Mystery Quilt A11 - It's a Flimsy!

It's a flimsy!

Mystery Quilt A11 found at Alycia Quilts

I wasn't going to make any more mystery quilts. BUT I saw that there is an ongoing need for Quilts of Valor PLUS I happened to have some patriotic prints on hand.  So I used up a lot of patriotic print bits and pieces and made a scrappy version of A11. I think I have mostly low volume patriotic prints left. 

It probably will not get quilted and donated until next year. I am short on backings and have a big stack of tops already made that need backings. I'll assess my needs after the first of the year and probably purchase only the fabric I think I will need for backings after that. 

 

Maybe I Should Call This One Wild Roses

It's a finish! 

Wild Roses 

76 x 93

Hand quilted with perle cotton

This quilt began with the backing...a big print of roses. I had it in my stash for quite a long time but could not bear to cut it up. And there was several yards of it which is unusual around here. So I decided it would make a nice backing and decided I needed to make a front to go with it. 

I was inspired by this c. 1830-1840 Uneven Nine Patch quilt in the Cyril Irwin Nelson collection at the American Folk Art Museum and set about making my version of the top. 

I made the Uneven Nine Patches out of a variety of rose themed fabrics. I happened to have an orange print with roses to use for the alternate blocks but figured out I didn't have enough of it. I did find another orange/pink print with some other flowers on it I could also use. Actually I was kind of surprised I had so many orange prints because I thought that was not a color I really cared for. The fabrics must have been deeply discounted enough to find their way into my stash I guess. (Straying way off subject here but I think I got enough of the color orange and all it's shades and variations back in the '70s when we purchased out first house and painted most of the walls yellow or peach or apricot or light orange.)  Anyway...I had to do a bit of thinking in order to figure out how to use fabrics to their best advantage.  I finished the top on December 26, 2019. 

I quilted it with perle cotton #8 and #12 and used a variety of different colors in shades of a beautiful sunset - pinks, reds, yellows, rusts. At first I thought it would be enough to just stitch straight vertical lines. 

But when I finished all of the straight vertical lines I didn't think that was enough quilting so I stitched a lot of horizontal lines.  I did use a ruler and hera marker to mark my quilting lines. 

I used a pale yellow rose print for the binding. 

And that brings me back around to the beginning of the story. 

There was not quite enough of that backing print to completely cover the back. But I did have an even bigger rose print I added to the end. I had just 1/2 yard of it and it and that was just enough so it was meant to be I suppose. 

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

 

Cleaning Out The 2.5 Inch Scrap Bin and Then Some

I mentioned last week that now that I have finished up my RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) projects that use 2.5 inch scraps I want to completely empty the bin   This week I worked on cleaning out the yellow and purple scraps.  I made nine patches, cut 2.5 x 3.5 pieces and 2.5 inch squares and...

...anything less than a 2.5 inch square was sewn into strips for a future Chinese Coins quilt. 

Ditto for the purple 2.5 inch scraps. 

In other news I finished up 44 Wishing Rings with light corners. That made my goal of 312 light cornered blocks that finish at 3.5 inches. Thursday I blogged about making 56 Wishing Rings with dark corners. Now after a couple of years of making these as an RSC project I only have 32 dark corner blocks left to make and I'll have meet my goal of 624 blocks. I'm going to TRY to finish those by year end. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

 

'30s Thursday

This week I made the halfway point on my Little Scrap Baskets and Hollow Nines. Then I ran out of blocks. 

I figured out I needed 36 more Little Scrap Baskets so I made those. Now I just need to make 45 Hollow Nines. First I need to cut 360 little 2 inch squares from various sizes of scraps and that takes a whole lot longer than just cutting up a few 2 inch strips. But I have been trying to work on something each week that uses '30s reproduction scraps so I guess I know what my next task happens to be. 

This week I also made 56 Wishing Rings with "dark" corners. I used more of those '30s reproduction 3.5 inch scraps to make them. 

These Wishing Rings finish at 3.5 inches and I've been making them for a couple of years as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge Project. The sides I've been cutting from 1.5 inch scraps. The 2 inch center and 1.5 inch corners I've been cutting from 3.5 inch scraps. 

