Piece Work

Monkey Wrench

10 inch

I think the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color(s) for September are black and brown. I have several quilts that need blocks with blacks and browns.   

In 2022 and 2023 I made Monkey Wrench blocks in three different sizes from scraps for donation quilts. I've finished dozens of quilts but still have a few piles of blocks that need more blocks before I can assemble a top.   One of those piles is a pile of black 10 inch blocks for a teen quilt 60 x 80 so I need 48 blocks total for a 6 x 8 layout.  I dug into my pile of black chunks and cut what 4.5 inch pieces I could in order to make the HSTs.   I have a little box of 2.5 inch scraps already cut and had enough black scrps for the rest of the Monkey Wrench pieces. 

Now I have a complete block set. Sometimes I put complete block sets in my SAR (Some Assembly Required) box but I think I'm going to try to assemble this top in September. 

Wonky Windmill

8 inch

And since I was working with the black 4.5 inch scraps I cut pieces that were long enough for two 4.5 x 5 rectangles to make more Wonky Windmill blocks for a teen sized Wonky Windmill quilt with pink and black windmills on gray backgrounds.  My goal is 32 pink and 31 black Windmills for a 7 x 9 (56 x 63 inch) layout. 

I've been making Windmill blocks from scraps for over a year and recently divided them up into piles for 4 different quilts. I've already assembled one top. 

Shoofly

10.5 inch

Made with 4 inch width scraps.

I have a small box of 4 inch width scraps and recently started making Shoofly blocks with the scraps that are long enough.  I pulled out any black and brown pieces and matched them up with other scraps in the box. I haven't decided upon size of quilt or number of blocks yet. My goal is to first see how many blocks I end up with from that box of 4 inch scraps. 

Broken Dishes

7 inch

Also made with scraps from the 4 inch scrap box that weren't long enough to make a Shoofly block.

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday 

And sew on...

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CELEBRATE (my word of the year)

August 30 - There was a beautiful pink glow over the land because of a glorious pink sky at sunset. Looking through rose colored glasses....

 

WITB Top #1 - Complements

It's a top!

Complements

50 x 70

This one is made of four patches of 3 inch squares in complementary colors. 

I started on this one last year after someone gave me a big bag of 3 inch squares.   Since then I have received other 3 inch squares and 3 inch width strips in various lengths from other folks and I have been accumulating them all in a box. Normally I have a block going for every size scrap I encounter; however, I have really not ever generated many 3 inch width scraps of my own and in the past if I received some 3 inch width pieces I cut them in half for two 1.5 inch pieces because I usually have a lot of blocks in the works that use that size of scrap. When I received that gallon bag of 3 inch squares last year I decided to start making a few quilts with those scraps and start saving those scraps in a box instead of cutting them smaller.  

The other day I posed the question WITB? 

This is comfort quilt #1 ! 

Stay tuned! 

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

August 27 - I received a box of orphan blocks, crumb blocks and fabric from Teresa. 

August 28 - With my Hy-Vee Grocery Store fuel saver card I saved $1.36 per gallon on gas. I only go grocery shopping twice a month and go on Mondays because if I spend over $45 on Mondays I automatically get 45 cents off per gallon. I even put gas in the lawn mower gas can. 

August 29 - I received a box of shirtings, homespuns and other plaids from Nann. That was the packing material for a couple of cute little ceramic items that had my city on it. Actually, I don't live in the city but live in the township so I guess it is actually my P.O. community/mailing city. But never mind...those little ceramics are cute little things. I may put dried flowers in them or some little fabric hearts/pocket prayers or they might make cute bases for pincushions.  What a lucky week I had - two surprise packages within a few days! 

I also made 8 pints of bread and butter pickles with my homegrown cucumbers and onions. 

WITB?

WITB? = What's in the Box, Bin, Bag, Bottom Drawer, Barrel...you get the idea.

This box is 11 x 13 x 8.5 inches. It contains 3 inch squares and 3 inch width strips. Most have been passed on to me by several different folks. (Yes, I know the bag says "2" squares" but that's what it used to have in it.)   Well, in September I'm going to see how many quilt tops I can make from the box of scraps. I have actually sorted the scraps into different piles for different quilts and started making tops. Stay tuned. I hope to have an empty box by the end of September and have X amount of quilt tops. 

And sew on...

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CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

August 26 - I was in the checkout lane at the grocery store. In the next lane over there were two cute little boys maybe 3 or 4 years old sitting in a cart waiting for their caretaker to check out. One of the little boys kept looking at me so I smiled at him. It looked like he winked at me! I wasn't sure about the wink so I winked back. Then he winked, then I winked and then he tried winking with his other eye. We had a wink-a-thon and then I had to pay and leave the store with a big smile on my face that stayed there most of the day. 

 

Orphan Block Top Rufus

Orphan Block Top Rufus

48 x 68

Most of the orphan blocks in this top were given to me by others. The three Stars are mine.  I think they were extra blocks I had made for a long ago swap. 

The Jacob's Ladder blocks are mine. I think I have a top made of those that still is in the TBQ (to be quilted) pile.  Someone gave me those two smaller Jacob's Ladder blocks I used in the center of that row. 

I thought I finished the top earlier in the month and took some photos. BUT it just seemed that with those X blocks at the top and bottom my eyes just slid off the quilt. 

So I turned it upside down (or right side up?) to see if my eyes didn't wander off. But they did. So I put it back in the sewing space for awhile. I don't really like to add borders but I thought this one needed one. What to do...what to do...

Someone gave me some golden brown 1.5 inch strips. So I put that border on first. I was also given four 3.5 inch width leafy pieces. I think whomever gave them to me tried using them as a border because there were two strips each of the same lengths and there was a 1/4 inch seam line where I could tell someone had ripped it.  Those lengths weren't long enough so I added a brown scrap to the top right and bottom left corners.  And now my eyes don't wander off. 

And sew on...

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CELEBRATE! (my word of the month)

August 25 - I finished my goal of sorting 4 boxes (about medium flat rate size) of smaller scraps. Most of the boxes were from times I pushed everything off the cutting mat and/or ironing board off into a box. I've spent a little time in the evenings with a little 6 inch ruler (scraps were no larger than 6 inches) and sorted the scraps into little piles by width. And now since I have a block in process for almost any size scrap I can do another sort of each little pile and put those pieces with the blocks I will make with them. Or I will cut them into squares. Or if less than a square then it will be sewn into a strip.  

A Crumb Finish

Crumb Quilt

It's a finish!

42 x 60

A few years ago a member of the Sunshine Online Quilt Guild offered up some quilt blocks. I raised my hand and said I would gladly take them. My intent was to use them to make pieced quilt backs because I'm always short on those.  These blocks just seemed to go together and so I made a backing out of them. But I have never found the perfect front for this back so it became a front and I fould a backing for it. 

You can tell I didn't make these crumb blocks because compared to my crumbs the crumbs in these blocks are large economy sized. 

The crumb blocks came already framed with the black and the red gingham. I put them together then added a side border to get to the desired width. 

Then I just added 6.5 inch squares to the top and bottom. 

I quilted it with vertical lines...no exact measurements and not evenly spaced....just vertical lines. 

The backing and binding are the same fabric.

And now it is ready for donation.

This is donation quilt finish #51 for the year! Next month I think I will try to finish up some twin sized donation quilts. 

And sew on...

CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

August 24 - Marshall Dry Goods had Weave Tonal fabrics on clearance for $1.85 per yard if a bolt was purchased. I bought a bolt of black and rust. I can use them for backings or backgrounds. They arrived yesterday and I already have plans for both bolts. 

 

A Few More Orange Scraps

Orange is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. I thought I had used up most of my orange scraps but more popped up. 

Sawtooth Stars

10 inch

These will be made with purple, green, orange scraps. 

Four Patch HSTs

5 inch

When I made the Flying Geese for the Sawtooth Stars I used an Easy Angle Companion ruler to cut the geese bodies from a 3 inch width strip.  I don't waste the first or last cuts on the strip. I cut an HST with the Easy Angle ruler.   I pair those HSTs up with a neutral and make HSTs. 

16 Patch

6 inch

All blocks alternate with green patches

and

coin strips

various lengths

Both blocks are made with 2 inch width scraps.

I hope to have enough blocks of both to make a top soon.

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

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CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

August 23 - I have a lot of vases. It has always been my goal to keep a few of those vases full of flowers during the growing season. A couple of years ago I cleared an area for a cutting garden and it has been a work in process ever since then. I started the cutting garden because I never wanted to leave a lot of empty spaces in my cottage garden if I cut flowers. And I have so much variety in my cottage garden so I never really had enough of any one flower to cut a big vase of flowers for the house. Well, this year (year 3) I haven't really had a vase of flowers in the house at all times; however, I have filled them quite a few times. Right now I am celebrating a vase full of Dinnerplate Dahlias. Hubby can't get out and about in the gardens so he gets to enjoy flowers now too.  Another one of my goals is to someday have lots of flowers for bouquets I can give to others.

 

Monkey Wrench Finish

Monkey Wrenches

It's a finish!

45 x 60

For a couple of years I made Monkey Wrench blocks from scraps in three different sizes - 5, 7.5 and 10. After I accumulated big piles of blocks I divided them up to make several donation quilts. This one is made with 7.5 inch blocks. 

This was one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) projects in 2022 and 2023 so I made a few blocks in each size each month with scraps in the RSC color of the month.

I quilted it on my DSM (Brother PQ1500SL) with vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines in cream colored thread. 

The back and binding. 

And now it's ready for donation.

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

August 18 - I sorted a box of 3 inch width scraps into piles for different quilts. Oh, what fun! Stay turned. In September I'm going to work on those quilts and hope to empty the box. How many quilts do you think it will take to empty the box? (I'll show a pic of the box and contents in a future blog post). 

August 19 - I won $1 on my free Iowa lottery ticket for August. 

August 20 - I finished a book - The Consequence of Anna by Kate Birkin. I am not sure I really liked the book. I would probably not have finished the book if it wasn't based on a true story. I just had to see how it all ended. It seemed like such a ridiculous story to be true.  The main character, Anna, was diagnosed with schizophrenia, disassociative personality disorder and Asperger's Syndrome.   Also I'm glad I read books on my Kindle (I can enlarge print and it is backlit so I can see better to read) because it is very easy to look up words in the dictionary while reading. I can't remember any other book I have read where I had to look up more than one word if that many. I had to look up dozens of words in this book. I also did some super speedy reading through a lot of the book. It could have been a lot shorter book if you ask me.  Well, on to the next...

August 21 - beautiful weather. I've been working outside a lot and enjoying the birds, butterflies and other pollinators. I've also been weeding and cutting back lots of scrub brush and brambles. Once in awhile I stop to smell the roses (now that the deer leave them alone since I've been spraying with Bobbex and actually have some roses to smell!)

 

This And That And Then Some

Orange is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month so I have been mostly working with orange scraps but at times a few other colors of scraps snuck in. 

Cheerios

10 inch blocks

I've been making these blocks from 4.5 inch and 2.5 inch scraps. At times I've had 4 squares in each size in my squares bin to use to make the blocks. 

Wonky Stars

4.5 inch

I've been making the Cheerios with "flippy corners". The cut off pieces are being used in little 4.5 inch Wonky Stars. I cut squares for the blocks from scraps when I can and kit them up with the star points to make them as leader/enders

8 Patches

8 inch 

While I was in the 2.5 inch scraps I made some of these blocks. They can also be made with 4.5 inch scraps. 

Twilight Flock

6 inches

The Flying Geese are made with 2.5 inch scraps with 1.5 inch black sides.

Windmills

4 inch

Last week I made the blocks with 1.5 inch scraps but this week I made them with 2.5 inch scraps. 

16 Patch

6 inch

Made with 2 inch width scraps. All blocks contain green plus another color. 

Coin Strips

3 inch wide made with 2 inch width scraps. 

Various lengths.

I have not been ironing these. I will iron them when I put the columns together. I have a box of them now so maybe I'll be able to make a quilt soon. 

4 Patches

3.5 inch unfinished

Each block contains black, white and one other color. I will alternate these with 3.5 inch solid squares. 

Shoofly

7.5 inch

Made with 4 inch width scraps. I have not had any blocks in process using 4 inch scraps. When sorting scraps I receive from others I've been throwing all strips this size into the box. It is now full so I am working on emptying it now. This is one of the blocks I'll be making to use those scraps. 

Broken Dishes

7 inch

Another block I'll be making with 4 inch width scraps. 

Crossroads

7 x 9

All blocks will have a brown cross with red center. The blocks will be made with 3.5 or 4.5 inch scraps.

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

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CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

August 16 - Lyrics from a  song by Rare Earth plays in my head:

I'm using up the time but feeling fine, every day
That's why I'm telling you I just want to celebrate
Oh, yeah

I just want to celebrate another day
Oh, I just want to celebrate another day of livin'
I just want to celebrate another day of life

 

 

It's A Finish! Arkansas Crossroads

Arkansas Crossroads

44 x 44

It's a finish! 

A couple of years ago a couple of different folks gave me baggies of 2 inch squares. I was able to make several quilts from all that goodness.   I finished this top back in September 2023 - 12 inch Arkansas Crossroads blocks with sashing. 

I quilted it with dark brown thread and with horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines. 

The backing and binding are plaid - a small piece I've had around for a long time that I must have picked up at the DAV (Disabled American Vets) thrift store because it still had an old price tag of 65 cents on it.  There was just enough of it for this quilt so it was evidently meant to be. 

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

August 15 - Rain! We received some much needed rain. I was going to take hubby into the DOT to get his license renewed (can't do it online if over 70) but he didn't feel like getting up to go out in the rain.  Since I couldn't go out and do any gardening and since I didn't feel like doing any housework I retreated to the sewing space and treated myself to a day of mostly sewing. I did a lot of piecing and loved watching all the different fabrics go by under the needle.