Roses in December

 

I have finished a couple more Sunburst blocks. 

And sew on...

***

Oh joy! What a beautiful package of fabric arrived from Barbara!

Quilting

 

I made Sixteen Patch blocks last year with plaids and florals. They have been in my SAR ( some assembly required) bin until last week when I pulled them out and assembled a top. I have pieced a backing and pin basted it so now it is ready for quilting on my DSM. 

Stay tuned...

And sew on...

Boho Dandies

 

Boho Dandies

Blocks 53-69

Goal 225

Traditional block: The Dandy Quilt

Six inch blocks

Started Jan. 2024

Color scheme: scraps of grays, browns, electric oranges, sky blues and saturated purples.

And sew on...

Roses In December

Sunburst 

Blocks 2-5 of 12

In black, red, white and lots of rose prints

20 inch

Pattern from Making Quilts With Kathy Doughty 

I am not crazy about the block in the second pic because there is not enough contrast. I am not sure if I will leave it, take apart and remake with red points, or make one to replace it. 

" God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December" --J. M. Barrie

And sew on...

***

We had snow and bitterly cold temps yesterday. Right now it is -7 with real feel of -24. The house is creaking and moaning and working hard to keep us warm. Yesterday inside temp stayed around 64. Good thing I have some quilts!

Shirtings, Homespuns, Plaids and Then Some

 

I have some yardage of a few different homespuns. I thought I would combine those with some Civil War reproduction scraps and make 12 inch The Dandy Quilt blocks. I really like this block and have made several quilts with it over the years. 

30s repro swapped blocks

30s repro #2

The Dandy Garden

56 Shades of Envy

For a Dandy Veteran

Funny thing...while searching my blog for Dandy Quilts I saw that I had made quite a few blocks with scraps in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) colors of the month in 2022 and never did anything with them. Not sure where I put them. Hmmmm...

Uneven Shoofly

10 inch blocks

Shirts, homespun and plaid scraps combined with florals.

I have a big box of thrift store shirt scraps, homespun and plaids. I decided to make a couple of different quilts with the biggest scraps then after that I will decide on quilts to make with the smallest scraps. Moving forwarded I will probably make these as an RSC project with the floral in the color of the month. I have set aside some floral scrap chunks for these. Then I will combine with any shirtings,etc that are big enough to yield pieces for four HSTs and four 2.5 x 4.5 rectangles.

What looks like Disappearing Four Patch but made without making a Four Patch and cutting it apart. 

9 inch blocks

Shirts,etc combined with solid scraps.

I will probably make these as RSC project with either solid or shirt,etc scrap being the color of the month. Using 3.5 inch scraps to make these blocks.

This is the time of year when I assess all my scraps and decide how to use some of them in the new year. 

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

It's A Top! Fairlawn Roses

 

It's a top!

Fairlawn Roses

84 x 110

I used all rose prints to make the blocks. The pattern, called Fairlawn, is from the book Making Quilts with Kathy Doughty. 

" God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December" --J.M. Barrie

. “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” – Abraham Lincoln ( although some attribute quote to Alphonse Karr)

“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses.”― George Eliot

I do love roses!

And sew on...

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alicia Quilts

***

When I went outside to take photos of my quilt top I noticed a lot of animal footprints going through all my gardens. I think most are raccoon and deer and maybe fox. Oh my!

But some may belong to gnomes. Oh my!

Round One

 

Round One 

Thirty Pie Bird Blocks

I started making 10 inch Pie Bird blocks the other day. They are basically a Courthouse Steps variation. I made 5 blocks and then decided I wanted 35 total blocks. I also decided to work the rounds on all of my blocks at one time. That way I can cut all my required pieces for each round at one time. I cut a lot of the pieces for this round and part of round two when I was processing 2.5 inch width scraps. 

And sew on...

***

I had my wellness exam Tuesday. I am a healthy 73 year old lady. I am very thankful for good health.

***

Since Oct. 1 we have had 19 inches of snow. A lot of it finally melted yesterday but more is predicted for later today. 

***

Moira sent me some vintage blocks from her mothers collection. I will use them in comfort quilts.

Indian Hatchets

 

Indian Hatches

Blocks 215-234

Goal 234. Goal met!

Traditional block made of all colors of scraps

Inspired by a vintage quilt

Started Feb 2021

Sometimes I just have to wait for scraps to happen!

 If interested there are cutting instructions for five different sizes of blocks at Generations Quilt patterns. I made my blocks in a little different way. Hey, whatever works!

And sew on...

Boho Dandies

 

Boho Dandies

Blocks 33-52

Goal 225

Traditional block: The Dandy Quilt

Six inch blocks

Started Jan. 2024

Color scheme: scraps of grays, browns, electric oranges, sky blues and saturated purples.

And sew on...

Gum Wrapper Chain

 

I decided this month to work on my Gum Wrapper Chain quilt I started way back in 2022. It is a good thing to work on as a leader/ender if I have a supply of 1.5 inch squares. It was originally inspired by a postage stamp quilt I saw at the Q Is For Quilter blog. 

My project box was a little dusty. It contains postage stamps, black 1.5 inch squares and strips and small chunks. 

It also contains strips of nine 1.5 inch squares previously sewn together when I was making this as a leader/ender. 

I have now been adding black 1.5 inch squares to each end of the strips of nine squares. 

Then after the black squares are added to the strips I add white triangles cut with my Easy Angle ruler from a 1.5 inch width strip to each end of the strips. Then the strips get added to the panel. 

I guess I have a long way to go since I originally planned to make and join together 10 panels 90 inches long for a large bed quilt. I guess that is still the plan. 

Small steps...

And sew on...

Oh Scrap! At Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

Scrap Processing

 

I finally finished up processing a box of 2.5 inch width scraps. Most have been given to me. Whenever I receive a box of scraps I sort through them with my little six inch ruler In hand to measure width. Then I put them in bins sorted by width. I usually have several projects going for each width of scrap. I have found that the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) is a good way to work on all of those projects- just pull scraps in the color of the month out of each bin and make the designated blocks. I am able to make a lot of comfort quilts using this method.

I have now cut up all pieces in the bin that were less than 4 squares or 10 inches or so in length. 

1. I cut 5 inch lengths for a free pattern called Charm Tuesday. I switched darks and lights for my quilt so have 104 dark 2.5 x 5 inch rectangles and 208 light. This is not a block quilt so I will probably assemble as a leader/ender. 

2. I cut a bunch of 2.5 x 4.5 rectangles. I have not counted them. That was just the size the scrap could be cut without waste. I can use these in future blocks like Two Rails or Potato Chip blocks. 

3. Bricks and Stones. The stones are 2.5 inch squares of black. The bricks are rectangles 2.5 x 4 inches. I have made 113 units out of a goal of 350 - 10 across x 35 down. I was able to cut 137  more bricks so will probably sew together bricks in the scraps in the color of the month each month.

4. 440 2.5 x 3.5 inch rectangles toward a goal of 800 for a "value quilt" similar to one I previously made. 

5. 2.5 inch squares. 

6. 1.5 x 2.5 rectangles. I put the light ones in with my potato chip blocks. I am using the rest in Pie Bird blocks. 

With any width of fabric (wof) pieces I will be making Rick Rack blocks as a RSC block. There are several free patterns and videos for this block. 

I will also be making Tennessee Blocks from 2.5 inch width scraps and squares. I will also use some contrasting solid scraps. I may use a mix of fabrics of similar value in making some of the blocks each month. 

I will also continue to make Buckeye Beauty blocks. The four patches in these blocks are made of 2.5 inch squares. 

I am going to process the box of 3.5 inch width scraps next.

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

Fairlawn Roses - Two More Blocks

 

I have completed two more 24 inch blocks for Fairlawn Roses. Only 9 more to go!

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alicia Quilts

More Roses in December

 

This is another quilt of roses I started this month. I don't have a name for my quilt yet. The pattern, called Sunburst, can be found in the booking Making Quilts With Kathy Doughty.   I made a quilt I called Boho Roosters back in 2018 using this pattern and kept my templates. It has 16 blocks. This one with roses will have 12 blocks in mostly red, white and black fabrics.  The block is easier to make than it looks.  It took me longer to decide on fabrics for the block and cut pieces than it did to piece the block. 

" God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December. "- J.M. Barrie

And sew on...

***

Finished a book! Song of the Blue Bottle Tree by India Hayford. It took me awhile to finish because I do most of my reading in the middle of the night when I can't sleep. Lately I have been sleeping through most nights. 

"The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree is a spellbinding journey through the heart of the South, where magic whispers in the rustling leaves and redemption hangs heavy in the air. The story’s richly drawn characters linger long after the last page is turned. A haunting, vivid tale of resilience and self-discovery that proves home is not just a place but a state of being we carry within us.”

—Amanda Skenandore,author of The Medicine Woman of Galveston

***

I received a surprise package of scraps from Elle. It contained a lot of 1.5 inch width scraps perfect for some of my projects that need smaller scraps. Of course I enjoyed looking at every little piece.

***

John tells me he read that we had more snow in the last week than we had all of last year. And, baby, it's cold outside! We had to venture out yesterday to have blood drawn for labs. Our annual wellness exam is next week. 

Indian Hatchets

Indian Hatches

4 inch blocks

I was looking at some of my UFOs that are quilts for me. I started making these blocks from scraps back in Feb. 2021. I was inspired by a vintage quilt made of these blocks.  I have worked on them off and on since then but have never counted how many blocks I have. I did have a goal written down of 234 blocks for a layout of 13 x 18 that would measure 52 x 72 inches.

I decided to take count. Imagine my surprise when I counted 204 blocks. Only 30 more to go! Well, actually now only 20 more to go since I made those 10 in the first photo. 

And sew on...

 

New Start: Fairlawn Roses

 

This is the first of twelve twenty-four inch blocks...

...of a quilt I am calling Fairlawn Roses. The pattern comes from the book Making Quilts by Kathy Doughty. She calls it Fairlawn and I added Roses to the name of mine because I am using all rose prints to make my quilt. 

I have made 576 - 2.5 inch HSTs.

I was kind of limited as to what to use for sashings. I was thinking I would just make all of my blocks and figure that out later; however, when I started making my blocks I could see that I needed to decide sooner rather than later. 

And sew on...

God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December...J.M. Barrie

November Orphan Block Wrap Up

 

Orphan Milton

48 x 60

This top has 12 inch orphan blocks in darker colors. I framed a couple of blocks to get them to finish at 12 inches.

Orphan blocks was the theme in my sewing space in November. Throughout the last year or so I have received orphan blocks from several folks. I have to be in the mood to try and get all the orphans to play nicely together. When I am in the mood I have a lot of fun making comfort quilts. I think I made 18 tops this month. I have three I have not blogged about in this post. 

Orphan Natalie

36 x 48

Peachy colored 12 inch blocks. Some framed to make 12 inch block.

Patches and Pinwheels 

40 x 50

I received the Patches and made some 10 inch Pinwheels to go with them.

I also receive lots of little baggies of different bits and pieces I work on as leaders and enders. A lot of the time I put the finished bits and pieces in the little Parts Department. This month I put a lot of the bits with a pile of orphan blocks. 

Someone gave me yellow six inch parts for HSTs. They were in sets of four so I used blue scraps to make some 12 inch Pinwheels. 

More pinwheels. A few are six inch.

Someone gave me a baggie of sets of what looked like waste triangles. They were all in the sane two fabrics. Again, I made a bunch of pinwheels. 

I added all of those parts to a pile of blue and yellow orphan blocks.

I made some alternate QST blocks and cut them with Companion Angle Ruler. At the beginning and end of the strips I cut HSTs with the Easy Angle ruler do I did not waste any fabric. I made some green Broken Dishes blocks. 

I added those to a pile of green orphan blocks.

Black, white and gray baggies of pieces got made into...

...different blocks...

...that I added to a pile of black, white and gray blocks. 

All piles have been put away until next time I feel like playing with orphan blocks for a month. But wait! There are more piles I am putting away that you have not seen yet. 

Browns.

Black and brights.

Blues.

Multicolors.

And four bags of blocks that might look okay together like low volume, pinks, yellows and oranges and similar fabrics in different colors.

And sew on...

****

We received 10.5 inches of snow and a couple more inches are predicted for today. 

***

Oh joy! I received a box of fabulous fabrics from Barbara. I think they will make some nice backings. 

****

On Thanksgiving I started a Positivity Journal. There are a lot of positivity journal prompts online. I thought some positivity might get me through the winter months when I tend to feel a little depressed.