Tuesday Tidbits

I was clearing off my cutting mat because it was once again almost completely covered with scraps.  I found a lot of scraps 2 inches in width. Since I have not yet emptied my 2 inch width scrap bin I was just going to throw those scraps in the bin. But I didn't. I remembered I'm trying to use scraps as I go and not put them into a bin. I sometimes make Four Patches when I have 2 inch scraps left over but it sure seemed like I would have to make a bunch of Four Patches I didn't really feel like making at that time. So... I had just recently seen Ann's (Fret Not Yourself) lovely Trip Around The World (TATW) baby quilt and so it was on my mind. I've never made a scrappy TATW. 

I noticed most of the pieces on my cutting mat were dark. So I also dug around in my 2 inch scrap bin for anything long enough and dark enough. I cut pieces 2 x 13 and made my blocks similar to Bonnie Hunter's tube method except that I don't iron my pieces in the tube before cutting into sections, my sections are cut into six 2 inch pieces and I build my blocks in a different way - the top starts the diagonal and not the bottom. 

Like I mentioned...I decided to use mostly dark colors. With the scraps on my cutting mat plus the ones I pulled from the 2 inch width scrap bin I was able to make 12 blocks that finish at 9 inches. 

I think I would like a quilt with blocks set 6 x 8 so I still need quite a few blocks. 

My next step is to go through a large box full of quilt back trimmings to see if there are any dark pieces I can use. I was going to go through the box anyway to make up a bunch of scrappy 2.25 bindings because I think I'm going to have a quilting marathon in September and will need yards and yards of bindings.   After I clean up the box of quilt back trimmings I will see how many TATW blocks I have and then will decide what to do next. 

This month while I was going through my orphan block boxes I found a baggie of 40 Bow Ties that finish at 3 inches. I think these were from a swap long ago. It looks like we used muslin for the backgrounds. 

Well, now I think I found another project for two inch scraps. They are kind of like the Four Patches I've been making for the Parts Department but have wings added. This will probably roll into a Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) project and I'll probably make a large quilt. I'm not sure I'll be able to stick with just plain old muslin for the backgrounds though. 

So, anyway, perhaps these two projects (and one other I have in mind) will now help me clear out the 2 inch width scrap bin. 

 

From The Crumby Constellation

From the Crumby Constellation...Two Crumb Star Tops. 

When I was working with my orphan blocks I found some 6.5 inch blue crumb blocks. I decided to turn those crumb blocks into 12 inch (finished) crumb stars. I had a lot of small scraps of reds and yellows so decided on that color for the backgrounds. I used a variety of blue scraps for the star points. 

My crumbs are usually the smallest of the small scraps and are mostly odd shapes. 

Sometimes crumbs are the skinniest and shortest of strings. 

I made a blouse a long long time ago from that blue with pink tulips. 

A few weeks ago I received a box of 12 inch blocks. I've been using a lot of the blocks to piece donation quilt backings but there were just enough Crumb Stars for a quilt top so I added some sashing and made a quilt top. 

Her crumbs are more elegant than mine. 

And her crumbs are bigger than mine.

And now I have two more donation quilt tops ready for a September quilting marathon.  More on that later. 

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

 

Candlewick and Cross Stitch Embroideries

Long ago before retirement I used to pick up all different kinds of needlework kits at the thrift store whenever I found them. This year I decided to work on a few of them.   

I've finished the candlewick embroidery for this pillow that finishes at 13 inches square. I'm not sure I'm going to turn it into a pillow. I'm going to think about it for awhile.  It may go into a future quilt with a variety of different embroidered items and laces both vintage and new. 

The kit was only 95 cents and came with lace to finish but it is rather stiff lace and I don't like the look of it on the pillow anyway. It's so 80s...well, that is what was on the selvage of the stamped embroidery -- 1983. 

Also for 95 cents I picked up this dresser scarf. The kit was missing the lace and thread but I have plenty of thread so no problem.  I'm going to finish this as a dresser scarf but I'm trying to decide if I should add lace or crochet a lace edging.  I have a small box of laces so will look in there to see if I have enough of anything and if not then I guess I'll see if I have enough crochet cotton for an edging. I have several vintage pamphlets with instructions for crochet edgings. 

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts

 

Double Irish Chain

Double Irish Chain

in shades of blue green and brown.

Nine inch finished.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

 

Serving Up Sugarloaf Leftovers With Mustard

Sugarloaf Leftovers With Mustard

or Sugarloaf Mountains.

It's a flimsy!

Roughly 60 x 80

I finished a Sugarloaf Star quilt top back in January of this year.  It is still in the hand quilting pile.  That Sugarloaf Star pattern was Flashes of Brilliance by Pam Buda published in American Patchwork and Quilting October 2015.

The Sugarloaf Stars were made of wedges that were made with strip sets. I blogged in June about my plan to use the leftover scrap and strip sets - make a Sugarloaf Mountain quilt. 

For some reason I thought alternate triangles in yellow would be a good idea. When I assessed my yellow fabrics it did not take me long to figure out I didn't have enough of any yellow or combination of yellows in my stash to use. So I figured out roughly how much yardage I would need (roughly 3 yards) and waited for a sale to come along. It didn't take long for a kind of ugly mustard colored folk weave fabric to go on clearance for $3.96 per yard. Well, I wasn't really crazy about the mustard color but the price was just right for my budget. After all, these are leftover scraps. Good thing it all worked out in the end. I guess it was meant to be. 

I was one Sugarloaf wedge short so I made do rather than make one more. 

Now I have to deal with some Sugarloaf Crumbs. 

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

 

Nine Patch Pleasures

Paths and Stiles

Nine inch (finished)

Framed Nine Patch Star

Nine inch (finished).

I have a small bin of 3 inch (finished) Nine Patches. I'm using the two color/two shades of same color Nine Patches to make these blocks. I'm going to try to make several of each block every week. At the beginning of the year I told myself that if I started anything new I had to finish a flimsy by year end unless it was a Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) Project. So far so good but I'm not so sure about these new starts. If it gets close to year end I guess I could turn them into RSC projects!

 

Wednesday Wandering- Zooming in on Zinnias

 

It's hot and dry here. I have been going out right at sunrise to do a little work outside. That is when it is the coolest.  Around three o'clock in the afternoon the butterflies start visiting. When I zoomed in on the Zinnias I saw all sorts of visitors. 

Hope all is well in your world. Have a wonderful day!

Tuesday Tidbits

I recently received a gallon bag of 1.5 inch strips in a variety of lengths. 

I wanted to process them right away since I have slowly been trying to empty my 1.5 inch scrap bin and it is actually almost empty except for browns and blacks. So I put the browns and blacks from the gallon bag into my scrap bin and I pulled out the few colored scraps left in the scrap bin and went to work  play. 

With the longest pieces I made some 5 inch (finished) Framed Nine Patches. The other day I was musing as to how to set them and I received a nice comment with an excellent suggestion so I'm going to try that and keep on making these. 

Then I made some 5 inch (finished) Rails. I should count how many I have now because I've been making these for awhile. Maybe they will turn into some Diagonal Bars Blocks. 

Then I cut 1.5 x 2.5 pieces and made some 6 inch (finished) 18 Patches. Maybe I should count these also.  When I make these blocks I try to alternate light and darks of the same color in each block. 

Then I made some 3 inch (finished) Nine Patches in two colors or two shades for use in my Framed Stars and Path and Stiles.  Even though I have a bin of these little Nine Patches I don't have many in two colors. 

Then I cut more 1.5 x 2.5 pieces (bundles of 10) for Lynn's (Klein Meisje Quilts) version of a Lego quilt.  I've been wanting to make a Lego Quilt for ages and this method just makes the most sense to me.  This box is small so when I see I have 8 bundles I will make a block. 

Then I cut some postage stamps (1.5 inch squares). 

Then I made a Lego Block that looks a little crooked. I guess I will revisit those last three rows. (Maybe someone doesn't cut accurately.) I made this block before I took the Lego Box photo so it looks like I'm already due to make another. 

 

From The Block Orphanage, The Happy Place And The Parts Department

I just finished three more tops all approximately 40 x 60. 

I have a box I call The Happy Place. In it are incomplete sets of Happy Blocks in a variety of different sizes. I used to participate in Happy Blocks swaps as well as swaps where we exchanged I Spy squares in a variety of different sizes. When I had some scraps left over I used to border the squares and throw them in The Happy Place. Many quilts for kids have come out of The Happy Place but I have not been in that place for awhile so thought I would visit. (C'mon, C'mon, get happy...)

I found a lot of school themed blocks. I just needed six more in that theme for a set. 

So I made six more Happy Blocks (6.5 inch centers; 2.5 inch sides for a finished 10 inch block) and then I made a top. 

Next I dug into the Orphanage and Parts Department and found blocks for a black, white and red theme with bits of blue. 

This contains blocks I had a difficult time making for a lotto that I deemed too imperfect;  Snowballs left over from a gifted quilt that was black, white and red all over...

More leftover Snowballs; an extra Rosebud block, an extra Star; lots of pieces and parts. 

For this one I dug out blocks of any color in kind of a Star theme and then some. 

The top were left over Friendship Stars from a Friendship Star/Nine Patch quilt I donated. I think those might also have been from a swap. Blocks were made with homespuns and muslin.   The Yellow and Green Stars came to me without corners. I added the corners and some sashing for that row.  The variety of four inch blocks came from The Parts Department. 

I see Nine Patch Stars I decided I didn't like to make; Spider Webs left over because  I guess I don't know how to count; Wonky Stars; Left over Garlic Knots...

... and left over Depression Blocks in a couple of different sizes. 

When finished most of these quilts will be donated to Quilts Beyond Borders. I used to also donate to Wrap-A-Smile, a Rotaplast partner but unfortunately most of their surgical missions have been cancelled for now due to covid. 

It is not often that we see the children who end up with quilts we have made; however, I have been fortunate to spot a few of my quilts in pictures others have taken over the years. You can imagine how exciting it is to spot a child with a quilt that came from my house!

Previous posts about folks with quilts I've made: 

Quilt in Myanmar

Quilt in Tanzania

A Quilt in Uganda and A Quilt in Ethiopia

A Quilt in Venezuela

Just one more thing...we would love to have you join us at the Sunshine Online Quilt Guild  if you enjoy making quilts for people in need.   We make quilts for kids around the world. We donate quilts to three programs: Wrap a Smile, Quilts Beyond Borders and Covered in Love. Wrap a Smile quilts go to kids, teens and adults undergoing cleft palate surgery. Quilts Beyond Borders go to under-served children, often in orphanages worldwide. Covered in Love quilts are adult sized and go to patients spending their final days in a hospital.  We mainly support those three programs; however, Sunshine members donate quilts to many other places near and dear to their hearts. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework