It's a Finish! Log Cabin Lunacy

 Log Cabin Lunacy

It's a Finish! 

64 x 80

 Last August Julie (JulieKQuilts) hosted a Log Cabin Loonies Quilt Along.  She gave instructions for a four inch finished log cabin block made of one inch pieces. I had to make a few. Then I was addicted. 

 The blocks are totally made of scraps. I have scrap bins for a variety of sizes of scraps and just cut one inch off the end of those various sized scraps for my pieces rather than cut one inch strips into various sizes. 

 It's amazing what will sometime show up in just a half inch of fabric.  I've had a few family members and friends spend time in extended care facilities and I've found that if they have a quilt like this on their bed or wheelchair it can spark some conversations which is good if you are a shy quiet girl like me and especially tongue tied around someone who is not well. 

 The patient and visitors always seem to spend time playing I Spy no matter what their age. 

 Ghosts, seashells, fireflies, cat, snowmen, peppermints...

 ...dice, hearts, horseshoes, sailboats.  I call it the "smile factor". 

 I quilted it on my DSM with light brown variegated thread in the white areas and dark brown variegated thread in the dark areas with kind of a loopy thing.  The backing was a gift from a kind soul. 

This was my goal #9

for

Q2 Finish-Along

It's a Flimsy! Spider Webs

 Spider Webs

64.5 x 86

An old UFO has now moved forward to flimsy stage! 

I MIGHT be able to piece together all my remaining spider web fabrics for a backing. 

I used the Spider Web templates at Quiltville.

  I used 1.5 inch scraps. 

 When I do get to quilting it I'll quilt in some spider webs like I did on the one I made previously for my grandson. 

I feel like I need to start building an Ark.  It has rained almost every day in May.  Every once in awhile the sun comes out for a few minutes and I go for a walk through the flower gardens and catch a glimpse of some rain soaked flowers like this poor tree peony already loosing petals.  {sigh}

We are experiencing a severe thunderstorm right now. Guess I'll go sew. 

It's a Finish!

A Depression Block Quilt

64 x 80

It's a finish!

 Back in 2014 I started making these eight inch Depression Blocks from 2.5 inch scraps as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project. It took me until last year to accumulate 80 totally scrappy blocks. 

I've previously made two other Depression Block quilts. The first was made of 3.5 inch HSTs using the layout at Quilter's Cache but I don't make my HSTs like the instructions.  I think my youngest son has that quilt. Then I made one from 4.5 inch scraps (16 inch block) and gave that as a wedding gift to my nephew.  

 I quilted it on my DSM with some loose spirals in white thread. 

 I used a wide backing with big polka dots...

 ...and for the binding I used several different low volume scraps. 

I think this will go into the donation quilt pile.  Lately I've been trying to make twin sized quilts for local donation.  I'm thinking when I get a pile of 12 I will invite the three grandkids (ages 14, 14 and 10) over and have them choose six for donation.  The emphasis will be on which six to give and not which six to keep. That will leave six in a reserve pile. Then when that reserve pile again gets up to 12 we will do the same thing over again and again...  I'm hoping the grandkids will get into the spirit of giving and also go with me when I drop the quilts off.  When the grandkids get old enough to set up their own apartments, houses, dorms they can pick from the pile for themselves if they wish; although I do have some items including quilts already in hope chests for each of them. 

This was my goal #8

for

Q2 Finish-Along

Embroidery for Eavesdropping

I've been using the scraps left over from my Triangle Tiles quilt to frame some muslin for embroidery.  I've finished the embroidery on another block and have more prepped with embroidery transfers. My husband has had a lot of diagnostic testing done lately and this has been a nice take along project for me. I've tried reading a book but I'm so nosy I have to listen in to all the conversations in the waiting room. I can't do that while reading but I can do that while embroidering. 

More later. 

It's a Finish! Triangle Tiles

Triangle Tiles

It's a finish!

82 x 88

Hand quilted. 

 My quilt was inspired by a vintage quilt made by Stella Freeman Gillion in the 1940s or 1950s which is now in the collection of her grandson, Dr. Alan Childress. 

Normally I don't use a pattern for vintage inspired quilts. I just usually see one and make my own version. In July 2018 Quiltfolk Magazine started a monthly digital pattern subscription. I subscribed and each month for $3.95 I received patterns for a "source" or vintage quilt and a "revival" or interpretation of that quilt by a modern quilter.  The patterns were a surprise I looked forward to each month; however, Quiltfolk discontinued the monthly pattern subscription and instead offer the patterns now at $8.95.   This one was Quiltfolk Pattern 001 released as a digital pattern subscription in July 2018. 

I used 30s reproduction fabrics in red, blue and yellow with a few browns thrown in for fun. 

 I don't normally add borders to my quilts but I thought I would add the plain borders like the vintage quilt had in order to make the quilt a little larger. I had the Kona Candy Blue in my stash leftover from making another quilt. It was meant to be since I had just enough.   Originally with borders my top measured 82 x 92 but I cut off 2 inches on top and bottom borders before quilting in order for the quilt to fit my batting. 

Battins is Hobbs Heirloom 80/20. I hand quilted in a neutral thread Baptist Fans marked with stencil and chalk. Binding was the same Kona Candy Blue as the border.   I don't usually remember fabric colors or names or designers but I remembered this one because I thought blue candy would taste terrible. 

For the backing I pieced together yardage with tea cups sketched in light brown and letters in blue. 

This was my goal #1 for Q2 Finish-Along

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

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

Some Assembly Required

 I now have 48 Spider Web blocks! 

An empty shoe box of 1.5 inch strips or 26 more Webs for my target of 48 was my OMG (One Monthly Goal) for May.   I made all my Webs and almost emptied the shoe box too. The remaining strips went into the bright strings box to be used in a couple of other UFOs. 

 This week's 16 blocks are on the left. The pile of previously made blocks are on the right. 

A total of 48 blocks...192 wedges...2112 pieces (if my pencil and paper math is correct).

It's about time!!! I started these webs back in October 2015 but ran out of 1.5 inch scraps a couple of times along the way.  When I decided to move this UFO forward this month I had 22 blocks and a shoe box full of 1.5 inch scraps accumulated over a few years to work with. 

Now there's some assembly required. 

Maybe I'll have a top completed for the next Wednesday Web report. Or this might be the last Wednesday Web report. Time will tell. 

One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts

And Then There Were 84!

 I just finished 23 of these 6 x 14 inch blocks. 

Now I have 84 and can begin to assemble the top. 

I started making these back in November 2017 as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project to use 1.5 inch scraps.  The individual pieces are cut 1.5 x 2.5 inches.  At first I called them Whatchamacallits because I didn't know what to call them.   Then Sally at Objects of Design started making them and called them Bitcoins and I thought that was a very clever and more descriptive name so I started calling them Bitcoins too. 

 I'm going to join the blocks together randomly 14 x 6 or 6 x 14.  That way the quilt will be a square 84 inches and I will be able to have the quilt oriented two different ways. I was going to make a rectangular quilt but couldn't decide which way to orient the blocks so this way it makes no difference. 

 As I mentioned previously, I've been making these from 1.5 inch scraps. The little pieces were individually cut and sewn and not strip pieced although that would have been faster.   I really didn't want a repeat of any fabrics except the neutrals but that didn't happen -- there are a few repeats.  

 I made these last 23 blocks from the 2.5 inch scraps since my 1.5 inch scraps are running low ( and that's a good thing). 

As soon as I iron these blocks...

...they will join with the 61 other blocks and I can begin quilt top assembly.   I've been chomping (or is it champing?) at the bit(coin) to move this forward!  Since the weather has been rain, rain, rain and more rain and I can't work in the garden I might as well go sew. 

Moving It Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Using Two Inch Scraps

 Orange is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month. This month I'm also making blocks in last months color which was aqua.  This week I dug into my two inch scrap bin to make some blocks. 

Wedding Ring blocks in orange that finish at 7.5 inches. 

 Wedding Ring blocks in aqua. 

Sixteen Patch blocks. 

Wonky Stars that will finish at 4.5 inches. I'm using waste triangles for the star points.  I've been making these off and on for a few years and only have a small pile of them. 

I have a big bin of 3 inch nine patches so have been making some 3 inch kitties to combine with them.  I cut all the kitty pieces from 2 inch scraps. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Gallimaufry

 Gallimaufry

Inspired by the following vintage quilt:

Four inch finished blocks with fourteen pieces. 

I like all the secondary patterns and chains that form. 

I made these blocks this week and now have 181 of them. My goal is 396. 

I just make them as the urge strikes. 

The little 1.5 inch HST pieces were cut with the Easy Angle ruler off the end of strips used to make QSTs for Vintage Thingamajigs and I still have a lot of them I can use.  After the HST piece was cut off the end of the strip then the  QSTs were cut with the Easy Angle Companion ruler and then the end was cut again with the Easy Angle ruler and resulted in another HST.  The little 1.5 inch squares are what is left of a pencil case full of scraps left from making several postage stamp quilts.  And the 2.5 inch scraps come out of the 2.5 inch scrap bin. 

More later. 

Serendipity

I've been spending most of my time gardening; however, I have found a little time to sew too. Thank goodness for retirement! 

These blocks are inspired by a vintage quilt and I'm using aqua as my neutral. 

More later. 

Wednesday Webs

And now there are thirty-two webs. 

Sixteen more to go. 

It's a Finish! Blue Skies and Butterflies

 Blue Skies and Butterflies

64 x 80

It's a finish!

 I started making these in 2015 to use waste triangles to make butterflies ...

 ...and a variety of blue 2.5 inch scraps for the sky. 

I used a variegated thread...

 ...to quilt flowers and leaves on my DSM. 

 There's more butterflies on the back. 

This was my goal #7

for

Q2 Finish-Along

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework