Two Tops

 So far, after cleaning off my cutting mat and table last week, I have two tops to show for my efforts. 

Broken Dishes

60 x 78

 I've been making these six inch blocks off and on since about 2016.  I made them when I had 3.5 inch scraps in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month. If I didn't have any 3.5 inch scraps in the color then I didn't make any blocks.  That's why it sometimes takes me a long time to get to flimsy stage - I wait for scraps to happen. 

 Scraps happened last week when I cleaned off my cutting mat...

 ...and found scraps to make 44 more blocks. 

 And then, in between planting veggies and flowers in between the rains, I assembled this top.  I just sewed blocks together randomly...grab and sew...my grandma's method. 

Sometimes I see Stars or Pinwheels in between the Broken Dishes. 

 I don't know if these 10 inch blocks blocks have a traditional name.  For each block I cut four 4.5 inch squares and four 2.5 inch squares from scraps. From gray I cut two 2.5 inch squares and one 2.5 x 6.5 rectangle. 

Assembled top is 40 x 50 and when finished will go to Wrap-A-Smile. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

In The Pink

Pink Plus Postage blocks.

Pink is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for June.  (No, it's not June quite yet but it feels like it should be).   These blocks are made from 1.5 inch scraps except for the red plus sign and finish at 10 inches.  The blocks are inspired by a pattern and quilt designed by Susan Ache that appeared in American Patchwork and Quilting in April 2016. The pattern instructions call for strip piecing but I sew the squares together individually so I can make use of my 1.5 inch scraps. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

What's in the Hoop? What's in the Flower Garden?

 I've been hand quilting Blind Man's Fancy Tea in the Rose Garden all during the merry merry month of May. 

 I'll probably still be hand quilting it all during the merry merry month of June too. 

 It's been raining a lot lately but when it is not I enjoy looking for what is in bloom in the flower gardens. 

 I have both Tree Peonies and Herbaceous Peonies. The Tree Peonies bloom first. 

I have several different varieties of columbine (aquilegia) in bloom. I'm always glad to see some blooms. The day after I took these photos I went out and the deer had eaten every single flower. 

 I also have several different types of clematis but this one is the only one blooming right now. 

 I also have several different types of lilacs.  This white one I brought back from the farm in northern Iowa where my great grandfather homesteaded after he emigrated from Ireland.  The farm was in the family for over 100 years (a century farm) but was sold a few years ago by my dad and his siblings. I used to spend the summers there and was sad to see it go to another family but that's the way it goes.  This lilac reminds me of all the good times. 

I was glad to see this one in bloom. The parent bush was hit by lightning several years ago. I took cuttings from it right away and am glad I did because the lightning strike completely killed the lilac bush. . I wasn't sure my cutting was ever going to bloom. This must be my lucky year.  I liked this lilac because it is unusual with the petals rimmed in white. 

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Table Scraps Part III

 I've been cleaning off my cutting mat and table this week.

Part I - Good Grief!
Part II - Table Scraps 

This is Part III
I found that little pile of 2 inch width scraps on the table.  I have a few UFOs that use 2 inch scraps that I usually sew along with each month as Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. I've been working on one of those UFOs, Sixteen Patches that finish at six inches as you see on the right, off and on for a couple of years. I had 64 out of a total of 130 blocks.   I sorted through the scraps from my cutting mat as well as...

 ...the 2 inch scrap bin and...

...made 14 more Sixteen Patches. I now have 78 little Sixteen Patches.  I will continue to make these from scraps as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project until I have 130 of them.  Only 52 more to go! 

And I had a little pile of 2.5 inch width scraps on my cutting mat. 

And this is my box of 2.5 inch scraps. The bags hold scraps sorted by color. 

So between the scraps on the cutting mat and the scraps in this box I cut and made...

....blocks for a quilt similar to one at Cluck Cluck Sew.   This has been a UFO since last year. The quilt consists of four different blocks and I want 20 each of those four blocks. (Instead of 8 inch squares like the one at Cluck Cluck Sew I am using four patches).   Anyway...with the 2.5 inch scraps I bordered the nine 4.5 inch squares I cut a few days ago (Table Scraps Part II) and made 10 more Rail Blocks.   I also sewed together the pieces I cut a few days ago from 4.5 inch scraps and made 11 more Four Patches.  I now have my 20 blocks of each of these three blocks. 

The fourth block for the quilt is a Sixteen Patch and I need 16 more of those. I didn't want to cut the squares for those yet so I'll make them later.  I was making some blocks with primary colors and some blocks with secondary colors. 

 In Part II of Table Scraps I  these 20 sets of four 4.5 inch squares for a new small donation quilt.  Now that I was working with the 2.5 inch scraps from the cutting mat I also cut...

...four 2.5 inch squares to match up with the 4.5 inch squares.  I need to cut some more pieces from some gray scrap chunks I found then I will make the blocks and flimsy. 

Finally that left me with a pile of crumbs on my cutting mat. 

I sorted those into baggies by color. I want to finish making some big crumby hourglass blocks to add to my collection and now it should be pretty easy since I've got my crumbs sorted. 

Now guess what!!!! 

Take a picture it will last longer!! 

 Oh, and I now have met my goal of 600   2 x 4 inch (finished) HRTs!!  I cut the pieces a few days ago from the 4.5 inch scraps on the cutting mat and 4.5 inch scrap bin.  I cut and sewed 152 HRTs in the last few days just because I found a bunch of 4.5 inch scraps on my cutting mat.   Now I can start sewing these together.  About time!

 I also now have 130 six inch Broken Dishes blocks and can start assembling a top. About time!  I cut these forty-four blocks from 3.5 inch scraps on my cutting mat and in my bins as I blogged a few days ago. 

 A few days ago I also cut pieces for Wishing Rings. I've sewn together some of those parts and made 26 more light corner blocks but not all are ironed yet.  This brings my total of light corner blocks to 190 toward a goal of 312. 

I've sewn the borders around the dark corner blocks but haven't added the flippy corners yet.  After these are finished I'll have 205 toward a goal of 312.  I'll continue to make these as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project. 

 Well, now that I have finished cleaning off my cutting mat I think I'll link up to

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts. 

Table Scraps Part II

 Yesterday I blogged about cleaning the scraps off of my cutting mat.  That was Part I and I cleaned up my 3.5 inch scraps as well as some 1.5 inch scraps.  Today I worked on the 4.5 inch scraps I found on my cutting mat as well as...

 ...a bin of 4.5 inch scraps. 

First I found a UFO that needs some 4.5 inch parts. This UFO will be 64 x 80 and consists of 20 each of four different 8 inch blocks as seen here - 16 Patches made with 2.5 inch scraps, rails made with 2.5 inch scraps, happy blocks with 4.5 inch center and 2.5 inch sides and four patches made with 4.5 inch squares.   I found I needed centers for nine more Happy Blocks and 11 more Four Patches...

 ...so I cut those. 

 Then I have a new donation quilt in mind that consists of 20 ten inch blocks that will be made of 4.5 and 2.5 inch scraps.   So I cut the four 4.5 inch squares I need for 20 blocks. 

Then I found a bunch of HRTs made from 4.5 inch scraps. I made these parts one year as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project.  As I made them I didn't know what I was going to do with them - I was just using scraps.   I decided I will make a quilt 60 x 80. I need 600 HRTs for that. I counted what I had and the total was 452 so I need only 148 more HRTs. 

Using 4.5 inch scraps I pair colored scraps and low volume scraps stacking them all face up then I use a Tri Rec ruler to cut the pieces. 

 I make two cuts. 

 I'm not sure how many HRTs I cut but I'll sew them together then count. I used most of the green, blue, orange scraps  (already called RSC colors) and all the scraps on the table for these HRTs. If I need more I will follow along with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors to make them until I have enough for my quilt. 

 Then I finished up by cutting 4.5 inch squares for a project to be determined later.  I'm trying to clean out all my scrap bins I keep by width by cutting all the scraps into squares this year. 

Any pieces less than a 4.5 inch square and wider than an inch will get sewn into strips and combined with other strips for a Chinese Coins quilt at year end. 

Now I think I will go sew for a few days before I move on to those piles of 2 inch scraps and 2.5 inch scraps that were on the table and cutting mat. 

Stay tuned for Parts III and IV 

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Good Grief, Girl! What Is All That Stuff On Your Cutting Mat? (Table Scraps Part I)

 Ok. My cutting mat is on a small wooden table about the size of a card table. When it gets to the point where the table is piled high and  I only have a 9 x 15 inch space or so left to use of my 18 x 24 inch cutting mat it is time to do something.  First I put away all the big pieces of fabric and the chunks. Then I sorted out the bigger and longer  pieces that were in sizes I save in bins which happens to be widths of 4.5, 3.5, 2.5, 2 and 1.5 as you see in the flat above.  I also sorted out some strings that didn't fit into any of those categories and/or were wonky and threw them into the string box.  There's still a big pile of stuff left to sort through as you can see in the background but I'll get to that later.   

 I started with the 3.5 inch scraps from the table...

 ...and the bin of 3.5 inch scraps.  

I've been trying to clean out those bins too. So I worked those scraps. It's an easy thing to pick up and put down in between garden work. 

 The bin of 3.5 inch scraps and the table scraps now have a purpose. 

 First  I assessed what UFOs I have that use 3.5 inch scraps. Six inch Broken Dishes is one of those UFOs I've worked on off and on over the years sometimes as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge Project and sometimes when I had some leftover HSTs. I found that I had 86 blocks. I've been trying to make at least twin sized quilts this year - most to be donated locally - so I figured a quilt with blocks with a 10 x 13 layout would make a nice sized 60 x 78 quilt.   So, I got out my Easy Angle ruler and paired up some of the 3.5 inch scraps and cut enough HSTs for 44 more blocks. 

I've already started sewing those HSTs together in between other projects.  I throw them in a little basket after ironing and trim the dog ears at night while watching TV with hubby. I don't really ever do any squaring up. 

 Wishing Rings that finish at 3.5 inches is another block I've been making from 3.5 inch scraps. I cut the two inch center and four 1.5 inch corners from a 3.5 inch scrap...

...like this - one two inch cut and two 1.5 inch cuts. That leaves an extra pile of 1.5 inch squares that I've been using to make Plus Postage blocks.  Those tiny rectangle pieces are the only waste which is not waste around here because it goes into the flower garden path or compost pile. 

I cut enough centers and sides for 45 dark corner blocks and 25 light corner blocks. (Later I'll cut the side pieces from 1.5 inch scraps). 

After all that cutting for Broken Dishes and Wishing Rings I put all the 3.5 inch strips that were longer than two 3.5 inch squares back into the 3.5 inch scrap bin. Not sure what I will do with those right now. 

 Next I cut a big pile of 3.5 inch squares.  Use to be determined later...

...for now I added them to my new bin of various sized squares. I need to get more baggies to separate the sizes better but for now the new pile of 3.5 inch squares is in the corner there. 

 The rest of the 3.5 inch scraps I cut into 3.5 x 2.5 pieces for a future scrappy quilt to make like I saw at Blue Elephant Stitches. 

Any pieces left that were more than an inch wide were sorted into piles by color...

...and sewn into strips to be used in a Chinese Coin quilt someday along with strips of other sizes. 

 I've been making the strips for over a year so I'll probably have enough to make a big Chinese Coins quilt at the end of this year. 

 Next I tackled the 1.5 inch strips I found on the table as well as some from the 1.5 inch scrap bin...

 ...and I cut those sides for the Wishing Rings - two 1.5 x 2 pieces and two 1.5 x 4 pieces. 

 Now I have all the pieces cut for 45 Wishing Rings with dark corners and 25 Wishing Rings with light corners. 

The rest of the 1.5 inch scraps went into the 1.5 inch scrap bin. After I finish making my Plus Postage blocks I will probably cut all of the 1.5 inch scraps in the bin into squares or make a Lego quilt or something. For now I'm just glad they are in a bin and not on my cutting mat. 

Stay tuned for more table scraps. I still have 2, 2.5, and 4.5 inch scraps left in that cardboard flat and in bins to deal with as well as that big crumby pile on the table. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework