Some Things Old; Some Things New

 I've finished up enough blocks for a couple of quilts that are old projects. 

All of these Triangle blocks are finished now for what I call Out of the Blue that I started on January 1.   I promised myself I would not let this new start roll over into the new year of 2020 without at least reaching flimsy stage. So I've been slowly working on a few blocks each week. This is the ironed stack. 

 And this is the stack that needs ironing. There's 128 blocks total (if I remember correctly) that will make a quilt 83 x 90. I've been using blue tone on tones (TOTS) for the sides of the triangles and warm TOTS for the triangle points that form a star.  I blogged that I wasn't sure I would have enough blue TOTS for the triangles and then lo and behold I received a box in the mail from a kind and generous quilty friend that contained some. 

 Out of the Blue was inspired by a vintage quilt made by Minnie Lee Deakins and is a Quiltfolk pattern called Minnie's Stars.  Anonymous previously left me a blog comment that mentioned the block is known as Road to Florida and also lately named Smoothing Iron.  I can see how it could be called Smoothing Iron, a name I really like, but not sure about the road to Florida. 

 And now I also have enough Carolina Chain blocks made so I can begin assembly. I started these blocks last year to use up 2 inch scraps left from making Fractured Rainbows (aka Totally Demented). When I started making Fractured Rainbows I did not have a 2 inch scrap bin so I cut scrap chunks and bits into 2 inch pieces.  After that I had a 2 inch scrap bin so Carolina Chains was started.  I used blue TOT scraps left over from making those Out of the Blue blocks for the side setting triangles. 

 I figured I have finished blocks for two old projects so I deserve to start two new projects.  I have a lot of odds and ends of low volume fabrics plus I still have a lot of low volume 2 inch scraps so thought I would make some low volume Bright Hopes blocks that finish at 4.5 inches.   I was inspired by the Bright Hopes Quilt at Red Pepper Quilts. 

 These blocks are addictive, mindless and have a calming effect and who doesn't need that once in awhile? This will make a nice summer quilt I think. 

And turning up the low volume to loud...

I recently followed a link to a Strips and Squares quilt at Cluck Cluck Sew and decided to give it a try to use my 2.5 and 4.5 inch scraps instead of fat quarters as listed in the tutorial. I'm thankful for the inspiration and idea and tutorial but I'm not really following the tutorial for assembly either. I'm using up scraps.  The quilt combines Rail Fence blocks, Sixteen Patches, Happy Blocks and eight inch squares. 

But instead of eight inch squares I'm using 4.5 inch scraps to make some four patches to add to the mix. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Garlic Knots aka Arrowhead Puzzles

Eight inch finished Arrowhead Puzzle (aka Garlic Knot) blocks using dark blue and white  2.5 inch scraps.  Only about 30 more to go and I'll have a twin sized quilt. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Chocolate Swirls Progress

 One of my latest hand work projects has been the applique of the Chocolate Swirl (aka Rising Sun or Cog Wheel) blocks.    So far I've appliqued four of these 20 inch blocks to the background squares.  

Eight more to go. 

Someday I'll be covered in chocolate! 

Slow Sunday Stitching along at Kathy's Quilts

Blue Two Inch Scrap Edition

This week I dug into my two inch scrap bin and pulled out the blues and made: 

Four Wedding Ring blocks (aka Odd Scraps Patchwork, Crown of Thorns, Single Wedding Ring) that finish at 7.5 inches...

 ...three Sixteen Patch blocks that finish at 6 inches...

...and ten Kitties that finish at three inches that I will match up with little nine patches I have on hand. 

The color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is dark blue with lighter blues to be used in a different month; however, I just am using blue scraps. When the different month rolls around I will make a couple of my RSC project blocks in blue that I'm not making this month like Wonky Stars from 2 inch scraps and waste triangles. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday 

HST Rulers

The latest little (four inch finished) Gallimaufry blocks for a quilt inspired by a vintage one. 

I've seen it posted several times in one of my online quilt groups that the Easy Angle ruler is not as accurate as some of the others like Omnigrid for making HSTs.  Really? The first HST ruler I ever used was the Easy Angle and I've been using it for years to make all my HSTs. I've even recommended it to others.  I do own an Omnigrid HST ruler too - purchased when I misplaced my Easy Angle ruler which I later found in a box of fabric parts. 

So, when I made the little 1.5 inch HSTs for the latest Gallimaufry blocks I decided to do a little comparison of rulers. 

 Last year I was cutting QST pieces from 1.5 inch scraps for my Vintage Thingamajigs quilt with the Easy Angle Companion ruler.  Rather than waste the beginning and end of the 1.5 inch strip I used the Easy Angle ruler to cut HST pieces. I ended up with baggies of HST parts that I've been using to make the little HSTs for Gallimaufry blocks. 

 Normally when I make the blocks I cut some plain white scraps into 1.5 inch strips and then use the Easy Angle ruler to cut them into HST parts that are then matched to the colored HST parts to make an HST.   This time I used my Omnigrid ruler to cut the white HST parts. 

 Guess what! The white Omnigrid HST pieces matched up perfectly to the colored Easy Angle cut HST pieces.  I put the two rulers on top of each other and compared markings and they lined up perfectly.    So I don't believe the Omnigrid ruler is more accurate than the Easy Angle ruler. My HSTs, as you can see from my Gallimaufry blocks, turned out just fine using pieces cut with each ruler. 

And now I have 206 little Gallimaufry blocks. Only 190 more to go! I'm over the half way point! 

It's a Finish! Red and White Bits and Pieces

 It's a finish!

A donation quilt.

42 x 63

Pictures are dark because we have had mostly cloudy and rainy days since May. (Sigh). 

 Back in 2018 I was going through my crumbs and sorting them by color. I noticed a lot of red and white bonus triangles, waste triangles, wonky triangles mixed in with the crumbs. I figured there were enough for a quilt so set them aside and didn't use them in crumb blocks.  In January of this year I made those bits and pieces into a quilt top. 

I quilted it with wavy lines alternating in red and white threads. 

Backing is a red and white stripe sent to me by a quilty friend. 

Binding is red and white with red polka dots.  I don't like sewing binding on by machine but most of the places I donate this size of quilt prefers it be done that way. 

I used four color catchers when I washed this and they all turned red. There was still a tiny bit of bleeding in a couple of spots but it is not really noticeable. 

This was my goal #17

for

Q2 Finish-Along

It's a Flimsy! HISSSSSS

It's a flimsy!

66 x 88

I started this November 2015 as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project to use 2.5 inch scraps.  I worked on it off and on over the years. I think the main reason it was a UFO for so long is because I cut those snake parts by hand and I don't really like cutting pieces to begin with and like cutting pieces even less if they are cut with scissors and a paper template. 

 Then it took me a while to figure out how to use the blocks in a quilt. I didn't plan that out before I started making blocks that had two curves of the same color.  It just so happened that they worked perfectly in a rainbow configuration. 

 My inspiration was a color matching game...

...I used to play with my grandson when he was a wee one. 

Getting this to flimsy stage was my OMG (One Monthly Goal) for June. 

OMG at Elm Street Quilts

Now that I've got it to flimsy stage I really like it and might have to make some plastic templates for those snake parts so I can use a rotary cutter to make another one. I really like the one with the blue/orange background in a Barbara Brackman post on Snakes. 

A Few More Embroidered Blocks

 The border on the blocks are scraps left over from making my Triangle Tiles quilt.  The center is muslin. I have a collection of old and new iron on embroidery transfers that I've been using for the centers. I've been using two strands of floss for the embroidery. I like to use variegated threads.  

When I use up the rest of the scraps I'll probably make a different size of block to use up other thirties reproduction scraps. 

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Blue 3.5 Inch Scrap Edition

 This week I dug into the blue 3.5 inch scraps and made two Sixteen Patch Stars...

 ...Broken Dishes...

...and Little Rails. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

And Another Finish!

 Butterfly Happy Blocks

A donation quilt

40 x 60

 Happy Blocks with 6.5 inch centers and 2.5 inch sides.   Some of these centers were from swaps and some of the blocks were swapped years ago. 

 I have accumulated a variety of  centers and Happy Blocks in different themes, sizes, colors over the years.  Every once in awhile I dig around in that Happy Place for completed blocks and centers that fit some kind of theme and then make enough additional blocks for desired size of  quilt.  Last year I made two sport themed tops and this butterfly top. This is the last of those three Happy Block quilts to get finished.  Must be time to dig around in there and make a few more tops. I will probably have to replenish my tone on tones and solids first. 

Sunshine Online Quilt Guild (SOQG) has been holding a retreat June 12 - 15 in Mendota, MN.  I'm sewing along at home.  We make quilts for kids around the world. We donate to two programs: Wrap a Smile and Quilts Beyond Borders. Quilts go to kids, teens, and adults undergoing cleft palate surgery and to under-served children, often in orphanages, worldwide.

The backing was pieced with some old floral calico and some backing trimmings from other quilts.  And once again I quilted it on my DSM with flowers and leaves. 

This was goal #18

for

Q2 Finish-Along

Two More Finishes

 Donation Quilts in Primary Colors

40 x 60

 Sunshine Online Quilt Guild (SOQG) is holding a retreat June 12 - 15 in Mendota, MN.  I'm sewing along at home.  We make quilts for kids around the world. We donate to two programs: Wrap a Smile and Quilts Beyond Borders. Quilts go to kids, teens, and adults undergoing cleft palate surgery and to under-served children, often in orphanages, worldwide.

 Last year members of SOQG made lots of Mendota blocks that they are now sewing together at retreat into tops. A Mendota block is basically a framed offset square that finishes at 10 inches. I like to think of them as offset Happy Blocks. 

 I made some Mendota blocks last year while going through scraps. I made blocks with primary colored centers bordered with primary colors and blocks with secondary colors bordered with secondary colors. 

 I don't  have enough secondary blocks for a quilt but I did have enough primary colors for two quilts. 

Both are quilted with flowers and leaves on my DSM in neutral threads. 

 The back of the pink, aqua, yellow one has a dark pansy fabric I've had around for years. I think at one time I was going to make curtains out of it.  The binding was a piece of fabric from the thrift store that still had the .45 cent tag on it. It was enough for the binding for two quilts. 

For the backing of the other quilt I pieced together leftovers from a sheet used on another quilt. I also had enough leftovers for the binding. 

These were goals #21 and #22

for

Q2 Finish-Along

It's a Finish!

 It's a finish!

40 x 60

Ready for donation. 

Sunshine Online Quilt Guild (SOQG) is holding a retreat June 12 - 15 in Mendota, MN.  I'm sewing along at home.  We make quilts for kids around the world. We donate to two programs: Wrap a Smile and Quilts Beyond Borders. Quilts go to kids, teens, and adults undergoing cleft palate surgery and to under-served children, often in orphanages, worldwide.

 Last year members made lots of Mendota blocks that they are now sewing together at retreat into tops. A Mendota block is basically a framed offset square that finishes at 10 inches. I like to think of them as offset Happy Blocks.  Mendota Cats is one of five tops I made last October when I was cleaning up cat themed scraps. 

And now it is finally a finished quilt.  I quilted it with leaves and flowers on my DSM with navy blue thread in the bobbin and neutral on top.  Binding was two different florals that kind of matched one of the florals in the top.  Backing was fabric I bought on sale years ago specifically for use as a donation quilt backing. 

This was my goal #23

for

Q2 Finish-Along

Scrap Lover's Puzzle

I've made a few more of these blocks based on a vintage quilt c. 1940-1970.  I believe they are a Stone Mason's Puzzle variation. My blocks are a Scrap Lover's Puzzle although I'm no longer puzzled as to how to make the blocks as you can see in my May 9 post.   Blue-green is my neutral so each block has some. I'm aiming for a twin sized quilt. 

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Moving it Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag