post.   

Above are the four Vintage Thingamajigs I finished last week. This is the only project where I actually keep track of the sewing time of 20 minutes each day because our Stashbuster Yahoo Group issued the challenge to start a project July 1 and sew on it for 20 minutes a day.  I chose the above blocks based on vintage blocks I saw online.   Now you may say four blocks isn't that many for a week of sewing 20 minutes a day- 140 minutes.  But when you consider that each six inch block contains 29 pieces and those pieces need to be cut, matched up, sewn into units, ironed then I'll take four blocks.  I now have 18 blocks out of a target of 224 which means I also have more than enough for one row of fourteen blocks and the target is 16 rows. 



But I also have a lot of working parts for this week's 20 minute sewing sessions. My process is also to cut some, then sew some units, cut some then sew some blocks.  I don't really like cutting. 


And speaking of cutting...when I cut the hourglass pieces with the Easy Angle Companion for the Vintage Thingamajigs I also cut the ends into HSTs with the Easy Angle so I don't waste that little bit at the beginning and end of the strip.   Last week  (also in short sewing sessions of 20 - 25 minutes) I used some of those little HSTs (1 inch finished) and combined them with other scraps from the 1.5 and 2.5 inch scrap bins to make 19 four inch blocks which brings my total to 33.  I'm calling this quilt Gallimaufry (stew or hash made from anything on hand) and it is inspired by a vintage quilt c. 1890. 

Also last week I made my fifth block for Garden Mosaic  (I'm calling mine Fractured Rainbows). Only 11 more to go!!  

 But I have all 2048 HSTs made and those pieces sewn into various parts - a "webbed" block, and some four patches.   The part that took the longest time in making this was sorting through scraps to cut since my 2 inch scrap bin was small and not very full.  
 And then since I had gotten into the habit of making a few HSTs for Fractured Rainbows each day I dug out my Ocean Waves UFO and figured out what I needed to bring that to flimsy stage. I have 12 blocks and I think I'll need 25 sixteen inch blocks.   I had 30s reproduction 2.5 inch scraps set aside to use for these so I dug in and made HSTs for 5 blocks which are now webbed into quarter sections for the big blocks.  I like to make the quarter sections and mix and match them to make the entire block. That's basically hoping that all of the same fabrics don't end up in a block. 
An Ocean Wave block. 

10 comments:

Jayne said...

Mind blowing! SO many projects, so many tiny pieces!! I like to fit in quilting when I can in between every day life chores too! Which are never ending!

Quiltdivajulie said...

LOVE your process and the vast array of colorful projects!!! (I told Gayle yesterday I've ordered the quarter square triangle die to make some of those vintage thingamajigs of my own for RSC19)

Linda said...

Wow! All those different pieces and blocks to juggle in your head. Awesome.

em's scrapbag said...

I love all your scrappy sewing. Ocean Waves was already on my bucket list but now I've added your Thingamajigs. What a great block!

Ann said...

They are all such fun. It’s interesting that you are using similar units and making such different blocks.

Carla A Few Of My Favorite Things said...

You work very similarly to me. However, I don't make it in the sewing room regularly. I despise cutting also. I love your vintage blocks. Your blog is reminding me how much I love colored backgrounds. It does take a lot of time to cut then sew trim and press. Our quilts are much more valuable than we give ourselves credit.

gayle said...

Triangles are just sooooo versatile, aren't they?
Now if only they were self-pressing...

mangozz said...

I've always admired Ocean Waves quilts and yours is going to be gorgeous in those 1930s repros. I'll probably never make one though. The thought of cutting out and pressing all those HSTs is daunting. I'll have to watch yours come together with envy.

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

So much to love here, all your scrappy WiPs are wonderful! I find I'm too impatient to make too many HST's, but your end results will be amazing!

beth s said...

So much inspiration here. Love all of it!