Remember last week when I mentioned I still had a bunch of 3.5 inch scraps left after I made 120 Economy blocks with 3.5 inch centers?  Well...here is how I cut the 3.5 inch scrap for those Wishing Ring centers and corners.  I'm left with a tiny bit of waste and I also get extra 1.5 inch squares for the pencil box of 1.5 inch squares I've been using to make PSP20 (Postage Stamp Pandemic 2020) blocks. 

After making those 56 blocks I still have some 3.5 inch scraps leftover but I'm setting them aside for a bit now until I evaluate all the UFOs I have going that use '30s reproduction fabrics. 

 So now that gives me 280 Wishing Rings with dark corners toward my goal of 312. They are made in a variety of scraps and not just '30s reproductions. Only 32 more blocks to go after all these years! I already have 312 with light corners. The light and dark cornered blocks will alternate in the finished quilt. 

Looking Through Rose Colored Scraps

Last week I decided to work with my Rose themed scraps. I divided them into two bins - one with pastels and one with darks- reds and blacks.  I started with the bin of pastels. 

The widest width of scrap was 6.5-7 inches and the narrowest width was 1.5 inches. At first glance I thought I could just make a simple Nine Patch quilt alternating Nine Patches and large squares. But when I found I really didn't have all that many 6.5 inch squares I changed my mind. I decided to make a variety of different six inch blocks - four patches, nine patches, framed squares.  I added in a few small pieces of pastel ginghams and polka dots.  It takes the longest time to cut the scraps using them to their best advantage. 

I'm looking forward to a nice throw sized quilt for me. I love roses. 

I have something different in mind for the bin of dark colored rose scraps. I'll tell you about it another day. 

 

Cleaning Out The 2.5 Inch Scrap Bin - Part II

Yesterday I left off with a view of my 2.5 inch scrap box full of bags of 2.5 inch scraps sorted by color and mentioned that today I would show you my plans for emptying the box of scraps.  

I started with the bag of gray and bag of black scraps.  If the piece was long enough to cut 5 squares I cut 5 squares. If the piece was at least 2.5 x 3.5 I cut that size and made a pile of those. If there was enough for 2.5 inch squares I cut those and put them in a pile. And finally if there was not enough for a 2.5 inch square and it was at least one inch wide I put it aside in a pile. 

Going forward if I have 2. 5 inch scraps left over after making a project those scraps will be cut and put into these categories. If I want to use scraps as I go I was thinking I needed to have a plan for those scraps moving forward. 

With the pile of 5 identical squares I paired them up with light neutrals and made nine patches.  These will just accumulate in the Parts Department. At some future date they can be made into a quilt or used as the center of Star blocks or used as a border or alternate blocks. 

The 2.5 x 3.5 inch scraps have been accumulating for a quilt similar to the quilt at Blue Elephant Stitches. I think the quilt I make will have a few more columns and rows to make it a little closer to the 60 x 80 size I aim for when I make comfort quilts. I figured I need 800 rectangles. I've been cutting scraps for this for awhile and now have 639 so I'm sure I'll easily have 800 rectangles as I sort through my 2.5 inch scraps. If I go over 800 I will start another bag for a second quilt. 

Currently I am cutting and accumulating 2.5 inch squares for a Jack and Jill quilt like I saw at Klein Meisje Quilts.   After I accumulate enough squares for that quilt I will continue to accumulate squares for whatever suits my fancy- four patches, sixteen patches, who knows? There's any number of quilts that can be made using squares. 

Those pieces less than a square were sewn into strips and join the other strips of all widths and colors that I've been making for a couple of years now.  After I finish clearing out the 2.5 inch scrap bin and have the rest of the 2.5 inch strips made I'll make a Chinese Coins quilt.   Then moving forward I think the strips will be sewn together by width but contain a mixture of colors. 

So that's the plan for cleaning out the 2. 5 inch scrap bin and for moving forward whenever I have 2. 5 inch scraps left over after a project. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

 

Cleaning Out The 2.5 Inch Scrap Bin -- Part I

I dug into the 2.5 inch scrap bin and made 23 more Dakota Farmer blocks to complete a set of 80. The inspiration was a Bonnie Hunter Addicted to Scraps column. She made hers from 2 inch scraps (1.5 inch finished HSTs for a 6 inch finished block) but I made mine from 2.5 inch scraps (2 inch finished HSTs for an 8 inch finished block). 

These Hourglass blocks are the only other Rainbow Scrap Challenge project I have in process that uses 2. 5 inch scraps. I haven't made any for a couple of months (shown here are old blocks) because I'm out of black and BOB (black on black) fabric and am trying not to buy fabric unless it is for a backing.  The reason I started making these blocks was because I won 23 blocks in a Block Lotto in December 2019 and 23 was not enough for even a small quilt. 

I counted up my blocks and found a total of 74. I think that is enough for a small donation quilt set 7 x 10 (42 x 60) with four left over for the back or the orphanage. 

Long ago when I first started sorting scraps I found I had a LOT of 2.5 inch scraps so I started a bin (later moved to a box) of 2.5 inch scraps. Most were left over from making Happy Blocks with 6 inch centers and 2.5 inch sides or leftover from other blocks I made for swaps. As the years went on when I found I had a lot of scraps of a certain width I started a small box to hold scraps of that width. When I found the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (2013????) I decided to make blocks that used 2.5 inch scraps in the color of the month. Then later as the other bins became full I decided on other RSC projects that used other sizes of scraps. Thankfully my scraps have dwindled using this approach and I've had fun seeing what scraps I had to work with when the color of the month was called.  Now that my scraps have dwindled I have decided to try to use scraps as they are made BUT also keep scrap chunks by color. For me scrap chunks have always been anything greater than 4.5 inches and less than a FQ and I have kept those all together in a milk crate that started overflowing.  Now I have started storing those by color in separate containers.  

This year I emptied my 3. 5 inch scrap bin and my 4. 5 inch scrap bin. I have my 1. 5 inch scrap bin almost empty. I am still actively working with the 2 inch scraps and I hope to empty that bin next year when I am finished with several projects.   And that leaves my 2. 5 inch scrap bin which has always seemed to be full. Now that I have finished my RSC blocks that use 2. 5inch scraps I have a plan to empty the paper copier box  filled with bags for each color of 2.5 inch scrap. More on that plan tomorrow in Part II of "Cleaning Out the 2.5 Inch Scrap Bin". 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

 

Sugar Loaf Stars

Star #13 made from Sugarloaf wedges.

Star #14 made with Sugarloaf wedges. 

Goal is 25 stars for a quilt designed by Pam Buda called Flashes of Brilliance found in the October 2015 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting. I've been trying to make at least one block a week. 

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

 

'30s Thursday

 Economy Blocks

I now have a set of 130 blocks which was my goal. 

I started making these to use some 3.5 inch '30s reproduction scraps and small scrap chunks.  I used 3.5 inch squares for the centers. The first round consisted of 2 - 3 inch squares cut on the diagonal. Then I trimmed them up. I was not very accurate with trimming because I really don't like trimming. (Good thing I'm my own boss and can do as I please). I just kind of made sure the points measured 1/4 inch from the side all around but didn't bother to make sure they were all that square or the same size. The second round consisted of 2 - 4 inch squares cut on the diagonal and trimmed the same way.  They all magically came out about 6.25 square which means they will be 5.75 finished. The layout will be 10 x 13. 

I still have a lot of 3.5 inch scraps left but I don't have many small '30s scrap chunks left.  I'm thinking about what I will do with those. 

Still Singing the Blues

I started making these Economy Blocks a few days ago to use up some little 3 inch 9 patches and some blue scraps. I already have 48 blocks. I make about a dozen of them at a time; cutting pieces, sewing and trimming in between other projects. I have to say that these are real scrap eaters. They say it's over when the fat lady sings but I'm still singing the blues and it isn't over yet. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

 

The Last of the Wedding Rings

 I've been making 7.5 inch (finished) Wedding Ring blocks from scraps for a couple of years now as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project.  At the end of last month I found I needed 17 more blocks toward my goal of 144 blocks for a BIG quilt.  So I made 17 more blocks. Now there's some assembly required. 

Just an FYI - this block goes by several other names like Crown of Thorns, Odd Scraps Patchwork, Georgetown Circle, Memory Wreath  and Single Wedding Ring. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday