Strings and Scraps, Snakes and Snails, Sugar and Spice

 Four new small tops to add to the mole hill  mountain of tops that need to be quilted. 

 This one is made of quarter log cabins and 2 inch scraps. 

In December I received a small box of scraps and some blocks. There were 21 Quarter Log Cabin blocks that were about 8 inch square unfinished. They all appeared to start with a 3.5 inch aqua square surrounded by 2 inch scraps.  I later found some starter squares were four inches or so so I trimmed them all to 8 inch square usually trimming the starter square to 3.5 inches.  There were also three blocks of that 21 that were missing one side. I added a 2 x 8 inch scrap from my 2 inch scrap bin and made sure those blocks were also 8 inch square with the aqua starter square trimmed to 3.5 inches.  I then made 3 more blocks from my own scraps so I had a total of twenty-four eight inch square blocks.  Then I decided I wanted the blocks to be close to 10 inches because most of the small donation quilts I make measure 40 x 60  and that's easy to do with 10 inch blocks.   That meant I needed to add two more rounds to the blocks.  My 2 inch scrap bin didn't have enough long lengths in it for 2 rounds so I decided to cut what was in there for the outside round.  I went to my scrap chunks and found some aqua pieces and cut those for the first additional round I needed to add. 

 I originally thought I would join four blocks together with all four aqua squares together in the center but that didn't look right to me when I started down that road. I ended up setting them like a stair step and was surprised when the aqua strips I added to the blocks joined up perfectly with the aqua starter squares.  That was a happy accident. I think this definitely flows now. 

 Strings

40 x 60

 I made these blocks back in December.   I used paper for the foundation so this month I finally trimmed the blocks and removed the papers and assembled the top.  These 10 inch (finished) blocks all came from my string bin.  I used black strings for the centers and bright for the rest. 

 This is another top that came out of the string bin. And, again, blocks were made in December and this month finally trimmed, papers removed and blocks assembled for a top that measures 40 x 60. 

 For these 10 inch (finished) blocks I used pink for the center string, brown strings went on both sides of the center pink, then I added more pink strings and finally finished off the blocks with browns. 

 This Wonky Log Cabin also came out of the string bin and used mostly skinny and shorter strings in red, white and blue. It measures 36  x 54. 

 I made these 24 blocks in December too. I originally thought I would make 48 of these 9 inch finished blocks so I would end up with a larger top. I trimmed the blocks since they were in the same pile as the string blocks and assembled them into a top forgetting my original thought that I would make more blocks. I remembered my original thought this morning when I saw the quilts hanging on the line and noticed this Wonky Log Cabin was smaller than the rest.  But this size is still okay for donation if I ever get it quilted. 

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts