A Finish and the Fab Four

 Sixteen Patch

40 x 60

A fat quarter challenge quilt to be donated to Quilts Beyond Borders - a charity providing quilts to under served areas of the world.  The National Quilters Circle has designated Quilts Beyond Borders as one of Ten Amazing Places to Donate Quilts. One of the ongoing initiatives has been to deliver quilts to children in Syrian refugee camps in Jordan and Greece.  In December hundreds of quilts were delivered to the Forgotten People of the Navajo Nation.  Other quilts may go to Comfort Cases or a Child Abuse Center. 

I belong to Sunshine Online Quilt Guild - a group of charity quilters who support both Quilts Beyond Borders and Wrap-a-Smile but members make donation quilts for many other causes as well.  Join us if you are interested.  

 Ok...so back to the quilt finish.  I mentioned this was a FQ Challenge quilt and the FQ I started with is that plaidish multicolored one in the block on the right.  That determined the colors I would use to make the blocks.  Most of these blocks were strip pieced and made from 3 inch width strips. 

It looked like Autumn colors so I backed it with a pumpkin harvest. I quilted it with some free motion leaves. I cut the binding from backing trimmings. I was surprised I had enough red solid in that backing trimming box. If what was left of the backing trimming after I cut off a 2.5 inch width was wider than one inch it went into the string box. 

FAB FOUR

I'm also a member of another online group called Stashbusters.  There's lots of games, tips and tricks to encourage use of stash and scraps and UFO finishes.  One of the tips has been to make a weekly FAB FOUR list of items to work on for the week.  I've never tried it because I thought I was pretty good about keeping monthly goals in my head but this year I thought I would give it a try. So last Sunday I made my FAB FOUR list. 

1. Make more blocks for UFO Wagon Wheel from 30s and solids started in 2013. I need 63 and counting the 7 made last week I now have 46 (I think). Pieces aren't cut. I cut a block, sew a block. 
Progress: 1. I completed all 17 Wagon Wheel blocks I needed toward my goal of 63. So I have enough blocks to start assembly.  Woohoo!! 

2. Work on 4.5 WITB (What's in the Box) quilt #1
Progress:  Whigmaleerie flimsy #1 60 x 84 completed.  In addition I worked on WITB quilt #2 which is a 4 inch finished Happy Block. I 

There were 145 little blocks in the bin and I figured for a quilt 40 x 60 I need 150.  I had a little bag with 27 centers already cut  so I picked out 8 of them and made 8 more little Happy Blocks although I only need 5 but I may have miscounted or made a wonky one or two.  These little blocks have 2.5 inch centers and 1.5 inch sides and I've been making them off and on for years and just threw them into the 4.5 inch parts bin. 

So now I have enough blocks to start assembly on a little Happy Block quilt.  

3. Bind two small quilts. Binding will probably be scrappy and cut from box of overflow backing trimmings. That means bindings will be made and strings added to the string box.
Progress: I started out this post with one of those quilts and blogged about the other called Autumn Stars on January 9. 

4. Make RSC green blocks from 2.5 inch scraps. 2.5 inch blocks include Dakota Farmer and an Hourglass block (because I just won 28 of them). Rest of 2.5 inch green scraps will be cut into 2.5 inch squares to make into 9 Patches and if pieces are less than 2.5 square they will be sewn together into strip for later Chinese Coin quilt. 

Progress: Made six Dakota Farmer eight inch blocks and 15 six inch Hourglass blocks.  Also made 10 Plus blocks and 7 Sprout blocks to finish up sets of blocks for old UFOs. Also made two green Crumby Hourglass blocks and two large Churn Dash blocks. Then cut rest of light and bright greens into squares and sewed strips from any remaining greens for later use in a Chinese Coin quilt. 

Bonus: piece backing for Spider Web. 
Progress: I pieced a backing for a Patriotic Happy quilt instead since it only needed one seam. Then I pin basted it. 

So, I ended up with two finishes, a flimsy, four sets of blocks ready for assembly, a pin basted quilt and lots of blocks.   I think I will continue this Fab Four.

For the week of January 12-18 my Fab Four: 
1. Make Flying Geese for sashing for old UFO Blind Man's Fancy Tea in the Rose Garden
Bonus: piece backings and/or assemble blocks into flimsies. 
2. Work on Strings. I have blocks for two small quilts that need trimming and assembly and have a string quilt in process that uses neutral strings. 
3. Quilt and bind Patriotic Happy
4. Make RSC green blocks from 2 inch scraps that include 16 patch, Single Wedding Ring, Little Houses and Wonky Stars.

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework